It’s important to understand that many English words cannot be sounded out, and many dyslexic learners can’t learn by sounding out at all. This is why it’s crucial to be aware of the different reading routes. I have worked with several severely dyslexic children and others with significant language and learning disorders, and they have become skilled readers and spellers even though they can’t always tell me what phoneme a grapheme is spelling in a word. Just because some young learners can learn to read and spell by sounding small words out via drill and memorization does not mean all learners can do the same. Researchers have known about two possible reading routes for over two decades. Colheart presented his Dual Route Cascaded Model of the lexical route and the non-lexical route in 2000. His model was based on thinking that started in the 1970s!
His model shows that some can learn via the non-lexical route by starting out with graphemes and phonemes and sounding out, but others need to move through the lexical route, which activates meaning first and studies structure before getting to the sounds. It is the lexical route that Dr. Bowers’ SWI method facilitates and it affords dyslexic children the ability to become fully literate.
Because English is a stress-timed language (not syllable-timed) and contains consonants that can represent multiple phonemes; learning using written syllable types and by sounding out is not possible for most English words.
Let’s take a look at a couple spellings to note how unreliable written syllable types are.
Comic
First Syllable (“com”): Closed syllable (short vowel sound ‘o’).
Second Syllable (“ic”): Closed syllable (short vowel sound ‘i’).
Music
First Syllable (“mu”): Open syllable (long vowel sound ‘u’).
Second Syllable (“sic”): Closed syllable (short vowel sound ‘i’).
Two words with five letters in a CVCVC sequence need to be divided differently to apply written syllable types. How is a child to know where to divid words they encounter while reading? Its a guessing game that isn’t consistent and takes all of their working memory space, leaving nothing left over for comprehension of the text.
The SWI way is the better way.
There is no need for written syllable types when you use a matrix with SWI.
comedy~comedian
– note the shift in pronunciation of the phoneme the < e > is spelling.
comic~comical~comically
-note the shift in pronunciation of the phoneme that the < a > is spelling in “comical” to “comically.”
( the <a > in < comically> is spelling a zeroed allophone)
No written syllable types can teach the pronunciation of these words. However, when you study these spellings in their family and make sure the words are in your oral vocabulary before writing word sums to study the morphemes it sets the stage to analyze the grapheme-phoneme correspondence. No guessing!
And we see the same patterns again and again so it generalizes to other spellings.
music~musician
-note how the < i > in the < ian > suffux marks the < c > /ʃ/.
musical~musicality
-note the shift in pronunciation of the < a > in the < -al > suffix from /ə/ to /æ/.
musical~musically
– remember this pattern from the < come > matrix? Here it is again!
When dyslexic learners learn how to read a matrix, a visual representation of a word family, and become familiar with the elements, they can identify the words in the family just by looking at the matrix. They don’t need to go through question four to analyze the grapheme-phoneme correspondence forever! While essential in the beginning, the need for question four fades over time.
SWI, when used with the matrix and word sums, lightens the cognitive load on dyslexic learners. This method removes the need to memorize syllable types, rules, or tips and tricks. Learners can skip the task of memorizing all the phonemes a grapheme can spell before understanding how words function. They are encouraged to explore their own interests, and all questions are welcomed and lead to learning, fostering a positive and engaging learning environment.
Understanding the meaning and structure before delving into phonology is a crucial step in comprehending how words function. This approach provides a clear structure, eliminating the need to grasp every aspect of phonology and phonetics to learn to read and spell.
The key takeaway is that all children can’t rely on invented syllable types or sounding words out to learn to read and spell. They need something consistent and stable that they can hold onto.
Remember, we learn to read and spell the words we already know and use. This is why building a child’s oral vocabulary is so crucial. It’s more important for beginning and struggling learners than delving into the intricate details of the sounds we produce when we say words out loud. Dyslexic and language didordered children children follow a different pathway to literacy, one that passes through meaning and structure on the way to the sounds. The more words they know and use, the more words they can learn to read and spell.
