What is Structured Word Inquiry?
Structured Word Inquiry is an empowering way for students to learn language and the words within it. In many classrooms, students simply learn phonics rules and the definitions of isolated words. Through SWI, also known as Scientific Word Investigation, students study the history of words, the connections between words, and the evolution of language that […]
Resources for Learning Vocabulary
No one can deny the importance of building a strong vocabulary. Even if your child had robust vocabulary instruction last year, chances are, he isn’t keeping up with it this summer. Just a few minutes of vocab practice a day can help keep those skills sharp. Here are some of our favorite web-based resources for summer […]
Not All Screen Time is Created Equal
The questions most parents have around screen time and their child is “how much is too much?” The quantity of screen time your children are getting is certainly something to track. However, the most important question should be about the content of their screen time, not necessarily just how much they’re getting. We all know […]
Dyslexia and Difficulty with Short Words
One of the hallmark reading challenges for individuals with dyslexia is difficulty with the shortest words in a text. Sometimes, these words are misread. ‘The’ becomes ‘that,’ and ‘his’ becomes ‘this.’ Sometimes, readers just skip over these words altogether. This is perplexing to a lot of people. Shouldn’t the shortest words be the easiest to […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness is the strand of Scarborough’s reading rope that relates to spoken sounds. When a student is phonologically aware, he or she is able to identify, produce, and manipulate parts of spoken language. Here are the skills included under the umbrella of phonological awareness. Rhyme One of the first skills beginning readers learn about […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Sight Recognition
When educators hear the term “sight recognition,” they often think of a student’s ability to visually identify how to say a word without needing to decode it. But within Scarborough’s reading rope, sight recognition actually goes deeper than that. It refers to the process by which students identify the spoken word and its possible meaning […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Verbal Reasoning
Verbal reasoning is one of the eight strands of Scarborough’s reading rope. It refers to a student’s ability to make sense of spoken and written words. Within the reading rope, it is part of the larger strand of comprehension and contributes, along with the other strands, to a student’s growth into a skilled reader. What […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Language Structure
Language structure, one of the eight “strands“ of Scarborough’s reading rope, consists of a complex set of rules and conventions. These conventions allow us to communicate with one another verbally and in writing. Put simply, students need to develop an understanding of the structure of the English language as they are learning how to read. […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Background Knowledge
Hollis Scarborough’s “Reading Rope” theory has been a hot topic in the world of literacy. If you listen to the Science of Reading podcast, you’re probably already familiar with Scarborough’s reading rope: a visual representation of all of the skills involved in reading. One of these skills is background knowledge. Background knowledge is everything a child […]
Our Guide to the Best Phonics and Reading Resources
Parents know how important it is to supplement their kids’ reading at home. But aside from picking up a good old-fashioned paperback, what other tools are out there? How do you distinguish great resources from mediocre? We’ve got your back. Here’s a guide to our favorite phonics and reading resources. Digital Resources Freckle ends up on […]
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