How Reading Works

The Solomon Method takes the confusion out of English text by indicating to the reader exactly how to sound out difficult words. It does this using a pronunciation code of 24 marks, which are printed above or below the text.

At the same time the Solomon Method acknowledges that reading is a neurological process, not a product of repetition and memory. Literacy skills emerge as the brain hemispheres coordinate and achieve a balance in the separate left and right functions. The teaching tools in The Solomon Method are designed to exercise the left brain hemisphere, where low activity is associated with reading failure.

With the pronunciation code reading becomes easier and so increases the likelihood that the student will read more which in turn increasesa fluency. Reliance on the pronuciation code drops away with practice. With the Solomon Method, you can expect results after only a few sessions.

The Prerequisites for Starting the Reading for Sure Program

Consistent with the above philosophy, the prerequisites for a successful introduction to the Reading for Sure program are the pupil's ability to:

Pronounce the SOUNDS of the vowels and consonants of the English alphabet. The names of the letters are necessary only for oral spelling.
Recognise and pronounce by sight, the indefinite article 'a', the definite article 'the' and the first person pronoun 'I'. A minimal number of other words to be learned by sight include such common abbreviations as 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.'.
Recognise and pronounce the sounds of the digraphs:
wh (as in "when")
ch (as in "chop")
sh (as in "shop")
th (soft as in "cloth": hard as in "clothes")
qu (as in "queen")
Blend an initial consonant, short vowel and final consonant. For example, upon hearing the three sounds c. a. t. in sequence, the pupil should be able to blend them into the whole word,'CAT'.