How does ABCdEcode® differ from traditional phonics programs?
Most phonics programs present one sound with all its different symbol representations, which for anyone with any kind of visual or auditory problem, makes them feel like they are walking on quicksand. Too many rules presented all at once are overwhelming. The fragile reader needs to learn consistency and this is where dEcode® begins.
In ABC dEcode®, the focus is on the consistency between sound and its letter symbol. As students learn and test this consistency, they learn they can rely on it. Automaticity is developed, empowering the individual to transfer this learning to reading.
How does this work? At its heart, our modern phonetic alphabet is just that – phonetic. The essence of phonics is auditory, based on sound. In its simplest form, a letter is a visual shape coded to a single auditory sound. A child must master that system of coding as a fluent skill before he or she can move past it to understand the meaning of the words coded in letters, and cope with the inconsistent rules of English spelling.
dEcode® addresses the underlying processing skills required in the development of reading. It is not just another structured phonics program. In fact, it is more a method than a program and one that gets at the “ DNA ” level of sound/symbol relationships. There is no existing phonics program based on this premise. The way the individual sounds are emphasized and contrasted in this program ensures mastery. Letter reversals are a non-event. ABC dEcode® is truly an individualized program with different paths depending on which sounds an individual finds easier to master and retain. Not only is the process instantly gratifying for all readers, results are achieved in the least amount of time. Ten to twenty minutes a day, four or five days a week, is the only time commitment recommended. dEcode® has proven to be more motivating and more reliable than traditional phonics programs in laying a solid foundation for reading.
The dEcode® system of teaching reading is supported by the latest research on brain development. Recent studies now show that reading occurs in a different part of the brain than the emergence of language and thus must be taught in a different way. This is central to the order and combination of sounds presented in ABC dEcode®.
As stated by the Council For Early Child Development, there is increasing evidence that experience-based brain development in the early years of life sets neurological and biological pathways that affect lifelong health, learning and behaviour. Any reader, of any age, is able to progress through dEcode® and at the same time, increase fundamental abilities in processing and memory, leaving him or her more receptive to other aspects of language and reading development.
After 30 years of clinical practice, Dr. Chesnie Cooper knows what works and what sticks with students of all ages. In addition, through her extensive pre- and post-testing, she has discovered that the ABC dEcode® method does much more than merely help the individual to read. It affects the underlying auditory and visual processing that not only prevents the onset of “reading” but also such processes that affect sequential learning, language, speech, and visual focusing, enabling the individual to succeed in far more academic and social areas than reading alone.
