CDT Treatment Protocols & Procedures 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of 'simultaneous oral spelling' (SOS) in a dyslexia therapy session?
- To speed up spelling by eliminating phonemic analysis
- To reinforce the sound-symbol link by having the student say each phoneme while writing the corresponding grapheme (Correct answer)
- To replace dictation with silent written spelling practice
- To teach whole-word memorization of high-frequency words
Correct answer: To reinforce the sound-symbol link by having the student say each phoneme while writing the corresponding grapheme
SOS integrates auditory, visual, and kinesthetic channels simultaneously—students say each sound as they write the letter(s), reinforcing the phoneme-grapheme connection.
Question 2: A student can decode CVC words fluently but makes errors on CCVC words. The NEXT instructional step should be:
- Moving directly to multisyllabic words to accelerate progress
- Explicit instruction in blending initial consonant clusters followed by practice with CCVC words (Correct answer)
- Revisiting short vowel sounds before adding consonant clusters
- Introducing silent-e words to build motivation
Correct answer: Explicit instruction in blending initial consonant clusters followed by practice with CCVC words
When CVC is mastered, the logical next step is explicit instruction in initial consonant blends (CCVC), following the structured, sequential scope and sequence.
Question 3: During phoneme segmentation practice, a student segments 'ship' as /sh/-/i/-/p/. This response indicates:
- An error—'sh' should be separated into /s/ and /h/
- Correct phoneme segmentation recognizing 'sh' as one phoneme (digraph) (Correct answer)
- Confusion between phonemes and syllables
- A need to revisit blending before segmenting
Correct answer: Correct phoneme segmentation recognizing 'sh' as one phoneme (digraph)
'Sh' is a digraph representing a single phoneme /ʃ/, so segmenting 'ship' as three phonemes—/sh/-/i/-/p/—is phonemically correct.
Question 4: In a Wilson Reading System session, 'tapping' refers to:
- Using a drum to establish reading rhythm
- A kinesthetic technique where each phoneme is tapped on a finger to support segmenting and blending (Correct answer)
- Tapping the table to signal a decoding error for self-correction
- A reward system using taps to reinforce correct responses
Correct answer: A kinesthetic technique where each phoneme is tapped on a finger to support segmenting and blending
Wilson's tapping technique has students touch successive fingers to physically represent and count phonemes during both segmenting and blending tasks.
Question 5: Which accommodations are typically recommended for a student with dyslexia taking standardized tests?
- Oral administration only, no written response allowed
- Extended time, use of assistive technology (text-to-speech), and a separate testing environment (Correct answer)
- Reduced number of test questions to lower anxiety
- Permission to use a dictionary for all unknown words
Correct answer: Extended time, use of assistive technology (text-to-speech), and a separate testing environment
Research-supported accommodations for dyslexia include extended time, text-to-speech technology, and a distraction-reduced setting to level the playing field without changing the construct being tested.
Question 6: A therapist is designing a lesson on the 'magic e' (VCe) syllable pattern. Which activity best reinforces this concept?
- Reading a decodable passage that mixes VCe and CVC words for contrast practice (Correct answer)
- Memorizing a list of 30 silent-e words as sight words
- Introducing all six syllable types in the same lesson for comparison
- Focusing exclusively on long-a VCe words before teaching other vowels
Correct answer: Reading a decodable passage that mixes VCe and CVC words for contrast practice
Contrasting VCe and CVC words within decodable practice deepens understanding of how the final 'e' changes the vowel sound, a core principle of structured literacy.
Question 7: What is the recommended caseload size per session for intensive dyslexia intervention to maximize effectiveness?
- Groups of 8-10 students to allow peer modeling
- 1:1 or very small groups of 2-3 students at a similar skill level (Correct answer)
- Whole-class instruction with differentiated worksheets
- Pairs only, to encourage peer teaching
Correct answer: 1:1 or very small groups of 2-3 students at a similar skill level
Research demonstrates that intensive dyslexia intervention is most effective in 1:1 or small groups of 2-3 matched students, allowing individualized pacing and immediate corrective feedback.
CDT Treatment Protocols & Procedures 3
What is the purpose of 'simultaneous oral spelling' (SOS) in a dyslexia therapy session?