Teacher's Guide

What's it all about?

Breaking with Dyslexia

These instructions are provided as basic guidelines. One set of instructions will not fit every situation. The lessons can be used to treat dyslexia and teach reading at all levels: preschoolers, grade school students, college students, adults who are learning to read, and even college professors who want to increase their reading speed. Teachers should use their judgment and treat each case individually.

Teacher's Guide

This is a primary reading course for students who have dyslexia or a similar learning disability. The teacher should have the student go through the lessons and should note how long it takes and how well the student does. This provides a benchmark that the teacher can use to measure the student's progress. The student should be able to complete the lessons faster the second time through them. When the teacher is satisfied with the student's progress, the student can move on to the next series of lessons.

If you would like to learn more about the background and research history that went into developing "Breaking with Dyslexia" read "Multi-Sensory Learning."

Note: The lessons are designed to provide a tremendous amount of repetition. The teacher can skip some of the activities if the student learns quickly .

Don't Abandon Phonics

The teacher should never abandon teaching phonics because they think that the student will reach the next level without them. Dyslexic students will need phonics to go from grade level to grade level, right through to the twelfth grade. Whenever the teacher stops teaching phonics, the student's reading level stops improving. Keep in mind that while a dyslexic student can struggle through college with a fourth grade reading level, this is would not be necessary given instruction in phonics. Students should be reading at about eight-grade level before being taken off phonics training. This will guarantee that they will be ready for college.

These lessons have enough built in repetition so that the student will learn all of the individual words and learn to read the phonics words is sentences. The use of supplemental reading material, such as Dr. Seuss or other children's books, is highly recommended. Let the students read storybooks on their own as a reward for studying the phonics lessons.

Series One

Students should know the alphabet, vowels and consonants before starting this course. You can find appropriate lessons for teaching the alphabet, vowels, and consonants in "Reading with Phonics."

It is not enough that the student understands and reads each word. The student must learn to read each sentence smoothly and without hesitation.

Phonics Translation Guide

The teacher should use this guide to learn the individual sounds that the students will use in the lessons. Keep the guide as a handy reference until you become familiar with all of the sounds.

a as in ace a /ce a/ s a s___s___d a as in arch a/r/ch a/r/ch arch___s___d a as in ask a /s/k a /s/k a sk___s___d b as in bee b / ee b b ___s___d b as in brown b/r/ow/n b/r/ou/n broun___s___d c an in Caesar C /ae/s/ar S /e/s/ar S esar___s___d c as in car c/ar k/ar kar___s___d ch as in church ch/ur/ch ch/ur/ch church___s___d d as in deed d / ee /d d / e /d de d___s___d d as in dad d/a/d d/a/d dad___s___d e as in eve e /v/e e /v e v___s___d e as in end e/n/d e/n/d end___s___d er as in Ur/w/i/n Ur/w/i/n Er/w/i/n Erwin__s___d f as in f-stop f f f ___s___d f as in friend f/r/ie/n/d f/r/e/n/d frend___s___d g as g-force g g g g as in grape g/r/ a /pe g/r/ a /p gr a p___s___d h as in h-frame h h h ___s___d h as in heat h/ ea /t h/ e /t h e t___s___d i as in ice i /c/e i /s i s___s___d i as in igloo i/g/l/ oo i/g/l/ oo i/g/l/ oo __s___d j as in jay j j j ___s___d j as in juice j/ui/ce j/u/s jus___s___d k as in k-bar k k k ___s___d k as in keep k /ee /p k/ e /p k e p___s___d kw as in quiet qu/ie/t kw/e/t kwet___s___d L as in l- shape L L L ___s___d l as in leap l/ ea /p l/ e /p l e p___s___d m as in m-five m m m ___s___d m as in mail m/ ai /l m/ a /l m a l___s___d n as in n-tune n n n ___s___d n as in night n/ igh /t n/ i /t n i t___s___d n as in thing th/i/ng th/i/ n thi n ___s___d o as oat oa /t o /t o t___s___d o as in or o/r o/r or___s___d oi as in oil oi/l oi/l oil ___s___d ou as in out ou/t ou/t out___s___d oo as in cook c/oo/k k/oo/k kook ___s___d oo as in ooze oo /ze oo /z oo z___s___d p as in p-wee p p p ___s___d p as in pop p/o/p p/o/p pop___s___d q as in q-ball q q q ___s___d q as in quick qu/i/ck kw/i/k kwik__s___d r as in r and b r r r ___s___d r as in read r/ ea /d r/ e /d r e d___s___d s as in s-curve s s s ___s___d s as in said s/ai/d s/e/d sed___s___d sh as in ship sh/i/p sh/i/p ship___s___d t as in t-top t t t ___s___d t as in tie t/ ie t/ i t i ___s___d u as in use u /se u /s u s___s___d u as in up u/p u/p up___s___d ur as in urn ur/n ur/n urn___s___d v as in v-one v v v ___s___d v as in very v/er/ v/er/I veri___s___d w as in w-two w w w ___s___d w as in with w/i/th w/i/th with___s___d x as in x-ray x x x ___s___d x as in xylophone xyl o ph o ne z/i/l/ o /f/o/n zil o f o n___s___d y as in y-axis y y y ___s___d y as in yell o w y/e/ll/ o w y/e/l/ o yel o ___s___d z as in zebra z/e/b/r/a z/e/b/r/a zebra__s__d__ zh as in garage g/a/r/a/ge g/a/r/a/zh garazh___s___d

Sometimes vowels are not accented in words. These unaccented vowel sounds are represented with bold, underlined letters ( a e i o u ). When saying these sounds, use a low tone of voice. All of these sounds have a similar tone. In many cases it will be difficult to distinguish these sounds from each other. Dictionaries represent this sound with an upside "e."

The ng in thing is represented by a single letter " n " which is bolded and underlined

The Phonetic Alphabet

Students should know the individual sounds after the first series of lessons, if not, have them redo the series.

a a a a b b c c ch d d e e e er f f g g h h hw i i i j j k k kw l l m m n n n o o o oi ou oo oo p p q q r r s s sh t t th u u u u v v w w x x y y z z zh

Variant Sounds

Study the following sounds so that you can explain any unusual sound that may not be explained by the lessons:

"th" includes the "th" sound in thin and the "th" sound in then ;"o" includes the "o" sounds in pot and the "o" sound in for;
"q" and "qu" represent the sounds "k" and "kw";
"ed" sounds like "t" in most words;

"y" can have a vowel or consonant sound.
At the beginning or middle of a word it is a consonant, at the end of a word it is a vowel

The letter "x" represents six sounds in English:
ks, as in box and exit;
gz as in exact and exist;
sh as in anxious;
gzh, as in luxurious and luxury;
ksh (a variant of gzh), also as in luxurious, and luxury
z, as in anxiety and Xerox.

Two letters, one sound (Digraphs)"

er as in better b/t/er n (ng)as in thing th/i/ng oi as in oil oi/l ou as in out ou/t oo as in look l/oo/k oo as in b oo ze b/ oo /z zh as in garage g/ar/a/zh ch as in church ch/ur/ch sh as in ship sh/i/p kw as in quack kw/a/k zz as in buzz b/u/z

Sometimes two vowels together have separate sounds.
Example: o/i/l

Phonics Translation

Phonics translation helps the student understand that he is dealing with two languages, the written language and the spoken language. Phonics translation helps the student translate one into the other.

Instructions : Have the students learn to pronounce the whole word then divide the words into their individual sounds. By dividing the words into sounds, students will see how translation takes place.

Reading Practice

The first series of lessons should be taught one-on-one using the "Read and Teach" method. The student should read as far as he can on his on. When he is stopped by an unfamiliar word, the teacher should explain the sounds and pronunciation and let the student continue to read. Translation exercises will helps students recognize individual sounds so that they can sound out unfamiliar words

Dyslexia: Index

What to expect from Dyslexia Treatment

Dyslexia Treatment: Series One

Dyslexia Treatment: Series Two

Dyslexia: Group One

Dyslexia: Group Two

Student Workbook