The Effectiveness of SIPPS for Students with Dyslexia:

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1 The Effectiveness of SIPPS for Students with Dyslexia: Components and Principles of Effective Literacy Instruction A question has emerged in the field about how effective Center for Collaborative Classroom s SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words) program is with students with dyslexia. In response, we have put together this document. The document explains how the SIPPS program addresses specific criteria for effective literacy instruction for students with dyslexia. The document has three parts: Components of Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia (page 2) Principles of Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia (page 5) Charts summarizing learning modalities simultaneously activated in each lesson component of SIPPS and the new intensive multisensory supplement (page 7) Each section lists evidence-based criteria for effective literacy instruction for students with dyslexia and explains how SIPPS meets or does not meet the criteria. SIPPS meets the vast majority of the criteria in both categories. Many teachers believe that effective reading instruction for students with dyslexia must include a multisensory aspect. In response, Collaborative Classroom has created a new component, Intensive Multisensory Instruction for SIPPS, to accompany the program. Intensive Multisensory Instruction for SIPPS provides suggestions for integrating simultaneous instruction in the SIPPS lessons. The feedback we have received from many of our SIPPS users is that the early reading instruction in the program is already very effective with dyslexic students. It is our hope that with the addition of the handbook, SIPPS will address all of the criteria teachers are looking for when choosing a curriculum to meet the needs of students with dyslexia. Learn more about SIPPS at collaborativeclassroom.org/sipps. The Program Development Team, Center for the Collaborative Classroom Center for the Collaborative Classroom 1

2 Components of Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia from The International Dyslexia Association s IDA Dyslexia Handbook, 2014, and The Texas Education Agency s The Dyslexia Handbook, July 2014 Component Phonological Awareness Phonological awareness includes rhyming, counting words in spoken sentences, and clapping syllables in spoken words. An important aspect of phonological awareness is phonemic awareness or the ability to segment words into their component sounds, which are called phonemes. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a given language that can be recognized as being distinct from other sounds in the language (IDA, 2014, p. 15). Sound-Symbol Association Sound-symbol association is the knowledge of the various speech sounds in any language to the corresponding letter or letter combinations that represent those speech sounds. The mastery of sound-symbol association (alphabetic principle) is the foundation for the ability to read (decode) and spell (encode) (Birsh, 2011, p. 19). Syllable Instruction A syllable is a unit of oral or written language with one vowel sound. Instruction includes teaching of the six basic syllable types in the English language: closed, vowel-consonant-e, open, consonant-le, r-controlled, and vowel pair. Knowledge of syllable types is an important organizing idea. By knowing the syllable type, the reader can better determine the sound of the vowel in the syllable. Syllable division rules heighten the reader s awareness of where a long, unfamiliar word may be divided for greater accuracy in reading the word (IDA, 2014, p. 16). SIPPS Every lesson in SIPPS Beginning, Extension, and Plus begins with a Phonological Awareness activity. These activities begin with segmenting and blending, include rhyme and increase in complexity to dropping and substituting phonemes. Spelling-sounds are explicitly taught throughout the program. Sounds are taught in order of utility, which allows students to quickly begin to read connected text with mastery of only a few phonemes. SIPPS Beginning Level addresses the alphabetic stage of reading development; SIPPS Extension and SIPPS Plus address the spelling-pattern phase; and SIPPS Challenge addresses the polysyllabic/ morphemic stage. Students begin reading two-syllable words as soon as they learn inflectional endings in SIPPS Extension and Plus. Consonant l e syllables are introduced in SIPPS Extension and Plus. All six syllable types are introduced, reviewed, and applied in SIPPS Challenge. Center for the Collaborative Classroom 2

3 Spelling/Orthography Orthography is the written spelling patterns and rules in a given language. Students must be taught the regularity and irregularity of the orthographic patterns of a language in an explicit and systematic manner. The instruction should be integrated with phonology and sound-symbol knowledge (TEA, 2014, p. 27). The Guided Spelling routine explicitly links spelling-sounds and spelling patterns to writing. In SIPPS, guided spelling is a way students transfer what they are learning in decoding instruction to writing. Guided Spelling is used in all levels of SIPPS. Spelling is perhaps the single most difficult skill for dyslexics to master. Spelling instruction should be delivered through a highly systematic approach beginning with the most common and reliable patterns in the English language. Spelling instruction should reinforce skills being taught in reading (IDA, 2014, p. 8). Morphology Morphology is the study of how a base word, prefix, root, suffix (morphemes) combine to form words. A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a given language (Birsh, 2011, p. 19). Syntax Syntax is the set of principles that dictate the sequence and function of words in a sentence in order to convey meaning. This includes grammar, sentence variation, and the mechanics of language (IDA, 2014, p. 16). Reading Comprehension Reading comprehension is the process of extracting and constructing meaning through the interaction of the reader with the text to be comprehended and the specific purpose for reading. The reader s skill in reading comprehension depends upon the development of accurate and fluent word recognition, oral language development (especially vocabulary and listening comprehension), background knowledge, use of appropriate strategies to enhance comprehension and repair it if it breaks down, and the reader s interest in what he or she is reading and motivation to comprehend its meaning (Birsh, 2011, pp. 9 and 368; Snow, 2002). SIPPS Challenge includes morphology (base words and affixes) as part of the regular instruction. As students write sentences in SIPPS Beginning, Extension, and Plus, they learn how sentences are constructed, including capitalization and punctuation. As students become more automatic in their reading, they are able to pay increasing attention to understanding what they read. SIPPS develops accurate and fluent word recognition, which leads to comprehension. All the reading selections provided with the program are accompanied by comprehension questions that confirm the students understanding of what they read. Center for the Collaborative Classroom 3

4 Reading Fluency Reading fluency is the ability to read text with sufficient speed and accuracy to support comprehension (Moats & Dakin, 2008, p. 52). Teachers can help promote fluency with several interventions that have proven successful in helping students with fluency (e.g., repeated readings, word lists, and choral reading of passages) (Henry, 2010, p. 104). Automaticity in decoding and in recognizing a large number of sight words leads to fluent reading. The Reading a Story routine develops students fluency through repeated reading. Controlled-vocabulary texts for reading practice are provided for SIPPS Beginning, Extension, and Plus. Across the program, the texts become more complex and longer. SIPPS Plus, in particular, because it is intended for older readers, provides many nonfiction selections similar to those older readers meet in grade-level materials. Students transition to easy-to-read trade books midway through SIPPS Extension. Students in SIPPS Plus add easy-to-read trade books midway through the level. Students in Challenge Level read books at their appropriate reading levels independently. Independent reading and rereading is an essential component of all levels of the SIPPS program. Center for the Collaborative Classroom 4

5 Principles of Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with Dyslexia from The International Dyslexia Association s IDA Dyslexia Handbook, 2014, and The Texas Education Agency s The Dyslexia Handbook, July 2014 While it is necessary that students are provided instruction in the above content, it is also critical that the way in which the content is delivered be consistent with research-based practices. Principles of effective intervention for students with dyslexia include all of the following: Principle Simultaneous, Multisensory (VAKT) Multisensory instruction utilizes all learning pathways in the brain (visual, auditory, kinesthetic-tactile) simultaneously in order to enhance memory and learning (Birsh, 2011, p. 19). Children are actively engaged in learning language concepts and other information, often by using their hands, arms, mouths, eyes, and whole bodies while learning (Moats & Dakin, 2008, p. 58). SIPPS SIPPS integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing, which meets the IDA requirements for multisensory instruction. SIPPS does not meet the expectation that multisensory instruction should include a kinesthetic-tactile dimension. Effective literacy instruction for students with dyslexia emphasizes the structure of language, including the speech sound system (phonology), the writing system (orthography), the structure of sentences (syntax), the meaningful parts of words (morphology) and the relationships among words (semantics), and the organization of spoken and written discourse. The integration of listening, speaking, reading, and writing makes this instruction multisensory (IDA, 2014, p.15). Systematic and Cumulative Systematic means that the organization of material follows the logical order of the language. The sequence must begin with the easiest and most basic concepts and elements and progress methodically to more difficult concepts and elements. Cumulative means each step must be based on concepts previously learned (IDA, 2014, p.16). SIPPS instruction is systematic and cumulative, teaching to mastery. Center for the Collaborative Classroom 5

6 Explicit Instruction Explicit instruction is explained and demonstrated by the teacher one language and print concept at a time, rather than left to discovery through incidental encounters with information. Poor readers do not learn that print represents speech simply from exposure to books or print (Moats & Dakin, 2008, p. 58). Explicit Instruction is an approach that involves direct instruction: The teacher demonstrates the task and provides guided practice with immediate corrective feedback before the student attempts the task independently (Mather & Wendling, 2012, p. 326). Diagnostic Teaching to Automaticity Diagnostic teaching is knowledge of prescriptive instruction that will meet individual student needs of language and print concepts. The teaching plan is based on continual assessment of the student s retention and application of skills (Birsh, 2011, p. 19). This teacher knowledge is essential for guiding the content and emphasis of instruction for the individual student (Moats & Dakin, 2008, p. 58). When a reading skill becomes automatic (direct access without conscious awareness), it is performed quickly in an efficient manner (Berninger & Wolf, 2009, p. 70). Synthetic Instruction Synthetic instruction presents the parts of any alphabetic language (morphemes) to teach how the word parts work together to form a whole (e.g., base word, derivative) (Birsh, 2011, p. 19). Analytic Instruction Analytic instruction presents the whole (e.g., base word, derivative) and teaches how the whole word can be broken into its component parts (e.g., base word, prefix, root, and suffix) (Birsh, 2011, p. 19). SIPPS instruction is explicit, with teacher modeling and student practice in every lesson. In the SIPPS program, students are placed at their point of instructional need through a Placement Assessment. Throughout the program, frequent periodic mastery tests inform instruction, including slowing pacing of lessons and/or reteaching. Each SIPPS lesson provides two lists of words, so that it may be taught twice with different practice words each time. SIPPS Challenge instruction is based on students learning how word parts work together. Morphemic Transformations focus specifically on how meaning changes as affixes are added to base words. The Reading by Syllables routine focuses students attention on how syllables are combined. The Reading Entire Words routine in SIPPS Challenge focuses students attention on how words can be broken into component parts. Center for the Collaborative Classroom 6 MKT2462

7 Simultaneous Multisensory Instruction in SIPPS and Intensive Multisensory Instruction for SIPPS KEY visual; look auditory; listen kinesthetic-tactile, vocal; say kinesthetic-tactile, movement; move kinesthetic-tactile, feeling; touch kinesthetic-tactile, writing; write This chart shows the learning modalities simultaneously activated in each lesson component of SIPPS (column 2) and the intensive multisensory supplement (column 3). SIPPS INTENSIVE SIPPS BEGINNING Phonological Awareness Spelling-Sound Relationships 4 4 Sight Words Reading a Story/ Rereading a Story Guided Spelling and Segmentation Center for the Collaborative Classroom 7

8 SIPPS INTENSIVE SIPPS EXTENSION Phonological Awareness Spelling-Sound Relationships Polysyllabic Words 4 Sight Words 4 4 Guided Spelling 4 4 Reading Decodable Stories PLUS Phonological Awareness Spelling-Sound Relationships Polysyllabic Words 4 Sight Words 4 4 Guided Spelling 4 4 Reading a Selection Center for the Collaborative Classroom 8

9 SIPPS INTENSIVE SIPPS CHALLENGE Syllabic Transformations Morphemic Transformations Sight Syllables Reading by Syllables Reading Entire Words 4 4 Guided Spelling 4 4 Center for the Collaborative Classroom 9 MKT2462