Discovery and Linkages Overview

Rationale for the Multisensory Introduction of a Grapheme 1. To use all sensory pathways to reinforce weak memory patterns and to strengthen all sensory pathways.

Rationale for the Multisensory Introduction of a Grapheme 2. To provide alternate channels through which a student can read, write, and spell most English words whether or not he has reliable visual recall.

Rationale for the Multisensory Introduction of a Grapheme 3. To link all properties of each letter to the student’s memory through every pathway.

Rationale for the Multisensory Introduction of a Grapheme 4. To assure student’s automatic response to visual or auditory stimuli by oral or kinesthetic production of the grapheme’s name, sound, shape, or feel.

Rationale for the Multisensory Introduction of a Grapheme 5. To provide visual, auditory, and oral ‘clues’ that the student can use to ‘unlock’ the name, sound, shape, or feel of a grapheme to address the demands of written language.

The Discovery (Auditory Discovery) The therapist dictates a list of words, each of which contains the phonemes to be discovered. The students echo each word after it is dictated. The students are asked to identify the common sound they hear in each word.

The Discovery (Auditory Discovery) After the sound is isolated, students echo the sound, and note what happens in their mouths as they repeat the sound to discover the ‘name’ given to that sound.

The Discovery (Auditory Discovery) They then discover if the sound is open or blocked, voiced or unvoiced. Resurface the definition of a vowel sound (open and voiced) and discover if this is a vowel sound or a consonant sound.

The Discovery (Visual Discovery) The therapist writes (naming as writing) a list of words on the board. The students are asked to identify what they see alike in each word. The therapist then reads the words aloud so the students can discover the sound that is made by the common grapheme or graphemes. If needed, the grapheme label will then be discovered.

The Discovery (Visual Discovery) The name of the grapheme is then identified and isolated. Once the letter name (and label) is discovered, the ARD card is displayed to the students. The students are given a riddle leading them to discover the key word that unlocks the sound. The IRD card is then displayed to the students.

The Linkages Linkages – the associations developed in language training between students’ visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile perceptions by seeing the letter, naming it, saying it aloud, and writing it on paper.

The Linkages The structured procedure for the multisensory introduction of a letter is called the linkages. The precise steps of this procedure link the four properties (name, shape, sound, feel) of a letter or letter cluster through the three major learning pathways (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic).

The Linkages The name of the letter is the one stable property. The name of the letter never changes.

The Linkages Linkage 1 – the handwriting linkage Linkage 1 is the handwriting linkage that connects the name of the letter or letter cluster with the shape and feel of that letter or letter cluster.

The Linkages Linkage 1 To write the letter f in cursive you... Curve say up loop left **(Make a copy on the Pull way down straight board while talking Loop right, curve up touch through the strokes.) Release Linkage paper 1. name and trace **(In the student’s 2. name and make a copy notebook) 3. go below, name and write an additional copy

The Linkages Linkage 2 – the reading linkage Linkage 2 is the reading linkage that connects the name and sound of the letter or letter cluster.

The Linkages Linkage 2 I’m going to give you the name of the letter and you give me the keyword and sound. (Showing ARD and IRD) **(3 times)

The Linkages Linkage 3 – the spelling linkage Linkage 3 is the spelling linkage that connects the sound and name of the letter or letter cluster.

The Linkages Linkage 3 I’m going to give the sound and you give me the keyword and letter name. (Showing ISD to mouth, and ARD and keyword) **(3 times)

The Linkages Linkage 4 – ties it all together Linkage 4 is the linkage that ties it all together. It connects the reading (the name), with the spelling (the sound), with the phonological awareness (the shape and feel) of each letter or letter cluster introduced.

The Linkages Linkage 4 The name of the letter is... (Show ARD) The keyword and sound are...(Show IRD) If I give you the sound... (Using ISD) Echo the sound… Name the letter… Write it beside the last copy. **(In the student’s notebook) This is a/an... (Invoiced lip chiller) **(Show P.A picture)