This newsletter has been created to inform and educate people about current findings that can help a struggling reader. We also hope that the content of the newsletter will inspire those who struggle, that there is hope.

Learning about Phrases to Improve Fluency and Comprehension
- by Susan Jones, M.Ed.

Even though each word we read or speak has its own meaning, we generally don’t read, speak, or think of each word by itself. We tend to group words together into phrases. We can have entire conversations in phrases, and, if we want to be sure we’re understood, we often pause to emphasize the most important phrases. Understanding phrases while reading can help fluency and comprehension. When trying to read something complicated that doesn’t seem to make sense, it’s very helpful to go back and read it one phrase at a time to figure out just where understanding stopped. If you want to savor a book or are having trouble paying attention to something you’re reading, you can read one phrase at a time, imagining how it would sound, and you can make a mental picture of it or rephrase it in your own words.

You can make reading in phrases easier by lightly underlining (usually with a slight scoop, as if drawing a spoon to hold the phrase) phrases as you read. Rereading a passage, emphasizing the phrases, can make it easier to read smoothly and with feeling. Repeated reading has long been known to help fluency and comprehension.

This section contains names of famous or recognized people who have been reported in the media, on the Web, and in books as having some form of dyslexia or struggling in school.

Agatha Christie (1890-1976)

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie was a British crime fiction writer. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott.

Agatha Christie is the world’s best-known mystery writer and the all-time bestselling author of any genre other than William Shakespeare. Over a billion copies of her books have been sold in the English language, and another billion have been sold in over 45 foreign languages. In a writing career that spanned more than half a century, Agatha Christie wrote 80 novels and short story collections. She also wrote over a dozen plays, including The Mousetrap, which opened in London on November 25, 1952, and is now the longest continuously running play in theatrical history, and And Then There Were None, which opened in the West End in a new adaption by Kevin Elyot in 2005.

She was able to use her creative mind to her advantage. She was known for coming up with ideas for stories while shopping for a hat or overhearing a conversation at a café. She did not let her struggles with dyslexia overcome her; she overcame them and succeeded in grand style.

"I feel more confident about myself, and I am finally able to feel myself achieving my goals."

- Jaime Alvarado, Needville, Texas

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Online Workshop

The Online Workshop is an excellent reference of the Discover Intensive Phonics program. This revolutionary method is explained, using engaging, full-motion video instruction and interactive activities that begin with the alphabet and conclude with strategies for decoding multi-syllabic words.

This is a great reference for parents and tutors who want to learn the strategies students need to succeed. It can be used as a refresher course or as a reference to the lessons taught in the software. As a special offer, you can receive one year of access FREE with every software purchase.

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