Smart Way Reading and Spelling is a commercial brand of reading instruction methodology and materials that was developed in 2001 by Bright Sky Learning.
Over two years in development, Smart Way Reading and Spelling is designed to be simple to use yet it is extremely efficient in teaching students. The

reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

methodology ranges from teaching introductory sounds and how to learn

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances ...

through advanced reading strategies. The program has been used effectively in remedial reading programs in states across the country with positive and consistent results and is based on the most complete scientific research on teaching reading which stresses systematic and explicit

phonics Phonics is a method for teaching people how to read and write an alphabetic language (such as English, Arabic or Russian). It is done by demonstrating the relationship between the sounds of the spoken language (phonemes), and the letters or gro ...

coupled with reading comprehension and

fluency Fluency (also called volubility and eloquency) is the property of a person or of a system that delivers information quickly and with expertise. Language use Language fluency is one of a variety of terms used to characterize or measure a perso ...

. The Smart Way Reading and Spelling program is presented in a series of twenty-seven individual flip chart lessons. Each flip chart contains a complete lesson that includes both the student and coach materials within one bound booklet. The student sees an image or text on one side of the flip chart, while the reading coach has his scripted instructions on the other side with a mirror image of what the student sees. The completely scripted nature of the program allows even the most novice coach to work with a student immediately. Extensive training is not necessary. Over time, as the coach becomes more confident, he can add more creativity and interaction in working with students. Rather than stressing individual

phonetic Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds, or in the case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the physical properties of speech are phoneticians. ...

rules for the sake of teaching rules, the Smart Way methodology introduces words and word patterns in families, helping students grasp the key

rules through a cognitive learning process. The program was designed as both a complete learning system for youngsters and as an intervention method for older students and adults. Though results will vary, most students will complete each lesson in one to two hours.

Additional Research Base of the Program

The delivery of the Smart Way Reading and Spelling program is based on the concept of self-efficacy and its application in instructional practices. The gradual, systematic approach allows students to develop their skills and increase their confidence. Explicit, systematic instruction is recognized as having a direct impact on student success, especially in low-achieving students and supports its use in

instruction. As well, research shows phonics instruction is useful to students of all ages and other research validates intense instruction in decoding skills as a method of boosting the reading level for struggling readers in high school.

The Sounds of English

This compact disc and flash card product helps people recognize and repeat the sounds unique to

. It was created and designed specifically for early readers, ELL (

English Language Learners English-Language Learner (often abbreviated as ELL) is a term used in some English-speaking countries such as the US and Canada to describe a person who is learning the English language and has a native language that is not English. Some educati ...

) and EFL (

English as a foreign language English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EF ...

) students. The Sounds of English introduces forty-six

phonemes In phonology and linguistics, a phoneme () is a unit of sound that can distinguish one word from another in a particular language. For example, in most dialects of English, with the notable exception of the West Midlands and the north-wes ...

(speech sounds) in isolation and in text.

References

External links

National Reading Panel

Bright Sky Learning website

''Overview of the Results of the Bright Sky Learning, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13, School District of Lancaster Tutoring Research Project''

Smart Way Reading and Spelling website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smart Way Reading And Spelling

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Phonics curricula