USING THE SOUNDS OF WORDS TO INCREASE COMPREHENSION FOR HISTORICAL INFORMATION

"...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness..." This document was signed by 56 delegates of the Colonies, who became the Founding Fathers, and thus was born the United States Of America.

Yes, every year US citizens celebrate July 4th, Independence Day, with parades, cook-outs, picnics, patriotic songs, and fireworks. And the basis for that holiday is The Declaration of Independence, which is kept at the US National Archives & Records Administration, and which can be accessed at www.archives.gov. And it is important that every citizen be able to read and comprehend every word. This is our history, "IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America..."

Struggling readers will have difficulty decoding, reading, and comprehending many or all of the words in this document. The Sounds Of Words can be used to help them concretely and multi-sensorily discover for themselves the "sound spellings" for any words they need to know. The teacher/parent will encourage and empower the struggling reader by acknowledging the words the reader already knows, then using The Sounds Of Words to teach the unknown words. By doing so, The Declaration of Independence will make sense and will become important to that citizen of The United States Of America.