1. Stevenson Language Program

2. Research based program that supports students with:
Why Stevenson?
Research based program that supports students with:
Dyslexia
Attention Deficits Phonological Processing Problems Memory Weakness Sequencing Confusion Blending Difficulty Organizational Problems

3. Stevenson vs. Wilson Wilson Stevenson
Designed for students with below average IQ
Mnemonics are associated with every sound
Letters are taught in order of writing stroke
Addresses the skills of grammar, spelling and comprehension
Wilson
Designed for students with average or above average IQ
Letters are taught by rote memorization of letter, word, sound
Letters are taught in order of sequence in the alphabet
Addresses the skills of spelling and comprehension

4. PB&J Words
Peanut butter and jelly words is the mnemonic to describe words that include a vowel team. The slices of bread are the consonants and the crunchy peanut butter is the noisy first letter of the vowel team that makes it’s sound. The letter stuck in the jelly is quiet and doesn’t make it’s sound.
Students decode from the inside out. They identify the vowel team first, then look to the consonants and “scoop” them together.

5. The Vowel Team Story
The big, round guy who says /ō/ cannot make his sound unless he has another big, round letter beside him that stands second in line. That other letter is his friend – big, round a who leans on a stick. The letter a has to be quiet because he is second in line, but he has a special job. Letter a has a tiny, invisible foot which can kick big, round o. He does not kick very hard because they are friends – just hard enough to make o say his /ō/ sound loud and long. oa

6. Layer Cake Words
Vowel consonant e words are taught as “layer cake words.” The silent e is stuck in the fluffy frosting and cannot make a sound. The vowel in the cake filling that has nuts, chocolate chips, and strawberries is loud and noisy. It says it’s name. The two consonants are in the layers of cake. The steps to reading the word are:
Look at the whole word.
Do you see two peanut better and jelly friends side by side?
Do you see fluffy e frosting?
Which friend makes his sound, the crunchy filling or fluffy frosting?
What sound does the first layer cake make?
Slide it into the crunchy filling sound.
Add the sound that the second layer cake makes.

7. Each lesson includes direct instruction of a sound
Each lesson includes direct instruction of a sound. It is followed by phonemic awareness exercises . Students then read words including the new sound. They also spell words with the new sound. In the teacher’s manual they identify passages for reading during instructional time and independent reading material. Workbook pages that reinforce the skill can then be completed together or independently.

8. The Lonely Vowels
Short vowel sounds are made by the lonely vowels – they are all alone.
Lonely o – o is on the table
Lonely a – a is at home alone
Lonely i – i is in the the feather
Lonely u – u is in the upside down umbrella
Lonely e – e is taught as Mr. EL, and Ms. Ef to start

9. Additional Terminology
-ing and –ed are taught as “frosting” that we add to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or layer cake.
We can add frosting to pb&j words without changing them first. For example:
ing

10. Terminology (cont’d)
For layer cake words we can scrape off the creamy, silent e frosting and add other kinds. A frosting will not stick to another frosting. Fluffy e frosting
must be scraped off the cake
before another frosting is applied:
love loving
“Decorations” are any suffix beginning with a consonant: -tion, -ly, -fy
Decorations can be put on a sandwich with not letters changed: free freedom
A decoration can be put on a cake without removing the icing. No letters change:
love lovely

11. Terminology (cont’d) “Doilies” are prefixes: re-, mis-, in-
Any consonant (except a double) that precedes the last consonant in a one syllable, short vowel word is a “guard letter”: bend, hang
If you add frosting to a one syllable, lonely vowel word and there is no guard, double the last consonant to get some protection:
fan fanning

12. Terminology (cont’d)
Adding frostings to one syllable words ending in y:
Y can be changed back to I since there is another letter to hold him up. This is not true if there will be two wobbly I’s in a row. Everyone knows two wobbly guys cannot hold each other up so go back to y: try, tried, trying
IFY is considered a frosting: signify, signifies, signified, signifying

13. Adding s and es
If the S says its name at the end of the word, add es since you have created another vowel pattern. Check to see with your hand (palm down) under your chin: beach beach s = beaches

14. Parts of Speech
Adjectives are taught as painting words. They are taught in conjunction with nouns
Verbs are action words. If you put the word “I” in front of the word – does it make sense?
Nouns are taught as naming words
Words lists are sorted into barrels

15. Stevenson 7 Steps for Building Vocabulary
Imaging – talk them through a scenario.
Show the item if needed first.
Demonstrating – engage in physical activity (verbs)
Defining – follow chant patterns in teacher’s manual
Illustrating – draw a picture
Categorizing – always sort parts of speech into barrels
Testing – see if it pertains to people, places, animals, or objects
Composing – write a sentence with the vocabulary word

16. Stevenson Seven Special Steps for Decoding One Syllable Words
Use the following cues if the student cannot retrieve the vowel pattern from memory:
Look at the whole word.
What is the vowel pattern?
Do you see the friends? (oa, ai, ee, ea)
Do you see fluffy e frosting? (a-e, o-e, i-e, u-e)
Is it a peanut butter and marmalade word? (ight, ild, old, ind, all)
Are there two vowels together that aren’t friends:
(oi, oy, au, aw, oo)
Is the vowel followed by an r? (ar, ir, or, er)
Is there a “w” in front of the vowel “o” or “a”? (wor, wa)

17. Strategies for Reading Multisyllabic Words
Scallop the word part (doilies) at the beginning of the word.
Circle the word part (frosting) at the end of the word.
Put a square around the decorations.
Underline the letters representing vowel patterns.
Say the parts of the word.
Scoop the parts together.
EXAMPLE:
re con struc tion
con stant ly