Description
The Wired for Reading Introductory Course provides a fast-paced yet comprehensive exploration of linguistics for teaching reading and spelling. It simplifies English spelling patterns without sacrificing depth, enabling students to connect speech to sounds, sounds to letters, and letters to meaning. This empowers students to effectively break down words while reading and spelling. The program’s proven multi-sensory, systematic approach has successfully supported struggling readers in various learning environments. Additionally, all learners benefit from the engaging exploration of English language morphology and architecture.
In addition to large group instruction and discussion, participants will also work in small groups. Most small groups will be guided by at least one ‘alum’, a participant repeating the class to deepen his or her skills. The bulk of course time is spent on the Linguistic Foundations and Core English Phonics concepts. There are no prerequisites for this course.
View Sample Course Syllabus Below
Optional: Three credits through Seattle University College of Education for $59.00 per credit or 30 Washington State clock hours at $3.00 per clock hour. Credits earned may apply towards Washington State teacher certification and for advancement on the salary scale.
If desired, this course may count toward CCDEI clock hours because the content directly supports equity and inclusion in literacy instruction. Educators learn to recognize and reduce barriers that can limit participation for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges. Through structured, responsive teaching practices, educators create classrooms where students experience belonging, participate meaningfully, and engage with grade-level learning even when reading and spelling are difficult. The strategies and tools presented throughout the course help ensure that literacy challenges do not become barriers to learning.
Purchase Orders are accepted for all courses.
Course Parts
Teacher Essentials
- A targeted review of the reading research needed to provide teacher background for the program
- Explanations of the underlying neural processing problems that can create barriers to reading and spelling
- Definition and discussion of the ‘Response to Intervention’ (RTI) model for providing differentiated instruction
- Exploration of Baddeley & Hitch’s model of the working memory
- A brief history of the English language to provide a context for why English phonics are challenging and a discussion of how multiple word origins have created an awkward spelling puzzle, but have also given us a tremendous reading comprehension advantage. English loves to adopt eloquent words from all over the world, and each new immigrant word carries along its own spelling tradition. Hence English is rich with words (and spelling choices).
- Exploration of Wired for Reading’s teaching philosophy and its two visual organizers: The House of English and the Learning Spiral (inspired by Bruner (1977)
Linguistic Foundation
- Using a speech-motor approach to teach phonological awareness creates a deep and powerful foundation for reading and spelling.
- Studying the relationships between speech and sounds, sounds and letter patterns, and meaning patterns in words and how these impact phonics patterns.
- Learning kid-friendly terms for Linguistic concepts
- Creating and using a Vowel Key to track all 18 English vowel sounds using multi-sensory techniques.
Research indicates that when teachers learn linguistics, the deep structure of English, they are better prepared to understand and respond to their students’ decoding and spelling errors. (McCutchen, 1998; McCutchen, Green, Abbot, & Sanders, 2009).
Core English Phonics
- Originating mostly from the Germanic-based Anglo Saxon heritage of English, these are the first words children learn to say, read, and spell.
- Phonics comes alive through stories that weave together to highlight the interconnection of English spelling patterns. Storytelling through art, music, drama, and laughter personifies patterns, and makes them engaging, imaginative, and memorable, rather than just rules to be memorized.
- In order to have one source to manage multiple spelling patterns, spelling choices are taught and attached to the Vowel key one pattern at a time from most common to least common, recursively.
- Focus is on single syllable ‘root’ base words to prepare the way for the multi-syllable work explored more intensely in the Intermediate Course.
- Using Adapted American Sign Language, learn the meanings of the most common Anglo Saxon suffixes and how they change the meaning of the root.
Common But Quirky Words
- Common and quirky words have been a part of English for so long that they no longer fit modern letter-sound correspondence. To learn how to read and spell these old, but useful words, we will use research based strategies to burn them into our mind’s eye, and understand how they impact grammar.
- Learn to look for meaning and word origin cues to know how to spell tricky words.
- Learning how to make non-phonetic words burn into the mind’s eye using the best research based strategies – color coding and mental imagery (Berninger, 2006).
- Delving into small grammar words used to glue more meaningful words together and discovering how to imbue grammar words with as much meaning as possible to aid rapid recall. By themselves, these common, grammar words are not terribly meaningful, but they are terribly important. (Wolf, 2008).
Wired for Reading draws upon the research of Dr. Virginia Berninger, Dr. Robert Calfee, Dr. Marcia Henry, Dr. Louisa Moats, Dr. Dick Olson, and Dr. Joe Torgesen, Dr. Barbara Wise, and Dr. Maryanne Wolf, among others.
Course Materials
Attendees will be mailed the Wired for Reading Teacher’s Manual Parts One and Two, a Vowel Key, a Mouth Mat Folder, and Mouth Card Booklet. Materials and shipping are included in the cost of tuition. A Course Packet and Activity Sheet will be sent via email.
Registration
January 28-30 and February 4-6, 2027 – Hybrid
Instructor: Laura Rogan
In-Person Location: The Bloom Academy, 7125 224th St SW, Edmonds, WA 98026
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- Format: 10 hours of asynchronous learning including 5 hours of video viewing and 25 pages of reading in the textbook to be completed by the due date shown in syllabus. 20 hours of combined online live and in-person instruction.
- Hours: Thursday-Friday sessions 3:45–6:30 p.m online and Saturday sessions 8:15 a.m.–2:30 p.m. in-person Pacific Standard Time.
- Registration Deadline: January 7, 2027.
March 4-6 and 11-13, 2027 – Online
Instructor: Catherine Thompson
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- Format: 10 hours of asynchronous learning including 5 hours of video viewing and 25 pages of reading in the textbook to be completed by the due date shown in syllabus. 20 hours of online live instruction.
- Hours: Thursday-Friday sessions 3:45–6:30 p.m online and Saturday sessions 8:15 a.m.–2:30 p.m. in-person Pacific Standard Time.
- Registration Deadline: January 7, 2027.
June 25-26 and 28-29, 2027 – Online
Instructor: Amy Lansing
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- Format: 10 hours of asynchronous learning including 5 hours of video viewing and 25 pages of reading in the textbook to be completed by the due date shown in syllabus. 20 hours of online live instruction.
- Hours: Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday 8:30–2:30 p.m. online Pacific Standard Time.
- Registration Deadline: June 4, 2027.
August 3-6, 2027 – In-person
Instructor: Laura Rogan
In-Person Location: The Bloom Academy, 7125 224th St SW, Edmonds, WA 98026
Register Now
- Format: 10 hours of asynchronous learning including 5 hours of video viewing and 25 pages of reading in the textbook to be completed by the due date shown in syllabus. 20 hours of in-person live instruction.
- Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 8:30–2:30 p.m. in-person Pacific Standard Time.
- Registration Deadline: July 15, 2027.
Discounts on standard tuition:
- Currently certified by an IMSLEC accredited program? Email info@wiredforreading.com for a 50% discount on courses.
- Gather a group of three or more for a course? Email info@wiredforreading.com for 10% off each registration.
Introductory Course Syllabus
This syllabus represents a typical school-year class. The course is divided into four parts:
- Teacher Essentials;
- Linguistic Foundation;
- Core English Phonics; and
- Complex English.
Part I: Teacher Essentials is completed asynchronously before the live class sessions, according to the outline below. A required online quiz follows this section. Additional asynchronous work and quizzes are completed after the live sessions. In total, pre- and post-course asynchronous work is estimated to take 10 hours.
Pre-Course Asynchronous Work
Part I: Teacher Essentials
The following videos and readings provide critical background knowledge and lay the foundation for success throughout the course.
Video 1: Overview of Teacher Essentials
Video 2: Why Can I Read This? Dyslexia 101 Presentation – This video introduces Laura Rogan, founder of Wired for Reading®, and covers Dyslexia 101.
Video 3: Teacher Packet and Teacher Essentials Concepts – This video covers:
- Baddeley & Hitch’s Model of Working Memory
- Word Triangle & Response to Intervention
- Wired for Reading® Teaching Philosophy
- Wired for Reading® Scope and Sequence Charts
- The Three-Story House of English
- The Learning Spiral
- A Brief History of the English Language
- Spelling Characteristics Based on Word Origin
Video 4: The Learning Spiral – This video introduces a framework for how a skill should move from initial teaching toward independent use.
Textbook Reading: Teacher Essentials – This section covers:
- What Is Dyslexia?
- Processing Issues Underlying Reading and Spelling Difficulties
- Baddeley and Hitch’s Model of Working Memory
- The Word Triangle
- Response to Intervention
- Wired for Reading® Teaching Philosophy
- The History of English — abridged version
- The Scope and Sequence of Wired for Reading®
- Wired for Reading® Pacing Guides
- Activities for Practice, Apply, Automate, and Transfer
- The Learning Spiral
Live Sessions
During each live session, we will cover the material listed below. However, we have found that the amount of time needed for each topic varies somewhat from group to group. A core belief of Wired for Reading® is to plan extensively while remaining flexible enough to respond to participants’ needs. We adjust the pace of learning to meet the unique needs of each class.
To increase active engagement and model recommended best practices, live sessions include extensive turn-and-talk activities, reflective review, large-group discussion, small-group practice, and application of concepts.
Day One: Linguistic Foundations
A fun, friendly, deep dive into linguistics
3:45 p.m. — Welcome and Review
4:15 p.m. — The Reading Brain
5:15 p.m. — Break
5:25 p.m. — The Language Lab and Galloping Zebras – Articulatory Awareness
Day Two: Linguistic Foundations, Continued
3:45 p.m. — Review
4:00 p.m. — Breakout Room: Linguistically Categorizing Consonant Sounds
4:30 p.m. — Set One Mouth Clones
- f/v, th/th, p/b, t/d, k/g, silent gh
- Galloping Zebras
- Snoring Zebras
- The Ghost
- Articulatory Sequencing
- Small-Group Work
5:25 p.m. — Break
5:35 p.m. — Noses and Curlers
- m, n, -ng; l, r
- Meditating Zebras
- Race Car Zebras
- Articulatory Sequencing
- Small-Group Work
Day Three: Completing Linguistic Foundations
8:45 a.m. — Review
9:00 a.m. — Set Two Mouth Clones
- s/z, sh/zh, ch/j
- Zebra Sneeze
- Full Zebra Story
- Articulatory Sequencing and Organizing
- Small-Group Work
9:45 a.m.— Vowel Facts
- The Superstars
- Universal vowels: /ee/, /o-/, /oo/
10:15 a.m.— Break
10:30 a.m. — Wannabe’s Semi-Vowels – Consonant y-, w-, wh-, h-
10:50 a.m.— Make It Match
- Core Phonological Awareness Activity
- Small-Group Work
11:30 a.m.— Introduction to the Vowel Key
- Linguistic mapping of English vowel sounds
- Vowel Key Superstars
12:15 p.m. — Lunch
1:00 p.m. — The Vowel Key, Continued
- Vowel Key Midways: /e-/, /a/, /o/
- Vowel Key Review
- Vowel Key Betweeners: /i-/, /oo/ as in book, /aw/, a-/
- Vowel Key Games:
- Listening practice
- Speaking practice
- Mouth-cue lip-reading practice
- Small-Group Work
2:00 p.m. — Vowel Key Gliders – /i/, /u/, /oi/, /ou/
Day Four: Review Linguistic Foundations and Introduce Core English Phonics Patterns
3:45 p.m. — Review
4:15 p.m. — Make It Match with Vowel Key
5:00 p.m. — Break
5:10 p.m. — Letters on the Vowel Key: Beginning the Phonics Stories
- Baby Short Vowels and Consonant Babysitters – Closed syllables
- Open Teenagers – Open syllables
- Magic E – Silent e: VCe
- Diva y Says /i/ – Single y as a vowel in base words
Day Five: Wired for Reading® Routine Activities and More English Phonics
3:45 p.m. — Review
4:00 p.m. — Practice Activity: Vowel Sound Spell Sort
- BORN to Spell — Small-Group Work
4:30 p.m. — Wild R
- Wild R vs. r Blends
- Spelling Lifelines
- R-controlled patterns
5:00 p.m. — Break
5:15 p.m. — Clarence and the Other Copy Consonants
- Introduction to the c expectancy
- qu-
- -x
6:00 p.m. — Tippy V and Jobs of Silent E – The role of silent e in base words
Day Six: Complete Core English Phonics and Introduce Complex English Phonics
8:45 a.m. — Review
9:00 a.m. — O-Team – Vowel Digraphs, Part One
9:45 a.m. — Decoding Practice Games
- Safe Reading
- Hidden Word Tic-Tac-Toe
- Other ways to practice online
10:15 a.m. — Break
10:30 a.m. — Gadget and Just So Jay – G expectancy
10:45 a.m. — Application: Safe Sentences and Picture-Ade
11:15 a.m. — Two Vowels Go Walking – Vowel Digraphs, Part Two
12:00 p.m. — Quick Look at Leftovers and Waffle Words – Vowel Digraphs, Part Three, and other vowel patterns
12:15 p.m. — Lunch
1:00 p.m. — Falls: The Overprotective and Nervous Babysitters – Consonant doubling in Anglo-Saxon roots
- Not Cool and Built-in Backup Babysitters
- Over Check: More Overprotective and Nervous Babysitters
-ck/-tch in Anglo-Saxon roots
- Gadget Cannot Multi-Task
-dge pattern
2:10 p.m. — Overly Helpful Silent E and Solo Diva Y – Suffix y says /ee/
Post-Course Asynchronous Work
The videos, quizzes, and readings in Part II, Part III, and Flexible Lessons help you gain the most from your experience. They are also required for participants pursuing:
- Clock hours (including with CCDEI)
- Course credit through Seattle University
- Wired for Reading® Certification
This material provides review of course content as well as video examples of lessons that may not have been demonstrated during the live class.
Part II: Linguistic Foundations
Textbook Reading – Optional review of live class content for this section.
Video 5: Make It Match – Make It Match is an articulatory phonological awareness activity in which students use mouth cards to build a word and then make sound changes — adding, deleting, switching, or trading sounds — one step at a time.
Video 6: The Word Triangle – The Word Triangle provides a simple and effective tool for teaching the three critical aspects of word analysis: sounds; letters; and meaning.
Part III: Core English
Textbook Reading – Optional review of live class content for this section.
Video 7: Coming of Age Story – This video helps teach the content for Magic E.
Video 8: Clarence (and Kind K) – This video tells the story of Clarence, Kind K, and Swanky S to help teach when c = /k/ or /s/.
Video 9: Clarence (and Kind K) – An alternate version designed for younger students.
Video 10: Wild R – This video helps teach the content for Wild R.
Video 11: Booster Babysitter – This video helps younger students make sound changes associated with /ng/ and /nk/.
Video 12: Gadget and Just So J – As the story unfolds, students discover that g usually says /g/, but can say /j/ when followed by e, i, or y, especially at the ends of words.
Video 13: Vowel Flip and SchwaThis video supports the Flip and Schwa Pre-Teach section.
Video 14: Vowels 1-2-3 – This video aligns with Vowels 1-2-3.
Flexible Lessons
Flexible lessons are introduced based on the age, readiness, and needs of your students.
Textbook Reading – This section covers:
- The Word Triangle
- Beats on the Body
- Compound Boom
- Supported Reading Routine
Video 15: Supported Reading Routine – Supported Reading gives students guided practice applying decoding strategies in authentic text.
Textbook Reading – This section covers Myrtle the Martian Mouth Trickster.
Video 16: Myrtle – Myrtle the Mouth Trickster transforms nonsense-word reading into a game of trying to outsmart a mischievous Martian. Because the words cannot be recognized through sight vocabulary, students Myrtle-Proof each word by following their decoding routine before deciding whether Myrtle is right or wrong.
Textbook Reading – This section covers:
- Flower and Glue Words
- Quick Words
- The Fluency Packet
Video 17: Quick Words and Fluency Packet
Textbook Reading – This section covers the Sketchpad Spelling Routine.
Video 18: Sketchpad Spelling Routine – The Sketchpad Spelling Routine teaches common words with unexpected spellings through: color coding; mental imagery; motor memory; and daily retrieval practice.
Textbook Reading – This sections covers:
- Homophone Cards and Memory Game
- Dr. Safe Spell
- Flashback Sentences
Video 19: Flashback Sentences – Flashback Sentences group common words with an unexpected spelling pattern into one memorable sentence.
