| Teach underlying skills
Since sounds (not syllables, blends, full words or rhyming combinations) are the key that unlocks our English writing system, successful readers must be taught to segment (pull apart), blend (put together), and analyze words at the sound (phonemic) level.
Use a sound to code basis
Good reading programs teach the sound code for the 43 phonemes (individual sounds) of the English
language as well as the alternativespellings for those sounds. By learning that letters or letter combinations stand for specific sounds of speech, reading and spelling are taught concurrently.
Handle the alternative spellings of sounds and code overlap
After the student has learned the most probable spelling for each sound, the less probable (alternative) spelling should be introduced. Overlaps of the code, in which a letter or letter combinations represent more than one sound, must also be taught.
Reading Programs That Get Results
The most successful reading programs (those that get the biggest, quickest reading and spelling improvement with the highest percentage of students) are those that incorporate most of the above components. Of the hundreds of reading programs available, the three that come closest to the standards listed above are the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program® (LIPS)®, Phono-Graphix™, and Master the Code (MTC). Read More for a full comparison chart.
|
|
LINDAMOOD BELL, PHONO-GRAPHIX AND MASTER THE CODE
A COMPARISON
|
|
Feature
|
LiPS
|
Phono-Graphix
|
Master The Code (MTC)
|
|
Detailed Scope and Sequence
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Cognitive Skills Strengthening
|
No
|
No
|
Yes – continues from PACE use of metronome / stopwatch for intensity and automaticity
|
|
Phonological Awareness
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Articulatory feedback
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
Auditory segmenting
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Auditory blending
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Phonemic manipulation
|
Yes
|
Partial
|
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sound/Letter Connections
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Explicit and structured
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Sound to letter
|
Partial
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Use of phonic “rules”
|
Partial
|
No
|
No
|
|
Visual Memory
|
No but you can gain visual memory strength using visualizing and verbalizing program
|
Yes based on their description that they represent the sounds with pictures.
|
Yes
|
|
For Letters
|
No
|
Yes – see above
|
Yes
|
|
For Words
|
No
|
Yes – see above
|
Yes
|
|
Word Attack
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Word Identification
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Spelling
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Reading in Context
|
Must be Added
|
Some
|
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written Activities
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Just spelling
|
Just spelling
|
Just Spelling – activities can be added by trainer on request.
|
|
Fluency Development
|
|
|
|
|
At the sound/letter level
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
At the word level
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
At the sentence level
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
At the contextual level
|
No
|
Yes – program states reading fluency is their goal.
|
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comprehension Activities
|
No but can use verbalizing and visualizing program.
|
No – can use their other program language wise.
|
Yes – Visualizing/Verbalizing Work through stories and mnemonics.
|
|
|
