Frequently Asked Questions

A decodable reader is a reading selection, usually short, that is carefully crafted to only use skills the students have already been explicitly taught and to provide the repetitions of those skills the student needs. So, for instance, if a child knows the short A sound and a few consonants, they can sound out (decode) “Gal pals Sal and Pam sat to gab.” That sentence is decodable and it provides a lot of repetition of that short A sound. This is in contrast to, for instance, stories where illustrations help students guess words they are not familiar with. “Best friends Sally and Pamela sat on the couch to talk.” That reads more naturally but does not help students strengthen skills to decode more advanced words. So while decodable readers may read haltingly at first, they are very effective at helping students progressively gain skills, graduating into more natural sounding reading material, and ultimately become independent readers with all the skills necessary to decode unfamiliar multisyllabic words. 

The phrase “the science of reading” is simply the name for the entire body of international interdisciplinary research over the decades into how humans learn to read. Sociologists, neurologists, psychologists, educators, neuropsychologists, anthropologists, historians, and other specialists have all made contributions. What is interesting is that there seems to be a convergence of findings. It turns out that 95% of students can be taught how to read, when taught using certain principles and techniques.

“Structured Literacy” is the term used for the methods of teaching reading that incorporate the principles and techniques that the science of reading has shown to be most effective. It is not one single methodology but rather a commitment to using the most effective techniques that research has validated with all the students all the time. It has parts like only asking students to read sounds that they have previously been taught (rather than making them guess at words they don't have the tools to decode) and giving students opportunities for meaningful repetition (rather than one and done). Executed with fidelity it has been proven to move students with even the most stubborn reading difficulties up the ladder of reading toward proficiency. It makes multiyear gains possible.

While there are many options available, the one that I used, the one that taught me how to work with my son, is We Shall Read. WSR  trains all comers in the principles and techniques of structured literacy and how to apply them practically, whether in private one-one-one tutoring or whole class. It provides certification, if desired, and ongoing support.

We Shall Read uses the Brain Friendly Reading program. This program is intentionally written so  a non-educator (like myself) can use it effectively and educators with advanced degrees in literacy find it invaluable. 

For Michigan teachers, the Michigan Dept, of Education has approved We Shall Read's training for SCECHs.