Letter Box - Learn to Read

25/06/2025

12/06/2025

Many students enter tutoring with a lack of confidence due to their self-esteem being affected by the gaps that are more noticeable each year. Children know when they are overlooked or not achieving expected results.
Recently, I began working with a beautiful child who displayed the above characteristics. She was bogged in low self-esteem. However, with encouragement and specific training in tutoring, she has shown us all what she can do.
This child is in middle primary and struggling in Math and English. On viewing the words that she was learning to spell, it was noticed that they were the level of Year Two. We decided that if this child was able to learn the letters that matched the sounds and a few basic rules, she would be able to advance to the group above. For this week in the level above the student, all the words had a commonality, the letters, ph sounding as /f/.
The words supplied were-
elephant, photo, nephew, alphabet, orphan, telephone, dolphin, phase, triumph, typhoon, sphere, emphasis.
There was one sound that the child needed assistance with at this level.
If the words are pronounced in what is called, a spelling voice, all the child had to do was sound the words syllable by syllable using her ears to identify the letters that accompanied those sounds. Once the word was written using this method, the student used vision to see if the word was spelt correctly.
There were only two words that caused some confusion-triumph and typhoon. The student recognised that the words had been sounded correctly but that visually the words was incorrect. There are only so many letters or letter combinations that sound the same. When you look at what was written-tryumph -you can easily see that the ph could possibly be replaced by an f, if it was incorrect, because both have the same sound. The only other letter, y, that has a different letter, for the sound of long /i/ is the letter i. Once this was corrected the word was correct.
Visual memory plays a part in spelling. However, the greatest spellers are those children who use phonological awareness strategies, rules, syllable types and know the long and short vowel sounds. This is spelling made easy!!! Memorising spelling will collapse by about Year Three or Year Four.
Help is at hand-message [email protected] to arrange a chat about what can be achieved for your child.

31/05/2025

I have been discussing previously the syllable types. We began with closed syllables which have the short vowel sound and end with one or more consonants.

The next syllable type is the open syllable which has the name of the vowel on the end of a syllable-e.g. the word, open, has a consonant separating the two vowels, so there are two syllables. The first syllable is the letter, o, saying its' name. This is an open syllable because it has no consonants protecting it, or, in other words, it has no consonants forcing it to say its sound.The second syllable is, pen. The vowel in this syllable has a short vowel sound and a consonant on the end protecting it.

The picture below shows a division of syllables-
o standing as an open syllable and the syllable, pen, as a closed syllable.

26/05/2025

Over previous years, adults were in control of children. Currently, teachers notice that some children think that they are in control. Over time, I have come to realise that these controlling students need special care. They sound very much in charge and won't do as they are told and an arrogance seems to be present. I have noticed that most of these students are clever, but find it difficult, for whatever reason, to obey reasonable directions. Additionally, these children find it difficult to accept fail ure in the academic areas. They are ,generally ,unable to express what is happening for them.

Taking on these children requires special skills and patience. But the greatest skill is to build a relationship where the student feels respected and cared for-once this happens there is a change in the learning.

Some children take months to develop skills to cope with many traits of anxiety, auditory processing, working memory, attention and executive functioning difficulties. But all of these deficits can be managed with support and education.

We, as adults, have the responsibility to prepare these beautiful human beings to be part of a group where they are respected and loved........ this group is society.
I will continue with spelling tomorrow.
Do not let the storms and underlying difficulties frighten your child-find someone to help.

25/05/2025

The vocabulary linked to spelling should be well rehearsed so that children can automatically reply to adults spelling questions. I often hear children interchange the words for letters and sounds and this inaccuracy is a confusion that needs to be extinguished.
If we think about the early Prep vocabulary for Spelling; sound, letter, word, space, we can easily see why these words could be confused.
For some children these basic learnings are skipped over too quickly, and both spelling and reading are affected. In light of this explanation let us look at the word, letter for today.
A letter is lonely-it stands alone, it means one shape. As an adult you can see the word, one, in the longer word, LoneLY. I use cards at this time to show the letters. Remember the sounds and the names aren't known at this time.
The Wizard is magical-write one letter at a time on the laminated hat and repeat the definition vocabulary.

24/05/2025

Spelling seems to have lost respect as an academic subject. Spelling is commenced in Prep, when this is completed well, foundations are made. From what I notice, from most examples, it is a boring subject that is taught through memory. There are great people out there that are following well researched methods to teach spelling successfully, but on the whole, students are achieving poor results.
Years of experience have taught me many crucial items about spelling. If the syllable types are taught, life becomes easy for students. Let's commence with the basic syllable-the closed syllable.
This syllable type is very important because it delegates rules to many words.
Today, the focus is on the basic spelling, syllable level ,the closed syllable. This syllable has a short vowel sound-this means that the vowel says its sound, and the syllable has a consonant on the end of the word, for example, cat. This syllable can have more than one consonant on the end-the word, jump, is an example.
This syllable is taught in Prep.
You are welcome to ask questions on Facebook.

22/05/2025

Teaching spelling to many different levels of spelling is enhanced if charts are on display for the letters that match the sounds being introduced. Individual charts are the best for students who are having difficulties with lower level sounds. Scaffolding children with everything that they need as support is time consuming, but, the results are truely gratifying. The students gain confidence and eventually love spelling.
One strategy that works for students who are struggling with multisyllable words, is to identify the syllable types. Once this knowledge is known, clapping words into syllables and then stretching those syllables brings success. I will introduce the syllable types in another post next week and will emphasise the importance of knowing the rules related to long and short vowels.
Happy spelling!!!!
This teacher needs a glass of champagne!!!!!

21/05/2025

Supporting Spelling
Spelling is easy if the right scaffolding is provided. Children who are early spellers require the letters that match the sounds in front of them so that they can choose the letters needed until the letters can be written automatically. Expecting new work to be embedded permanently after one session is delusional!!!

This strategy is also useful for older students. Placing the new letter combinations on a magnetic board supports automaticity. Once the taught level of sounds is introduced and used correctly, these letters are removed and new ones added onto the board

The following picture demonstrates the use of the vowel teams being used in a few sessions. Remember, the letters, ow are described as a vowel team because the letter, w, is acting like a vowel.
As spelling progresses more letters are introduced with rules applied-this is early spelling. Provide confidence of your child early.
Individual support can be accessed by texting 0414030883 or calling and leaving a message.

20/05/2025

Tonight, I want to send a small note on Spelling for the younger Prep members of our tutoring community.
1. Phonological Awareness- is pivotal to success in spelling. If a child is unable to identify the first, last and middle sounds in single syllable words, he will be unable to find success in spelling.
2. Sound and letter knowledge- a young child needs to firstly, use letter cards to make words that match the sounds. Once writing improves, he can write the letters as the teacher produces the sounds. This is a strategy that is often ignored. Children must be competent and fluid in writing letters that are sounded from memory.
3. At this early spelling stage children are using their ears to hear the sounds in words and then finally, write the letters that map the sounds.

17/02/2025

Spelling is a favourite subject of mine and has been for a long time. However we must all be warned, you can never know it all.
I love teaching and modelling spelling to support students through the many spelling phrases.
When learning spelling, it is important that a process is followed. I thought that I would add this process to the notes today-
Step One-pronounce the word correctly
Step Two- clap the syllables
Step Three-sound out each syllable at a time
Step Four- use cards to make the syllables, one syllable at a time
Step Five-check to see that the words looks correct
Step Six- Write the letters that match the card
If your child is experiencing problems start small. Once one syllable words are understood move forward. Writing words with multiple syllables doesn't have to be difficult if the proper steps are followed.

09/02/2025

Can dysgraphia be remedied? Look for yourself.

I have been working with some amazing people helping wonderful students with complications in writing. If parents, grandparents and anyone else who has an interest in a student's progress come together, they all offer something different to the teaching. Most students come to tutoring once or twice a week. This is not enough time to remedy some problems. This is when the team approach is so important because, the other members of the team can continue with revising the work taught in the tutoring sessions.

A reluctance to write is the one of the main writing issues due to motor, literary or executive functioning problems. However, underlying these issues is often auditory processing and to a lesser degree, visual processing. Auditory processing is not about the student's ability to hear, it is about the brain's inability to process what is heard.

Decoding and encoding are the main components of auditory processing seen in the classroom. Background noise and and an inability to follow directions are also problematic. There are programs that will improve these areas if specific procedures are in place.

Australians are weak in pronouncing multisyllabic words, and if students pronounce a word incorrectly, how can they sound out a word into its individual components? This is the first step. Sometimes, I use my spelling pronunciation to support the process.

Step one-pronounce the word correctly. I will provide the next steps throughout the week.

If you require extra support for your child-
call-0414340883 for a chat or leave a text message.
Email-
[email protected]

In the image of a soldier standing resolutely, we see a powerful symbol of strength and courage. However, true bravery extends beyond the battlefield. As a parent, teaching your child that seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but a mark of wisdom and resilience, is paramount. Just as a soldier relies on his comrades for support, children should understand the importance of turning to others in times of need. This lesson not only fosters a sense of community but also ensures that they develop healthy coping mechanisms, reinforcing the idea that asking for help is a vital part of navigating life's challenges.