Your child can read.
But spelling is still a struggle.
Root to Word teaches student how words are built so spelling, vocabulary, and writing start making sense.
Finished phonics but spelling is still hard?
Root to Word teaches morphology, word structure, and vocabulary - exactly the next step your child needs.
Is Root to Word Right for Your Child?
Root to Word is the right fit if your child can decode and read but still struggles with spelling, vocabulary, or putting ideas into writing. Most students in this program are in grades 3–12 and are at or past the foundational stage of literacy instruction -- they just need the next layer.
Your child may be ready for Root to Word if they:
Have completed or are well into a structured literacy program such as EBLI, Barton, Wilson, or another Science of Reading approach.
Struggle to connect word meaning to word structure in their writing.
Have a diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia, or a language-based learning difference -- or simply find spelling hard despite real effort
Are strong readers but weak spellers, or want to build academic vocabulary ahead of increasing middle or high school demands
Read independently but spelling remains inconsistent
Root to Word is not a replacement for beginning reading instruction.
Students should already be able to decode words, read connected text and have basic phonics foundations in place. If your child is still receiving foundational reading intervention, that instruction takes priority. We can help you figure out the right sequence.
What Students Learn
Root to Word is a structured small-group program that teaches students how words are built — their roots, prefixes, suffixes, and the meaning layers that hold them together. When students understand how words work, spelling stops being a memorization task and starts making sense.
Understand Spelling Patterns
Students learn why words are spelled the way they are using structure and etymology rather than rote memorization.
Expand Vocabulary
Students use word structure to unlock unfamiliar words in science, history, and literature.
Strengthen Written Language
Students apply word knowledge to choose more precise words and write with clarity and confidence..
Build Words
Students learn how roots, prefixes, suffixes, and base words combine to create meaning.
Why Parents Choose Root to Word?
Evidence-aligned, morphology-based instruction grounded in the Science of Reading
Designed for students who have finished foundational reading intervention and need the next layer
Small-group setting where students learn from each other through discussion, brainstorming, and collaborative word study
Builds the spelling, vocabulary, and writing skills that support middle school, high school, and beyond
Root to Word is led by the team at Peak Reading Solutions. Our tutors are trained in EBLI and Structured Linguistic Literacy and bring extensive experience working with students across a wide range of learning profiles. Root to Word adapts the Word Mapping Project curriculum, developed by Sean Morrisey, and delivers it in a small-group format designed to work for a wide range of learners.
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Yes. Root to Word is well suited for students with dyslexia who have completed or are well into foundational reading intervention. Morphology instruction gives these students a new access point for spelling — one built on logic and word structure rather than memorization.
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Not necessarily. Students who are well into a structured literacy program like EBLI, Barton, or Wilson may be ready for Root to Word even before they finish. If you are not sure, a free consultation is the best place to start.
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Traditional spelling lists ask students to memorize words in isolation. Root to Word teaches students why words are spelled the way they are by exploring their roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Students who understand word structure can apply that knowledge to words they have never seen before.
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Root to Word serves students in grades 3 through 12. Placement is based on readiness, not grade level alone.
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Groups are kept small to ensure every student gets direct attention. Students in grades 3–5 usually work in groups of 4 or fewer. Students in grades 6 and up may be grouped up to 6–8 depending on skill level and cohort fit. Sessions meet twice a week for 45 minutes.
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Root to Word is offered in person in Colorado Springs and online, which means students can join from anywhere.
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No. Root to Word is open to any student who meets the readiness criteria. A formal diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia, or a learning difference is not required.
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Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) is a linguistics-based approach that leads with etymology, asking students to investigate the history and meaning of words before analyzing sound. It is a rich framework for students who love digging into word origins, but the historical investigation can slow the pace and the open-ended nature requires significant teacher knowledge to deliver consistently. For some students, that depth of investigation adds cognitive load without adding proportional benefit.
The Word Mapping Project takes a more structured approach. Lessons are explicit, scaffolded, and ready to use, so all students can participate actively from the start. Rather than leading with Latin and Greek history, it integrates sound, spelling, and meaning together in every lesson. Antonyms and related word families are introduced alongside target words, building vocabulary depth and giving students memory anchors at the same time. The approach aligns with Structured Linguistic Literacy principles, making it a natural fit for students who have already received structured literacy instruction through EBLI or similar programs.
The goal is not to turn every student into a word scholar. It is to give them the tools for lift-off -- enough word knowledge to start unlocking language on their own, in reading, writing, and content learning. Some students will become word enthusiasts along the way. All of them will leave with skills they can actually use.