For The Love Of Literacy

“If only we, as dyslexics, had learned how the English writing system works—from words to sentences—when we were in elementary school! Maybe we wouldn’t have struggled with language and literacy.” For decades, non-dyslexic individuals have been telling dyslexics how they learn, often focusing strictly on early literacy skills. This offers a very limited view of dyslexia. Listen to two adult dyslexics, literacy instructor Marie Foley and For the Love of Literacy host Bruce Howlett, discuss their decades-long struggle with reading comprehension, complex word spelling, and written expression. Your understanding of dyslexia will be transformed.In this episode, Bruce hands over hosting duties to linguist Sara Lee. Sara works with Marie and Bruce on grammar and syntax, taking them beneath the surface of words and sentences while exploring new learning methods. Today, Marie and Bruce are utterly fascinated by language and its many connections to literacy. Best of all, written and spoken English finally make sense!

If your students read accurately but with limited fluency, comprehension or interest then Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert’s talk will be of great benefit. Freddy summarizes her decades of research, showing how vocabulary depth and richness are key components of reading comprehension and written expression.  Dr. Hiebert has created two essential materials: Teaching Words and How They Work, and TextProject.Org. Teaching Words centers literacy instruction on vocabulary development and how children learn, understand and read complex words. She notes that most students read with high accuracy, but with limited fluency and vocabulary depth.  To address this widespread problem, Freddy’s TextProject.org provides free resources for teaching vocabulary development and semantics, or word meaning. The site includes ready-to-use word webs, Exceptional Expressions and Super Synonyms as well as reading material for emerging readers, content areas and Teen Reads.  The subtitle of Teaching Words is Small Changes for Big Vocabulary Results. Dr. Hiebert talks about the importance of small changes, not wholesale shifts, for improving instruction. TextProject.org

Many students who struggle with literacy also struggle with math. Understanding the number system requires engaging linguistic, cognitive, executive functions and conceptual understanding -- just like literacy. Meaning is as important to math learning as it does in literacy. Math that is taught as a series of isolated procedures, facts and “islands of knowledge” disconnected from meaning will make little sense - just as it does with reading. Math makes sense when students learn the structure of math, including its syntax and vocabulary, and approach it as a coherent system. This also diminishes math anxiety.     Bruce Howlett’s Seven Layers of Literacy Approach:  ReadingShift.com Megan Hicks: [email protected] The Sentence Studio www.scienceofthesentence.comJen Petrich: Literacy Dr website:  https://www.theliteracydr.com·         D.O.T.S. course info and registration:   https://www.theliteracydr.com/pd/dots·         Wednesdays with Literacy Dr (free drop-in) info and registration: https://www.theliteracydr.com/drop-in·         Literacy Dr videos https://www.theliteracydr.com/videos·         List of Resources for Further Learning

Why do so many students continue to struggle with spelling and writing even after years of phonics instruction? In this episode, Sarah Mitchell explores the missing layer between decoding instruction and deeper literacy transfer: integrated word study.Drawing on research, classroom experience and practical teaching examples, Sarah explains how word-building using a six-layer “word study map” that develops sounds, meaning, spellings, connections, morphemes and sentences in the same lesson. The more connections a child has with a word the easier it is to recognize, comprehend and use it while writing.The conversation explores the implementation gap many teachers experience — understanding the theory but still feeling unsure how to apply it during real lessons — and introduces practical ways to make literacy instruction more connected, efficient and meaningful for older students.Sarah Mitchell Author - Teaching Structured Literacy SeriesContact Info: [email protected] Structured Literacy for Older Students: https://www.facebook.com/groups/360409786946482 Founder - Morphology Hub Website: www.morphologyhub.comSocial media: YouTube @sarahmitchell3941

Teaching about morphemes (the meaningful components of words), sentence structure (syntax) and grammar (the framework for organizing words and sentences) isn’t hard, once you learn about two new resources: Mary Beth Steven’s Dramatic Scripts and Meghan Hicks and Louise Hewitt’s The Sentence Studio. In fact, you can learn about these vital components of language as you teach your students by using their scripts, sentence and text practices. Their common goal is to create insightful readers and articulate writers. These educators recognize that word study, syntax and grammar go to the heart of reading comprehension and written expression. They also focus on responsive teaching that brings these topics alive through rich highly engaging activities.Mary Beth Steven book, Enhancing the Teaching of Morphology and Grammar with Dramatic Scripts for the Classroom, uses plays to build reading comprehension while creating a collaborative classroom. Meghan and Louise’s new instructional guide, The Sentence Studio, teaches grammar and syntax with fables and a groundbreaking BubbleMap analysis strategy. Educators and students discover the artistry of sentence structure while unlocking the meaning that lies within every sentenceYou can find more information about Mary Beth’s book on her classroom blogmbsteven.edublogs.orgYou can purchase The Sentence Studio and access free downloads and other supporting resources at Meghan and Louise’s websitewww.scienceofthesentence.com

Title: Meet the Students / Humans of the Boring (into words) Scholars CollectiveListen Sara Leland’s students, five humans who have dyslexia, ADHA and/or autism. With Sara’s guidance and support they grew to love literacy. They joined together and built a website www.boringscholarscollective.site. The boring scholars used their writing, creative and artistic skills to express their love of reading and writing through the website. Learn how they became word detectives, deeply investigating the spelling, meaning and history of words. Sara shares how she develops a fascination for words in children who may have struggled with basic skills. She explains that the ultimate purpose of education is human development, helping children to grow into capable, curious, creative and empathic citizens. You’ll also learn how a philosopher views language, filled with metaphors and narratives, fueled by critical thinking.   Sara’s own website is: www.wordscholars.netSara can be contacted through the site or by email at: [email protected]

If you have ever wondered why your students struggle with word reading, or read accurately but with limited comprehension, then you may want to flip your approach to reading instruction. Start at the sentence level by using Xiuhong Tong and Hélène Deacon’s groundbreaking Linguistics Pathways Model, which provides two parallel paths leading to reading comprehension.The first pathway leads to word recognition by morphological decoding. Deacon and Tong show how word reading and meaning arise from an awareness of how morphemes—the meaningful components that compose all words—are linked to graphemes. Unlike phonics decoding, students develop word reading, spelling and vocabulary knowledge in unison, which supports reading comprehension. The second pathway is a syntax to sentence pathway. Syntax, the blueprint for creating and understanding sentences, is the layer of language that most directly supports reading comprehension and fluency. Together, words are not only read with meaning but as part of meaningful sentences – which largely determines text comprehension. Xiuhong Tong and S. Helene Deacon 2025. The Linguistic Pathways Model: Capturing the Multiple Dimensions of Reading Development. Reading Research Quarterly

Meghan Hicks returns to talk about how teaching structure at the word, sentence, and text levels can help students make sense of the writing process. We often discuss literacy as a system and the importance of students understanding how it works. Meghan explains the broader system and how her students discover that the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. You’ll learn that syntax—how sentences are constructed from words, phrases and clauses—isn’t an abstract language concept. Rather, it is a straightforward way to improve reading comprehension and sentence construction. Meghan explains a simple sentence diagramming method that provides visual representations of sentence structure.Meghan also dives into the cognitive aspects of writing, starting with thinking. Students who can structure their thoughts are better able to structure their sentences. You learn about the four categories of thinking and how they influence students’ writing.  You can contact Meg at [email protected] or visit the Think~Write~Read Community Bruce Howlett's Seven Layers of Literacy Project - ReadingShift.com

Bonnie Feeney, a dyslexic mother and Jen Petrich, her PhD neuroscientist daughter discuss dyslexia from a unique perspective—one of from a journey of personal discovery and the other from studying brain science. Hear how their journeys came together, enriching both their lives. Learn the difficulties that dyslexics confront within and beyond the classroom. Dyslexics share more than a diagnosis and supporting them requires more than just a reading intervention. They deserve our respect and understanding. For decades, Bonny experienced biases and judgments that included narrow instruction that didn’t develop her interest in language. Jen became a neuroscientist not to help her mother, but to understand neurodiversity and find methods that support students broadly. Bonny began to listen in on Jen’s tutoring sessions with students and realized that this type of word and sentence inquiry made sense to her. A note from Jennifer Petrich: I would like to clarify a comment I made on this podcast episode that doesn’t reflect my true beliefs. In recounting someone else’s experience, I used language and framing that I no longer align with, including referring to a good IQ and not being dumb. I believe that measures like IQ do not define a person’s worth or fully capture their abilities, and I’m mindful that words we use—especially casually—can reinforce harmful assumptions. This was an unfiltered moment, and I’m committed to being more thoughtful and aware of my language and biases moving forward.Bruce Howlett’s Seven Layers of Literacy Approach: ReadingShift.com Literacy Dr website:https://www.theliteracydr.comD.O.T.S. course info and registration:https://www.theliteracydr.com/pd/dotsWednesdays with Literacy Dr (free drop-in) info and registration:https://www.theliteracydr.com/drop-inLiteracy Dr videos:https://www.theliteracydr.com/videosList of Resources for Further Learning:https://cb29367d-4ec0-40b5-af0b-a46966ed9d5a.filesusr.com/ugd/2c8fa0_47cff29b89e34ae2bcf16d59670de2d7.pdf

“Just thinking about grammar and syntax raises my anxiety.” Whether you share that reaction or you just feel shaky on some aspects of writing and sentence structure, you aren’t alone. Such a complex topic is not mastered in a one-and-done class. Yet it takes intellectual courage to become a student again and not to give up, especially when we are already acknowledged experts in our professions. In these days of mandated curricula, it isn’t easy to step out of the paradigm that currently dictates how education unfolds; but these two educators, Rebecca and Meghan, have found that it is still possible to create a community of true scholarship with your students—whether youths or adults.Meghan Hicks talks about “The Boy’s Writing Group” where her teenage students uncover the power of written communications and self-expression.  The Boys learn to review and revise their sentences as a group, discovering how writing gives them a voice to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings. Unlocking the power of sentences enriches students and teachers’ lives This is particularly important in the age of limited interest in book reading, mindless Internet scrolling, social media and AI.  You can contact Meg at [email protected] or visit the Think~Write~Read Community You can contact Rebecca at [email protected].

“Spell what you mean, not just what you hear,” is researcher and speech pathologist Kim Murphy’s advice to students. While spelling instruction often focuses on pronunciation, spelling-meaning instruction makes so much more sense to students and their teachers. Graphemes (letter patterns) and morphemes, the meaningful core of every written word, spell words in predictable and consistent ways, even as their pronunciation shifts.  Joined by Peter Bowers, creator of Structured Word Inquiry, Kim shows that yes, English spelling is complex, but it doesn’t have to be confusing. In fact, students enjoy learning spelling-meaning connections, as they make sense and are easier to memorize and recall accurately when writing. Kim and Pete also explain why spelling lists pale in comparison to morphological word sums and matrices, which organize the spelling of words around a common base. As a bonus, Kim shows how spelling-meaning connections benefit reading comprehension.  [email protected] ReadingShift.com Kim Murphy:Contact Kim at The Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center in Richmond, VA. Perfetti, C., & Stafura, J. (2014). Word knowledge in a theory of reading comprehension. Scientific Studies of Reading, 18(1), 22-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2013.827687Free access link https://www.lrdc.pitt.edu/perfettilab/pubpdfs/WordKnowledge.pdfThis article describes the Reading Systems Framework, in which the lexicon, or word knowledge, is a central connection point between word identification with reading comprehension. Aligned with the Lexical Quality Hypothesis (Perfetti, 2007; Perfetti & Hart, 2002), the lexicon is seen as a ‘pressure point’ in the reading system.Murphy, K.A., & Justice, L.M. (2019). Lexical-level predictors of reading comprehension in third grade: Is spelling a unique contributor? American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 28(4), 1597-1610. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-18-0299 Free access link https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1052&context=cdse_pubsThis study examines the contributions of lexical-level skills to reading comprehension, and whether spelling adds anything unique to the prediction of reading comprehension. Spelling was scored using binary (correct-incorrect) and non-binary (partially correct) methods. Results showed that spelling uniquely predicted reading comprehension, above and beyond the contribution of word recognition and vocabulary combined when scored using Correct Letter Sequences. This highlights the importance of including assessment of spelling skills when evaluating children for reading comprehension difficulties.Murphy, K.A., & Diehm, E.A. (2020). Collecting words: A clinical example of a morphology-focused orthographic intervention. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 51(3), 544-560.  https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_LSHSS-19-00050This paper describes a morphology-focused orthography intervention for children with word-level reading and spelling difficulties, using Structured Word Inquiry. Results comparing pre- and post-test scores showed that children improved in reading and/or spelling, and that their largest gains were in spelling affixes correctly. The study supports the use of interventions that integrate morphology with orthography and phonology to improve children’s literacy skills. 

Language issues are a surprisingly common source of reading, spelling and writing difficulties. Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is impacting students in your classrooms and offices. Listen to Speech-Language Pathologists Kathleen Love and Beth Coppoc Gunshor as they share about observing, supporting and teaching students with language challenges, including DLD. They provide practical methods that boost oral and written language abilities using word and sentence activities rooted in meaning. Find out the importance of showing students how words are built from meaningful parts (morphemes), as well as how to unravel complex sentences so they make sense. Walk away with a better understanding of how to support the language needs of students. Bio description & linksKathleen’s newsletter shares her latest musings about literacy, provides access to a ton of free curated resources, and alerts people to community events. More information about her course for literacy interventionists, Using Morphology in Literacy Intervention, can be found here. She also shares regularly and freely at Instagram and on Facebook, and her website is raincityreading.com. There you’ll also find her morphology merchandise shop with shirts and wall calendars!Beth can be reached through her website, and also found on Instagram or Facebook. She has t-shirts and stickers for sale that are related to Structured Word Inquiry.

Three experienced teachers show how to get even your most resistant students to become fascinated by words and sentences. They explain how to turn memory-draining spelling homework into an activity that enriches vocabulary, sight word mapping and provides a deep understanding of how words are constructed. If morphology and the English spelling system doesn't make sense to you and your students, they will by the end of the podcast. Mary Beth, Lisa and Skot explain how structured word inquiry, a method developed  by Peter Bowers, gets students deeply involved in investigations of a word's spelling, meaning and history. They describe how students with reading and behavior problems become fascinated by word investigations that significantly boosts their reading, spelling and comprehension abilities. Too many reading methods don't emphasize the importance of sentence writing and comprehension, which limits their students literacy abilities. Mary Beth, Lisa and Skot explain how sentence investigations excite students as much as word inquiry. Understanding how sentences are composed of phrases reveals its meaning. Drawing students' attention to the relationships between words and phrases significantly boost comprehension--and interest, too.Skot Caldwell worked for more than 25 years in “high needs” public schools in Kingston, Ontario. After annually reinventing his “spelling” program and having found nothing really effective, he met Pete Bowers and joined him on a learning journey through Real Spelling and the development of Structured Word Inquiry. His students became “Word Scientists” happily investigating language. https://smallhumansthinkbig.wordpress.com/category/word-inquiry/ [email protected] Lisa Barnett is a literacy-focused educator with over 30 years of experience in general and special education.  She is the founder and director of Empower Learning Center where she tutors privately, consults, and trains educators worldwide in English orthography. She is the author of Vocabulary & Morphology using Structured Word Inquiry. There is a wonderful For the love of Literacy Podcast about this very practical book. Links to Lisa & Katie’s book, SWI resources, dyslexia resources, blog about SWI & more. Lisa offers a few workshops, too.            LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/empowerlc            Website:  https://www.seethebeautyindyslexia.com/elc.html           Blog:        https://barnettsbuzzingblog.edublogs.org/           Email:      [email protected] Mary Beth Steven is a retired teacher whose teaching took a dramatic turn once she discovered Structured Word Inquiry. Mary Beth offers two online classes, Bringing Structured Word Inquiry into the Classroom and Getting a Grip on Grammar. Information can be found in the tabs at her blog, Mrs. Steven’s Classroom Blog (https://mbsteven.edublogs.org/ ).  She sells interactive books  for teaching grammar, SWI and a book of dramatic scripts to enhance teaching grammar and morphology in the classroom!Mary Beth YouTube Channel with over 200 videos demonstrating what SWI and grammar teaching . (https://www.youtube.com/@MaryBethSteven) 

Would you like to:understand how the English spelling system, or orthography, can be taught in so it makes sense to students and teachers, alike? integrate morphemes, the meaningful core of every word, into your reading, spelling and vocabulary instruction? Alternatives to memory and attention demanding practices like sight word spelling, syllable types, and spelling rules? In this episode, Sue Scibetta Hegland, author of Beneath the Surface of Words, chats with Liisa Freure—founder of Fundamental Learning and an elementary, ESL, and special education teacher—about the fascinating, complex, yet logical system behind English spelling. Both passionate advocates for Structured Literacy, Sue and Liisa talk about why teaching spelling can be even more challenging than teaching reading, and how understanding the spelling system can strengthen literacy for all students. Using engaging examples, they show how exploring the structures and interconnected meanings of words can capture students’ interest, improve comprehension, and help them become confident readers and writers.Sue Hegland:Website: Learning About Spelling -Spelling Always Makes SenseBeneath the Surface of Words - The Book Amazon (US)Kendore Learning (U.S.)Amazon (Canada)Select Educational Supplies  (Australia)Silver Eye (Australia) Liisa Freure – Fundamental LearningSue Scibetta Hegland began her career doing research and instructional design, but that changed in 2003, when she learned that one of her children is dyslexic. Trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach to literacy instruction, she has been studying and teaching about often overlooked aspects of the English orthographic system since 2014. Sue is a former school board member, serves as Editor-in-Chief for IDA’s Fact Sheet publications, and is the founder of the website LearningAboutSpelling.com. Sue is the author of the book Beneath the Surface of Words: What English Spelling Reveals and Why It Matters.Liisa Freure is the founder of Fundamental Learning, an organization dedicated to teaching the structure of the English language clearly and meaningfully. She has taught Kindergarten through Grade 8, ESL, and Special Education. Holding a Master’s in Education, Liisa has extensive experience in professional development, curriculum design, and provincial assessments. She trained with the Orton-Gillingham Academy, where she became an Accredited Training Fellow.  Liisa has held leadership roles with the International Dyslexia Association Ontario Branch, including serving two terms as President, and currently serves on the IDA’s Fact Sheet Editorial Board. Her&a

A wonderful plan for teachers, starting with five-year-old students on up to secondary school, to create a community of students who love exploring language, starting with the written and spoken word.Based on Ann Whiting and Lyn Anderson's beautiful books, A Field Guide to Words and A Year in Words. Children learn how the English spelling system, or orthography, works and how it is the foundation of reading, spelling and writing. Children learn to explore the three components of the spelling system, morphology (meaning), phonology (pronunciation) and etymology (history). They learn to build morphological matrices using word sums (con + struct + ion) as well as how to analyze the graphemes (letter or letters) that write morphemes. Handwriting instruction is woven into writing lessons. Language lessons are integrated into other areas with a strong emphasis on the words and concepts needed to understand science. Hearing how they weave the cycle , for example, across the curriculum will inspire you. Lyn Anderson and Ann Whiting BeyondtheWord International ConsultancyCaught in the Spell of Words

Do you know how English spelling really works? Go beneath the surface of words to find the connections between orthography (spelling system) and morphology, the meaningful core of every word in every language. While sound-symbol relationships in English are variable the spelling-meaning relationships are consistent. Jennifer Petrich and Brad Johnson are dedicated to advancing their students’ language, literacy and cognitive growth.  depth of understanding of words and how they function in sentences and beyond. Their book, Investigating English Spelling: An Interactive Guide to Understanding How English Spelling Works, is a great entry point for diving deeply into words. While the topic of language and literacy is complex Jen and Brad make this world of words immediately accessible for all. Dr. Jennifer Petrich works with students who have learning challenges, including dyslexia, specializing in those with attention issues, sensory-seeking behaviors, phonological working memory issues, deficits in executive functioning, and autism. She also offers training in scientific word study, based on orthographic linguistics, that benefits both neurodivergent and neurotypical learners. Dr. Petrich started teaching children and adults with dyslexia over 30 years ago but has been interested in reading and dyslexia since childhood due to having multiple family members who are dyslexic. She earned her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is currently the co-director of Literacy Dr, LLC.    Bradley K. Johnson works with students with learning challenges and provides professional development for teachers. He has worked in the field of education for almost 25 years. He holds an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and has his administrator's license. While working as a classroom teacher and an instructional coach, Brad found his true passion in developing lessons that helped underserved populations access literacy and math instruction. In his roles as professional development specialist, curriculum director, and adjunct professor, he has coached and provided professional development to hundreds of teachers working with urban and minority populations and students with language-based learning disabilities. Brad's search for "what works" has included executive functioning, metacognition, mathematical reasoning, and social-emotional learning. In addition to currently working with students, he is also the founder of One Step Now Education.Literacy Dr October event: https://www.theliteracydr.com/swieventInvestigating English Spelling: Order at Amazon https://a.co/d/hCvMPw7Literacy Dr website:  theliteracydr.comLiteracy Dr’s Facebook: https://facebook.com/LiteracyDr Brad’s website onestepnoweducation.com Brad’s newsletter: newsletter.onestepnoweducation.com Literacy Dr drop-in: https://www.theliteracydr.com/drop-inLiteracy Dr curricular modules: https://www.theliteracydr.com/siesLiteracy Dr D.O.T.S. class: https://www.theliteracydr.com/pd/dots

The High Frequency Word Project, is an explicit, systematic resource that teaches the 130 high frequency words using strategies that make them stick. Each of these critical words is taught on multiple levels, from sounds and spellings to the morphological meaning, and how they are defined in sentences. Each word is further defined using something new: linguistically-accurate and fascinating stories about high frequency words’ etymologies providing the missing link to explain the mysterious parts of their spellings. The second edition contains a complete program: content background information, a teaching guide, 130-word lessons, along with activities, games, and an assessment. The first edition student Study Booklets can still be found on the website for those who want ready-to-go activities and structured practice pages.The High Frequency Word Project website: https://www.thehfwproject.com/Purchase the book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/hPuUuJlThe High Frequency Word Project YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thehfwprojectFiona Hamilton is the owner and director of Wordtorque. With 38 years of Australian and international educational experience, she has MEd degrees in Educational Administration and Literacy, plus Literacy Coaching certification. She provides educators with accurate information about English orthography and easy-to-implement teaching strategies. Words take fascinating journeys, twisting through history in meaning, pronunciation, spelling, and structure. Wordtorque brings that journey into classrooms, combining explicit teaching with inquiry so students truly understand words. They become word noticers who grow into word knowers - readers and thinkers with skills to explore connections, build vocabulary, and understand language deeply. Fiona collaborates on Engage with the Page and searchENGAGE with Angela Brienza and Lauren Hateley-Crowe. Engagewthepage is a regular free post on wordtorque.com highlighting picture books and showing the different concepts of word inquiry you can teach from each book.https://wordtorque.com/category/engagewthepage/searchENGAGE is the accompanying searchable database that includes over 300 picture books linking them with key orthographic features. It makes finding the perfect read aloud text to support your word study easy. Search by bases, affixes, graphemes, phonemes, word histories, and classroom connections. https://wordtorque.com/searchengage/wordtorque.comhttps://wordtorque.com/Including https://wordtorque.com/workshops-menu/https://wordtorque.com/classroom-visual-resources/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-hamilton-09222919

If you think you know how dyslexia affects children and adults please listen to this moving and uplifting podcast. Dyslexia causes confusion way beyond decoding. Roadblocks frequently arise during vocabulary, sight word and morphology development, and sentence construction. Often overlooked is how sentence structure and complex grammatical patterns can limit comprehension. . Marie Foley spend decades with undiagnosed dyslexia and ADHD. In this podcast, Marie reveals how she gained clarity and confidence about herself and written English by learning how words are built from morphemes and sentences from phrases. Her life was transformed by learning about spelling-meaning relationships and learning the functional relationships that words have grammatically.  Understanding how words function in sentences greatly improved her comprehension and writing ability. Marie studied Real Spelling and Structured Word Inquiry which brought clarity to written words. In her 50s, Marie began working with our second guest, Sara Lee, to understand how the words in sentences function together to create meaning. Sara turns grammar into a form of comprehension and a foundation for writing in the most gentle and clear way. Sara Lee is co-owner of Literacy Dr, a literacy intervention provider based out of Atlanta, Georgia, where she offers remediation and professional development in reading, writing, and grammar to a neurodiverse population of students. Sara holds a Masters in Applied Linguistics. Her background is in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Structured Word Inquiry, and orthographic study. She also co-hosts Writing in the Trenches, an online support community for those who teach writing. Marie Foley:Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/703558627526950www.mariefoleyreading.comSara Lee:[email protected] in the Trenches Writers’ Support group: email Sara

Would you like to turn your Read Alouds into a dynamic lesson that improves language comprehension - the upper strands of Scarborough's Rope - as well as reading comprehension and sentence writing? Trina Spencer and Doug Peterson not only have been researching these topics for decades but have made Story Champs, a series of ready-to-use stories and scaffolds. See their videos below and watch a 15 minute lesson were a student goes from describing a story in three words to retelling the story using complex sentences. Story Champs® is a multitiered language program that helps educators and clinicians promote academic language of diverse students. Although the primary focus of Story Champs® is on the development of a strong oral language foundation through storytelling, it also promotes other aspects of academic language that are essential for school success through information retelling, vocabulary, inferencing, and writing.Trina and Doug have also developed DYMOND, a diagnostic assessment for language disorders and dyslexia, and CUBED -3 a series of screening and progress monitoring tools. Today’s guests are Trina Spencer and Douglas Peterson. Trina is a professor at Kansas University, a school psychologist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Doug is also a speech-language pathologist and a Professor at Baylor University. Trina and Doug have been discussing today’s topic, the connection between language and literacy since they were in graduate school.   They hold differing views on this topic, which I appreciate very much. I highly recommend there talks on YouTube, called Comprehending Comprehension. Language Dynamics Group - LDG - to find out about Story Champs and Trina and Doug's great work:https://languagedynamicsgroup.com/ (LDG website to explore our tools) https://languagedynamicsgroup.com/research/ - research page with Infographics and complete references https://www.youtube.com/@languagedynamics (LDG’s YouTube Channel) https://languagedynamicsgroup.com/video-demonstrations/ (Videos of our tools demonstrated) https://languagedynamicsgroup.com/webinars-recorded/ (Archived and upcoming free webinars) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrr6gJ3Bl-g&t=158s (Sold Half a Story: Comprehending Comprehension Live Audience Show) http://trinastoolbox.com/# (I have a lot of updating to do, but there are a ton of free downloads on this site)

Learn how educators can enrich lessons and develop a deep appreciation for written and spoken language for students in all grades. Learn that spelling, morphology, vocabulary development and sentence writing can be taught, not as separate subjects, but in a time-saving integrated manner. If you are looking to connect word meaning and sentence comprehension to decoding instruction then this is the podcast for you. Dr. Marcia Henry brings six decades of experience working in the fields of literacy and dyslexia.  She writes for a variety of professional journals and serves on the editorial boards of Dyslexia and Annals of Dyslexia, the journals of the British Dyslexia Association, and the International Dyslexia Association.  She has been a distinguished professor, researcher, and interventionist. Her books for teachers include: Unlocking literacy: Effective decoding and spelling instruction, Morphemes matter: A framework for instruction, WORDS: Integrated decoding and spelling instruction based on word origin and word structure and Patterns for success in reading and spelling (2nd Ed.).Dr. Deb Glaser is an educational consultant, author, and professional development provider with expertise in reading assessment and proven instructional methods.  She was a classroom and learning disability instructor and a director of a non-profit dyslexia learning center where she developed programs to teach both teachers and students. Her books include Morpheme magic: Lessons to build morphological awareness for grades 4-12 and Morphemes for little ones: Bringing the magic of language into K-3 classrooms. Hanna, P. R., Hodges, R.E, Hanna, J. S. (1971. Spelling: Structure and strategies. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.Henry, M.K. (1986). Understanding word origin and structure: An alternative totraditional decoding instruction. In B. Prescott (Ed.), Proceedings of the Forum forResearch on Language Issues (pp. 9-28). Stanford, CA: Stanford University.Henry, M.K. (1988). Beyond phonics: Integrated decoding and spelling instructionbased on word origin and structure. Annals of Dyslexia, 38, 259-275.Henry, M.K. (2011). A short history of the English language (4th Ed.). In J. Birsh & S. Carreker (Eds.), Multisensory structured language instruction: Theory and practice (pp. 93-112). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.Anglin, J. M. (1993). Vocabulary development: A morphological analysis. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 58(10)[238], v–165. Apel, K., & Dieham, E. (2014). Morphological awareness intervention forkindergarteners and first and second grade students from low SES homes: A smallefficacy study. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 47, 65-75.Apel, K., Wilson-Fowler, E.B., Brimo, D., & Perrin, N.A. (2012). MetalinguisticContributions to reading and spelling in second and third grade students. Reading and Writing, 25, 1283-1305.Bowers, P.N., Kirby, J.R., Deacon, S.H. (2010). The effects of morphologicalinstruction on literacy skills: A synthesis of the literature. Review of EducationalResearch, 80, 144-179.Ehri, L.C. & Snowling, M. (2004). Developmental variation in word recognition. In A.C.Stone, E.R. Silliman, B.J. Ehren, & K.Apel (Eds.) Handbook of language and literacy:Development and disorders, 443-460. New York: Guilford Press.Berninger, V.W., Abbott, R.D., Nagy, W., &; Carlisle, J. (2010). Growth in phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness in grades 1 to 6. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 39, 141-163.Carlisle, J.F. (2004). Morphological processes that influence learning to read. In A.C. Stone, E.R. Silliman, B.J. Ehren, & K.Apel (Eds.) Handbook of language and literacy:

Listen to three of the most important voices in literacy, Linnea Ehri, Peter Bowers and Kenn Apel, talk about the important role of morphology in reading, vocabulary, spelling and sight word development. Linnea Ehri updates her theory of orthographic mapping to emphasize the role that morphology plays not just in the four initial phases but when words are stored in sight word memory directly - without needing to be sounded out. The spelling of morphemes is critical to developing sight words and becomes the predominate way that words enter sight word memory. She points out that morphemes - the meaningful core of every word - have consistent spelling patterns that help readers resolve sound-symbol conflicts and is critical for learning so-called irregular words like go, goes, gone, do, does, done and say, says and said.Ehri credits Peter Bowers and Sue Hegland, author of Beneath the Surface of Words, for helping her understand the role of morphology in orthographic mapping. Pete and Kenn Apel then enter the discussion, clarifying what morphology is and how it influences spelling, word meaning and vocabulary growth. Links:Article on inquiry vs. direct instruction Pete Bowers mentioned:de Jong et. al (2023) Let's talk evidence – The case for combining inquiry-based and direct instruction,Educational Research Review, 39, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2023.100536.Click HERE for a video The Nested Combinatorial Structure of English Spelling: Binding the pronunciations, spelling and meanings of words (Bowers & Foley, 2025) (approx 15 min)Click HERE for a video of Pete’s presentation “Morphology Instruction and Language Comprehension” for the Reading League Summit 2025.  (approx 15 min)Click HERE Pete’s video “The Matrix Matters Because Language is Combinatorial” for the Dyslexia Training Institute” for the 9th Annual Dyslexia Virtual Conference of the Dyslexic Training Institute. (approx 60 min)Bowers, P.N. & Kirby, J.R. (2010) Effects of Morphological instruction on Vocabulary Acquisition, Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 23, 515–537.Kirby, J. R. & Bowers, P. N. (2017). Morphological instruction and literacy:  Binding phonological, orthographic, and semantic features of words. In K. Cain, D. Compton, & R. Parrila, (Eds.), Theories of reading development. Amsterdam, NL: John Benjamins Publishing Company.See Sue Hegland’s website “Learning About Spelling” to find a link for her book, “Beneath the Surface of Words” and many free resources including multiple blog posts and videos of presentations that are very clarifying.The Science of Spelling and Why It Matters for Literacy—March 2025Morphological Awareness and Written Language—January 2023

Vocabulary & Morphology using Structured Word Inquiry by Lisa Barnett and Katie Squires is designed to help you implement lessons guided by the four essential questions of structured word inquiry. The book contains a teacher guide, lesson template, and student work packet. The comprehensive Teacher Resource Guide leads you through the four guiding questions of SWI to help the teacher present lessons to their students that will uncover key concepts of the structure of our spelling system and connect vocabulary words within and beyond the subject area you are studying. These connections are discovered through studying the interrelationships of morphology, etymology, and phonology, all while increasing and strengthening curricular area vocabulary, spelling, and critical thinking skills. The Student Worksheet Booklet allows students to complete short, meaningful activities with answer keys within the Teacher Guide. There are additional activities throughout the lessons and student work packet including a puzzle-piece note-taking sheet that can be made into a booklet of all the words and connections studied!Purchase Vocabulary and Morphology using Structured Word InquiryLisa Barnett’s Buzzing Classroom BlogLink tree - https://linktr.ee/EmpowerLC

Jennifer Constantine and Kara Lee have written an implementation guide to one of the most exciting areas of literacy instruction - Structured Word Inquiry. They are the authors of Structured Word Inquiry – An Implementation Guide for Teachers. About the book:We invite you to uncover the transformative power of Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) with this comprehensive implementation guide. SWI unveils the orderly structure underlying English spelling and empowers educators to demystify its complexities for students. This guide isn't merely theoretical; it’s a hands-on resource designed for those familiar with SWI principles. It bridges the gap between theory and practice, offering practical strategies to integrate SWI into daily teaching routines. The lessons acknowledge the inevitable wonderings and questions that arise in teaching orthography, and celebrates them as signs of growth. This book empowers educators to thrive alongside their students in mastering the intricacies of English spelling and morphology.Where to buy the book:Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1CREAqX Bulk Pricing Available: Email [email protected] for more informationHow to contact us:Email: [email protected]: https://www.swiliteracy.org/ Jen's Website: https://readingintervention.edublogs.org/ Kara's Website: https://www.hortoneducationalservices.com/ About the authors:Kara’s professional experience includes working as a school psychologist and intervention specialist, and she is currently the owner of a consulting, educator training, and private tutoring company. She has had extensive training in educational assessment, Orton-Gillingham, Structured Literacy, and Structured Word Inquiry. Kara has a Doctorate of Education in Reading Science and is an Instructor of Certified Academic Language Practitioners.  Jen has dedicated her career to teaching reading and spelling, first in public schools, and now in private practice as a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist. She explored many approaches and methodologies along the way. Yet, it wasn’t until she discovered Structured Word Inquiry that the picture truly came into focus. Jen has a Master’s in Literacy, a Reading Specialist credential, and is a licensed teacher in two states.