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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 support@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 does the Colors of English serve? Our learning fun and engaging materials can be used with students of all ages. They work particularly well with sindergarten to 6th grade students. However, this curriculum is dynamic and flexible, and can be implemented in upper classrooms as well. Teachers have even found great success in using the Colors of English materials as ACT/SAT prep in a high school setting! Why do students need to know the parts of speech? Knowing the parts of speech is essential for students! It is not about memorizing categories, it is about understanding how they work with sentences. Many words can act as several different parts of speech depending on the context. When students understand the role that the parts of speech play within sentence patterns, they are equipped with the tools to make sense of the English language. They become better writers and readers, especially when transitioning 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 appeal to different learning styles? We understand that learning is a very indvidual process. In addition to the character based stories related to each Word Bird, we use color-coding, mind maps, and graphic organizers to develop interpersonal learning and vocabulary development. Our hands on and tactile materials used for games and activities include rhythmic and auditory activities as outlined in the instructor’s guide. 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 only focus on birds in your primary program? Birds are everywhere and are not bound by geographic or political boundaries; they are a universal concept. Confining the scope of the program to a single subject helps students focus on structural and syntactical elements they need to develop strong foundational skills. Our Word Birds, and their unique personalities, help students break down often complicated concepts and allow them to process these concepts effectively. Not to mention, they are cute, cuddly, and huggable; the tactile nature of the birds and games further reinforce and solidify target learning goals. Why is color coding important? Color coding offerings 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 you use these materials with other curriculum materials? For a more detailed explanation, please see our instructional guide. However, words are everywhere, and every word (and picture) provides an opportunity to talk about how language works. Students, even pre-readers, can use picture books or storybooks to discuss the rhetorical choices of authors and illustrators. For example, you can ask students to go on a noun-hunt or create charts that identify the emotional journey (states of being) of characters. The options are limitless, and we look forward to hearing how teachers and parents use our materials to engage with their own 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 purchase items from the Word Bird Box separately? Yes, we offer most elements contained in the Bird Box separately. The box is designed as a single teacher resource or home set. We sell classroom sets of all of the workbooks. We also sell sets of Word Birds! In addition to the contents of the Word Bird Box, we offer numerous resources that can be accessed by our subscribers or purchased for downloads. To purchase items separately or as a full program, please contact us.

We are a small and dynamic company dedicated to providing exceptional multisensory educational tools and resources to teachers. We're here to help! Contact Us Interested? Have Questions? Join us in our mission to change the way the world looks at literacy--all students can and should earn their wings. We'd love to discuss how our program can help your students. Don't hesitate to contact us to explore how our program can benefit your educational institution or classroom. We are excited to discuss the possibilities with you! Email Address info@colorsofenglish.com Be Social with Us First Name** Last name Email* Phone Short answer Dropdown* Choose Occupation* Additional information Stay connected with exclusive updates and offers. Subscribe to our email list today. Submit

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 Building Great Sentences One Bird at a Time 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 all academic areas. Our Program Benefits of Colors of English A Science-Driven Curriculum Employ the science of reading--a scientifically proven method for 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 between “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

If you are interested in collaborating with us to develop a research project related to our materials and your students, please reach out. We'd love to work with you.

Teachers can't teach what they don't understand. Most adults today were never provided with an effective foundation to understand how the English language works. We fill that gap and build confidence among teachers while allowing them to have fun at the same time. Professional Development The Colors of English program offers a comprehensive approach to enhancing instructional practices. We tailor professional development options designed specifically for your educational setting. Through onboarding, personalized coaching, and collaborative opportunities, educators can deepen their knowledge of effective teaching strategies and foster a vibrant learning environment for their students. What We Offer for Professionals Onboarding Offered in-person or virtually, we will equip teachers, before the program begins, with the necessary tools, resources, and support to seamlessly integrate the curriculum into their classrooms and effectively deliver engaging Colors of English instruction. Session Length: ≈ 4 hours Group Sessions Offered in-person or virtually, our group sessions foster a collaborative and supportive environment where educators can engage in ongoing learning, share best practices, and refine their instructional strategies to continuously improve student outcomes. Session Length: ≈ 2 hours One-on-One Coaching Offered in person or virtually, we provide individualized support, empowering teachers to receive personalized guidance, feedback, and mentoring to enhance their instructional practices, strengthen their pedagogical skills, and optimize student learning experiences. Session Length: ≈ 30 minutes Our materials qualify for traditional state and local funding options. Learn More about Funding Interested in learning more? Contact Us Hear Directly from Those Who Have Completed Our Professional Development Programs 2nd Grade Teacher "The PD was great. The activities were engaging and helped me better understand the concepts I was teaching." 4th Grade Teacher "The one-on-one coaching is very helpful, it gave me specific activities to review concepts with my class." 1st Grade Teacher "Being able to have hands on practice allows me to help my students be more successful in their learning." 2nd Grade Teacher "I love the hands on modeling of the games and activities. My students will have so much fun with this." Special Ed Teacher "Everything was great! I can't wait to use all ofthe multi-sensory materials to help my students." 4thGrade Teacher "There are so many ways to engage the students. We played games and my students loved it. "

We teach students how to read and build sentences one Word Bird at a time. Knowing how to read words is not enough. Students must understand how the eight parts of speech function within the context of English syntax and sentence structure. Our flock of Word Birds makes language come alive and shows students how all the pieces fit together. Our mission is to change the way the world looks at literacy! How it Started Our founder, Cynthia D'Amico, started her career as an attorney but ultimately chose to follow her passion for teaching. As a high school English teacher, she quickly realized that a majority of her students came into her classroom without the necessary foundational skills they needed to succeed in college. In collaboration with her students, she developed a systematic approach to ensure that all the necessary foundational pieces were in place when it came to reading and writing skills. Her tremendous success with her own students inspired her to create The Colors of English to teach the skills required by state standards in the elementary grades and beyond. Taking Flight Since 2015, we have helped countless private and homeschooled students. In 2021, we began running our first pilot program at Notre Dame School of Milwaukee, catering to grades first through fourth. Within less than a year, we witnessed remarkable progress. Our partnership with Notre Dame has been ongoing, and teachers' feedback regarding the curriculum has been overwhelmingly positive. Moreover, our multi-sensory learning materials have been enthusiastically embraced by students, as they provide an effective and personalized approach to learning that caters to their unique needs. Soaring High Our proven success is enabling us to spread our wings and extend our reach to additional school districts through our Colors of English program. If you're interested in learning more, or if you know a teacher, school district, or motivated parent that could benefit from a research-based curriculum that employs the science of reading to teach the English language in an effective and engaging manner, reach out! Contact Us Research Colors of English has research-based curriculum materials focusing on language comprehension. Research supports various aspects of the unique program behind Colors of English. See Our Research

Take a look at our scope and sequence, and get to know the flock. Teachers are encouraged to download the free monthly activity. Free Downloadable Resources LIMITED TIME ONLY Norm the Noun had a busy summer! Help you students grow their vocabulary and learn about nouns that the same time. Download this partial collection of coloring sheets. They are filled with activities students often do during summer time. There are several ways to use them. You can print the labeled sheet, if you want students to work on vocabulary. You can also print the unlabeled sheets and the word lists. Students can use the list to label each word. You can also cut the word lists up, and ask students to label the blank sheet (both good option for ESL students). More advanced students can be given the word list to learn the words and the spellings. They can then be given an unlabeled sheet and ask them to label it. Click to Download PDF Meet The Flock Introducing all the Word Birds with short little stories that students love! Each bird is introduced separately and the story gives a little insight into their unique personality. Click to Download PDF Bird Bios Learn a little bit about each of our feathered friends. Students quickly internalize each bird's unique personality and learn who is friends with whom, and why they don't all get along. They may be small in stature, but they play a huge role in helping students understand the different jobs that each part of speech plays. Headbands and bowties do matter and make understanding complicated concepts, such as possessives or gerunds, easy eggs to crack. Click to Download PDF ELA Standards The surprising details of what students should know and when they should know it. For example, by third grade, students are expected to "Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences." Could you, as a teacher, explain the difference in how the word kitchen is used in the following sentences? "The new house has a huge kitchen," and "A blue bird hit the kitchen window." Understanding the difference yourself doesn't count (it is a lot more difficult to explain these concepts to young students)! Click to Download PDF Scope & Sequence This is how we approach mastery based learning. Everything is incredibly well scaffolded. The materials offer a broad range of engaging, multisensory activities that allow flexibility and creative, so students can fly high all by themselves. Click to Download PDF Pesky Grammer Rules Once students master syntax and structure, grammar rules start to make sense (well most of them). Click to Download PDF

Join the flock and help your students fly. Our delightful, engaging, and multisensory materials help students understand how the English language works, enabling them to soar to new heights in reading and writing. Our Program Soaring High Using explicit and systematic instruction, our program incorporates multimodal learning. Through our Word Bird characters, stories, and color-coded sentence structures, students are taught the intricacies of language within a variety of educational activities. It is fun, engaging, and remarkably effective. It is a resource that can be implemented within the framework of any existing core ELA curriculum. Curriculum Overview Why Colors of English? Literacy is a fundamental skill, and it extends beyond the mere act of reading words. At The Colors of English, we provide tools to help students understand how words work within the structure of sentences, helping them become better readers and writers. When students understand and master the role that the parts of speech play within sentence structure, they are able to make sense of the English language and become more successful in all content areas. We believe even the youngest students must begin their language comprehension journey as soon as, or even before, they start to read, giving them an edge when transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn. See Our Scope & Sequence Video Watch and see our program in action! Meet the Flock Responsible for 110% Improvement in Literacy Outcomes Learn a little bit about each of our feathered friends. Students quickly internalize each bird's unique personality and learn who is friends with whom, and why they don't all get along. They may be small in stature, but they play a huge role in helping students understand the different jobs that each part of speech plays. Headbands and bowties do matter and make understanding complicated concepts such as possessives or gerunds easy eggs to crack. Norm the Noun Vern the Verb Ajax the Adjective Addie the Adverb Pepe the Pronoun Patty the Preposition Coco the Conjunction Ishmael the Interjection Click on Each to Read Their Bios Curriculum Overview Taking Flight 1 Best for Grades K-2 Program Overview with Links to Resources Lists Available Classroom Materials Suggested Implementation 5 times per week, about 15-20 minutes each lesson. Each lesson consists of a short teacher-led lesson, a student workbook activity, and suggested class or small group activities 57-page student workbook Scripted instructors' guide Tactile materials, including our eight stuffed Word Birds, color-coded pom-poms, dice, classroom posters, and more Instructor resources, including detailed lesson plans, suggested games and activities, assessments, and other downloadable reinforcement activities Taking Flight Book 2 Best for Grades 2-3 Program Overview with Links to Resource Lists Suggested Implementation Suggested Implementation 3-5 times per week, about 20-30 minutes each lesson. Each lesson consists of a short teacher-led lesson, a student workbook activity, and suggested class or small group activities 49-page student workbook Scripted instructors' guide Tactile materials, including our eight stuffed Word Birds, color-coded pom-poms, dice, classroom posters, and more Instructor resources, including detailed lesson plans, exit tickets, assessments, and other downloadable reinforcement activities Taking Flight Book 3 Best for Grades 3-4 Program Overview with Links to Resource Lists Suggested Implementation Suggested Implementation 3 times per week, about 30 minutes each lesson. Each lesson consists of a lesson, with knowledge checks and optional exit tickets, writing assignments, quizzes, and tests. 86-page student workbook Scripted instructors' guide Tactile materials, including our eight stuffed Word Birds, dice, classroom posters, and more Instuctor resources, including detailed lesson plans, exit tickets, assessments, and downloadable reinforcement activities Interested in joining our flock? Want to learn about our Pilot Program? Contact Us Professional Development & Support Colors of English offers tailored professional development options designed specifically for teachers. Our program offers a comprehensive approach to enhancing instructional practices. As students ascend through grade levels, we'll remain on as your partner through continuous professional development and training, as often--or as little--as you need us. Learn More Backed by Research The research supporting an effective ELA curriculum emphasizes the importance of integrating language comprehension within the broader context of reading and writing. Studies suggest that explicit and systematic grammar instruction can enhance students' language proficiency and writing skills, leading to improved reading comprehension, sentence structure, and overall communication abilities. By providing focused grammar instruction alongside meaningful language experiences, students can develop a deeper understanding and application of grammatical concepts in their written and spoken language. View Our Research

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 and Lynch, 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. (Nagey, 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, L & Seitz, A., 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) Achievement scores of students who were taught with instructional resources that matched their preferred modalities were statistically higher than were the scores attained by students who were not taught with learning-styles methods. (Farkus, 2003) See Our Scope & Sequence