About SLC


Students need systematic instruction when learning to read. Different approaches and methodologies have sometimes left our students with gaps in their learning. At Spark Literacy Center, my lessons systematically focus on the five foundations of reading. These critical literacy components work together during instruction to help readers succeed!

The Five Foundations of Reading

  • The ability to hear and manipulate sounds in spoken words. There are 44 phonemes (units of sound) in the English language, and a student’s ability to manipulate these sounds into spoken syllables and words can be an early indicator of reading success. According to the National Reading Panel, teaching phonemic awareness to children significantly improves their reading more than instruction that lacks any attention to phonemic awareness.

  • The ability to connect the 44 phonemes to the 26 letters of the English language. Phonics instruction helps students to decode (read) as well as encode (spell). Phonemic awareness instruction improves phonics skills, and phonics skills improve phonemic awareness (Lane and Pullen, 2004). Together, phonemic awareness and phonics instruction help to develop the automaticity of word recognition, thus allowing students to work on higher-level reading skills.

  • Reading should sound natural, like a conversation. To accomplish this, students need a strong foundation in phonemic awareness and phonics. Fluency focuses on three big ideas: rate, prosody (reading with expression), and accuracy. Fluency plays an important role in the comprehension of text. Fluent readers spend more time making meaning from the text!

  • We first acquire vocabulary through oral language (being spoken to and speaking to others). As students begin to read, they fill up their vocabulary word banks and make meaning out of new vocabulary. Vocabulary skills can vary greatly among our youngest learners, and strong foundational skills remain a key factor in building successful readers!!

  • The process of reading comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading! While comprehension is not one teachable skill, it is the ability to make meaning from a text through the usage of strategies.

It is important to remember that the Five Foundations of Reading are not linear!

FAQs

  • I work with students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade. Students must have completed their kindergarten year before being evaluated, and instruction can begin.

  • Upon deciding that Spark Literacy Center is the right fit for you and your child, our first session is spent working through assessments to determine a reading plan. Progress monitoring of skills is ongoing and woven into each session. A formal recommendation will be made after the initial assessments are complete. Ongoing communication with a student’s classroom teacher is encouraged and welcome!

  • My teaching philosophy revolves around structured literacy, a method that brings systematic and explicit instruction to help students develop strong reading and writing skills. By emphasizing phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, I aim to provide a structured approach that caters to diverse learning needs. In addition, I am committed to fostering confidence in my students as readers. By creating a supportive and encouraging environment, I strive to instill a sense of empowerment and achievement, helping students become not only proficient but also confident readers who approach literacy with enthusiasm and self-assurance.

  • While there is no set “number of sessions” for a student to attend, a minimum of a semester is ideal. A formal recommendation will be made after the initial assessments are complete.

  • Each student is different. I customize my approach to meet the individual needs of every student and what they will need to be successful. As part of the free consultation, a formal recommendation will be made after the initial assessments are complete and will include the fees associated with my services.

  • No. I am a private reading specialist focused on helping students understand the foundations of reading and become lifelong readers.

  • Reading to your child is crucial—students who struggle with reading need to hear what good reading sounds like. Reading to your child is the most important task you can do with them!