Hi,
 
I posted Anthony question about phonics on the Learning Disabilities  
Discussion List.  Four excellent responses were posted by our  subscribers.  I wanted 
you to see what they have to share.
 
 
1)
The Laubach Way to Reading has been  used for so many years that it is no 
longer "the latest and greatest", but it  was specifically designed for teaching 
adults to read by teaching "letter  sounds, word structure, word meanings, 
reading comprehension, and writing  practice."  There is also a companion series 
of Laubach Way to English and  a separate book for learning cursive writing.  
It is sold by New Readers  Press, now a division of ProLiteracy Worldwide.
_awayman1 at kirksville.k12.mo.us_ (mailto:awayman1 at kirksville.k12.mo.us) 
 
 

2)
I have used the paper version and the  CBT of HEC Reading Horizons for ESOL 
as well as a literacy tool for those whose  first language is English. This has 
been very successful. Any method takes work  and time.
_http://www.readinghorizons.com_ (http://www.readinghorizons.com)  
Carol Allen
_allenc at rccc.cc.nc.us_ (mailto:allenc at rccc.cc.nc.us) 
 
 
 
 
3) 
Anthony,  the  Orton-Gillingham approach is the best way to go in my opinion. 
 It is an  excellent way to teach the structure of the English Language and 
help students  make some sense out of what appears to be a difficult language 
because of, as  some say, “so many exceptions to the rules”.  It teaches the 
regularities  first and gives us a “filing system” for our brains and then has 
a way to  present the exceptions.  It is highly multisensory (uses visual, 
auditory,  kinesthetic, and tactlle learning pathways). My adult ESOL students 
love  it.  It is important that there is thorough and complete training in the  
approach for it to be used successfully.  It is the approach recommended by  
the International Dyslexia Association; however, it works well with all  
beginning readers ages 5 through adult levels.  In my opinion, it can be  labeled  “
universal design” as everyone can benefit from it.  I tutor  children as well 
as adults and use it with all levels.  It is best if you  can start right at 
the kindergarten level. What a gift you will be giving each  child. 
Recommended  resources:  Dyslexia Tutor Manual by Dorothy B  Whitehead 
Sequential Phonics,  Lesson Plans for the Reading Tutor by Marlene Bartok  
McCormick 
Linguistic Concepts  for Orton-Gillingham  (Companion to the Lesson Plans 
above) The above can be  purchased from the Michigan Dyslexia Institute,  Inc, 
(http://www.dyslexia.net/ ) (1-800-494-6758)   
AVKO Sequential  Spelling for Adults, (_www.spelling.org_ 
(http://www.spelling.org/) ) 
The  Orton-Gillingham Manual by Anna Gillingham and Bessie W. Stillman, 
Educators  Publishing Service (epsbooks.com) 
In my opinion, phonics  must be taught in conjunction with phonemic awareness 
and spelling.  It  needs to be sequential and meaningful.  It is not useful 
to teach the sound  of a grapheme and hand the student a worksheet to do 
independently.  The  degree to which it is multisensory depends upon the needs of 
the students.   Writing is a multisensory activity, but some students need more 
such as the use  of sand trays (memory trays). When all four pathways are used 
simultaneously –  visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile, one increases 
the opportunities for  learning, retention and retrieval of information.   In 
short,  phonological awareness is an important ingredient in developing 
competent  reading skills. Use it in conjunction with word analysis, vocabulary  
development, comprehension and fluency beginning with kindergarten and  continuing 
through adult education.  
Anthony, I hope this  will be helpful to you.  I will be happy to answer any 
questions you may  have. 
Betsy Gauss, Certified Orton-Gillingham  Tutor Tutor  
Lake Wales Literacy Council  Tutor Trainer, Lake Wales, FL, USA 
Member of the  Florida  Practitioners Task Force on Adults with Learning  
Disabilities
_bsg36 at comcast.net_ (mailto:bsg36 at comcast.net) 
 
 
 
 
4)    
Right  approach?   Debate still rages?   How to teach, and when to  start, 
and what to do has been settled.  
 
May I  suggest OVERCOMING DYSLEXIA, Sally Shaywitz 
PROUST  & THE SQUID, Maryanne Wolf
 
These  books provide a foundation for answering the question of what to do, 
and why to  do it.   
 
And of  course, the information available from the International Dyslexia  
Association.  
 
Definitely the debate is over.  In the States, the NCLB (No Child  Left 
Behind) rests on scientific findings of how to teach literacy skills.   
Phonological skills are basic. 
 
Lucille Cuttler
_l.cuttler at comcast.net_ (mailto:l.cuttler at comcast.net)   




Respectfully submitted,
 
Rochelle Kenyon
 
 
 
Rochelle Kenyon
Moderator, NIFL/LINCS Learning Disabilities  Discussion List
Center for Literacy Studies at the University of  Tennessee
_RKenyon721 at aol.com_ (mailto:RKenyon721 at aol.com)  

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