Introduction
I've been teaching Read 180 for over 5 years and I've seen some amazing growth happen! But, I've also seen kids struggle with issues with the sound system that Read 180 is not designed to address. I'm attempting to address some of those issues here. I am not qualified to diagnose anyone with any reading disorder, but I know that when decoding is an issue, that is, being able to easily sound out words, no amount of SSR (sustained silent reading) will help these students read better. We must have an intensive intervention that teaches the sound system from scratch. Most often, a student who, by middle school is still reading at a first or second grade level has some degree of dyslexia. Dyslexia just means difficulty with the written language.
When dyslexics see a word, they see it differently from the way non-dyslexics see it. Often, that keeps them from picking up the sound code of the language as quickly as their peers do. Teachers sometimes miss this, or because the student is good at memorizing words, the problem isn't evident. Students can get pegged as being lazy, or just not working hard enough. Students often begin to think there is something wrong with them or even that they are stupid, when actually most dyslexics are of average or above average intelligence.
A blogger put it well when he said, "Currently, the most compelling body of evidence supports the theory that dyslexia is predominately an issue involving phonological processing. This means that it takes a dyslexic individual longer to decode written text than for those who are not dyslexic. When so much effort is focused on decoding it affects fluency and comprehension resulting in reading that is slow and labored. By the time the sentence is read you no longer remember how it started. The great news is that through remedial instruction, dyslexic students can actually ‘rewire’ their brains. With direct, explicit and systematic training in phonological awareness partnered with instruction to improve motivation, automaticity and fluency via repeated readings, dyslexics can learn to successfully cope with this chronic condition and overcome dyslexia!"
Dyslexics can be taught to read as well as or even better than their peers, but they must be retaught the sound code and taught in ways that compliment their learning style. Dyslexics tend to be very visually oriented, so using pictures and manipulatives can help them make the sound code easier to understand and reading can become a joy rather than a chore.
The information on this site has been gleaned from many sources, the best of which I've put on my links page. All the printed materials were created by me and you are welcome to print them and share them. This site is for both teachers and parents. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about the site. email me at kmarshall.k12.nv.us
When dyslexics see a word, they see it differently from the way non-dyslexics see it. Often, that keeps them from picking up the sound code of the language as quickly as their peers do. Teachers sometimes miss this, or because the student is good at memorizing words, the problem isn't evident. Students can get pegged as being lazy, or just not working hard enough. Students often begin to think there is something wrong with them or even that they are stupid, when actually most dyslexics are of average or above average intelligence.
A blogger put it well when he said, "Currently, the most compelling body of evidence supports the theory that dyslexia is predominately an issue involving phonological processing. This means that it takes a dyslexic individual longer to decode written text than for those who are not dyslexic. When so much effort is focused on decoding it affects fluency and comprehension resulting in reading that is slow and labored. By the time the sentence is read you no longer remember how it started. The great news is that through remedial instruction, dyslexic students can actually ‘rewire’ their brains. With direct, explicit and systematic training in phonological awareness partnered with instruction to improve motivation, automaticity and fluency via repeated readings, dyslexics can learn to successfully cope with this chronic condition and overcome dyslexia!"
Dyslexics can be taught to read as well as or even better than their peers, but they must be retaught the sound code and taught in ways that compliment their learning style. Dyslexics tend to be very visually oriented, so using pictures and manipulatives can help them make the sound code easier to understand and reading can become a joy rather than a chore.
The information on this site has been gleaned from many sources, the best of which I've put on my links page. All the printed materials were created by me and you are welcome to print them and share them. This site is for both teachers and parents. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about the site. email me at kmarshall.k12.nv.us
About Me
I am Kathleen Marshall. While not a certified reading specialist, I am a highly qualified Language Arts teacher who has taught a reading program called Read 180 since 2003 and taught reading another 2 years before that. I've seen some kids fail to make progress in my classes and have searched for methods to help kids read better. I am passionate about making sure all kids can read, not only because reading is a gateway skill necessary for success in any field, but also because I take such joy from reading myself.
I hope this site will help you help kids and I welcome your feedback.
I hope this site will help you help kids and I welcome your feedback.
