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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Teaching Phonics with the 🧠 Brain in Mind
July 27th, 10:46 am
I feel your pain! I did get the pastel but I cut them and now I'm so disappointed 😞
Pardon all the piles and the long distance. I took this pic the other day for completely different reasons, but it does show my display.
Just got mine hung yesterday, but still working on a label to go above it. I've got the space savers because that's all the space I've got in my room. 😁
I love the red ones. They match the red pages of secrets and the students correlate the two. Also the red just looks better with my black and white board background.
I cut mine down and put them on black paper. I think they look great!
My set is on it’s way… to cut or not to cut?!?! Still trying to decide. Please keep the pictures coming!
I hope mine is in on its way. I ordered it on July 18.
Go to the top of this page and click photos. There’s lots of examples of how other teachers have hung theirs. You have to do a lot of scrolling but it’s worth it!
Same!!!! I have primary colors in my room so I got the red ones, but I now love the look of the pastel ones. 😢
I love my funky red set! ( the blender is on my window).
Not the best picture, but I cut mine and hot glued to our cabinets last year. I think our school is upgrading to the pastel kits and I’m eagerly awaiting them.
I got mine recently and I've been having regrets for not getting the pastels 😖 The pastels take up SO much space and I'd be afraid to cut them...
Just hung mine up!
I posted the smaller ones on my whiteboard and use it as a word wall. When we come across a secret in a word we add it to the wall
I ordered the pastels and regret not getting the red. Haha. It will look great and your students will learn!!
I have the red. I cant show you as they are down as I am moving schools. Please remember the reason they were red and yellow in the first place is because of the brain science. They help the brain remember. I did cut mine down and I dont put up the blender any more( bl still says b and l).
Years ago I tried to make sure my classroom theme was able to focus heavily on primary colors because then everything from every teacher store can “kind of” match. Donated Seat pockets in primary blue, yellow and red- check. Wiggle seats in bright red- check The pastels are beautiful but my matchup match self can’t handle the differences and a feeling of being in cohesive. I used a travel theme- and my room has world flags hanging all around, yellow airport/transportation type signage.
Don’t be sad. I LOVE my red posters! I don’t have a picture to show right now, but mine are kind of spread out all around the room. Once you tell the story, the kids know exactly where to find the card when they need it! I also have the red flash cards. I use them when going over Vocabulary from our weekly story or review. That is what the picture attached shows.
You could do "Do You Wanna Hear a Secret?" Like frozen do you wanna build a snowman? Or you could do "Wanna Know a Secret?" Or you could use a magnifying glass/treasure map and call it "Our Secret Stash" or something like that 😁
I was thinking, "Unlocking secrets one story at a time" but now I'm singing, "Do you wanna know a secret? Come on and read with meeee!"
Shhhh! It’s a Secret 🤫
Ask me the secret.
Following
Love your room!
This is such a beautiful, calm room! I love it.
Your room is huge! Love it!
What did you use to secure them to the wall?
Your room is inviting!
What a nice huge room that looks organized!
I love that your walls aren't covered with lots of teacher decorations. This trend of going overboard with IG/TikTok teacher influencers is out of control and harmful to children. Good job!
What a LARGE room!! Looks great!
Love the welcoming “fireplace feel” of your set up!!! So nice for the kiddo when we can make their learning space feel like home;)❤️🙌
Just the bubbles are in this pack. You can add them to your full size Secret Stories® posters without cutting them. You can stick them next to your posters, below your posters, above your posters… you certainly don’t need to do it like these photos show. There’s no right or wrong way to do it.
Only the bubbles with words. The mommy e is one of the pastel decorative squares that's been cut and backed onto black paper.
Perfect. Thanks, y’all. I like the look of this a whole lot but I may just incorporate the word bubbles into a little sound wall with my flash cards since I teach in such a small space. 😊
I just hung mine up with the speech bubbles!!!
Yep and I made the big $15.00 mistake of buying them. All I wanted was what you have high lighted in the box. I am very unhappy!
Anyone know how long after ordering Secret Stories should I expect to receive it?
July 24th, 10:50 am
I ordered mine yesterday! :-) can’t wait! I’ve heard two weeks.
Took exactly 2 weeks to FL. Never got an email saying they were coming either.
10 days for me in FL.
I actually got mine in 2 days! I was shocked!
About 10 days here as well in Texas
I received mine in about a week. Maine.
I am in California, ordered on the 8th and am still waiting. (It’s made it to the state. Just a couple more days and it should be here. I can’t wait!
I ordered on June 17th and have not received it. I’m disappointed.
It was a couple of weeks for me in NY.
Shortly after I ordered mine I received a confirmation & there was tracking info in it. Took about a week! Live in WNY
It took 19 days to get mine. I am in CA.
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