81. Articulatory Gestures and Early Literacy: What the Research Actually Says with Deirdre O'Toole, The Playful Classroom

Deirdre O’Toole’s doctoral research focuses on early literacy acquisition, specifically around articulatory gestures and attention to speech production. In recent years, we hear a lot about Sound Walls being “aligned to the Science of Reading”. In this episode, Dee shares what we know from research, what we don’t yet know, and how small instructional shifts (like simply saying “Look at my mouth”) can make a meaningful difference in early reading instruction.Key Takeaways: What phonemic awareness really means (and why “conscious awareness” is key)Articulatory gestures refer to how speech sounds are physically produced (lips, tongue, jaw, airflow, voicing)Research supports articulatory-based interventions (like Lindamood-Bell LIPS), but evidence does not show they are superior to other high-quality interventionsWhat the research says (and does not say) about sound wallsThe impact of visual speech cues (including research during COVID on masked instruction)Practical teacher language for supporting spelling and phoneme-grapheme connectionsDee also shares insights from her work organizing the Right to Read Ireland conference and advocating for evidence-informed literacy instruction across Ireland.Resources Mentioned:Right to Read Ireland Conference / IG: @righttoreadirlThe Teacher’s Table / IG: @attheteacherstableFacebook: Science of Reading Discussion for Irish TeachersLindamood BellOpen Access: Seeing the Mouth: The Importance of Articulatory Gestures During Phonics Training - Novelli et. al., 2023A Meta-Analysis on the Optimal Cumulative Dosage of Early Phonemic Awareness Instruction - Erbeli et. al., 2024Connect with Deirdre O’Toole:https://playfulclassroom.ie/Instagram: @playful_classroomFacebook: Playful ClassroomTPT: Playful ClassroomThank you to Express Readers for supporting the production of this episode.Express Readers creates thoughtfully designed decodable texts that align with the Science of Reading and support developing readers at every stage. You can visit their website to learn more and grab a free sample to try with your students!https://expressreaders.org/Instagram: @expressreadersLinkedIn: Express ReadersFacebook: Express Readers Inc.Connect with Michelle:Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.comFollow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademyJoin our Facebook CommunitySign up for my NewsletterShop on TPT: The Colorful ClassroomFor Phonics Resources, grab: The COLORFUL Phonics ToolkitWant to Support the Podcast?Make a Donation to Support ProductionInterested in Learning More about Morphology?Logos Literacy Academy with Michelle Sullivan & Sarah PaulJoin: Beyond Phonics Club - our Membership CommunityMentioned in this episode:Express ReadersGet your Free Decodable Book Sample today! https://expressreaders.org/Reading Science AcademyGet your FREE grouping resource bundle here: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/groupingsheets?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=podcast Join The Reading Science Academy: https://www.stephaniestollarconsulting.com/register?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=literacy-in-colorSOR Fall Book Study Join us: https://colorful-classroom.mykajabi.com/sor-fall-book-study-2026