Sound Lab
Summer Learning
This summer we'll be taking a new and science-based learning initiative to avoid the summer slide. COVID has increased the learning gap by an entire year, and now, we feel obligated to focus on what's important and what learners need to know.
During this summer, we will be hosting a 'Sound Lab'. Interested? See below!
About 'Sound Lab'
What is a 'Sound Lab'?
Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the sound properties of spoken words (syllables, initial sounds, rhyming parts and phonemes). Phoneme awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate individual phonemes in words. Think of phonological awareness as an umbrella, and phoneme awareness is a skill under that umbrella. These skills are foundational and crucial for students to become good readers. Sadly, the research behind the science of reading hasn't reached every school or classroom. This means that many schools are missing this science, this one foundational piece! Poor phonological awareness is the most common cause of poor reading.
This summer, we will be working on building sound awareness. Students will be learning how to approach words in a way that makes them memorable. We will focus on:
- Phonological Awareness: alliteration, rhyming, onset/rime
- Phonemic Awareness: recognizing and manipulating phonemes
- Orthographic Mapping: the mental process we use to permanently store words for immediate, effortless retrieval
- Letter-sound skills: making connections between the letters and sounds of the alphabet
- Word Study: unconscious and conscious mental habit of connecting what is heard in the mind with what is seen on the page
Our 'Sound Lab' is a summer program that will enhance your child's ability to recognize and manipulate sounds. We will use fidgets, cards, and board games to become aware of the words around us. Through a 7-week process, students will learn the skills from easiest to most challenging. They will receive continuing support and guidance throughout the 7-weeks to enhance their reading profile.
We will provide students with the tools needed to become confident in their journey to learning to read. Learning to read is not easy, and our 'Sound Lab' will provide them with the auditory experiences needed to tackle sound work. Using a multi-sensory Orton Gillingham approach, students will quickly learn how exciting it can be to become a reader.
