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The Academic Gym Literacy Skills


Summer Spelling Lists
Here are two important summer spelling lists for your kids to practice spelling the sounds that will help them decode and read words quickly and accurately.
Brian Vieira
9 hours ago1 min read


Why spelling is the key to reading
Spelling is the key to reading.
Brian Vieira
Jun 191 min read


Spelling spoken sounds helps kids read and write fluently
Writing is spelling and automatic, accurate spelling from spoken sounds is the key to fluent reading and writing. To read fluently, kids must automatically and accurately convert visible words into invisible sounds. To write fluently, kids must automatically and accurately turn invisible thoughts into visible words. In other words, to read, kids must see and hear symbols as speech sounds; to write, kids must see and hear speech sounds as symbols.
Brian Vieira
Jun 122 min read


How to use simple syllables to teach your kids to read
he most effective way to analyze and spell spoken words is to segment them into syllables.
Brian Vieira
Jun 51 min read


How rhythm helps kids learn to read
The best way to remediate toddlers struggling with reading is to merge language learning with musical rhythm.
Brian Vieira
May 292 min read


Multisensory learning at The Academic Gym
Here are six reasons why multisensory or whole-body learning is beneficial.
Brian Vieira
May 212 min read


Can exercise help kids with ADHD?
Exercise helps kids with ADHD organize and improve classwork and homework, manage mood swings, make and keep friends, and optimize their brains for learning.
Brian Vieira
May 12 min read


Spelling helps kids with ADHD
Watch the brief video below to see how a third-grader with ADHD uses simple syllables to decode a multisyllabic word he had never seen before. Then, watch how he struggles (and overcomes) to spell the word without looking back at it even once.
Brian Vieira
Apr 241 min read


The Big Three in ADHD
Does your child have symptoms of ADHD? If you have a child or student that is constantly fidgety, inattentive, impulsive, and unfocused in a manner that's inappropriate for their age or development, they may have ADHD--especially if it runs in their family. If you think that your child or student might have ADHD, you should know about the natural chemicals (or neurotransmitters) that can misfire in the brain.
Brian Vieira
Apr 173 min read


How to help kids learn and love grammar
We think of grammar as dusty books filled with parched rules and moldy conventions about commas, semicolons, and (heaven forbid) soporific arguments regarding the impropriety of prepositions at the ends of sentences. Unfortunately, to some extent, this is true. But grammar is much more than dead, dogged rules. When taught with passion and explained as the means to creating beautiful, concise, creative, and coherent expressions, grammar becomes a collection of powerful, transf
Brian Vieira
Apr 102 min read


Spelling for Reading
Spelling is a great tool to use for reading instruction. To spell complex words, students must study phonics, grammar, vocabulary, and background knowledge, which are the keys to reading comprehension and writing skills. This process of spelling complex words is a powerful tool in developing a deep knowledge of words.
Brian Vieira
Apr 32 min read


Simple syllables for spelling and reading
Our scaffolded analytical spelling system begins with larger units, such as simple syllables. It's easier for kids to hear and pronounce vowel and consonant sounds by saying, spelling, and segmenting them within syllabic units such as "ab, eb, ib ,ob, and ub." These simple syllables help students develop phonemic and alphabetic awareness, making it much easier to segment whole words and match their speech sounds to corresponding graphemes (letters and letter combinations that
Brian Vieira
Mar 271 min read


Simple syllables
Our scaffolded analytical spelling system begins with larger units, such as simple syllables. It's easier for kids to hear and pronounce vowel and consonant sounds by saying, spelling, and segmenting them within syllabic units such as "ab, eb, ib ,ob, and ub." These simple syllables help students develop phonemic and alphabetic awareness, making it much easier to segment whole words and match their speech sounds to corresponding graphemes (letters and letter combinations that
Brian Vieira
Mar 271 min read


Your Child's Amazing Brain
Have you ever felt discouraged and frustrated about your child’s behavior or academic performance? Don’t give up: there’s hope. Your child can change because their brain is built to keep growing and learning how to overcome social, emotional, and academic challenges.
Brian Vieira
Mar 202 min read


The writing-reading-spelling connection
Students who need help spelling will also have difficulty reading and writing fluently
Brian Vieira
Mar 131 min read


Vocabulary from roots and prefixes
Middle schoolers need morphology. In other words, they need to learn vocabulary from roots and prefixes. Each post contains a video that provides comprehensive information about a word that will help students understand its origin, structure, and usage.
Brian Vieira
Feb 251 min read


Vocabulary from roots and prefixes
Middle schoolers need morphology. In other words, they need to learn vocabulary from roots and prefixes. Each post contains a video that provides comprehensive information about a word that will help students understand its origin, structure, and usage.
Brian Vieira
Feb 251 min read


Vocabulary from roots and prefixes
Middle schoolers need morphology. In other words, they need to learn vocabulary from roots and prefixes. Each post contains a video that provides comprehensive information about a word that will help students understand its origin, structure, and usage.
Brian Vieira
Feb 251 min read


Vocabulary from roots and prefixes
Middle schoolers need morphology. In other words, they need to learn vocabulary from roots and prefixes. Each post contains a video that provides comprehensive information about a word that will help students understand its origin, structure, and usage.
Brian Vieira
Feb 251 min read


Vocabulary from roots and prefixes
Middle schoolers need morphology. In other words, they need to learn vocabulary from roots and prefixes. Each post contains a video that provides comprehensive information about a word that will help students understand its origin, structure, and usage.
Brian Vieira
Feb 251 min read
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