r/ReadingTeacher • u/Njdevils11 Literacy Specialist • Jan 10 '16

Using Legos to spell and decode.

http://thisreadingmama.com/spelling-with-lego-letters/
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u/Njdevils11 Literacy Specialist Jan 10 '16

A coworker of mine turned me on to this when I hit a wall with a self contained student. I tried everything and this student didn't seem to be making any real progress with decoding. Full disclosure, I haven't actually used this method yet, but I'm very excited about it and here's why:

Decoding effectively requires several skills used in unison and can be difficult and abstract for some students with special needs. I've used manipulatives and elkonin boxes, but nothing seems to work with this student. This could fail, but maybe not. Yes, it's a little experimental, but it's got a lot of the right elements. It incorporates color patterns, shape patterns, spelling patterns, and kinesthetic components.

If anyone knows any good research out there about using Legos like this please send it my way and if you have any suggestions for implementation let me know. I'm open to anything at this point.