- Multisensory: Instruction involves immediate,
intensive, and continuous interaction between what the student is
seeing, hearing, and feeling in the speech mechanisms and the writing
hand. All the language elements taught are reinforced by having the
student listen, speak, read and write.
In LTK the student uses a mouse, microphone
and keyboard to learn newly taught phonograms and to spell and write
letters, words, and sounds from dictation.
-
Alphabetic/Phonetic: Sound-symbol associations along with
linguistic rules and generalizations are introduced in a linguistically
logical, understandable order. The essence of the phonetic approach
is to make letter-to-sound correlations as simple and comprehensive as
possible.
- Synthetic/Analytic: The student is taught how to
blend sounds together.
When using LTK, the student hears the sounds
pronounced while seeing the letters move together to make familiar
words.
LTK teaches the student how to segment words into separate speech
sounds
before beginning to spell. Drills which require placing the sound and
filling in the blanks allows the student to apply the process to many
words.
-
Structured: The student learns one sound association, linguistic
rule, or nonphonetic word and practices using it with previously taught
material before learning the next language concept.
In LTK, each new piece of the language
taught is specifically reviewed multiple times through drills and
spelling
practice. If confusions occur later in another context, additional
review
is provided. LTK divides the linguistic rules into separate lesson
activities
and provides practice and correction routines for each lesson activity.
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- Sequenced: Linguistic concepts are
taught in a sequence which will minimize potentially confusing elements.
The LTK curriculum is organized to separate
commonly confused linguistic elements.
- The
logic and order of LTK's curriculum was determined by Orton-Gilligham
experts who based their training in the Orton-Gillingham method. Their
combined experience exceeds over 50 years in using this method to teach
students of all ages and to train teachers.
- Cumulative: The student should be
asked to use each newly introduced element while reinforcing
others that have been taught. LTK's quizzes test all of the
linguistic information previously taught. Student scores typically
indicate 90 to 100 percent mastery within the quizzes.
- Repetitive: The concepts are repeated until the
student gains mastery.
The program provides 10 repetitions within
each lesson activity and measures student mastery. If a mastery level
of 80 percent is achieved, the student automatically progresses
to
the next lesson activity. If not achieved, additional sets of
repetitions
are provided and achievement of 80 percent mastery is again determined.
- Cognitive: The student should understand the
"linguistic logic" underlying word formations and patterns and be able
to demonstrate that understanding while writing words.
During the introductory and review portions
of the lessons, LTK explains rules and generalizations both verbally
and with on-screen demonstrations.
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