At The Colors of English, we offer multisensory educational materials that teach students how grammar, syntax, and structure work within the science of reading to improve both reading and writing. Building Great Sentences One Bird at a Time Knowing how to decode words is a critical first step for reading and writing, but that's just the beginning of every literacy journey. Students must understand the structure of the English language when transitioning from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." We offer fun and engaging materials that break down sentence structure and allow students to succeed academically. Our Program Providing Lifelong Success in Reading & Writing Our unique and engaging materials are research-based and standards-aligned. We teach students how the English language actually works, providing a clear and concise explanation of the parts of speech and how they fit within the framework of the English language sentence structures . Once mastered, these skills give students the confidence and competence to succeed in all academic areas. Our Program Benefits of Colors of English A Science-Driven Curriculum Grounded in the science of reading: decades of research on how students build language comprehension. Increased Student Engagement Use characters, illustrations, color-coding and multi-sensory materials to make it fun for the students. Set Students Up for Success Develop the requisite language comprehension skills to set students up for success. Improved Student Comprehension & Recall Continuously build upon students' knowledge as they ascend through grade levels. Ease of Use by Teachers & Students Quick and easy implementation with hands-on training provided by Colors of English. A Unique Language Arts Program Bridging the gap from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Hear Directly from Parents & Teachers “My kids both loved their Colors of English class! They learned so much and had so much fun doing it! This is the most unique approach to language learning I have ever seen. Students learn grammar but really much more about concepts than rules. They talk about the birds all the time and want to take them everywhere.” John - Home School Parent of Elementary Students Get in Touch Join us in changing the way the world sees literacy. We’d love to talk about how Colors of English can support your students and help them earn their wings. Contact Us

How well do you know the parts of speech? Take the free Sentence Sense quiz from Colors of English and see your results, Word Bird by Word Bird.

It is our mission to support educators, and we are also open to answering any questions you may have. If you don't see the answer here, reach out. Frequently Asked Questions Whether you are a new or existing member of our Flock, you probably have some questions. Browse through these FAQs to find answers to commonly asked questions about our Colors of English program. If you cannot find what you are looking for please email us at info@colorsofenglish.com or click below to reach out. Contact Us Is Colors of English a stand-alone curriculum? No, our materials are an effective supplementary tool to enhance in-class instruction and engage students in a fun and memorable way. It is a resource that can be implemented within the framework of any existing curriculum in school or at home. Writing, like reading, is an ongoing developmental process that takes years to perfect. We provide both students and teachers with the foundational structure and the metalinguistic tools to discuss how students can make effective choices by expressing themselves creatively. What grades is the Colors of English program suitable for? The Colors of English program is perfect for students of all ages, particularly those in kindergarten through 6th grade. However, our dynamic and flexible curriculum also works well in upper-grade classrooms. Some teachers have even used our materials for ACT/SAT prep in high school! Why should students learn the parts of speech? Learning the parts of speech is crucial for students! It's not just about memorizing categories; it's about understanding how they function within sentences. Many words can serve multiple roles depending on the context. When students grasp the roles of different parts of speech within sentence patterns, they gain the tools to make sense of the English language. This understanding helps them become better writers and readers, especially as they transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Can I use the Colors of English program for my students as a parent? Yes, the Colors of English provides materials for all learning settings, including at home! This program is an excellent way to keep students engaged over the summer, during the school year as a homeschooling program, or year round as an after-school supplement to in-class learning. How does the Colors of English use multimodal learning? Every learner is different, so we teach each concept in more than one way. Students meet the parts of speech through character-based stories about each Word Bird, then see them in action with color-coding, mind maps, and graphic organizers that build understanding and vocabulary. Hands-on, tactile materials for games and activities, along with the rhythmic and auditory activities outlined in the instructor's guide, let students see, hear, and handle language. We have something for everyone! Check our research page to learn more. What kind of support does the Colors of English provide to instructors and users? We are here to tailor our program to your specific needs. The Colors of English program comes with an easy-to-follow instructional guide, complete with lesson plans for every day of instruction and additional ideas and activities to supplement learning. We also offer targeted professional development programs to provide success in all situations from home-school to district wide implementations. Why do you focus on birds in your program? We focus on birds because they are a universal concept, found everywhere and not limited by geography or politics. This helps students concentrate on the structural and syntactical elements they need to build strong foundational skills. Our Word Birds, with their unique personalities, make complex concepts easier to understand and process. Plus, they're cute, cuddly, and huggable, adding a tactile element that reinforces learning goals. Why is color coding important? Color coding offers amazing benefits. Research indicates associating colors with concepts stimulates different neural pathways than learning in black and white alone. Switching colors also requires students to pause momentarily, helping them focus and solidify their thought process. By stimulating higher attention and involvement, color coding also helps students remember and retain the information. How can I integrate the Colors of English materials with other curricula? To integrate the Colors of English materials with other curricula, refer to our instructional guide for detailed guidance. Essentially, words are everywhere, and each word (and picture) offers a chance to explore language. Even pre-readers can use picture books or storybooks to discuss the rhetorical choices of authors and illustrators. For instance, you can have students go on a noun-hunt or create charts tracking the emotional journeys of characters. The possibilities are endless, and we love hearing how teachers and parents use our materials to engage their students. What standards does the Colors of English work with? The Colors of English curriculum is designed to ensure students meet federal and state standards. For more information on our scope and sequence, visit the link here. Can I buy individual items from the Word Bird Box? Absolutely! You can purchase most items from the Word Bird Box individually. While the box is designed as a comprehensive resource for teachers or home use, we also offer classroom sets of workbooks and Word Birds. Plus, there are many additional resources available for our subscribers or for download. To buy items separately or as a complete program, just get in touch with us. Can I share my materials with other teachers? Each purchase is a license for one teaching adult, so please don't pass along your links or files. You're welcome to post student handouts to a password-protected class site for your own students. Colleagues can buy their own copy; for anything else, email us at support@colorsofenglish.com. When I click a link, the PDF flashes and disappears. Where did it go? Your browser is sending PDFs to your Downloads folder instead of showing them. The file is there, and you can open it from Downloads. To have PDFs open in your browser instead:Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Additional content settings > PDF documents > choose "Open PDFs in Chrome." If that is already selected, the Adobe Acrobat extension is usually the cause. Type chrome://extensions into the address bar and switch it off, or change its settings so it does not send PDFs to Acrobat.Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > PDF documents > turn off "Always download PDF files."Firefox: Settings > General > Applications > Portable Document Format (PDF) > choose "Open in Firefox."Safari: Safari opens PDFs by default. If a PDF downloads instead, check Safari > Settings > Extensions for a PDF extension. Acrobat asks "Do you want to open this link?" every time. Is that normal? Yes. This is a normal Adobe Acrobat safety prompt. Click "Open Link" to continue. If Acrobat offers the option to remember your choice for colorsofenglish.com, select it and the prompt will stop. You can also open our PDFs in your web browser, which does not ask. A video won't play at school. What can I do? Some school networks block video sites. Our videos are hosted on our own website's video service, not YouTube, but some filters still block them. Ask your IT department to allow colorsofenglish.com and video.wixstatic.com. In the meantime, try the video from home or on a mobile hotspot. A link asks me to sign in to Microsoft or says I don't have access. You may be using an older copy of the materials from before 2026. Download the current version from your purchase email, or contact us and we'll send you the updated links. A link doesn't work or opens the wrong file. Please let us know which document, page, and link. We will fix it quickly and send you the corrected file. Why do slideshow links download instead of opening? Our slideshows are PowerPoint files, and browsers can't show PowerPoint files the way they show PDFs. When you click a slideshow link, the file goes to your Downloads folder and your browser stays on the page you were on, so it can look as if nothing happened.Open the file from your Downloads folder in PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides (in Google Drive, upload the file, then open it with Google Slides). Present it from there so the animations and click-to-reveal slides play as designed. Larger slideshows can take a minute to download. A slideshow opens with a "Marked as Final" bar. Is something wrong? No, that's expected. We mark our slideshows as final so they aren't changed by accident. Just present as usual: the animations and click-to-reveal slides work normally, and there's no need to click "Edit Anyway."

Understand how and why sentence structure and syntax play such a crucial role in the Science of reading. Explore our research related to the benefits of our unique multisensory materials Our Research Research Based Methodology At Colors of English, we are proponents of the Science of Reading. Our materials focus on the language comprehension side of the reading rope equation, helping students develop syntactical awareness. View Our Detailed Research A High Level Overview 1. Science of Reading: Syntactic Awareness Experts suggest that syntax and sentence structure concepts, like phonics, should be taught in an explicit and systematic manner, as structured in the Colors of English. (Moats, 2020) There is a clear connection between syntactic comprehension and awareness and reading comprehension. (MacKay et al., 2021) A study done by the United Kingdom Literacy Association found that adolescent students’ reading comprehension was both directly and indirectly impacted by their syntactic knowledge and syntactic awareness. (Brimo, Apel, and Fountain, 2015) 2. Reading & Writing Connection Research shows proficiency in constructing simple sentences is an important and foundational skill for continued writing growth. (Datchuk & Kubina, 2017) Sentence and spelling instruction had a moderately significant impact on improving word-reading skills. (Graham, 2020) Sentence Construction is a crucial foundational skill to support students’ ability to read fluently and comprehend. (Datchuk and Kubina, 2017) 3. Metalinguistic Awareness According to Louisa Moats, “metalinguistic or conscious knowledge of the structures of language is usually developed through formal study and reflection.” (Moats, 2020) Metalinguistic awareness can be defined as the ability to manipulate language out of context. Semantic and syntactic awareness allows students to disambiguate larger concepts within texts, thus increasing students’ language comprehension. (Zipke, 2021) Metacognition is acknowledged as being essential to reading comprehension; what may not be as widely recognized is how much of the metacognition that goes on during reading has a metalinguistic component - sensitivity to sentence structure is essential. (Nagy, 2007) 4. Multisensory Learning & Support of Neurodiverse Students Research shows that multisensory exposure can result in superior recognition of objects compared to unisensory exposure. (Shams & Seitz, 2008) Reading is a visual and mental phenomenon. In other words, the reading process is both a sensory process that depends on certain visual skills, such as the identification of symbols, and a perceptual process that involves the interpretation of what is sensed. (Ahuja & Ahuja, 2007) Students learn better from words and pictures together than from words alone. (Mayer, 2009) See Our Scope & Sequence

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