READING & SPELLING PROGRAM
Scientists now understand how students acquire reading skills. There is powerful evidence that intervention with an effective reading program such as the programs offered at Cullinan Education Center, can lead to accurate, skilled and fluent reading. Further evidence shows that through effective programs the brain can be rewired. This cutting edge science of reading (Overcoming Dyslexia, Sally Shaywitz, M.D.) has direct strategies for the treatment of reading difficulties.
Cullinan Education Center offers an adaptation of the Orton Gillingham method, based on over eighty years of research. THERE IS NO OTHER SYSTEM OF LEARNING TO READ THAT CAN ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING!
The Orton Gillingham method is:
Individualized – the instruction is planned to meet the needs of each individual learner.
Multidisciplinary – using the combined knowledge and skill of experts in the fields of education, medicine, psychology, social work and language theory.
Multisensory – using all of the learning pathways: seeing, hearing, feeling and awareness of motion.
Alphabetic-Phonic – employing and stressing the sound/symbol relationships which are the basis of our spoken and written language.
Synthetic-Analytic – a process in which sounds can be blended and segmented leading to improvement in reading, spelling and writing.
Systematic & Sequential – material is organized and taught in a way that is logical and suited to the nature of our language so that learners move smoothly, step by step, from the simple to the complex.
Cumulative – building language from the ground up, each step builds on those already learned.
Competence – students learn language patterns, which determine word order and sentence structure. This leads to fluency and full literacy.
A Cognitive Approach – students are guided to understand the reasons for what they are learning rather than relying only on memory.
Emotionally Sound – instruction promotes successful experiences for students, which in turn promotes self-confidence and motivation.
* International Dyslexia Association
The following are the essentials that make up the Cullinan reading program, incorporating Orton Gillingham strategies and techniques.
PHONICS / DECODING
Reading is a code that we must all learn to decipher. For some, the process is smooth and effortless, but for others, turning print into sound is a source of frustration and failure. Phonics is a system of teaching children:
• How letters relate to sounds.
• Blending sounds together to read a word.
• Understanding the patterns and rules that govern the use of these sounds.
• Accumulation of this knowledge from simple to advanced concepts resulting in the ability to decode words.
FLUENCY TRAINING
Fluency training is the key to forming permanent word models in the automatic word form system of the brain. Students most likely to develop reading fluency are those who receive specific intervention and training which is provided in depth at Cullinan Education Center. Fluency training incorporates:
• Guided repeated oral reading.
• Opportunities for practice.
• Ongoing feedback and assessment.
READING COMPREHENSION
Reading comprehension is deriving meaning from the printed word. Most often reading comprehension difficulties are due to poor decoding and fluency. However, a small percentage of students who have otherwise excellent skills in the above mentioned areas, require direct instruction in Visualizing and Verbalizing Lindamood-Bell®.
VISUALIZING AND VERBALIZING
Individuals with weak concept imagery may have difficulty with reading comprehension, critical thinking or expressing ideas in an organized manner. The Nancibell® Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language, Reading Comprehension and Thinking (Lindamood-Bell®) program stimulates concept imagery. Individuals can then image thoughts, color, even movement. This improves their reading comprehension, reasoning for critical thinking and expressive language skills.
Cullinan Education Center, Inc. is NOT Lindamood-Bell® Learning Processes nor is it affiliated with, certified, endorsed, licensed, monitored or sponsored by Lindamood-Bell®, Nanci-Bell®, Phyllis Lindamood or Pat Lindamood. Lindamood-Bell® in no way endorses or monitors the services provided by Cullinan Education Center, Inc.