Is your child or your student not able to read or spell in spite of all of your tremendous efforts? Are you frustrated and becoming impatient because progress is minimal? Please stop! Give Ellie's Code a chance and you will be pleasantly surprised! Ellie's Code is a color-coded story with controlled-vocabulary and high-frequency word lists. It is a delightful and interesting story about two mischievous ants that run into some problems on their way to school. Their fearless and thoughtful teacher, who is a rat, is drawn into their unexpected perils, and so is their principal, a very clever and charming cat! Every page begins with a short list of high frequency words which should be mastered prior to reading the following text page.Every page has a new word count. Children need to be encouraged to read each page several times to increase their reading fluency. Setting goals to reach a reading fluency of at least 70 words per minute, per page is recommended.The word lists are designed to let the reader first focus on the blue letters to discover and identify spelling patterns or mini-words within words which may not always have the same sounds. One of the main functions of the human brain when engaged in learning is to search, identify, extract, and organize patterns. Children will learn to use this function to make reading an easier task and will not get discouraged or confused when they encounter the same pattern or letters with a different sound. Then, the reader adds the green letters to complete decoding the word. Any red letters, although they are silent, may alert the reader to change the previous vowel sound or guide the reader to focus on one vowel sound when he/she encounters two or more successive vowels. Red letters are also important to help distinguish the correct meaning of homophones and for spelling. A summary guide for color-code usage is included. The blue, green, and red color code colors were specifically chosen for Ellie's Code because they correlate to the three types of color-sensitive cone photo receptors located in the macula region of the retina in the human eye. These cones are responsible for maximum visual acuity and perception to detail, which is necessary and important in humans for the process of reading. Children do not need to memorize the code; they simply learn to use it as a tool to self-guide them along with the process of decoding. Prior to making their own attempt, it is imperative that they listen to an adult read each list of words and text page, paying particular attention to the underlined words. Children will generalize their reading strategies as they transition to black print in text. They do not become dependent on the color-code! At the same time that children are learning to decode the English Language, they can learn how to spell it. Dictation of the word lists and text is recommended on a .5cm2 graph paper notebook. The success experienced by the children is usually evident after the third or fourth lesson. Patience and positive reinforcements are required to succeed. I encourage parents, teachers, and tutors to work methodically, sequentially, and systematically with determination. The success you and your student should experience will become the evidence of the practicality and efficacy of this method.
About the Author: Eliana Villarroel's greatest achievement and joy is to have created a unique color-coded reading method rooted in brain research. She has used Ellie's Code successfully to teach how to decode and spell the English Language to students who were not able to make adequate progress through standard phonetic instructional approaches. Over 400 at risk and Special Education students in Southern California made significant improvements in reading fluency and spelling using Ellie's Code. The average reading fluency growth after 30 hours of instruction was 39 words per minute. Children's spelling scores, self-esteem, and attitude towards school and learning also made positive improvements. Her motto is "Find the power to believe in yourself because failure is not an option!" Her dream is to be a contributor to dramatically lower the 32 percent of students who are still scoring Below Basic in reading fluency by the time they reach the fourth grade in the U.S.A. Eliana Villarroel is a teacher with 34 years of experience. She has a Master of Arts in Reading and Language Arts, a Multiple Subjects Life Teaching Credential K-12 and Adult Classes, a Special Education Credential, and a Certificate of Competence in Spanish. She has been the recipient of recognition awards at her school, district, university, and state level.