Learning to read and spell can be exceptionally challenging for students with dyslexia. Challenges become greater when systematic instructional practices are not used in the classroom.
An Orton Gillingham approach has become the gold standard for phonics instruction for students with dyslexia. Unfortunately, many schools do not use this method of teaching.
I learned everything I could about dyslexia when my son was identified with severe dyslexia. I read tons of books and listened to podcasts. Next, I put myself through 60 hours of Orton Gillingham training. Through helping him and tutoring other students I learned what works best and how to make learning to read a productive and fun process.
I’ve put all of my knowledge and best practices into an online course that is perfect for children ages 5-9, especially students with dyslexia. The course allows students to move through the lessons at their own pace, while also providing guidance and knowledge to the parents on instructional strategies to use at home.
First of all, the course is hosted through an educational platform called Outschool. Outschool allows students to take classes on a variety of topics. Nearpod hosts all the individual lessons A video and written directions on how to access and utilize Nearpod are provided.
Course Outline
The course includes 10 weeks of lessons. Each week there are two lessons.
Week 1 Lessons 1 : CVC
Week 1 Lesson 2 : Magic E
Week 2 Lesson 3 : L Blends
Week 2 Lesson 4 : R Blends
Week 3 Lesson 5 : sh
Week 3 Lesson 6 : ch
Week 4 Lesson 7 : th
Week 4 Lesson 8 : wh
Week 5 Lesson 9 : ai
Week 5 Lesson 10 : ay
Week 6 Lesson 11 : oa
Week 6 Lesson 12 : ow
Week 7 Lesson 13 : oi
Week 7 Lesson 14 : oy
Week 8 Lesson 15 : au
Week 8 Lesson 16 : aw
Week 9 Lesson 17 : er
Week 9 Lesson 18 : ar
Week 10 Lesson 19 : soft c
Week 10 Lesson 20 : soft g
Every lesson includes the following components:
- Two prerecorded instructional videos – There is a video focused on reading words within the given skill and another video focused on spelling words within the specific skill. Both videos give students prompts to pause the video and practice the skills independently before I explain and answer.. Each video is approximately 7-13 minutes long.
- Four independent interactive activities built into the Nearpod
- Race to the Top game – This game allows students to practice spelling words within the recently learned skill.
- 3-4 optional practice handouts
Outschool provides an online classroom. The lessons are posted each week in the private online classroom. I encourage students to participate and stay engaged in the online classroom. Every week I challenge students to find objects around their house that follow the skill we are learning. For example, in the lesson focused on /sh/ I share a picture of a shell. Students have shared pictures of brushes, shoes, cash, fish and a variety of other examples.
How Do I Find the Course?
To access the course, parents will need to create an account on Outschool. It is free to create an account. Moreover, you can click HERE to join. This will also give you a $20 credit to use toward the course.
You can find the course HERE. It costs $157 total, which is less than $10 per lesson. Students can complete each lesson at their own pace, even though the course is designed to last 10 weeks. However, when you purchase the course you gain lifetime access to all the materials. This allows for students to take their time in the course and/or go back and review the skills at a later time.
I look forward to helping your child achieve reading success. Please contact me at momentswithkatie@gmail.com if you have any questions about the course.
