Words in Color techniques and materials were designed so that every student can avoid, or overcome, confusion in the process of learning to read. The curriculum begins by allowing beginning readers to notice, practice, and master the conventions of reading: 1) words are written on lines, 2) they are read from left to right, 3) pages are read top to bottom, 4) spaces are left between words, 5) signs are used to trigger sounds. These conventions form the basis of accurate reading.
For students of any age diagnosed with dyslexia, our experience is that Words in Color is successful in framing the right types of activities to enable them to meet the challenges of learning to read head-on. Here are some examples:
- The arrangement of sounds and spellings on the Fidel Phonic Code makes it straightforward for the learner to compare and contrast sounds and spellings which may be confusing (e.g. ‘b’ and ‘d’).
- The confusion in associating sounds with spellings is also easily dealt with since all of them are visible and distinguishable in columns and color-coded.
- Exercises and activities for breaking words down into component sounds/spellings and putting them back together in the same or a different order are also easily achieved with the Fidel Phonetic Code and the color-coded word charts.
Refer to the Literacy FAQ page for more information on why Words in Color is perfect for teaching dyslexic students.
Techniques and Games for Dyslexic Student
Below are some simple, yet captivating, techniques and games to try with your student or child. The following pages are extracts taken from Teaching with Words in Color: Lesson Guides, Techniques, Games, which we found targeted the confusions associated with dyslexia most immediately. Of course, you will be the best judge of which techniques and games target your student's individual challenges the best.
These downloadable PDFs open in a new window:
Overcoming Ambiguities in English
Barnaby: The Struggle of a Word Blind Boy
This book is a touching true story about a dyslexic student, a determined teacher, and clarity through color. Written by Sister Mary Leonore Murphy (in 1968), the book is an enjoyable read and worthwhile for parents and teachers of children with special needs.
We have a very limited supply of these classic books, so once they are gone, they are gone.
Description:
“Barnaby is diagnosed with dyslexia. He is nearly ten years old and he cannot read,” said our school inspector to me one day towards the end of June. “He has been attending the X Clinic since early last year. The speech therapy program he is receiving there is splendid but he needs a course of remedial reading.” Then he challenged me, “Do you think that you could teach him to read using the Words in Color method?”
Barnaby’s case is more than one child learning to read when every investigator of his case had concluded that he might never. The book will be perhaps an eye-opener for all teachers who will read it. It tells that they must be less quick at putting all the blame on the learner who fails to learn. Because there is so much we miss about learners with the ordinary tools of testing centered on teaching, we should be more guarded.
This book is available in our Words in Color for Dyslexia complete sets.
