Multisensory Structured
Language Instruction for
Struggling Readers
Jan MacLean B.Sc. M.Sc. C/AOGPE
Certified Orton-Gillingham Practitioner
The Reading Clinic Kingston
Chair of Training Committee
Ontario Branch of the International Dyslexia
Association (ONBIDA)
ONBIDA
www.idaontario.com
• A Charity
• Raise public awareness about dyslexia
• Education about dyslexia for parents, adults with
dyslexia and professionals
– Annual conference with parent, adult and professional
programs
– Teacher training in multisensory structured language
– Speaker series
– “Right to Read” parent education and support groups
– Newsletter “Right to Read”
– Information and referral service info@idaontario.com
MSSL for Struggling Readers
Course Objectives
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Participants will:
Have all of their questions addressed
Learn why present methods of teaching decoding does not work well for many
students.
Learn the components of a MSSL lesson plan
Learn how sounds are properly made and how to correct student errors.
Expand their knowledge of phonics (basic code, complex code, secondary code,
irregular words) so that they can teach the phonics “strand” of decoding in a
clearly organised and sequential fashion
Learn how to teach reading using sequential blending and spelling using sequential
segmenting.
Learn how to analyse text and materials to determine if it is phonetically “easy”
enough or “hard” enough for a student.
Learn how to create phonetically controlled text to maximise student learning.
Learn creative fun ways and find resources to teach the phonics strand of MSSL.
Simple View of Reading Process
Decoding + Comprehension
= Reading
Successful
Reading
Comprehension
Skills
Decoding Skills
(Mechanics)
Reading Disabilities
Low Dec. + Av. Comp. = R.D (dyslexia)
Most Common 80% of RD
Av. Dec. + Low Comp. Skills = R.D.
Language Impairment – not dyslexia
Low Dec. Skills + Low Comp. Skills = R.D.
“garden variety” poor readers.
Reading Scores GORT 4
9
8
7
Grade Score on GORT 4
6
rate
5
accuracy
fluency
comp
4
norm
3
2
1
0
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
Grade in School when Tested
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
8.5
What Skill/Knowledge are You Using to
Decode These Words?
Ploaf pleef
Phonics
Pemble, chizzle
Syllable “types”
Conruptly, prerupted prestructed
Morphology
...and to decode this simple sentence?
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She jumped on the little toy in the shed.
Phonics
sh, th, oy
Syllables
lit tle (c-le), shed/she (closed/open)
Morphology jump ed (t,d,id)
Irregular Words the
• querpostoneous
For some, learning to
decode is so simple, for
others it is so hard.
How was it for you?
What is MSSL for Reading?
Direct, systematic, scaffolded instruction
in phonological awareness, phonics,
syllabification, morphology and spelling,
using multisensory teaching strategies and
extended practice to ensure learning to
automaticity.
Complex
not
Crazy
Thecatandrabbitrun
cat and rabbit run
c-a-t a-n-d
r-a-bb-i-t r-u-n
/b/ /g/ /s/ /m/
/c/ /v/ /j/ /p/
/y/ /d/ /f/ /h/
/b/ /g/ /s/ /m/
/c/ /v/ /j/ /p/
/y/ /d/ /f/ /h/
b,g,s.
m,p,z,l
y,r,t,h.
f.e.o.j
/b/ /g/ /s/ /m/
/c/ /v/ /j/ /p/
/y/ /d/ /f/ /h/
b,g,s.
m,p,z,l
y,r,t,h.
f.e.o.j
Inclusive Instruction/Universal Design
So, if some students are going to have trouble
learning what sound(s) go with which letter(s),
(rote learning) how might we best go about
teaching it so that our instruction is inclusive
(i.e.sure to reach all of our students)?
40 PrePrimer Dolch Words
• a and away big blue can come down find for
funny go help here I in is it jump little look
make me my not one play red run said see the
three to two up we where yellow you
40 PrePrimer Dolch words
• a and away big blue can come down find for
funny go help here I in is it jump little look
make me my not one play red run said see the
three to two up we where yellow you
• 13 phonetically regular using single letters and
short vowel sounds. (1:1 correspondence;)
• 14 requiring advanced patterns (12 different
ones and 4 multisyllable words)
• 7 irregular words
Levelled Reader
This is my face.
This is my eyebrow.
This is my eye.
This is my nose.
This is my mouth.
This is my chin.
Levelled Reader
This is my face.
This is my eyebrow.
This is my eye.
This is my nose.
This is my mouth.
This is my chin.
• 1 phonetically regular using single letters and short
vowel sounds. (1:1 correspondence;)
• 7 requiring advanced patterns (7 different ones)
• 1 irregular word
Decodable Reader
Tab is a cat.
Mac is a rat.
Mac has a cap.
Tab has a ham.
Mac and Tab are pals.
Tab has a ham.......
Decodable Reader
Tab is a cat.
Mac is a rat.
Mac has a cap.
Tab has a ham.
Mac and Tab are pals.
Tab has a ham.
• 24 phonetically regular using single letters and
short vowel sounds. (1:1 correspondence;)
• 0 requiring advanced patterns
• 1 irregular word
PrePrimer Dolch Words
• a and away big blue
can come down fine
for funny go help
here I in is it jump
little look
A Simple Sentence?
she jumped on the
little toy in the
shed
Everyone has
the right to
learn to read
Teaching That Works for Students Who
Struggle to Learn to Decode
 Must teach one piece of code after the other in a planned sequence
of instruction
 Must teach more than just the sounds for the single alphabet
letters –English phonics is complex, but 80% regular ay, oo, th etc.
(“code”)
 Must give practice reading and spelling “the code”
 Must teach “sounding out” as the primary decoding strategy
 Must provide “decodable” books that let children practice reading
with the code they have learned up to that point.
 Must provide ample ongoing review that spirals back.
 Must use multisensory, contextual teaching with extended practice
to help them remember it