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Advanced Structured Word Inquiry (SWI)

$99 lifetime access

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Course overview

One of the most frequent questions that tutors ask is why is a word spelled a certain way, especially when it does not fit neatly within the Barton framework.

This course focuses on advanced structured word inquiry concepts from Levels 6 -10 and is best suited for tutors who have taught those levels at least twice. We’d also recommend taking the Introduction to SWI ahead of this course.  

As always, when we know more about words, we are better equipped to shed light on these complexities for our students.

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Testimonials

Kimberly is so passionate about SWI Course attendee | Certified Barton tutor

So much great information! I love the ideas about teaching -ion, and how connection letters can change sounds. I'm excited to teach my students about the understanding that many of the sight words in Barton have an explanation. Kimberly’s so passionate for SWI, she's a role model for my continued growth into this area!

Course details

Welcome introductions

Meet Kimberly and the attendees.

Module One
  • Clarifying our terms
  • Etymological markers
  • Before The Great Vowel Shift: Long and Short
  • A brief overview of silent <e>
Module Two
  • The Great Vowel Shift (in five minutes)
  • The GVS (cont’d): why Level 8 should also be titled ‘Borrowed Words’
  • The Homophone Principle
  • Why <i> is so complicated?
Module Three
  • Why Greek and Roman (Latin) Aren’t Really Separate
  • Latin Palatalization
  • French loan words
  • Latin anatomy
  • My word sum mistake → Level 10.8
  • Another example from Level 10
  • A new way to think about VIA
  • Phonesthemes are phun!
Q&A and final thoughts
  • Q&A 
  • Malcolm X article
  • Final thoughts
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RWSR tutor community

The RWSR Professional Development Forum is a private, members-only space for dyslexia tutors committed to ongoing learning. Instead of being buried in social media feeds, every discussion is organized by topic and easy to return to anytime.

Our members are tutors who have experience with more than one program and want to deepen their practice by exploring issues across pedagogies. This kind of open, cross-program conversation is rare — social media tends to keep tutors siloed, but here you’ll find colleagues who are curious, critical, and committed to ongoing growth.

Membership includes:

  • Weekly Office Hours — live Zoom sessions where experienced tutors troubleshoot challenges together.
  • Quarterly Book Clubs — recorded discussions that go deep into research and practice.
  • Ongoing Peer Support — a curated space to share strategies, ask questions, and keep learning.
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