Teaching Syllable Patterns: Shortcut to Fluency and Comprehension for Striving Adolescent Readers

Replace ineffective drills with easy-to-do games and activities that fit into any teacher's busy day and help striving adolescent readers achieve automaticity in decoding the six basic English syllable patterns. Carver and Pantoja's flexible approach can be used with intensive and regular reading classes, as well as language arts classes at intermediate, middle-school, or high-school levels. Easily differentiate instruction in any classroom where literacy is the goal and time is short.

Lin Carver is a professor at Walden University in the master's Early Reading and Literacy program. She also serves as the reading specialist at Gulf Middle School in New Port Richey, Florida and the Online Facilitator for Florida Online Reading Professional Development at the University of Central Florida. Lin has been an educator for more than 30 years and has certifications in elementary 1-6, primary education K-3, reading K-12, ESOL K-12, and English 5-9, and has a gifted endorsement. She earned her Ph.D. in Literacy from Walden University. Lauren Pantoja is a reading coach at Sunlake High School and a literacy instructor for English language learners, both in Pasco County, Florida. She is also an online reading facilitator with the University of Central Florida. Lauren has been an educator for more than 30 years. She received her master s degree from Webster University. Lin and co-author Lauren Pantoja have pooled their knowledge to meet the needs of students, struggling adults, pre-service teachers, and fellow teachers in a variety of literacy and student engagement projects. Over the past ten years, they have collaborated and presented literacy and motivation strategies in Florida s Pasco County School District and at various conferences, workshops, and colleges. They have created and provided school-based trainings for beginning teachers in such varied topics as reading courses, learning and writing strategies, best practices for English language learners, student engagement, and incorporating technology into literacy instruction.