Preventing Academic Failure (PAF) A multisensory curriculum for teaching reading, spelling, and handwriting by Phyllis Bertin, Eileen Perlman Intervention Appropriate Grades K–6
After many years of using the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching reading in resource room settings, the authors of PAF set out to offer this same instruction for all students.
PAF can be used as the primary reading program in a general classroom, or Tier 1, setting to prevent reading problems from occurring. An entire class benefits from the parts of the program that focus on decoding, handwriting, spelling, and fluency. A majority of students can then work on comprehension in grade level material.
In Tiers 2 and 3, PAF can be appropriate as an intervention or special education program for students who have not been successful with other reading methodologies. These students with learning differences benefit from its multisensory instruction, the controlled, decodable text of the Merrill Readers and the comprehension and vocabulary instruction that accompanies them.
Including over 200 clearly written lessons, Merrill Reader cross-references, assessment tests, and vocabulary lists, this essential resource also offers:
Ready to Read Ready to Read contains activities for teaching sound/symbol association, blending, word recognition, reading, spelling and handwriting, including reading individual words, phrases, sentences, and connected text.
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The book bridges the gap between phonemic awareness and beginning reading.
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Children learn to write each new letter as they learn its sound.
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Each new sound is immediately used to read and spell words. This is different from conventional instruction in which the 26 sounds of the alphabet are taught in isolation before they are used in real words
Stepping Up In Reading 1 Stepping Up in Reading 1 contains word, phrase, and sentence lists that provide practice in decoding, word recognition, and expressive reading.
Stepping Up In Reading 2 Stepping Up in Reading 2 contains word, phrase, and sentence lists that provide practice in decoding, word recognition, and expressive reading. Students can achieve automaticity by focusing on sound/symbol associations, blending, proper pronunciation, phrasing, and intonation. Activities provide more practice and help develop reading comprehension.
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Initial blends
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Long vowels
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Open syllables, silent e syllables, r-controlled syllables, and vowel team syllables
Stepping Up In Reading 3 Stepping Up in Reading 3 contains word, phrase, and sentence lists that provide practice in decoding, word recognition, and expressive reading. Students can achieve automaticity by focusing on sound/symbol associations, blending, proper pronunciation, phrasing, and intonation. Activities provide more practice and help develop reading comprehension. The phonetically controlled lists follow the sequence in the PAF program.
Soft c and g, silent letters (center, gentle, known)
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Multisyllable root words (adjective, introduce, allowance)
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25 sight words
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Sentences that focus on content-based vocabulary
Merrill Reading Program
Merrill Readers
Coordinated with the Stepping Up books, these excellent decodable readers are well paced and feature appealing narrative and informational text.
Merrill Skills Books These consumable workbooks provide extra practice in word recognition and grammar. Comprehension exercises related to the Merrill Readers includes work on recalling details, main idea, sequencing, cause and effect, and making inferences to draw conclusions. Mastery Tests are included for each level.
Merrill Skills Books Teacher’s Edition
The Teacher’s Edition includes answers for Merrill Skills Books exercises and directions for administering Mastery Tests.
The PAF Handwriting Program can be used in conjunction with the PAF curriculum or independently as a classroom penmanship program. The techniques were designed to accommodate all students including those with graphomotor weaknesses.
Handwriting Program for Print
The Handwriting Program for Print workbook provides large models for tracing that allow students to use arm muscles to learn letters. Small models are provided on 1 1/2-inch lined practice paper to facilitate the transition to regular writing paper.
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Both large and small letter models to be traced and copied
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Large models which exaggerate the differences between letter forms (like r and n)
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Strategies for eliminating letter reversals
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Names and symbols for each of the lines to help teach proper letter placement
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A one-stroke method that prepares children for cursive writing
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Techniques for children to write and spell words as they learn to write new letters
Handwriting Program for Numerals
The Handwriting Program for Numerals workbook provides large models for tracing that allow students to use arm muscles to learn numbers. Small models are provided on 1 1/2-inch lined practice paper to facilitate the transition to regular writing paper.
Features:
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Both large and small models to be traced and copied. Large models exaggerate the differences between numerals (like 6 and 9)
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Strategies for eliminating number reversals
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Activities for developing number sense and basic counting skills
Handwriting Program for Cursive
Children are eager to learn "grown-up" cursive writing! The Handwriting Program for Cursive workbook (right-handed and left-handed) provides large models for tracing that allow students to use arm muscles to learn letters. Small models are provided on 1 1/2-inch lined practice paper to facilitate the transition to regular writing paper.
Features:
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Contains both large and small letter models to be traced and copied. Large models exaggerate the differences between letter forms (like h and k)
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Special attention is given to connecting letters, particularly difficult connections such as br, os, and ve
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Should be used with the Cursive Alphabet Picture Cards or Cursive Alphabet Strip
Cursive Alphabet Picture Cards Upper- and lower-case cursive handwriting models depict age-appropriate letter-sound illustrations. (5 ½" x 8 ½")
Cursive Wall Strip Upper- and lower-case cursive handwriting models. (1 ½" x 6")
Card Packs
Alphabet Picture Cards
Upper- and lower-case handwriting models also depict letter-sound illustrations. (7 ½” x 9”)
Keyword Picture Cards
Shown are all the phonograms introduced after the alphabet, plus their key word illustrations. (5 ½” x 8 ½”)
Review Packs
Used for daily review, these flash cards contain all phonograms, sight words, suffixes, and homonyms. Set I coordinates with Levels 1 – 129. Set II with Levels 130 – 202. (5” x 8”)
Pocket Chart Alphabet Used with a pocket chart, this card pack contains two alphabet sets (vowels are color-coded) for teaching phonemic awareness, sound-symbol associations, and spelling. (3” x 4”)
These consumable workbooks provide extra practice in word recognition and grammar. Comprehension exercises related to the Merrill Readers includes work on recalling details, main idea, sequencing, cause and effect, and making inferences to draw conclusions. Mastery Tests are included for each level.
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