Real Reading Help for Parents & Caregivers

Reading struggles are rarely due to lack of intelligence. They are usually the result of a mismatch between how the brain learns to read and how reading is taught.

To help struggling readers, schools, teachers, parents and literacy instructors should:

Teach phonemic awareness explicitly and daily.
Use systematic, cumulative phonics instruction.
Integrate decoding, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension together.
Offer frequent practice with immediate feedback.
Provide early intervention, ideally in kindergarten or first grade.
Create safe, encouraging environments where effort is celebrated and progress is visible.

Programs aligned with the Science of Reading (such as EBLI or Orton Gillingham based programs, or other structured literacy approaches) address these root causes by rewiring the brain for efficient reading. Below are some definition of these programs and how you can start today---helping the struggling reader in your life become proficient.

EBLI

EBLI (Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction) was created by Nora Chahbazi in the early 2000's based on brain research and reading science. It teaches reading, spelling and writing efficiently by integrating the most effective evidence-based strategies. It is a speech-to-print model that starts with the spoken language and connects to written language. Students who are ADHD, Autistic and have other learning differences benefit because it does not require a lot of rules to memorize, like Orton Gillingham.

Deemed Flexible and responsive, teachers adjust instruction based on what the learner needs next, not on preset levels.

A teacher using EBLI might say:
“Let’s say the word ‘fish’. What sounds do you hear? /f/ /i/ /sh/. Now let’s map those sounds to letters.”

What do Middle Georgia parents say about it?

My autistic and ADHD son with a language difference struggled with reading, K-1st. He was in an online public virtual school that offered Orton-Gillingham based small group lessons. His public school based on his address did not offer this. Within 7 months, he moved up almost a year in his comprehension and after school was out we were left with no resources. I researched options for summer tutoring and came across EBLI and he started getting reading lessons online in August. After 2 30-minute sessions, I saw immediate improvement in his confidence and fluency. He went from reluctant reader to fluent reader in two weeks. My only regret is not starting sooner!

Help for Parents, Teachers and Caregivers TODAY!

Step 1: Join the "EBLI Community" Facebook group.

Step 2: Try watching the Supercharge EBLI Lessons on YouTube for free here.

Step 3: If you like what you see in Step 1, try the Affordable EBLI mini-lessons for teachers, parents and caregivers offered through EBLI. Register here.

Step 4: Consider certification. Some who find the EBLI to be financially inaccessible have recommended Sharpen Reading as like program that gets results. Look into it here.

Orton Gillingham

Orton Gilingham was developed in the 1930’s by Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham specifically for those with dyslexia. It systematically teaches the structure of the English language through explicit, multisensory instruction.

It uses a print-to-speech model that starts with the letters/print and connects them to sounds. Students must memorize the rules before engaging in reading work. Orton Gillingham is structured and sequential which may seem rigid to some learners.

A teacher using Orton–Gillingham might say:
“Let’s review the phonogram ‘sh.’ What two letters make the /sh/ sound? Where can ‘sh’ appear in a word? Let’s trace and say it: s-h, /sh/.”

What do our Middle Georgia parents say about it?

My child attended a two-week summer camp at the private school for dyslexic children or those exhibiting reading difficulties in Macon. The school uses Orton Gillingham as its methodology. He enjoyed the camp and I am glad that he went. It allowed him to continue working on his reading.

LETRS

LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is grounded in the Science of Reading. Developed by Dr. Louisa Moats & Dr. Carol Tolman in the 1990s’, it is a professional development course that trains teachers in the theory and science behind how reading develops and how to teach it. It provides foundational knowledge to include why reading instruction should look a certain way. Many school systems have adopted this PD to train their teachers on literacy foundations.

Barton

Susan Barton developed Barton Reading in the late 1990s. It was based directly on Orton-Gillingham (OG) principles and is a structured, sequential, multisensory phonics program for dyslexic students.

It’s a print-to-speech methodology that starts with letters and symbols, teaching what sounds they make and the lesson structure is very scripted and sequential. Each student begins at level 1 and must master each concept before moving on. Often cited as slow and methodical, it is more accessible to parents desiring certification to help their children with mastery. It has been stated that students with expressive and receptive language differences or lower IQs may not benefit.

Sign up and attend the Middle Georgia School Choice Fair for Transformative Education on Saturday, February 7 from 11 - 2 pm to meet certified and knowledgeable reading tutors to help you with your child! Sign up here.

Here are some community resources for reading tutoring:

Appleton Episcopal Ministries

Free to Read Summer Camp/After School Program

753 College Street

Macon, Georgia 31201

Julie Groce, Missioner

478-731-5901

missioner@appletonepiscopal.org

Corley Perth

478-954-7008

programdirector@appletonespiscopal.org

They use Orton Gillingham.