Dyslexia Advocacy for Parents, Part 1: Gathering Data and Documenting Concerns

The episode launches a new advocacy-focused mini series focused what parents can do when schools say a child’s reading and spelling are “fine" even when a parent knows it's not. Michelle explains why the process is frustrating, how parents can move it forward without waiting on the school, and why school staff may share incomplete or distorted policy information.

This episode emphasizes gathering data: finding out what tiered supports (RTI/MTSS tiers 1–3) are in place, what decisions and district procedures guide movement between tiers, and why a child should not remain in tier 3 without next steps such as considering an IEP. The host urges parents to document concerns and conversations in writing, request cited policies, ask clarifying questions about discrepancies, and scrutinize screeners and reading levels for what they actually measure. A free parent dyslexia screener is also mentioned, and the next episode will cover the referral meeting.

Want more information like what you heard in this podcast? The Dyslexia Advocacy Toolkit with eBook can be found HERE.

00:00 Welcome and Series Intro

00:59 Why Advocacy Matters

02:39 Schools and Policy Myths

04:42 Start With Tiered Supports

10:31 When an IEP Applies

14:43 Document Everything in Writing

21:35 Staying Calm and Being Heard

24:53 Screeners and Reading Data

29:00 Reading Levels and Skill Proof

32:13 Wrap Up and Next Steps

In part five of a series on choosing dyslexia interventions, Michelle reviews differences between meaning-first (to avoid), letters-first programs (e.g., Orton-Gillingham, Barton, Wilson), and sounds-first instruction, then focuses on teaching high-frequency/sight words. Letters-first approaches often have students memorize “red” or irregular word letter strings by repeating letter names, while sounds-first instruction maps sounds to letters and incorporates sounds, letters, and meaning for every word. She describes a comparison across three second-grade classrooms in which students were taught the same 10 words: the sounds-first system produced higher accuracy and “smarter errors” than Orton-Gillingham methods, with skills that generalized beyond the target words. She argues that sounds-first structured literacy feels more natural and reduces frustration.

00:00 Series Recap Setup

00:25 Letters First vs Sounds First

01:36 Sight Words Memorization

02:47 Sounds First Mapping

03:34 Classroom Comparison Study

07:20 Why Smarter Errors Matter

10:00 Progress Stories Evidence

12:14 Choosing Support Options

12:33 Programs Offered Overview

14:56 VIP Advocacy Membership

17:42 Final Wrap Up

In part four of a series on choosing effective dyslexia interventions, Michelle reviews three approaches (meaning-first/whole literacy, which they advise avoiding, and two structured literacy approaches: letters-first/Orton-Gillingham “print to speech” and sounds-first “speech to print”).

She emphasizes that doing a single sound-awareness lesson before moving to letters is not the same as a true sounds-first approach, which should integrate sounds throughout instruction and quickly connect sound awareness to letters.

The episode focuses on what children say while writing: letters-first programs often have children say letter names, which encourages memorizing letter strings and limits sound-letter integration, while sounds-first instruction has children say each sound as they write the matching letter to strengthen sound-letter connections and pattern recognition.

A story about a student (“Jay”) shows how letter-name studying led to poor spelling and an inability to read studied words until the approach shifted to sounds.

00:00 Dyslexia Intervention Overview

00:57 Three Reading Approaches

01:39 Sounds First Clarified

03:33 Series Recap to Part Four

04:35 Bouncy vs Stretchy Speech

06:16 Letters First Pitfalls

09:18 Sounds First While Writing

10:38 Jay’s Spelling Test Story

13:22 Study Smarter With Sounds

15:08 Wrap Up and Part Five Tease

Part three of a series on choosing effective dyslexia interventions compares “letters first” (print-to-speech, often Orton-Gillingham) and “sounds first” (speech-to-print/linguistic phonetics) approaches, focusing on the job of letters. The speaker argues against meaning-first methods (whole language/balanced literacy) and explains that letters-first teaching treats letters as the units that make sounds and often requires memorization of many spelling rules, which creates confusion due to many exceptions.

In contrast, sounds-first instruction teaches that letters spell sounds, sounds can have multiple spellings, and that letters like E can have multiple jobs. This approach builds mental flexibility, problem-solving for unfamiliar words, and supports spelling because children start from sounds; patterns can be taught developmentally and “sprinkled in” during reading.

Part four will cover what kids say while writing.

00:00 Series Recap and Goal

01:15 Three Reading Approaches

02:43 Letters First Basics

03:18 Why One Sound Fails

05:41 Magic E Myth

07:44 Sounds First Framework

08:33 Multiple Spellings and Sight Words

09:32 E Has Many Jobs

11:52 Why Sounds First Wins

12:51 Teaching Patterns by Sprinkling

14:24 Wrap Up and Part Four Teaser

In part two of a five-part Days With Dyslexia series on choosing the right dyslexia intervention, the host explains why syllable instruction matters and contrasts letters-first versus sounds-first structured literacy approaches. A syllable is described as the “beat” in a word, and each syllable has its own vowel sound; research supports teaching syllable awareness but not memorizing multiple syllable types.

Letters-first (e.g., Orton-Gillingham) divides syllables by letter patterns, teaches six syllable types, and requires students to mark vowels/consonants and apply rules, which strains working memory and becomes less accurate with three- and four-syllable words, affecting fluency.

Sounds-first focuses mainly on open and closed syllables, divides words by natural speech beats, and uses listening and mouth/throat cues, making it easier to apply to longer words. A PDF covering all five episodes will be available by episode five, and the next episode will cover the job of letters.

00:00 Series Recap and Setup

01:54 What Syllables Are

02:34 Research on Syllable Awareness

03:16 Letters First Syllable Rules

05:25 Why Letters First Breaks Down

06:53 Sounds First Syllable Strategy

08:54 Open vs Closed by Sound

10:47 Why Sounds First Works Better

12:38 Wrap Up and Next Episode

This Days With Dyslexia podcast launches a five-part series on choosing effective dyslexia intervention without wasting time or money, based on the host’s experience as a parent and as a speech language pathologist who specializes in literacy. The episode explains that research supports structured literacy: explicit, systematic, multimodal instruction that integrates sounds, letters/letter patterns, and meaning (triple word form theory). It warns against meaning-first approaches (whole language/balanced literacy) that emphasize guessing from context and are described as ineffective and potentially harmful, referencing the Sold a Story podcast. The host then contrasts two structured literacy types—letters-first (print-to-speech, e.g., Orton-Gillingham/Wilson/Barton) versus sounds-first (speech-to-print)—and begins Part 1: scope and sequence, arguing sounds-first aligns with natural oral language learning, teaches by spoken sounds, and separates consonant clusters into distinct sounds to reduce confusion and spelling errors.

00:00 Series Kickoff

00:22 Why This Matters

02:52 Avoid Wasting Time

05:01 Structured Literacy Basics

07:08 What Not To Use

09:58 Letters vs Sounds

12:08 Part One Scope Sequence

13:18 Letters First Pitfalls

18:19 Sounds First Logic

22:11 Wrap Up Next Steps

Effective Strategies for Teaching Sight Words- with data!

In this episode of the Days With Dyslexia podcast, Michelle discusses the importance of teaching sight words by integrating sounds, letters, and meanings. The presentation, originally prepared for a state convention for speech-language pathologists, emphasizes that merely memorizing sight words is not effective for children with learning differences, particularly dyslexia. Instead, Michelle introduces a system that organizes words by sound patterns and teaches them in a way that engages all four language systems: speech, listening, reading, and writing. This method has been shown to significantly improve spelling accuracy and long-term word retention compared with traditional methods. The episode includes research findings and practical tips for implementing this approach for parents, speech-language pathologists, teachers, and reading interventionists.

Once you listen, use this link to access the resources mentioned: HERE

From Childhood Struggles to Adult Success - An Interview with Scott Smith

In this episode of the Days With Dyslexia podcast, the host conducts her first interview with Scott Smith, an adult who has dyslexia. Scott shares his early experiences with dyslexia, the challenges he faced in school, and the innovative ways he adapted to manage and eventually find success as an adult. When bedtime reading with his toddlers became difficult, he knew something needed to change. The discussion delves into his methods for overcoming reading difficulties, his mechanical and problem-solving strengths, and his achievements in both his professional and military careers. Additionally, Scott reflects on how working with the host on reading skills significantly improved his confidence and literacy, allowing him to have better career and parenting experiences.

Michelle also references the Sold a Story podcast.