Volume 2
October 2021
Welcome to my second newsletter.
I’ll be sharing strategies and research on how best to support learners. I hope to spark conversation and share research and ideas.
This newsletter is available for download on my website Kathleen Cherry | Author/Psychologist or subscribe and it will be delivered four times per year to your email. Email addresses will never be sold or shared and no additional content or ads will be sent.
Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to take subscriptions or give away the books offered in newsletter #1. Therefore, we will be offering three signed copies of Everyday Hero, based on a random draw, prior to Christmas.
By the way, Everyday Hero is in its second printing! Thank you Orca Books!
Please go to my YouTube channel and check out my video, "What is a School Psychologist". It aims to demystify the psychology assessment process. You can also go there to listen to my reading of "Everyday Hero".
Resources and Research:
For parents, teachers, and librarians:
My husband is still astounded that research about reading is such a hot-button topic! So, if anyone else is fascinated, confused, or just plain curious, B.C. educator, Adrienne Gear provides a clear, insightful outline about ‘the reading wars’ here.
And more great news! Reading Rockets has a sister! I have not fully explored the site but I strongly advise that parents and educators check out AdLit | All About Adolescent Literacy
For educators:
How to use sounds and pictures to support early literacy!
1. Sounds! A sound wall is an educational tool to help learners connect phonemes (sounds heard in words) to graphemes (written letters). A sound wall focuses on all the different sounds in our language before connecting these sounds to letters in our alphabet. Explicitly teach your students the articulation of the 44 speech sounds. Pay attention to the position of the mouth and airflow. You will find a good reference for classroom use courtesy of Dr. Mary E. Dahlgren.
2. As students learn each sound, attach the sound to the sound wall. Include a picture of a keyword to help the students remember that sound. Add a mirror so that students can see how their mouths look when making each sound.
3. Once a sound is introduced, teach the most common letter (grapheme) to represent the sound.
4. Review phoneme daily.
5. Engage in activities using the sound wall by distinguishing sounds, related phonemes, picture sorts, etc. Again, you can find a reference here.
6. Have students independently use the sound wall to problem solve when trying to read or spell unfamiliar words.
Remember to find a good source of information! Your speech-language pathologist is an excellent resource!
There is also a great article about this at Reading Rockets.
Pictures! So is it a good idea to use pictures when using letter sounds? The answer…Yes! But … According to Timothy Shanahan, the research shows that learning is improved with “embedded mnemonics” (pictures that remind the children of the letter sound). Mnemonic pictures can reduce the amount of repetition needed. There is less confusion and better long-term memory.
But all mnemonics are not created equal. Integrating letter shapes into relevant pictures is more effective than merely an association. This means that the mnemonic on the RIGHT is more effective than the one on the LEFT! But be CAREFUL. The use of pictures is not a great idea when you are teaching words. Research shows that kids learn words better without any pictures.
The pictures are distracting when learning words.
I recommend this blog article by Timothy Shanahan.
For francophone educators, French Immersion teachers, and parents:
La puce à l’oreille has a great collection of French audio content for students. Check it out here.
For Librarians
I am a great fan of Monique Gray Smith. She has written many books on resilience and reconciliation. She also has some wonderful YouTube videos about how to talk to children on tough subjects like residential schools. I enjoy all her books and right now, I am loving "When We Are Kind". It celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness. It is also published by my publisher, Orca Books.
And for the school psychologists!
I am working with and loving the resources created by Dr. Liz Angoff. I will be sharing my experiences with The Brain Building Book in the next newsletter. Meanwhile, learn about the book and other great resources at https://drlizangoff.com.
I love questions and feedback. I look forward to sharing new videos, research, books, and strategies with you. Connect with me anytime by my website, YouTube, or Facebook.
All the best,
Kathleen