SWAN is an acronym for Spelling and Word Attack Nexus. SWAN is instructional material designed for individualized education that will help students learn to read and spell one syllable words. SWAN’s mimics the order in which English evolved — merely learning to navigate SWAN aids greatly in the understanding of our language. SWAN has assigned 1300 words a Vowel-Consonant Pattern. Two hundred of these Vowel-Consonant Patterns have been organized into 21 Maps. Studying a word alongside other words having the same V-C Pattern is an efficient and effective way for students to make generalizations about our language. For example, even if they cannot articulate what a closed-syllable is their unconscious mind grasps the concept. SWAN was the genesis for our other Language Arts programs. Flash Charts grew out of a need material for students not ready for SWAN. Compound Words grew out of a need for material to help students transition from SWAN to multisyllabic words. SWAN is excellent for teachers who want to increase their own knowledge of phonetics and word attack skills. For these teachers we recommend going to the screens for Map Information. (Small triangle buttons with an inscribed letter-i take you to a Map Information screen.) Once on a screen for Map Information use the arrows at the top to navigate from one Map Information to another. Familiarizing yourself with the information on these screens is an efficient way for a teacher to realize our language is more consistent than generally portrayed. There are many tidbits in here that the author learned well after being certified to teach elementary grades and special education — skills he now considers key to helping students learn to read and spell.
