Most proponents of Structured Literacy have heard that reading instruction must be multi-sensory to be effective. We teachers have engaged our creative (and resourceful!) sprits, finding economical and fun ways of engaging the senses. Shaving cream, sandpaper, sidewalk chalk, magnetic letters in bins of rice, rainbow writing—on my! Nothing will stop us from empowering our students with the ability to read and write. If we have to clean lima beans and shaving cream up for days, so be it. Anyone who has worked with children knows that engagement is key. But, does this mean we need to dazzle our students with arts and crafts and sensory bins in order to teach them to be strong readers and writers? Should we believe every gold seal on reading programs and products that promises the contents are research-based and multi-sensory? It is high time we stop and examine the research to make sure our practice is rooted directly in what the science says.

I hate to be the party pooper, but there is no published scientific research to support the use of writing words in shaving cream or sandpaper, or even gross motor movements such as skywriting, in the development of word reading and spelling ability. All of you super fun teachers who don’t want to lose your groove (or your captive audience)— the shaving cream and sandpaper can create interest, so no need to ban it. But your instruction will be more effective if you tie your teaching practice directly back to the science. And if you are looking for multiple senses, don't despair, because there ARE, indeed, multiple systems at work in the reading and writing process, and it is our job as teachers to engage those multiple systems in order to teach effectively and efficiently. Let’s look at those multiple systems. Writing should always be integrated with reading instruction, because the two processes are reciprocal; one skill reinforces the other. So, if a student is writing about what they read (which they should, because this is proven to boost comprehension!) you are engaging two language systems to the brain—input and output. But even for children learning to read and spell simple words, they must engage their oral language system as they engage the motor systems of writing. When a student writes a letter, they are representing a sound that comes out of their mouth. Many young children don’t realize this connection! Who needs bins of sand when you can have natural EUREKA moments? Having students say each sound as they write a word falls under the category of a small instructional change that will yield a huge impact. Keep the focus on the phoneme-grapheme (sound-letter) connection and make sure that the student is saying the sounds simultaneously while writing the corresponding letters(s) EVERY TIME. Especially for struggling readers.( One quick clarification: if your student is working on learning letter formation, make sure they say the name of the letter as they practice writing the letter.) You will see a huge payoff in your child’s reading and spelling ability. This seemingly small instructional tweak is so important because it engages the “orthographical loop” as students write letters and words on paper (pencil on paper—who knew old school could be so fun?). The orthographic loop is the part of the brain responsible for remembering how a word is written; matching eye-hand coordination with motor patterns associated with holding a pencil and writing. When you have students say the sounds of the letters as they write, you are getting a DOUBLE win because you are adding in engagement of the phonological loop. Getting the phonological loop in on the action adds another layer of “glue”— the sounds of the letters, to help create a strong memory of the word’s pronunciation and its spelling. Go ahead and add in the meaning of the word—another layer of glue to make the word stick in long-term memory. And if you need something snazzier than a paper and pencil, go for a dry erase marker and white board, but don’t get totally lost in shaving cream and sandpaper. Even though there is some added interest and a fun factor, there isn’t a proven benefit. If you still feel compelled, just because it IS fun, make sure your students say the sounds of the letters as they write! Now, go outside and celebrate your students’ reading and spelling gains with an (environmentally responsible) foam party!

Photo by Vic Shen on Unsplash