Dear Parents:
Calling All Neurons!

Let’s order from the same menu so we know what we are talking about from the outset! 3 Types of Books on the Menu When Teaching Foundational Skills to ‘Readers-In-Training’: Decodable BooksDecodable Books are those targeting specific sound/symbol relationships and reliable phonics patterns such as short vowels and basic consonant sounds, etc. These books allow beginning or foundational ‘Readers-In-Training’ a way to practice decoding taught and optimally known concepts. Decodables are an integral part of a Structured Literacy approach where students are directly and explicitly taught concepts in a well thought out sequence. A limited number of ‘High Frequency…

Prelude: The Takeaways from Parts 1 and 2 I’ve written about pencil grip, letter formation instruction, and handwriting over the past two months. Read Part 1 here, and Part 2 here. The main takeaways: The development of pencil grip and handwriting begins very soon after birth. This involves developing eye-hand coordination, hand strength, pincer grasp, upper body posture. I offer many strategies for families and pre-school educators in Part 1. A developmental sequence exists. Therefore, it is important to avoid ‘forcing’ pre-writing and writing skill instruction. A child’s motor skill development may still be immature. Several pencil grips exist…

July (Part 2), Coming in August (Part 3) 2025  Introduction If you are just reading this article for the first time, I suggest you click back to my June 2025 article here, which explains the development of an appropriate pencil grip from birth to about age 5 prior to reading this month’s article. As a prelude, here are a couple of paragraphs from my last article: Question: When these pencil grip, writing posture, sequences of strokes for letter formation are neglected, what often results? Answer: Poor letter formations, reduced legibility, and most importantly, reduced handwriting fluency/serviceability (ease of writing…

(Parts 2 and 3 in the works!) How Does Your Child Hold a Writing Utensil? Image ©Lori Josephson 2024 Calling All Neurons! How Reading and Spelling Happen Ages and Stages…Pre-Writing Ages 0-4 Babies are born into a world in which they are totally dependent on their caretakers, most often their parents. Although their capacity for full sensory and muscle development is intact (in most cases), these skills take a L.O.N.G. time to develop. Since this article is primarily concerned with holding a writing utensil, I share x-rays of a child’s hand, showing the changes in a typical child’s hand…

The Train is in the Station -The Toddler The Question… As many of my readers are aware, I am a Moderator of the 242+K member FaceBook Group, Science of Reading-What I Should Have Learned in College. So…I see, read, and respond to many questions on an almost daily basis. It is one way I can give back and share my passion and information with educators (professors, administrators, teachers) and families who inquire about topics big and small. Most recently, I began thinking about the topic of teaching letters and corresponding sounds when a parent of a toddler asked, “Which…

Teachers who teach families about The Science of Reading are doing kids a lot of good. Even if it’s just one school at a time. Who Is This Great Teacher? Meet Rosemary Shaver One day last fall, I received an email from a teacher named Rosemary. She asked if I had a Study Guide for my book, Calling All Neurons! How Reading and Spelling Happen. Next, she asked if I would grant her permission to use what was on my website and some illustrations. At the time, I had no idea what she had in mind. I granted Rosemary…