Maggie Cabrera We would like to introduce Maggie Cabrera, our remarkable Raising Robust Reader from Minnesota. For those who may have missed the expedition through the “reading code,” allow me to paint a vivid picture of the adventure. Our young reader, under the nurturing guidance of her mother, Becky, embarked on a daily quest to unravel […]

Rhyming is a great phonological awareness skill to work on with our little ones, but just remember it’s not a prerequisite for reading. Some students with Down syndrome may struggle with rhyming, but they can still learn to read.  The extended activities below are broken down into smaller steps to help learners better understand the process. […]

We have chosen the book, I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More ! by Karen Beaumont to highlight  during Read Across America because it is so much fun and has so many positive features. If you decide not to use it, you can apply the following tips and suggestions to any book you choose to read. Please […]

Spotlight on Our Raising Robust ReaderRodrigo OteroThis month, Iris Otero is sharing her wonderful son, Rodrigo, with us.   This is one young man who has captured our hearts through videos his mother Iris shares of their work together.  Rodrigo has co-occurring challenges (see below) along with Down syndrome, so taking it slow and easy with […]

The Legend of Independent ManJudy is my best friend. She is a published writer, co-developer of Raising Robust Readers, and national speaker on Down syndrome, advocacy, parenting and education. She is hysterically funny and Casey’s mom. Judy’s son, Casey,  is a clerical assistant at our local justice center. He takes the bus wherever he wants to […]

If your student has been explicitly taught the consonant sounds and the “Vowel Buddy” phonograms ai, ay, ee, oa, then try this interactive activity for your non-verbal learner.  Grab a plastic pail or bucket.Cut out the pictures individually. You can also cut the sentences if you choose. . Teach to Success: review the phonograms that are […]

Definitions of Spoken and Written Language Terms

When I first became familiar with Raising Robust Readers, I was drawn to the multi-sensory approach of teaching phonograms.   Children learn songs and gestures, providing the auditory and kinesthetic modalities.  The brightly colored illustrations featuring Wordy himself provide attractive visuals as well. It reminds us that children learn through play, and we need to […]

Road Map for READing Sight Words Wow, you have distilled, into one easy-to-read-and-understand article, years of study on my part to figure out how best to teach high-frequency words… I got my master’s in reading so I could teach anyone to read. And here I am 14 years later, still learning… this is a fabulous […]

Christmas is the perfect time to learn and practice the ‘ch’ phonogram.  After all, most of your work is done for you.  Everywhere you go, there will be environmental print with Christmas ads, Christmas greetings, and Christmas posters. As you know, Raising Robust Readers teaches all the sounds of each phonogram.   If we didn’t teach […]