support@spellinglab.net

Will I be teaching the lessons myself?

• If you choose the teacher manual, yes. The lessons will be taught for you if you choose the videos. The lesson manual provides spelling pattern charts, keyword examples to ensure you are modeling the correct sound, teacher demo words, over 3,000 student practice words, spelling pattern charts, and progress monitoring materials. The lessons are consistently formatted to make instruction simple. The video series includes the 60 lessons from the manual with over 600 practice words taught directly by the therapist, the additional 2,500 practice words provided for off-line reinforcement, 15 additional exception discussion lessons, grapheme to phoneme practice, sight word practice, spelling pattern charts, and progress monitoring materials.

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Could this program be used by a classroom teacher, homeschool teacher, parent, or tutor?

• Absolutely. The lessons are the same lessons the dyslexia therapist would do with their own intervention students, but they are designed for anyone to use to improve spelling skills. 

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Should I purchase the videos, teacher manual, or both?

• This depends entirely on your instructional situation. If you want to directly provide instruction and lead practice yourself, the manual is a perfect fit.  If you'd like the lessons to be taught by the dyslexia therapist, the video series is a better option. The videos can also be used to learn more about how to provide spelling instruction in order to teach more effectively.  The videos follow the 60 lessons in the manual and provide access to the spelling pattern charts and progress monitoring online, so purchasing both is not necessary, but some do purchase both if they'd like to have the lessons taught by the therapist and have the materials printed in order of the program for them rather than printing themselves as they go.

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How long will the program take to complete?​

• If you completed one lesson per day, five days a week, the program could be completed in 3 months, but there are additional practice words for reinforcement that you will choose how to pace. Teaching 2 to 3 lessons per week while doing additional practice words in between lessons would put the program length at approximately six months.

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Is this a learning through games format?

• No, learning game formats often do not delve deeply enough into direct instruction and practice to be effective for students who struggle with these concepts. The lessons are designed to mirror one-on-one instruction in the classroom as if your student were working with the dyslexia therapist directly using a structured approach.

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How will I know if my student is making progress?​

• Materials to assess progress and assign the appropriate review lessons are included.​

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Does my student need to be dyslexic for this to help?​

• No, the program was written with dyslexia students in mind using heavy reinforcement of sound, letter association, and orthographic rules, but what works well for dyslexia students will work well for any learner.​

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Will this program work well for students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade?

• No, the program is intentionally designed for older students in grade 3 to adult. The program progresses quickly and uses vocabulary and concepts that would be developmentally inappropriate for students in K-2. The first few lessons will appear simple as we build a sound and coding foundation, but by lesson 10, the difficulty rises, so beginning at least at 3rd grade or above is recommended.

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What do the lessons look like?

• Each lesson includes keywords to model the targeted sound, a clear explanation of the orthographic rule being practiced, steps for modeling and practice, and practice words for the student to attempt. The lessons are sequenced to intentionally provide reinforcement of earlier lessons as the lessons build upon one another, so completing the program in order will yield the greatest growth.

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My student struggles with focus and/or working independently. How long are the lessons?​

• Most of the lessons are approximately twenty-five to thirty minutes including both instruction and practice to make them accessible for students who struggle with focus and independent work.  You will have full control over your pace in teaching the lessons and how much practice time to give to suit your student's needs.​​

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