Riggs A Key for Unlocking the Literacy Code

Welcome! By the end of the evening, parents will be able to answer the following questions:  What is Riggs?  Who ‘invented’ Riggs?  Why have we chosen the Riggs program?  Who learns Riggs here at The Academy?  How is Riggs taught at The Academy?  How can I help my child at home?

What is Riggs? Riggs is a phonics program built upon:  26 letters used to form the…  42 sounds of the English language.  71 letter combinations (phonograms) are commonly needed to represent these sounds on paper  The 71 phonograms are the key to reading, and writing!

Who ‘invented’ Riggs?  Founded in 1979 by administrator Myrna McCulloch after her staff was trained by Oma Riggs  When Ms. McCulloch saw the profound impact Oma Riggs’ method had on her students’ SRA reading scores, the Riggs Institute was born!  The Riggs program derives from the research and work of several master teachers, as well as neuropathologist and brain surgeon Dr. Samuel T. Orton.

Why Riggs? The Riggs program is…  Research-based  Brain-compatible  Multi-sensory: listening, speaking, writing, reading  Direct, explicit phonics instruction  Rigorous, with high expectations for student achievement.

Who learns Riggs at The Academy?  All grade levels utilize Riggs in some way.  Our goals: Students mastery of all phonograms by the end of 2 nd grade Continued application of phonograms at upper grade levels

Kindergarten  Students learn to read, write and apply the phonograms.  Focus: –26 letters of the English alphabet, –10 “Power Phonograms:” sh, ch, th, ay, ow, er, ed, ar, oo, wh. –Exposure to all 71 phonograms as they begin to need them for reading and writing

1 st Grade  Review of the 36 phonograms taught in kindergarten  Builds on 25 addtional phonograms, for a total of 61  Exposure to the remaining 10 phonograms

2 nd Grade  Continued practice of the 71 phonograms  Our goal is that all students will read, write and apply all 71 phonograms by the end of the year

3 rd – 6 th Grades  Students will continue to apply the 71 phonograms in reading and writing.  As their vocabulary becomes more complex, the 71 phonograms assist in decoding multisyllabic words.  Phonogram knowledge will assist students as they complete many of the Sitton Spelling activities.

How is Riggs taught at The Academy? K, 1 & 2 students learn to:  Read the phonograms in isolation (flash cards!)  Write the phonograms in isolation (phonogram tests!)  Apply the phonograms in their reading and writing

How can I help my child at home? 1. Set aside the time and place for your child to complete their homework each day. 2. Make sure your K or 1 st grade child is voicing the sound each phonogram makes as they write it on their homework. 3. Point out the phonograms when you see them in other print, and use them to help your child read new words.

Turn and talk to a neighbor… Can you answer these questions?  What is Riggs?  Who ‘invented’ Riggs?  Why do we use Riggs?  Who learns Riggs here at The Academy?  How is Riggs taught at The Academy?  How can I help my child at home?

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