Uncovering The Logic of English: A Common-Sense Approach to Reading, Spelling, and Literacy

It is simply not conceivable that 22%–70% of our population has a reading disability. What is clear is that students who do not thrive in first, second, and third grade continue to struggle through adulthood.

To provide students with a more complete understanding of English they must master not only 26 letters but the 74 basic phonograms.

A vowel is a sound that is produced when the mouth is open and the sound is not blocked by the lips, teeth, or tongue. Vowels are sounds that can be sustained,

Phono means “sound” and gram means “picture.” A phonogram, therefore, is a picture that represents a sound.

When incomplete phonics is taught, students are left believing they have all the possible tools, only to find that the tools do not work.

When reading is not taught correctly, many students do not make solid connections between phonograms (the pictures of the sounds) and phonemes (the sounds themselves). Instead, they appear to rely heavily on the visual center of their brain and areas which may be related to higher order thinking or guessing. Given the combination of the opaque natu

reading and spelling are the same process in reverse.

The fact that English words do not end in U is one of the most common reasons for adding a silent final E to English words.

coherence in the midst of complexity is more alluring than if it had been in plain sight all along.