Letter Box - Learn to Read

Many students enter tutoring with a lack of confidence due to their self-esteem being affected by the gaps that are more noticeable each year. Children know when they are overlooked or not achieving expected results.
Recently, I began working with a beautiful child who displayed the above characteristics. She was bogged in low self-esteem. However, with encouragement and specific training in tutoring, she has shown us all what she can do.
This child is in middle primary and struggling in Math and English. On viewing the words that she was learning to spell, it was noticed that they were the level of Year Two. We decided that if this child was able to learn the letters that matched the sounds and a few basic rules, she would be able to advance to the group above. For this week in the level above the student, all the words had a commonality, the letters, ph sounding as /f/.
The words supplied were-
elephant, photo, nephew, alphabet, orphan, telephone, dolphin, phase, triumph, typhoon, sphere, emphasis.
There was one sound that the child needed assistance with at this level.
If the words are pronounced in what is called, a spelling voice, all the child had to do was sound the words syllable by syllable using her ears to identify the letters that accompanied those sounds. Once the word was written using this method, the student used vision to see if the word was spelt correctly.
There were only two words that caused some confusion-triumph and typhoon. The student recognised that the words had been sounded correctly but that visually the words was incorrect. There are only so many letters or letter combinations that sound the same. When you look at what was written-tryumph -you can easily see that the ph could possibly be replaced by an f, if it was incorrect, because both have the same sound. The only other letter, y, that has a different letter, for the sound of long /i/ is the letter i. Once this was corrected the word was correct.
Visual memory plays a part in spelling. However, the greatest spellers are those children who use phonological awareness strategies, rules, syllable types and know the long and short vowel sounds. This is spelling made easy!!! Memorising spelling will collapse by about Year Three or Year Four.
Help is at hand-message [email protected] to arrange a chat about what can be achieved for your child.

Supporting Spelling
Spelling is easy if the right scaffolding is provided. Children who are early spellers require the letters that match the sounds in front of them so that they can choose the letters needed until the letters can be written automatically. Expecting new work to be embedded permanently after one session is delusional!!!

This strategy is also useful for older students. Placing the new letter combinations on a magnetic board supports automaticity. Once the taught level of sounds is introduced and used correctly, these letters are removed and new ones added onto the board

The following picture demonstrates the use of the vowel teams being used in a few sessions. Remember, the letters, ow are described as a vowel team because the letter, w, is acting like a vowel.
As spelling progresses more letters are introduced with rules applied-this is early spelling. Provide confidence of your child early.
Individual support can be accessed by texting 0414030883 or calling and leaving a message.

Can dysgraphia be remedied? Look for yourself.

I have been working with some amazing people helping wonderful students with complications in writing. If parents, grandparents and anyone else who has an interest in a student's progress come together, they all offer something different to the teaching. Most students come to tutoring once or twice a week. This is not enough time to remedy some problems. This is when the team approach is so important because, the other members of the team can continue with revising the work taught in the tutoring sessions.

A reluctance to write is the one of the main writing issues due to motor, literary or executive functioning problems. However, underlying these issues is often auditory processing and to a lesser degree, visual processing. Auditory processing is not about the student's ability to hear, it is about the brain's inability to process what is heard.

Decoding and encoding are the main components of auditory processing seen in the classroom. Background noise and and an inability to follow directions are also problematic. There are programs that will improve these areas if specific procedures are in place.

Australians are weak in pronouncing multisyllabic words, and if students pronounce a word incorrectly, how can they sound out a word into its individual components? This is the first step. Sometimes, I use my spelling pronunciation to support the process.

Step one-pronounce the word correctly. I will provide the next steps throughout the week.

If you require extra support for your child-
call-0414340883 for a chat or leave a text message.
Email-
[email protected]

In the image of a soldier standing resolutely, we see a powerful symbol of strength and courage. However, true bravery extends beyond the battlefield. As a parent, teaching your child that seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but a mark of wisdom and resilience, is paramount. Just as a soldier relies on his comrades for support, children should understand the importance of turning to others in times of need. This lesson not only fosters a sense of community but also ensures that they develop healthy coping mechanisms, reinforcing the idea that asking for help is a vital part of navigating life's challenges.