HACKING THE BRAIN’S BACKDOOR A neuroscience-based approach to reading instruction. Learn More
A Multisensory Phonics Approach Rooted in the Science of Reading
Twice the Reading Gain in Half the Time….
Phonics with the Brain in Mind!
Secret Stories® are the “secret” reasons WHY letters get together and make the many different sounds that they do.
They offer logical explanations for letter sound behavior that learners’ brains crave!
Rooted in the science of reading and cognitive neuroscience research,
Secret Stories® targets backdoor learning channels to accelerate phonics skill mastery for reading and writing.
Secret Stories® works seamlessly with any reading curriculum or phonics program to fast-track
the critical “code-based” phonics skills needed to read and write—while fitting perfectly into existing instruction.
“I share it with EVERY teacher I meet because I know the difference it makes!”
– Heather, a First Grade Teacher in Lake Worth, Florida
Not skills kids have to learn, but “secrets” they want to know!
“I would tell any elementary grade teacher the following – These are the most useful and interactive posters I have in my classroom. If nothing else goes on your walls, hang these posters!!!”
– Jenifer, Second Grade Teacher in Wellington, Florida
“I have been a kindergarten teacher more years than I can count, and the strategies you shared in workshop were of more use to me, and more beneficial to my students, than anything I have ever brought back to my classroom! Thank you for revitalizing my year!”
– Carolyn, Kindergarten Teacher in Burbank, California
“Secret Stories are the life-blood of our classroom. They are always in view, always a part of our whole and small group conversations. We couldn’t read words without them.”
– Tara, First Grade Teacher in Parkersburg, West Virginia
“I first heard about the Secret Stories at a LETRS training for principals and immediately purchased them for my staff. The Secrets have now made their way into the main office, as I now have a ‘Wall of Secrets’ outside my door! Students just love to share them with myself and my assistant principal, and I am thrilled to see my teachers feeling so confident and rejuvenated about teaching reading!”
– Paul, Elementary Principal in Dallas, Texas
NEW PRODUCTS!
“Heavy Duty” Decorative Phonics Flashcards
These 6×6 inch “heavy duty” decorative phonics flash cards have the Secret Stories® graphics on one side and the abridged “secret” phonics stories on the other, making them the perfect supplement to any of the Secret Stories® Classroom or Parent/Homeschool Kits.
Secret Stories® “Decorative Squares” Phonics Kit (for Classroom & Parent/Homeschool Use)
This 12×12 inch phonics posters in whimsical shades of pink, blue, yellow, green and lavender are included in the new “Decorative Squares” Kit, along with the Secret Stories® Book and Musical Sound-Drill/Brainteaser Songs phonics download (Posters may also be purchased separately for those who already have the book and music download.)
What is phonics and phonemic awareness?
Phonics is a method for teaching reading and writing that is based on the alphabetic principle—the understanding that letters represent sounds that form words. Phonics instruction requires developing learners’ phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sound patterns (phonemes) in order to teach the corresponding spelling patterns (graphemes) that represent them. Read More
Is phonics important in learning to read?
Phonics is important in learning to read and write because letter-sound knowledge is the foundation needed to build up reading and writing abilities. Written language is like a code that kids must crack and phonics is the key to cracking it. Read More
When do kids learn phonics?
Kids learn phonics at the beginning grade levels, with the traditional path for phonics instruction often spanning multiple grade level years, from prekindergarten to second or even third grade. Learning phonics in kindergarten means learning that the letter /y/ makes the sound “yuh,” but it’s typically not until second grade that they learn it can also make the sounds of /e/ and /i/. Read More
A Brain Based Approach to Teaching Reading
Secret Stories® is a brain based solution to the age-old problem of how to teach meaningless phonics skills in a meaningful way. By cloaking skills as “secrets” that learners want to know, they are easy to teach and can be shared as needed— whenever and wherever they are encountered, allowing for immediate transfer to reading and writing.
By targeting reading instruction to the earlier-developing social and emotional centers in the brain, Secret Stories® makes high-leverage phonics skills easily accessible to beginning and struggling readers, alike, making it one of the most highly effective reading instruction concepts available to educators. View the Research.
How Secret Stories® Phonics Works
Activating “Backdoor” Social Emotional Learning Channels
with Multisensory Reading Instruction
Visual Learning
SEE IT
SEE the picture to identify the sound patterns for reading and spelling patterns for writing/spelling.
Auditory Learning
SAY IT
SAY the story to recall the sounds that letters make when they get together.
Kinesthetic Learning
DO IT
DO the actions to engage muscle memory for easy phonological processing and nonconscious skill retrieval.
DO the Better Alphabet Song to fast track mastery of individual letters and sounds—taking just 2 weeks to 2 months.
Affective Learning
FEEL IT
FEEL the emotional connections by acting out letter sound behaviors through role play to activate the brain’s emotional systems for deeper learning and increased learner engagement.
“It is neurobiologically impossible to think deeply about things you don’t care about.” — Dr. Helen Immordino-Yang
Not More, Just Better
Secret Stories® makes learning to read go warp-speed!
Secrets are the “keys” kids need to “unlock” words all day long, in all subject areas.
They are always there, always teaching….
living in between the reading and writing they’re already doing every day!
TEACH READING SMARTER, NOT HARDER…
You’re already singing the alphabet…. so why not sing the “Better” Alphabet?
You’re already talking about words on the calendar…. so why talk about the Secrets that are in them?
You’re already telling stories…. so why not tell “secret” stories?
You’re already modeling how to write words….. so why not model how to spell them with Secrets?
You’re already studying letter sounds in word work activities…. so why not study their “secret” sounds?
You’re already teaching how to “read” words in guided reading…. so why not teach the Secrets needed to decode them?
You’re already teaching vocabulary words in math…. so why teach the Secrets that are in them?
You’re already “memorizing” sight word lists…. so why not just teach the Secrets kids need to READ them! Learn More
Secret Stories® transforms daily phonics instruction into child’s play.
It’s not “one more thing” you have to teach; but the one thing you won’t ever want to teach without!
“Memory-Enhancers” in the Brain
Secret Stories® act as strong “memory-holding” templates in the brain,
providing a much-needed framework for memory construction.
Stories are easy to remember because stories are how we remember, making them easy to teach and to learn.
The fact that they are “secrets” makes them important to kids, marking them for memory and prioritized learning in the brain.
Learn More about the Secret Stories® Phonics Method.
Using Brain Science to Accelerate Reading and Writing Skill Mastery
Secret Stories® Breaks Down the Grade Level Walls that Delay Learner-Access to the Code!
“Three to four grade level years is too long to make learners wait for the whole code!” —Katie Garner
It’s amazing what kindergartners can do
when they have ALL of the reading code!
Writing Improves Reading
Using Writing as a “Window” into the Mind of a Reader
Secret Stories® gives kids more tools to bring to the reading and writing table so that they can take the maximum instructional value away each day!
The guiding premise behind Secret Stories® is that there is no reason to teach phonics aside from using it to read and to write, which is why kids need more of the code earlier on. Reading and writing in kindergarten with only a letter a week is impossible.
About the Author, Katie Garner, M.Ed.
Katie Garner, M.Ed., (author of best-selling book, Secret Stories® Cracking the Reading Code with the Brain in Mind) is an internationally known speaker, author, and literacy consultant with over twenty-five years of experience working in elementary grade classrooms across the US, and a passion for infusing neuroscience into literacy and learning. Her “backdoor-to-the-brain” approach to accelerated phonics skill mastery, via the affective (social-emotional) learning networks, shifts the paradigms associated with traditional, reading skill instruction, and has been shared in both lecture and panel discussion at Harvard and M.I.T. Attend a Phonics Workshop or Check Katie’s Speaking Schedule
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Secret Stories® Support Group on Facebook
Teaching Phonics with the 🧠 Brain in Mind
October 20th, 9:13 pm
I wish I could get more people on board. My aide (she is something else), thinks this whole thing is stupid and that I am ruining, my students. My team agrees with her. I am waiting for the end of the year and my data.
October 18th, 9:46 pm
Just like the kids once you learn it then you can tell it in your own words, doesn't need to be word for word from the book. When you are first learning make the book something special... Only a certain student gets to touch it for that day when you need it. Hype it up that only in the book can you find the secrets. I started out one story a day until I got the hang of it , it was easier for my brain and it really isn't overwhelming once you do your first story or two. It is so much fun to teach and the kids beg for them. Also watch this video from Katie www.facebook.com/groups/373171717063493/permalink/580190226361640/
I just started last week when I felt comfortable enough in my Lit program routine to throw in another thing to do 😂. Honestly, I started to first plan when to bring some up—but it worked well as we were talking about vowels. We starred out talking about short a and e and so I had the posters up for those two (only), with a lock covering the superhero vowels on the posters. I then said, that some letters and groups of letters have special stories that are secrets. I then got my book (which I had the pages I needed flagged) and read them the stories and we practiced the actions. Once we eventually moved on to long vowels, I unlocked the superhero vowels. They loved it. I had them cut out superhero masks while we were learning about long vowels. Now, I will just bring them up as they come up. For example, on Friday, we were playing a spelling game and Sneaky Y came up. I got all excited and told them I had a story for them. They loved it. Then, we happened to come across ow and so I told them about those two guys. We make sure to pair a big action with it. They are now able to tell me the story (slightly modified to their own versions) of all the stories we’ve done. As I get more familiar with the stories, I can tell them. But since I know we have posters, when I see a pattern/something that we have a poster of, we just do the story together.
The app is a must have.
Well, we started today!! They were sooooo excited. A few said they weren’t good with secrets 🤣
I bought the app Told my kids that I’m learning these stories too.
There is a set now that has the story on the back. You can just read it to them if need be. It's the cards that are about 5"x5" or 6"x6" or so.
October 20th, 11:13 pm
U can say they are twins
I always tell the kids there is more than one of each letter, since there are often more than one in a single word. So one a is in love with w and one is in love with u.
I always choked when I told this one because of that. How could they not?? So I don’t say anything about having a crush or being IN love anymore. I say they really love each other and are always giving each other compliments. They’re so sweet to each other. Then they respond all embarrassed and cute saying awwwww.
October 12th, 5:38 pm
Thank you for sharing!!
Nice! I appreciate this Sheryl.
Thank you!!
Thanks for sharing! ❤️
Thank you!! ❤️❤️
Thank you!!
Thank you! ❤️
Thanks 😊
Much appreciated! 😊
My students will love earning these. Thanks!
How to download no link
This is great! I’m catching up on all the files! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!!! 💖
Mahalo for sharing 😉
Thank you so much!!
Love it!
Thank u
Lilit Khachikyan
October 20th, 6:50 pm
Unload all the secrets and then when you arrive at various phonics in your scope and sequence you can move through it more quickly, which will give more time for other things! Once the students catch on, they will begin demanding to know ALL the secrets . Don’t hold back!
I am keeping our scope and sequence but teaching as they pop up! I try to focus on mommy e, r controlled, and digraphs right now (when they "popup") I throw in ay, ey at calendar time when doing days of the week. I throw in Th on Thursday (also can do er, ir, ur on this day bc they love the car noises!) I am surprised at how well some of my struggling students are picking up on these after only hearing the story once or twice! I am realizing now that once I read through the story, I don't need to keep going back to the book. I just say an abbreviated form of the story to keep momentum going with our lessons. We are LOVING it! ❤ However, do whatever works for you! That is the beauty of it. No pressure, just stories. I don't stop each time I see a secret, just one or two a day if it fits in the moment. 😊
I haven’t changed anything. I teach them as they come up. For example, this week one of our sight words it like so I taught Mommy e.
Teach your curriculum and add the secrets in so they can read and write!!! Then when you get to that in the curriculum it’ll be review!
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