Power Tools for Literacy: Accelerated Phonics, Syllables, and Morphemes

The 300 systematic, engaging lessons in Power Tools for Literacy are aligned with the Common Core Reading Standards for Foundational Skills. Become an expert in teaching phonics in the context of syllable patterns and showing students how to analyze or chunk words into phonemes, syllables, base words, prefixes, suffixes, and Latin/Greek roots. Mastering and blending these phonograms and morphemes enables students to read and spell one-syllable and polysyllabic words with ease and accuracy.
A report by The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development states that for those children who are at risk for reading failure, highly direct and systematic instruction to develop phonemic awareness and phonics skills is required. In keeping with this principle, Power Tools for Literacy uses an Orton-Gillingham approach proven successful with struggling readers, students with learning differences or dyslexia, and English learners. Designed for grades 3-12, Power Tools for Literacy lends itself to individual or group instruction. The look and feel of the lessons is appropriate for any age group; material that appears tailored to young children has been avoided.
Power Tools for Literacy uses a variety of activities to cover these key topics and more:
Short and long vowels with consonant blends and digraphs
R-controlled vowels, diphthongs, and vowel teams
7 types of syllables
Rules for dividing polysyllabic words
Compound words
Accented and unaccented syllables
Vocabulary enrichment by reading, spelling, and defining 50 prefixes
Reading, spelling, and defining 50 suffixes
Spelling rules for adding suffixes to base words
Free and bound morphemes
Latin roots and Greek combining forms
Weekly spelling lists that incorporate high frequency sight words

Verena Rau has a B.A. in English from the University of California and an M.A. in Education of Learning Disabled Children from Minnesota State University. Working in grades 4-8 for more than 25 years, Verena taught language-arts and reading in regular and special education classes. She was the recipient of three Mentor-Teacher awards. In her spare time, Verena enjoys hiking, mountaineering, and bicycling with her husband Greg. Several stories in this program reflect her enthusiasm for the outdoors.