Bottom-Up Reading Strategies for an Interactive Reading Approach: TESOL 2016 Presentation in Baltimore

I always appreciate the opportunity to attend the International TESOL Conference. I enjoy learning what other professionals in the field are doing to contribute to their respective contexts. I also enjoy "stirring the gray matter" and the ideas that come to mind that I can apply in my areas of responsibility.

I had the opportunity to present this year on Bottom-Up Reading Strategies for an Interactive Reading Approach. I shared the rationale behind the use of bottom-up reading strategies and their role in promoting an interactive reading approach. I also shared specific bottom-up strategies (decoding and encoding strategies originating from Reading Horizons) that I've used with my students, as well as application activities for applying these strategies in the ELL classroom. The session was well-attended, and several individuals mentioned to me after the presentation that they had been introduced to things in the presentation that they'd never learned before. I shared the free Online Workshop where teachers and teachers-in-training can learn additional bottom-up strategies to apply in their classrooms.

Should Handwriting Be Taught?

Is handwriting an important component to literacy instruction? Is it really necessary to teach handwriting, especially when keyboarding skills are so requisite with the rise of technology in education and the use of technology in everyday life?

The Common Core State Standards prescribe that legible writing should be taught in kindergarten and first grade only. Then in subsequent grades, the emphasis shifts to keyboarding proficiency. 

According to recent research, handwriting versus keyboarding may affect the brain and benefit specifically those who struggle with reading. Children who learn to write by hand at a young age learn to read more quickly, as well as retain information and generate ideas. 

Literacy Training in India at Pathway

Last month, my colleagues and I had the opportunity to visit Pathway India, a non-profit organization located in southern India that serves underprivileged and handicapped children. Pathway educates, empowers, and enlightens the students they serve by providing vocational and academic training, rewarding students for their contributions, and sustaining an environment in which the students feel safe, loved, and confident in their abilities to contribute using their knowledge and talents.



We had an opportunity to train the teachers at one of Pathway's schools located in rural Chennai. We also had the opportunity to conduct a training for English teachers in the surrounding area and were privileged to have Dr. Swaminathan in attendance.







Pathway India recently published their latest newsletter article which documents our recent visit. It can be accessed here. To learn more about this organization, visit their website at http://pathway.org.in/, or visit their Facebook page: Pathway India.

TESOL 2014 in Portland, Oregon: Phonics in English Language Learning Contexts

I'm currently attending the TESOL 2014 conference in Portland. It is common each year I attend to recognize "themes" or areas of growing interest based on the presentation topics and the number of attendees drawn to each presentation. One of the popular areas of interest I've noticed at this conference has been phonics as it relates to language competency and enhancing learning in various language skills.

I attended a session yesterday by three TESOL graduate students from Florida State University. They presented on the use of an explicit phonics program over the last year in their Intensive English Program at FSU. I was happy to see that the results of their implementation have been positive.

English Language Learner Strategies

Visit my ESL teaching tips blog post to learn about pronunciation, spelling, grammar, decoding, and listening strategies. Also, come back to my blog soon to see the launch of my new YouTube channel where I will be demonstrating decoding strategies using a tablet and screen captures!

Specific strategies taught elsewhere on my blog can also be accessed here:

New Educational Literacy App for Children (Part 1)

Reading Horizons just launched a new educational app available in the Apple App Store called Card Match. This game helps students recognize words by matching a word card with an image card. Card Match is one of the games featured in the Reading Horizons Discovery software that was released last fall. I admit that the game is a little addicting--even for adults. Challenge yourself to complete a level in as little time as possible for three stars (versus the one- or two-star alternative rewards). This app is available at the Apple App Store. Soon to follow is the release of an additional educational app: Whack a Word. Stay tuned!

(See Part 2 of this blog post here. Also, see other Reading Horizons apps here.)

How Well Do You Know English?

Do you know why we read, spell, and pronounce English the way we do? 

I thought it would be fun to have a little contest for visitors to this blog. Here's a little quiz. Post a comment with your best guesses:

1. What two consonants almost never end an English word? 

2. What consonants at the end of a one-syllable, short vowel sound will usually double? 

3. What are the sounds y can make within a word? 

4. Can you explain why cat begins with c and kitten begins with k?.

Post your answers in the comments section below. The first person to answer at least three of these questions correctly will win a prize!

A Need to Promote Literacy: The Cold, Hard Facts

Here is an infographic designed by the Marketing Department at my employer, Reading Horizons. The information was derived from a blog post I wrote a while back regarding what the research says about the need for literacy instruction among adolescents and adults. (See the blog post here. See also an adapted post on the Reading Horizons company blog here.) This graphic provides a chilling visual of the great need to promote and provide literacy instruction. These statistics stimulate in me a desire to do more. I have some plans. Stay tuned...

Thoughts on Purpose

I was recently asked to share my thoughts on purpose with my company--why I do what I do. Purpose is one of the tenets of our company creed. I have blogged about purpose before. A few blog posts that illustrate my purpose for doing what I do include the following: 
Lessons Learned from Life
The "Homeless Wanderer"
The Value of Literacy
Post-India: Thoughts on Service
Teaching the Homeless to Read
Curriculum Vision -- Helping Struggling Readers
Success Stories in Learning to Read
Why Do We Do What We Do?

A few highlights of my job include (but, of course, are not limited to):

• Traveling to India to help with literacy efforts among the leprosy-affected: Post-India: Thoughts on Service, Ensuring Success with English in India, Back in India, A Day in My Life in India, More On a Day in My Life in India, Abolishing the Stigma of Leprosy by Teaching Children to Read in English, A Documentary on Humanitarian Efforts in India)
• Visiting NYC to conduct trainings and needs assessments for NYC Public Schools and Public libraries: New York City Public Schools Teach Students to Read, New York City Public Schools Teach Students to Read: Part 2, Literacy Training in the Bronx...and in Your Own Backyard, Opening Doors to Literacy in New York City Public Libraries)
• Traveling to the Middle East to promote reading instruction: English Teaching and Learning in the Middle East, English Teaching and Learning in the Middle East: Part 2, Phonics for Arabic Speakers in the Middle East) 
• Tutoring a gentleman in his 60's who has never learned how to read: Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers, On the Journey to Read, On the Journey to Read: Part 2, Teaching the Homeless to Read)
• Consulting, training, and researching literacy instruction for children, middle school- and high school-aged students, and adults (for both native English speakers and non-native English speakers), and writing curriculum that meets the needs of these individuals. I've visited a variety of settings to fulfill this purpose, some of which include prisons, urban and rural K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, adult education sites, non-profit groups, and charter schools, including the largest school for homeless children in the U.S.: Teaching Literacy in Strategies to Homeless Children and Individuals in Secure Care Facilities.
• Engaging in humanitarian service opportunities, specifically in the areas of teaching English and literacy, as well as empowering teachers with strategies to teach these skills through teacher training with the goal of maintaining autonomy and sustainability. As mentioned above, I have traveled to India for this purpose, as well as to various islands in the South Pacific. I plan to travel to Africa to conduct teacher training in the (hopefully near) future, as well.

Part of the purpose for this post was to respond to the request to share my thoughts on purpose with my company. But another impetus for this post was to provide a more personal side to my blog. I understand that most people find this blog organically when searching on the Internet for specific ESOL- and literacy-related topics; however, I also occasionally have friends and associates who are genuinely interested in what I do. Whether you are a "stranger" or a friend, thank you for visiting this blog!

International Literacy Day 2012

Tomorrow, September 8, 2012, marks International Literacy Day. With Literacy being a passion of mine, and having taken the opportunity to post in years past on family literacy, I wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge this day of literacy as it has become customary for me to do so. Last year, I posted about my recent experience of working with a gentleman in his sixties embarking on his "journey to read."

I met with him just yesterday, and he is decoding and spelling words like he has never been able to before. I do not attribute his success to my teaching, but rather the explicit, systematic, sequential strategies he is being taught. He said yesterday that "no one has ever been able to get [him] this far"...and he has had several attempt to teach him over the years.

To commemorate this day of literacy, there are several ways to get involved and assist in literacy efforts. I've posted a few ideas in the following two posts:

Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2010
Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers

Here are a few other blog posts that share my thoughts about and experience with literacy. I invite you to consider the needs of those in your own communities and ponder how you may be able to assist.

On the Journey to Read
On the Journey to Read: Part 2 (Adult Literacy and Teaching Struggling Readers)
Teaching the Homeless to Read
How Do I Teach Literacy?
How Do I Teach Literacy? (Part 2)
The Value of Literacy
Lessons Learned from Life
ESL Literacy - A Tibetan Student's Autobiographical Poem
Thankful for Literacy
Success Stories in Learning to Read

I will also mention here that I will be starting a series of literacy training videos on a YouTube channel in the next week or two. (See my posts on Using Video to Provide Free Education and  Free Online Videos for the ESL and ELL Classroom.) Stay tuned to future posts!

Video on New Reading Software

This blog post is on a semi-personal note as I have decided to post a new video that was recently launched which showcases the new Reading Horizons Discovery software that encapsulates my work life over the last two years. My colleague Stacy Hurst and myself discuss some of the components of the software that help beginning readers learn effective reading strategies and assist teachers with tracking student progress. Although it is not evident in this video, suffice it to say that many hours of mental energy has gone into creating this product that now lives up to the quality of the curriculum that it teaches. But the effort has been worth it. Helping individuals learn to read is rewarding work.

Watch the video here.

Success Stories in Adult Literacy

I have blogged before about my experience tutoring a gentleman in his 60's who is learning to read for the first time. (See my blog posts here, here, and here.) As many of my colleagues and associates are aware, I have developed a passion for literacy--especially adult literacy. I love hearing success stories of individuals who have overcome the monumental obstacles of illiteracy and who are now confident and productive members of society. I recently heard a Canadian radio interview with such an individual who is a recipient of a literacy award. He is a father and a cancer survivor. He mentioned using the Reading Horizons program to help him learn how to read, which is the software program I helped to author. It is stories like these that remind me of why I do what I do. 

Listen to the interview here. 

See videos of other inspiring success stories here.

Free Webinar on Transfer for Improved Reading

An essential part of the process of teaching one to read is not only teaching effective reading strategies to help students decode automatically and effortlessly (to achieve fluency and comprehension), but also to provide opportunities for students to transfer these learned reading strategies to connected text. A free webinar hosted by Reading Horizons was recently delivered by Shantell Barrett and Jay Kelly on transfer. The title of their webinar is "Getting From Point A to Point Z." Shantell and Jay discuss ways to provide opportunities to transfer decoding strategies to help the students become autonomous readers. The webinar can be viewed here. (The power point slides can also be downloaded on the link.)

View other free webinars on the Reading Horizons website here.

Engaging Activities to Teach Sight Words for Improved Reading Fluency

My poster session at TESOL 2012 in Philadelphia went well! I mentioned on my poster session display that my handout would be available on my blog. It is available on the page to the right, and can be accessed here: http://www.esltrail.com/p/engaging-activities-to-teach-sight.html.

I met some very interesting people who stopped by to talk about the poster session presentation content. I had one individual (a faculty member from a college in the mid-west) comment this way: "This poster presentation is so phenomenal. It's so pretty, and eye-catching, and so organized. I was really impressed with that. And also the topic, teaching sight words, is so important because actually, I have this specific chapter I need to teach to my students. So this is a perfect topic, and I was so excited when I found this one. And the presenter prepared the handout so nicely...very informative. Excellent, excellent presentation and poster." (I realize that she was very generous in her praise, by the way.)

Free Webinar on the Essential Need for Orton Gillingham-Based Reading Instruction

Kathy Chapelle-Muncy, MS Ed. Reading and Literacy and teacher trainer, presented a great webinar on March 22, 2012, hosted by Reading Horizons on the essential need for  explicit and intensive phonics instruction for struggling readers, as well as the importance of delivering this type of instruction through an Orton Gillingham-based methodology. The Orton Gillingham approach refers to instruction that is multisensory, stepwise, cumulative, and language-based. A recording of this webinar is available here.

During the Q and A session at the end of the webinar, Kathy mentioned the Reading Horizons online pronunciation tool. A link to preview this tool is available here. For more questions and answers from the webinar, see the Reading Horizons blog post here.

The next webinar will be held April 19, 2012, by author Sarah Collinge. Her webinar is entitled, "Movitating Readers: Collaboration, Challenge, Competence, and Choice." You can register for the webinar here.

For other free webinars hosted by Reading Horizons, go here.

Phonics for Middle School and High School Classrooms

Middle School

I am in New Jersey this week working with teachers and students at the local High School and Middle School. I have been impressed with the teachers' responses to the opportunity to improve their students' literacy, as well as the students' enthusiasm to learn new strategies to improve their reading and spelling. I visited ten high school classrooms yesterday and introduced the purpose of learning Reading Horizons strategies. Today and tomorrow I'm visiting the Middle School to observe and model teacher instruction. In this process, I have been reminded of why phonics has a place in the classroom for older learners and how these skills fit into the "big picture" of learning to read. I thought I would highlight some specific reasons why phonics has relevance beyond Kindergarten to third-grade classrooms.

First of all, we know that reading is a critical skill. We also know several students need to learn how to read better. We know that reading at an appropriate rate with adequate comprehension is necessary. So for struggling readers, including students who are non-native English speakers, what role does phonics play in this goal to acquire fluency and comprehension? 

Decoding Skills Posters Hanging in the Hallway

Fluency: When students come across difficult words, what happens? Their eyes stop on the word. They reread the word. They reread the sentence. They reread the word again. They may decide (after multiple, unsuccessful attempts to read the word) that they will ultimately just skip the word. Sometimes that may be necessary, and using context to determine the meaning of the unknown word is sufficient. But if that scenario is reoccurring frequently in a student's reading, is that fluent reading? No. Fluency is compromised when students get stuck on a word. And if a student is getting stuck on multiple words in a text, is that student comprehending what he or she is reading? Probably not. If the student is having to use so much of his or her "brain power" to decode the word, there isn't enough "brain power" left to glean meaning from the text. Students need to learn strategies to decode difficult words that they come across in their reading. And these strategies need to become automatic so that students are able to decode words quickly and effortlessly. 

On the Journey to Read: Part 2 (Adult Literacy and Teaching Struggling Readers)

I have blogged before about my experiences tutoring a 60-year-old man who can't read. In fact, his reading level was so low when I started working with him that he couldn't read sight words such as "and," "to," and "the," let alone sound out simple decodable words such as "bag" and "dad." I have been working with this gentleman for several weeks now, and as of two weeks ago, he has begun to read. Two weeks ago I had an experience that I wish everyone could experience: He read a short story for the first time...by himself. He wished that his long-time friend could've been there to hear him, he said. Since that time, his spirits have been high, and his motivation is off the charts. He even suggests material and strategies he could work on at home independently in between our visits. He is also learning computer literacy as he is just beginning the Reading Horizons software program. I wish everyone could have the opportunity to witness growth like I do in my friend who is on his journey to read. (See my previous blog posts about tutoring here: On the Journey to Read, Teaching the Homeless to Read, and Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers.)


I have a colleague that recently blogged about her experience with adult literacy efforts, as well. See her post here. I think she, along with anyone else out there involved in teaching someone how to read, would agree that this is an incredibly rewarding experience.


If there is any interest among any of you reading this post in getting involved in adult literacy or tutoring struggling readers (since I've had some ask), here are a few places to start:
1) Visit the free Online Workshop to learn strategies for teaching literacy. On that link, you can also print out a syllabus to use for a systematic teaching sequence.
2) Make a plan for ways to get involved in literacy efforts in your area. For ideas, read my blog posts about how to get involved in adult literacy here: Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers and Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2010.
3) View free webinars available online that are of interest to you for additional training and resources. Free webinars are available on the Reading Horizons webinar page, including ELL Emerging Literacy: What We Know; What You Can Do by Robin Lovrien Schwarz (if you are working with non-native English speakers who are emerging readers, such as refugees), "What Should I Say When They Get Stuck on a Word?" by Kathleen Brown, or Developing Fluent Readers by Neil J. Anderson.
4) Search my blog for topics that are of interest to you to help you with your tutoring. For example, learn how to teach whether the vowel is long or short in a word, how to determine syllable division in multi-syllable words, and ideas for how to teach sight words. (Note that these strategies could be used for native English speakers or English Language Learners alike.) Other teaching tips to help with pronunciation and spelling are also available here.

Click here to read about the pronunciation of -ed.

Click here to read about pronouncing plurals.

Click here to read about voiced and voiceless sounds.

Click here to read about rising and falling intonation in questions.

Click here to read about syllable stress and the schwa.
Click here to read about adding the suffixes -ing, -ed, -er, and -est.
Click here to read about teaching common suffixes.
Click here to read about teaching common prefixes.
Click here to read about spelling words that end in S, F, and Z.

Feel free to share your experiences!

Teaching the Homeless to Read

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the homeless...I'm not sure why. I see a homeless person on the street, and emotions of empathy surface...emotions of suffering (not just physical), emotions of lost opportunity, and emotions of unlocked potential. We all have a lot to offer, but some, due to misfortune, do not have the opportunity to convey that potential...at least for now.

I often see the homeless at the Salt Lake City public library (where it's warm during the winter months and cool during the summer months) standing next to bookshelves with open books in hands. I wonder if these individuals really know how to read...or if they are simply staring at the symbols on the pages trying to make meaning (or pretending to make meaning).

As this thought has passed through my mind on a number of occasions, I have felt a desire to teach the homeless how to read. In my search to determine how to make that goal a reality, I was pointed to the Food and Care Coalition in Provo, Utah. I was invited to work with a sixty-year-old gentleman who is not homeless, but who is unable to read and, therefore, unable to find employment. I have blogged about my experiences tutoring him before (see "On the Journey to Read" and "Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2011: Teaching Struggling Readers"). The last time I went to tutor him at the Food and Care Coalition, I was given a tour of the building by Brent Crane, Executive Director of the Food and Care Coalition. I was very impressed with the facilities, the vision, and the services provided. Brent is the "brain child" behind the design of the building and vision of the organization, and his colleagues and volunteers have played (and continue to play) a huge role in implementing the programs offered.

Services offered include the following:
Barber shop
Dental clinic
Educational programs
Three meals a day
Access to computers
In the future: a residence hall

I am looking forward to continuing volunteer work with this organization to help others unlock, or rediscover, their potential. We all have much to offer...

(See also my post on Teaching Literacy to Homeless Children.)

On the Journey to Read

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I have the privilege of working with a gentleman in his sixties who has never learned how to read. As you can imagine, his illiteracy has affected his ability to find and keep a job, which has become quite a discouraging problem for him. There aren't a lot of jobs out there that don't require at least a minimal level of reading ability. And when you can't read AT ALL, which is this gentleman's case, your ability to compete for jobs that are available is definitely compromised.

Yesterday I worked with this gentleman for two hours on just five letters of the alphabet. I admit that I thought we would get through more content than we did. But that is where he's at right now, and he's comfortable with that. He was soaking it in. We practiced the names and sounds of the letters, practiced the concept of the slide, and began to sound out three-letter words. We would exchange high-fives to celebrate his successes, and we discussed vocabulary meaning and real-life application with each word as we went along. He is definitely motivated to learn, and he's already talking about what he will be able to do in another couple months after getting some more reading skills down. But I recognize that consistency and self-motivation will be a key to his success. He's committed himself to review and practice on his own at home (he offered to do that before I even had a chance to make that suggestion), and he will continue to do some independent work on the Reading Horizons software program to supplement our one-on-one instruction time.

As I think about the beginning of his journey to learn how to read--something he has never been able to do up to this point in his life--I think about some things I need to keep in mind as I continue to work with him that hopefully could be relevant to you in your particular educational and life-learning contexts. I'm sure you have your own list of ideas, as well, so feel free to share them.

How Do I Teach Literacy? (Part 2)

I just returned home from six back-to-back trips, most trips affording me just a couple days in between each trip to literally unpack and pack at the same time. As always, I am privileged to meet a variety of people in my travels. My work has provided me opportunities to interact with individuals who are passionate about improving the quality of life for those they serve. I am grateful to have opportunities to learn from so many dedicated individuals.

My most recent trip was to Southern California where I conducted a training for ESL teachers at a community college. I was impressed with their attentiveness and their teachable nature. At one point during the training, I saw an ESL student peering through the window into the classroom. She kept looking at me and at the board where I was writing. After this took place for several minutes, I finally opened the door and asked the student if there was something I could help her with. She replied in her broken English, "No, I just want to learn what you're teaching." She had seen what I was writing on the board and was intrigued by what she was learning.

The skill I was teaching was the soft sounds of c and g. The basic principles are as follows:

• When c is followed by the vowels e (ce) or i (ci) , the sound of c changes from /k/ to /s/ (e.g., cent; cite). C will have the /s/ sound about 99 percent of the time in this construction.
• When g is followed by the vowels e (ge) or i (gi), the sound of g changes from /g/ to /j/ (e.g., gem; gin). This new sound occurs about 85 percent of the time in this construction.
• When a consonant plus c or g comes between the first vowel and the silent e, the two consonants
will cause the first vowel to be short (e.g., dance, prince, plunge).
• English words never end in the letter j. When the sound /j/ is heard at the end of a word, it will always
be spelled -ge. Words with a long vowel sound will end with just the -ge spelling (e.g., cage). Words with a
short vowel sound will end with a -dge spelling (e.g., judge; bridge).