How Are Words Made Clear?
For some of us, beauty can be seen in the world around us through pictures, patterns, puzzles, and ideas. In this case, the joy comes from recognizing those repeating patterns in life. Similarly, I believe language can be understood and even come to life by breaking it down into smaller recognizable parts (patterns, if you will), both seen and heard. There is meaning in a sentence. There is meaning in a word. We gain knowledge when we understand the identity and meaning contained in smaller parts and connect them together. Just as the human body is made up of many unique parts working together, so every sentence can be broken up into smaller parts called words. Words can be divided into syllables, syllables into letters, and letters into sounds. These all work together and are each necessary in order to bring the full meaning to its hearer. Hearing words spoken clearly is often an essential skill in becoming a great reader. Learning to know and recognize the different sounds in words (phonemic awareness) will equip readers with the necessary skills to become fluent (faster) and comprehend more.
Every word is rich and unique, and needs to be thoroughly processed auditorily (through hearing) and comprehended visually (by sight) in order to express its full meaning to the reader. We see the many colors of a rainbow and appreciate its depth. We hear the different notes on an instrument and call it music. Likewise, we can learn to hear the sounds in words, recognizing their shapes, rules, and behaviors, and enjoy the stories they tell. We CAN be taught to sharpen our senses to hear more and more, even that which is fast and subtle. I will teach my students specific rules and give them tips to take what they hear and apply it rightly in order to become confident readers, spellers, and writers.
Here at Words Made Clear Tutoring, I seek to improve a student’s ability to accurately process the sounds they hear and retain them long enough in the mind in order to read, spell, and write fluently. Though my students ears work fine, their auditory processing skills can be strengthened in the areas of 1. Auditory Discrimination (hearing different sounds), 2. Auditory Memory (remembering those sounds) and 3. Auditory sequencing (ordering sounds).
Students are given direct and explicit literacy instruction. Instruction is multi-sensory and one on one. Success is shown when a student becomes confident, accurate, and automatic in their reading. Learn more about the unique instruction that comes from an Orton Gillingham approach here.