Recipe for Reading

When I was completing my special education student teaching, my host teacher insisted that she could teach any student to read.  She then handed me a very battered copy of Recipe for Reading by Nina Traub. 

“Get this book,” she said emphatically.  “If there is only one book you get, for teaching reading, get this one.”

So I got the book.

Recipe for Reading is based on the Orton-Gillingham program for teaching phonics, and I have been very happy with both its implementation and its results.  My first year of teaching, three of my students were non-readers.  By the end of the year, they had all achieved at least a second grade reading level.

Here are the reasons that I love Recipe for Reading:

–You don’t need any special materials for its implementation.  With a pen, some paper, and a pack of notecards, you can get started right away.

—The lessons are very simple: the sound is introduced, the students complete a multi-sensory activity to help remember the sound, the students write words, phrases, and sentences using the sound, and the students complete reading activities involving the sound.

–Strategies for spelling are taught along-side strategies for reading.

—Multi-syllabic words and syllabication are taught as soon as CVC words are mastered.

–The lessons are intended to be taught one-on-one, but I’ve had a great deal of success teaching them in small groups.  One time, all twelve of my students needed to work on the same skills, so we did the lessons whole group.

–The lessons are quite structured, but there is a great deal of room for the teacher to use their knowledge and judgement.

If you want to use Recipe for Reading in your classroom, I would recommend using the Primary Spelling Inventory, to place students in groups, based on their skill needs.  I have used a number of phonics programs, and I think Recipe will be one that will stand the test of time.