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Why Multisensory Instruction aka The Science of Reading?

The Science of Reading is at the forefront of teaching reading, with practices and methodologies that are research-based and research-validated. Structured language approaches, such as Orton-Gillingham, promote basic literacy skills through a multisensory approach (Schlesinger & Gray, 2017). I've observed that increasingly, my school district and those surrounding are prioritizing training staff in the Science of Reading, which involves a multisensory, explicit, and systematic approach. This method allows me to teach students the various phonograms, affixes, and spelling rules using different modalities simultaneously. I've also noticed that the controversy surrounding the 3-cueing systems, as highlighted in the podcast "Sold a Story," underscores the importance of teaching students to decode words accurately rather than relying on guessing or pictures for clues. In my experience, the Science of Reading focuses on decoding and language comprehension, ensuring that my students develop strong foundational reading skills and ultimately achieve better reading comprehension and overall literacy. This shift towards evidence-based practices is transforming my reading instruction and improving outcomes for students in my diverse learning environments.

What did I want to know?

Determine whether supplementing an existing ELA curriculum with additional 5-10 minute phonics and comprehension activities can lead to increased student achievement and progress.
Explore if adjusting instructional time frames to enhance engagement can improve student performance.
Investigate whether delivering content through different learning modalities can boost student achievement.

How did I address it?

Participants and Setting: The study involved 26 students in a self-contained 2nd-grade classroom guided by one teacher, the researcher.

Planned Actions (the Interventions):
- Implementing 5-10 minute supplemental phonics and comprehension activities to reinforce lesson concepts and improve student learning.
- Experimenting with different instructional time frames to see if they enhance student engagement.
- Delivering lessons through various modalities to accommodate different learning styles and improve performance in phonics and comprehension curriculum assessments.

The 6 main supplemental multisensory activities implemented throughout my action research:

Phonics: