A Sound Approach presents a logically sequenced method for teaching reading and spelling using phonemic awareness. The book is based on real classroom experiences, a synthesis of contemporary research, and teacher feedback. This resource provides the knowledge and skills you need to effectively assess and teach crucial reading skills to your beginning and struggling readers. The authors offer: a variety of simple, effective activities that appeal to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners engaging, easy-to-follow lesson plans appropriate for whole-class, small-group, or individual instruction that easily fit into a readers-workshop or literacy-centre approach enlightening research-to-practice sidebars that respond to common questions and concerns reproducible assessments, sound cards and word cards, short-vowel cue cards, pictures pages, words-and-pictures pages, story starters, and riddles

Heather Kenny, M.Ed., is a former classroom teacher who has worked intensively with both beginning and struggling readers. During her tenure as an elementary teacher, she co-authored literacy curriculum, served as advisor to the Ontario Ministry of Education, and acted as a teacher-trainer and professional development facilitator. In her role as Educational Consultant (specializing in phonemic intervention and remediation), Heather worked privately with struggling readers identified with learning disabilities, and students who were at-risk for reading difficulties. For the past decade, she has been extensively involved in the professional development of teachers, facilitating in-service sessions for practicing teachers across North America, and speaking at national and regional literacy conferences. Heather has served as a part-time instructor at the University of Toledo, teaching graduate and undergraduate students in her literacy courses. She is currently a full-time doctoral student at the University of Toledo, focusing on literacy development, and is the recipient of a University Fellowship, the highest student award made by the College of Graduate Studies at the University of Toledo.

Heather A. Kenny's profile page

Laura Robbins has over 25 years of primary-school, junior-high-school, special-education, and early-literacy teaching experience. She holds a master's degree in education, having specialized in literacy. She has been active in the professional development of teachers, having served as an adjunct professor for York University in Toronto, as a professional learning community facilitator at the school and board levels, and as a literacy coach for the Halton District School Board. Together with Heather A. Kenny, she wrote Phonics in Action: A Balanced Early-Literacy Program, published in 1999, and a balanced literacy curriculum for Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Both she and Heather acted as advisors to the Ontario Ministry of Education, where they contributed to the document entitled Helping Your Child Learn to Read: A Parent's Guide, published in 2001. Heather and Laura offer literacy seminars and workshops for educators across North America.

Laura A. Robbins' profile page