Backdoor Learning Channels for Phonics Skill Mastery – The Social & Emotional “Feeling” Networks
—Ben Okra
Can you breathe underwater?
But what if you lived in a world where breathing underwater was possible?
Then the correct answer would be yes.
In other words, the answer depends on the context.
Traditionally, the idea of teaching complex phonics skills to beginning grade level learners would be considered developmentally inappropriate—a position with which I would agree. But “giving” them these skills is a completely different “story!”
Using brain science as a road map, we can access earlier-developing, social-emotional learning pathways by wrapping phonics skills into stories, so as to “give” what we can’t yet “teach!” Stories are easy for kids to remember because stories are HOW kids remember. They act as a sort of “memory-enhancer” by providing a strong memory-holding template in the brain, and a much-needed framework for memory construction.
Stories pose no developmental harm, nor are they age or grade-specific. Learners simply take away that which is personally meaningful and relevant to them, without expectation. In this way, the reading and writing (phonics) code is transformed into “skill-drenched” golden nuggets, buried within already familiar, learner-frameworks of social and emotional experience and understanding.
Secret Stories® provides an easily accessible “backdoor” delivery method for the totality of skills that are needed to read and write from the earliest possible grade level. Unlike phonics “skills,” the Secrets aren’t grade specific, and can be easily shared with any age learner, so as to be ready for use, when needed!
So hold your breath and prepare to dive into a new way of thinking about what we do and when we do it….and in no time, you AND your students will be breathing underwater!
 |
| For more, subscribe free to the Secret Stories® YouTube Chanel. |
For more on accessing “backdoor” learning channels to fast-track phonics skills for earlier reading and writing, check out these previous posts here and here. You can also check out the video below.
Before I close, I wanted to kick-off the new school year with this fun and FREE 36 page Secret Stories® Reward/Incentive Bucks Pack! It even includes a student purse and wallet for safekeeping of students “secret” earnings! Inside, you will find information on how to use it with the Secret Stories® in the classroom. You can grab it by clicking here or by using the link, below.
 |
|
|
On a side note, I always love getting to meet so many incredible teachers at conferences around the US! And over the next couple of years, in addition to my current speaking schedule, I will be doing a series of keynotes in cities throughout the US and Canada as part of the Vulnerable Learners Summits with Dr. Richard Allington, Dr. Anne Cunningham and Debbie Diller. I would love to see you there!
 |
| For more upcoming dates, check out my speaking schedule, here! |
 |
Never Miss a Secret! Subscribe to the Newsletter!
 |
|||
|
The Secret Stories are my #1 teaching tool! I would never ever want to teach without them!!!
I saw you TWICE at the New York Reading Conference last year and absolutely loved your session! All of the teachers from our district came just to see you after hearing so many rave reviews from those who'd attended your session the previous year. I have to say, I was mesmerized listening to you and couldn't wait to get back into my classroom and start sharing secrets! Every single one of my kids picked up on them and immediately began using them in their reading and writing- even the ones who couldn't yet read or write!!! My little ones who hadn't latched on to anything that I had done all year just took and never looked back, making more progress those last two months than they had the entire school year.
The secrets were like "phonics on steroids" for last year's class, and starting from the beginning of the year with this year's class, I can't even imagine how far we will go!
THANK YOU!!
Nikka
The Secret Stories are the best reading and writing tools out there for K kids and are worth every penny! As the year begins and we see a "th" word, I simply point out the poster for "th" and make a huge deal about this being a "secret" story about these two letters who don't get along, and whenever they see each other they stick out their tongues and make the "th" sound.
The Secrets hook the students right off the bat! I gradually introduce the other posters and the students will look at them constantly as they are reading and writing. It is incredible the words they end up writing well. Just today 2 of my lowest students wrote (yesterday) and (together) perfectly. The Secrets take beginning readers all the way through to a 2nd grade skill level, explaining every tricky sound that letters can make when they get together, and in ways that even kinders can understand.