Lisa Klipfel facilitates literacy instruction by guiding learners through the scientific exploration of English orthography. Rather than relying on rote memorization or phonics-only approaches, Lisa encourages students to investigate the morphological, etymological, and phonological structure of words to uncover how spelling makes sense.
Lisa has trained with Real Spelling, and WordWorks (Dr. Pete Bowers), and others for a multitude of years. Lisa was previously trained with Orton-Gillingham but has found that SWI offers a deeper, more accurate, and more engaging path for learners to understand reading and writing that respects the full structure of English.
Lisa also uses tactile blocks to teach grammar. Learning to recognize chunks of a sentence (noun, verb, adverbial phrases) reduces cognitive load and improves comprehension. Grammar instruction can help distinguish homophones in many cases. This is an adjunct and integrative option available during literacy instruction.
Lisa uses a mix of instruction, games and activities to help engage students. Games and hands-on activities move students beyond passive listening into active discovery. When students do something active with a word—manipulate it, play with it, test hypotheses—they’re more likely to remember it. Games naturally involve pattern recognition, decision-making, and strategic thinking that will reinforce how English spelling patterns work. Games are customized created to what your student needs to focus on most. Many of the games are online and can be accessed between sessions for further reinforcement.
Lisa is also trained in Making Math Real for those struggling in math. She is trained in elementary math of the Four Operations, Fractions and decimals, and geometry. For secondary, she is trained in pre-algebra, algebra 1, Geometry, and algebra 2.