SPELL-Links Intervention and Training Products

Audience: This session is targeted to K-12 educators, language and literacy specialists, and administrators.

Course description: This 2-hour session is designed for SPELL-Links users to gain foundational knowledge and skills in phonology for successful implementation of SPELL-Links. Participants will have access to this course for one year.

Learning objectives: After attending this session, particpants will be able to:

• Define and explain the differences between phones, allophones, phonemes, phonics, phonetics, phonological representations, phonological processing, phonological awareness, and phonemic awareness; explain the role of each in the development of reading and spelling.
• Differentiate between the knowledge teachers of reading and spelling need to have to be effective instructors vs. what needs to be taught to students.
• Describe the process and development of categorical perception of speech sounds; explain the implications of atypical categorical perception in students with dyslexia; explain why ELL students struggle with discrimination of English phonemes and consequently struggle with learning to read and write in English.
• Analyze and correctly describe the phonological structures of English words: phonemes, syllables, onset-rhymes, lexical stress.
• Identify which PA skills are needed for learning to read and spell and explain reasons for and for not teaching PA skills in isolation.
• Describe how to correctly model and teach the segmenting and blending phonemes and syllables in English words.
• Describe at least two activities for the development of phonological awareness skills