Page 5 - How to Teach Reading with Heart

Tommy’s Story

Let me take a moment to share with you him to name or write the first letter of the
the story of a young boy Tommy. Tommy word. This would continue to naming the
was struggling in his third grade. He middle letter or the final letter of the word.

could not read simple three letter words,
like cat, hat, dog. He was tested for both Together with my assistant, we created

special education and dyslexia but did matching games which included color
not qualify for either. I started spending coding words and letters, similar to the
a little time with him before classes and kids’ game, Memory. A searching game

began to suspect this might be a case where words, similar to the target word,
of an orthographic deficit, entailing his were written on colored index cards and

visual working memory. We would work spread out on the table. He would have
on the word “dog.” He would sound out to find the target word, such as “dog.” He
each letter, attempt to put them together, needed to learn how to use his “camera”

and with my help he would say the word in his eyes. It was all about visualizing
“dog.” I would remove the word “dog” with the use of color coding.

from his sight and then bring it back
5 seconds later, and there would be no Then we came to simple sentences where
recognition, no memory of the word. the parts of speech were in color coded

boxes. The noun would be written in a red
It was not possible for me to work one on rectangle. The verb was written in a green

one with Tommy due to my schedule, but diamond shaped box. The adjective in a
there was a paraprofessional on campus yellow circle. A pronoun in a pink square.
who volunteered to work with him if I I have seen teachers use the board game

showed her what was needed. I knew Candyland for teaching, and we modified
that words had to become more visual the game for Tommy. It took over a year,

for Tommy. We used ‘looking games’, but one day he came to my classroom and
presenting a word written on a card for one proudly said, “Ms. Swaney, I can show you
second, turning the card over and asking that I can read a book.”

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