Language to Literacy for
Nonverbal & Struggling
Readers Using SMILE
What is
?
SMiLE is a multisensory
program that teaches speech,
reading and writing in an
integrated way to individuals
with the most severe languagelearning and literacy problems.
Pupil Population
 SMiLE was developed to benefit pupils
exhibiting significant challenges with
speech, language and literacy development.
This includes pupils who are:
• Deaf
• Hard of Hearing
• Autistic
• Brain injured
• Intellectually disabled
Sequence of
1. Attention getting
2. Phonemic awareness
3. Sound-letter
knowledge
4. Auditory and visual
discrimination
5. Sound and letter
sequencing
6. Word recognition
Skills
7. Word building by
syllable
8. Development of
picture/word
association
9. Transition to
short sentences
10. Development of
concept stories
Why use
?
 SMiLE begins with nonspeech activities to




develop nonverbal attending skills
SMiLE can be incorporated into other
teaching activities
SMiLE uses consistent, precise, structured
lessons
SMiLE teaches phonics & phonetic
awareness
SMiLE covers all 5 areas of reading
Module 1
 Attention-getting activities
 Beginning teaching of phonemes
— sounds and letters
Consonant-vowel combinations
Initial Activities
These activities teach attention,
imitation, concentration and precise
responses. They also focus on beginning
reciprocity.
• Motor Imitation
• Imitation of Writing
• Imitation of Tongue Movements
• Imitation of Sounds
Single Sounds (phonemes)
and Letters
Suggested order for the first 10 sounds
(alternate teaching consonants and
vowels)
1. p as in pop
6. i-e as in bike
3. m as in mom
8. o-e as in bone
2. o as in top
4. ee as in beet
5. b as in bee
7. f as in feet
9. t as in toe
10.
k as in kite
My
Sounds
Book
Ilana
Page 1
Picture of Ilana
First Letter-Sound learned
Page 4 in
My Sounds Book:
Put 5 letters
• Different colors
• Surrounding design
same color
• Only use right side
page in book
P
P
P
p
P
After 4 sounds are learned
begin drop drills
 A drop drill is a consonant-vowel
combination repeated three times in
a descending order.
 Purposes:
•
•
•
•
Teaching sequence of sounds
Reading left to right
Reading top to bottom
Improving auditory memory
Example of Drop Drill
po
Blank page
po
po
Module 2
Teaching 50 nouns
 Cross drill leads to learning words
 Reinforced by saying, reading and
writing as well as associating with
objects and pictures.
 Creation of Words “basal” reader and
pupil workbook
Syllable Cross Drill
 A cross drill is a series of 3 consonant and
vowel combinations in three or four rows.
Its purpose is to teach:

Reading of sound combinations

Writing of sound combinations

Sound combinations that will be the
foundations for many words

Secondary spelling of sounds
My
Words
Book
Jacob
Page #1
Use drawing or photograph of pupil
Cross drill leading to
first noun
bo
bo
bo
b i-e
b i-e
b i-e
b ee
b ee
bee
bee
Bee picture
bee
Module 3
•
•
•
•
Verbs
Numbers
Colors
Plurals
Verbs are initially taught using stick figures to
clarify that it is the action and not additional
features such as clothing that is the target skill.
Jump!
What color?
red
green
blue
orange
pink
black
How Many?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
o
oo
ooo
oooo
ooooo
oooooo
ooooooo
oooooooo
ooooooooo
oooooooooo
Plurals
1
one
2
two
1
one
2
two




bike
bikes
dog
dogs
Module 4
Module 4 teaches simple
sentences followed by the
appropriate question.
For example:
Sample question chart
What do you see?
What is this?,
Who is this?
What do you want?
Can a _________ ________?
Where is the ____________?
How many ______________?
What color is the __________?
Module 5
Module 5 develops description stories
including questions and answers.
including questions and answers.
Goal: To teach pupils to develop stories
which describe various living creatures,
people, places, objects, and activities in
their environment.
Stories developed include:
•
Animal Description Stories
• Inanimate Object Stories
•
•
Personal Description stories
Round-up Stories
• Activity Stories
What is this?
This is a boat.
What color is the boat?
The boat is red and blue.
How many sails has the boat?
The boat has two sails.
Is it in the water?
It is in the water.