Choosing the Right Dyslexia Intervention (Part 3): The job of letters in sounds-first vs. letters first approach

Dyslexia Advocacy for Parents, Part 1: Gathering Data and Documenting Concerns

Dyslexia Advocacy for Parents, Part 1: Gathering Data and Documenting Concerns The episode launches a new advocacy-focused mini series focused what parents can do when schools say a child’s reading and spelling are “fine" even when a parent knows it's not. Michelle explains why the process is frustrating, how parents can move it forward without waiting on the school, and why school staff may share incomplete or distorted policy information.  This episode emphasizes gathering data: finding out what tiered supports (RTI/MTSS tiers 1–3) are in place, what decisions and district procedures guide movement between tiers, and why a child should not remain in tier 3 without next steps such as considering an IEP. The host urges parents to document concerns and conversations in writing, request cited policies, ask clarifying questions about discrepancies, and scrutinize screeners and reading levels for what they actually measure. A free parent dyslexia screener [https://h2h.dayswithdyslexia.com/free-products] is also mentioned, and the next episode will cover the referral meeting. Want more information like what you heard in this podcast? The Dyslexia Advocacy Toolkit with eBook can be found HERE. [https://h2h.dayswithdyslexia.com/dyslexia-advocacy-for-parents] 00:00 Welcome and Series Intro 00:59 Why Advocacy Matters 02:39 Schools and Policy Myths 04:42 Start With Tiered Supports 10:31 When an IEP Applies 14:43 Document Everything in Writing 21:35 Staying Calm and Being Heard 24:53 Screeners and Reading Data 29:00 Reading Levels and Skill Proof 32:13 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Choosing the Right Dyslexia Intervention, Part 5: How sight words are taught

In part five of a series on choosing dyslexia interventions, Michelle reviews differences between meaning-first (to avoid), letters-first programs (e.g., Orton-Gillingham, Barton, Wilson),  and sounds-first instruction, then focuses on teaching high-frequency/sight words. Letters-first approaches often have students memorize “red” or irregular word letter strings by repeating letter names, while sounds-first instruction maps sounds to letters and incorporates sounds, letters, and meaning for every word. She describes a comparison across three second-grade classrooms in which students were taught the same 10 words: the sounds-first system produced higher accuracy and “smarter errors” than Orton-Gillingham methods, with skills that generalized beyond the target words. She argues that sounds-first structured literacy feels more natural and reduces frustration.  00:00 Series Recap Setup 00:25 Letters First vs Sounds First 01:36 Sight Words Memorization 02:47 Sounds First Mapping 03:34 Classroom Comparison Study 07:20 Why Smarter Errors Matter 10:00 Progress Stories Evidence 12:14 Choosing Support Options 12:33 Programs Offered Overview 14:56 VIP Advocacy Membership 17:42 Final Wrap Up

Choosing the Right Dyslexia Intervention, Part 4: What your child should say while writing words

In part four of a series on choosing effective dyslexia interventions, Michelle reviews three approaches (meaning-first/whole literacy, which they advise avoiding, and two structured literacy approaches: letters-first/Orton-Gillingham “print to speech” and sounds-first “speech to print”).  She emphasizes that doing a single sound-awareness lesson before moving to letters is not the same as a true sounds-first approach, which should integrate sounds throughout instruction and quickly connect sound awareness to letters. The episode focuses on what children say while writing: letters-first programs often have children say letter names, which encourages memorizing letter strings and limits sound-letter integration, while sounds-first instruction has children say each sound as they write the matching letter to strengthen sound-letter connections and pattern recognition.  A story about a student (“Jay”) shows how letter-name studying led to poor spelling and an inability to read studied words until the approach shifted to sounds.  00:00 Dyslexia Intervention Overview 00:57 Three Reading Approaches 01:39 Sounds First Clarified 03:33 Series Recap to Part Four 04:35 Bouncy vs Stretchy Speech 06:16 Letters First Pitfalls 09:18 Sounds First While Writing 10:38 Jay’s Spelling Test Story 13:22 Study Smarter With Sounds 15:08 Wrap Up and Part Five Tease

Choosing the Right Dyslexia Intervention (Part 3): The job of letters in sounds-first vs. letters first approach

Part three of a series on choosing effective dyslexia interventions compares “letters first” (print-to-speech, often Orton-Gillingham) and “sounds first” (speech-to-print/linguistic phonetics) approaches, focusing on the job of letters. The speaker argues against meaning-first methods (whole language/balanced literacy) and explains that letters-first teaching treats letters as the units that make sounds and often requires memorization of many spelling rules, which creates confusion due to many exceptions.  In contrast, sounds-first instruction teaches that letters spell sounds, sounds can have multiple spellings, and that letters like E can have multiple jobs. This approach builds mental flexibility, problem-solving for unfamiliar words, and supports spelling because children start from sounds; patterns can be taught developmentally and “sprinkled in” during reading.  Part four will cover what kids say while writing. 00:00 Series Recap and Goal 01:15 Three Reading Approaches 02:43 Letters First Basics 03:18 Why One Sound Fails 05:41 Magic E Myth 07:44 Sounds First Framework 08:33 Multiple Spellings and Sight Words 09:32 E Has Many Jobs 11:52 Why Sounds First Wins 12:51 Teaching Patterns by Sprinkling 14:24 Wrap Up and Part Four Teaser

Choosing Dyslexia Interventions, Part 2: Teaching Syllables—Letters-First vs Sounds-First

In part two of a five-part Days With Dyslexia series on choosing the right dyslexia intervention, the host explains why syllable instruction matters and contrasts letters-first versus sounds-first structured literacy approaches. A syllable is described as the “beat” in a word, and each syllable has its own vowel sound; research supports teaching syllable awareness but not memorizing multiple syllable types.  Letters-first (e.g., Orton-Gillingham) divides syllables by letter patterns, teaches six syllable types, and requires students to mark vowels/consonants and apply rules, which strains working memory and becomes less accurate with three- and four-syllable words, affecting fluency.  Sounds-first focuses mainly on open and closed syllables, divides words by natural speech beats, and uses listening and mouth/throat cues, making it easier to apply to longer words. A PDF covering all five episodes will be available by episode five, and the next episode will cover the job of letters. 00:00 Series Recap and Setup 01:54 What Syllables Are 02:34 Research on Syllable Awareness 03:16 Letters First Syllable Rules 05:25 Why Letters First Breaks Down 06:53 Sounds First Syllable Strategy 08:54 Open vs Closed by Sound 10:47 Why Sounds First Works Better 12:38 Wrap Up and Next Episode