In this course, you will learn:
- How to introduce SWI through word families and the Word Bag game
- Understand the role of morphology in English spelling and identify why it's an essential strand to teach with students of all ages
- The role of orthographic phonology, phonics, and phonemic awareness
- How SWI teaches grapheme-phoneme correspondences
- How to teach about function and content words, including high frequency words
- How and why we use etymology to "tell the tale" of words
- Where SWI fits in reading and writing instruction
- What the research tells us currently
Schedule and format
This course will contain a mix of LIVE, real-time sessions and recorded lessons for you to watch. The live sessions will be available on replay in case the timing doesn't work for you.
Week 1 - Kick-off LIVE session via Zoom on September 25th from 5:00-6:30pm Pacific Time/8:00pm EDT/10:00am Sydney on the 26th
(The recording will be posted by Sep. 27th.)
Week 2 - recorded lessons and resources to work with at your own pace in the Teachable School
Week 3 - LIVE session via Zoom on October 9th from 5:00-6:30pm Pacific Time/8:00pm EDT/11:00am Sydney on the 10th
(The recording will be posted by Oct. 11th.)
Week 4 - recorded lessons and resources to work with at your own pace in the Teachable School
Week 5 - recorded lessons and resources to work with at your own pace in the Teachable School
Week 6 - LIVE Q&A and course wrap-up on October 30th from 5:00-6:00pm Pacific Time/8:00pm EDT/11:00am Sydney on the 31st
You will continue to have access to the videos and resources for the life of the course.
Begin with the Youngest Learners
Structured Word Inquiry is a powerful tool to use with our youngest learners, even those who can’t yet read. Looking beyond the important focus on phoneme~grapheme relationships allows us to explain words that seem to be "irregular" or "exceptions," leading to a deeper understanding of how words work.
Over the past 10+ years, my colleagues and I have tested and iterated, discussed and reflected, and we have seen the power of language coming alive through SWI with our pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade students.
Educators of older children who remain emergent readers can also gain valuable tools through this course. Our older students particularly benefit from the science and sense of learning how English works without having to be stuck in content designed for younger children.
I will take you through the basics of how to get started with early and emergent readers and writers, whether in a classroom, a small group, or one-on-one.
About your instructor
Rebecca Loveless is a seasoned educator with a deep commitment to literacy and early childhood education. With an undergraduate degree in linguistics and an M.A. in education, she brings over 25 years of experience in teaching and curriculum development to her work.
In 2013, after an inspiring workshop with Dr. Pete Bowers, Rebecca left classroom teaching to focus solely on Structured Word Inquiry (SWI). Since then, she has become a leading advocate for SWI, serving as the part-time SWI Coach at The Nueva School in California and consulting with schools nationwide. Her popular online courses have been attended by educators, specialists, and parents from around the globe seeking to enhance their understanding of SWI.
Alongside Fiona Hamilton, Rebecca co-authored The High Frequency Word Project, a comprehensive resource that demystifies the spelling of over 100 frequently used and misunderstood words. When not pondering language and instruction, you’ll likely find her in the garden or on the hiking trails. You can read more about her work on her website at www.illuminatewords.com.