The #1 mistake to avoid if you want to build your students' language processing and reading comprehension skills.
(Even with a huge caseload or limited time with students)
If you're here, you know there are some BIG problems SLPs face when delivering language therapy.
- LACK OF CLARITY on your role in reading intervention. You know you shouldn't be drilling sight words in therapy...but what SHOULD you be doing?
- STUDENTS HAVE HUGE GAPS in language and literacy skills. Finding time to get to it all seems practically impossible. Where do you even start?
- TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION FALLS SHORT for kids on your caseload when it comes to reading and spelling. You hate seeing your students struggle, knowing it's your job to help.
SLPs face a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to literacy instruction. Like:
What exactly are SLPs "supposed" to be doing to support reading and spelling?
What is our role, exactly?
Should I be doing phonological awareness?
Should I be "pushing in"?
What about vocabulary? Or grammar?
What about comprehension strategies, "wh" questions, and inferencing strategies
How do I make time for all of this?
How do I know where to focus when my students struggle with so many things?
I used to ask myself the same questions.
I was supposed to be the language expert, but I secretly felt like a fraud.
Hi there, I'm Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan...
I help pediatric SLPs leverage their time and streamline their language therapy so they can change their clients' lives without burning out.
I went back and got my doctorate and made language my area of expertise...
But back in 2004 when I started practicing, I had no idea where to start when it came to language therapy.
The truth was, students on my caseload weren't making progress with the traditional reading and spelling curriculums. And I didn't know how to help.
I was focusing a lot on "language processing" goals and high-level comprehension.
I was drilling "wh" questions, working on "inferencing" questions or retelling stories; but my students never seemed to make much progress.
Most of my students spent so much energy trying to decode individuals words they just didn't have the mental energy left for comprehension.
Students were also getting lots of phonics and phonological awareness interventions to teach them to "sound it out"...
But they still weren't making progress...especially when it came to longer, more challenging words.
As I did more research on effective reading intervention, I realized my students' performance gaps were tied to TWO key skills.
Being proficient in these two essential areas enables us to recognize and use spelling patterns consistently.
They teach us the language skills that explain WHY words are spelled the way they are.
When targeted effectively, can boost spelling, reading, vocabulary, and high-level comprehension all at the same time.
They are:
MORPHOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE:
Knowledge of word parts and structure (e.g., affixes, root/base words, grammatical endings).
ORTHOGRAPHIC AWARENESS:
Awareness of common patterns that impact spelling and meaning.
"Sounding it out" only works for very short, easy words.
Rote memorization doesn't work for longer, more difficult words because kids won't retain them.
But when we teach kids to pay attention to morphology and orthography, they can finally make sense of patterns and rules!
But most people don't teach these skills to students soon enough, or at the intensity they need.
And if you've made that mistake, you're not alone.
I did the same thing myself due to some common misconceptions about language development, reading, and the SLP's role.
Here are some of those myths debunked:
MYTH 1: The best intervention for struggling readers is phonological awareness.
It's true that phonological awareness intervention is effective and important. But it's not enough. Students need to read and spell longer words with multiple morphemes. "Sounding it out" and thinking about individual letters and sounds just doesn't cut it for those longer words. In order to be efficient spellers, students need to ALSO have knowledge of linguistic units like prefixes and suffixes (Apel & Lawrence, 2011).
MYTH 2: Morphology is a skill for "older" students.
Many people think that kids need to develop phonological awareness skills FIRST, or that kids who struggle to read and spell aren't ready for work on morphology and orthography. But kids can identify morphemes as early as first grade, and that teaching morphological knowledge is a necessary skill for proficient decoding and comprehension (Apel & Henbest, 2016). Often, working on these more challenging skills is the MISSING LINK.
MYTH 3: SLPs don't have time to "teach spelling" (or aren't qualified to teach it).
While SLPs don't deliver the standard curriculum, they have a unique set of skills that enable them to target skills that struggling students are lacking (like morphology and orthography). When this is done the right way, it's possible to help students retain knowledge of spelling patterns AND build word knowledge that supports comprehension. The good news is that there's a way to do it EFFICIENTLY, within the goals you're already working on, and without complicated planning.
But figuring out how to target MORPHOLOGY and ORTHOGRAPHY can be time-consuming, and busy SLPs like you don't have time to spend hours planning.
That's why I created an evidence-based resource bundle to help you dramatically increase the key skills students need to read and spell.
It's called the Word Study Toolkit for SLPs.
The Word Study Toolkit will help you:
SIMPLIFY planning, so you can help students make consistent progress and still enjoy your nights and weekends.
Feel CONFIDENT you're teaching students skills that will have a true impact on their lives.
Eliminate the uncertainty surrounding your role in literacy intervention, so you feel like a true expert and look forward to your sessions.
"I have been very impressed with the progress I am seeing in my clients as I incorporate your suggestions. Confidence, comprehension, and participation (as well as grades) are all going up. Thank you for all that you do for our profession.”
-SKYLEE NEFF, UTAH
What's inside the Word Study Toolkit?
Over 200 Flashcards with prefixes, suffixes, root/base words, and multiple meaning words.
These printable flashcards will highlight common patterns you can teach your students to build the language skills needed for efficient decoding, as well as vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension.
Word Lists and Definitions to improve decoding and spelling speed and accuracy.
Teaching kids the MEANING behind spelling supports reading, vocabulary, and high-level comprehension all at the same time; which is exactly what this definitions word list helps you do!
17 key orthographic concepts: A cheat sheet with common technical terms relating to spelling study
This quick-guide defines key terminology so you understand the skills you're teaching, and you can easily explain them to colleagues and caregivers.
In addition to the resources in the downloadable toolkit, you also get access to supplemental bonuses.
BONUS #1: Word Study Tips tutorial
In this video training, I walk you through how to use the printable toolkit, so you know exactly how to get started when working on morphology and orthographic awareness.
BONUS #2: Prefix and Suffix selection tutorial
In this video, I discuss how to determine what morphological concepts are "age-appropriate" and how to go about sequencing them in your therapy.
BONUS #3: Case Study Example
In this video, I share a case study example of a real-life spelling intervention I did in practice, including the slide decks I created and how I used the toolkit to select spelling patterns.
Get the Word Study Toolkit today and help your students build the reading and spelling skills they need to thrive.
- Over 200 Flashcards with prefixes, suffixes, root/base words, and multiple meaning words ($27 value)
- Word Lists and Definitions to improve spelling speed & accuracy ($27 value)
- 17 key orthographic concepts: Cheat sheet with technical terms defined ($27 value)
- BONUS #1 Word Study Tips tutorial explaining how to use the toolkit($47 value)
- BONUS #2: Prefix and suffix selection tutorial ($47 value)
- BONUS #3: Case study example with sample activity explained ($47 value)
You can sign up for the Word Study Toolkit risk-free.
If you still don’t feel confident and focused with your vocabulary intervention…
… Then all you need to do is email me within 60 days your purchase at talktome@drkarenspeech.com and show me that you’ve made a reasonable attempt to use the toolkit, and I’ll give you a full refund — no hassle.
Time is running out for your students.
Every day, struggling readers are getting further and further behind.
Kids in elementary school can learn up to 2000-3000 new words per year. A lot of that word learning happens while they're reading (Biemiller & Boote, 2006).
But kids who struggle may only learn 300-900 new words; often because they aren't able to read as effectively as their peers (Cain, 2007).
Without the skills to support accurate decoding, students won't have the language skills needed to comprehend and learn from books they're reading.
But the good news is you are perfectly equipped to help.
"My heart bursts with pride when I see these intelligent, amazing kiddos learn how to more effectively express themselves. I didn't think I could possibly love my profession any more than I do, but you came along and made me love it even more. I feel competent and effective--and I now know that I am capable of changing the world, one child at a time.”
-JENNIFER SMITH, TENNESSEE
The truth is that most standard spelling instruction misses the mark for kids with language disorders.
Drilling sight words...
Writing words over and over again out of context to "memorize" them...
Randomly shortening spelling lists to make spelling practice more tolerable...
You already know these things aren't working for your students.
Your students need to know WHY words are spelled the way they are by learning language rules and patterns.
And YOU are the language expert who can make all the difference when you deliver the RIGHT intervention.
Imagine what that would be like to be the person who made all the difference in a child's life?
And imagine how amazing it would be to do that WITHOUT complicated prep or planning that cuts in to your free time?
I'll help you make that happen with the Word Study Toolkit.
See what others are saying about Dr. Karen's resources:
"Dr. Karen leaves out the fluff and gets straight to the facts...She brings a much-needed element of simplicity to an otherwise very broad area of language therapy.”
-RACHEL SMITH, UTAH
"Language can be sooooo complex and overwhelming and she organizes it in a way that makes sense.”
-WENDY EINHORN, CALIFORNIA
"I had a great session with one of my struggling 3rd graders...I told him how grown up his long sentences sounded. He loved it!"
-JESSICA HARMON-JOHNSTONEAUX
Get the Word Study Toolkit today and help close the gap for your students.
- Over 200 Flashcards with prefixes, suffixes, root/base words, and multiple meaning words ($27 value)
- Word Lists and Definitions to improve spelling speed & accuracy ($27 value)
- 17 key orthographic concepts: Cheat sheet with technical terms defined ($27 value)
- BONUS #1 Word Study Tips tutorial explaining how to use the toolkit($47 value)
- BONUS #2: Prefix and suffix selection tutorial ($47 value)
- BONUS #3: Case study example with sample activity explained ($47 value)
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