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.
Is Root to Word right for your child?
Root to Word is a strong fit for students who can decode and read connected text but still struggle with spelling, vocabulary, or getting ideas onto paper. Most students are in grades 3–12 and are beyond foundational reading instruction. They are ready for the next layer of word learning.
Your child may benefit from 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
• Are strong readers but inconsistent spellers, or want to build academic vocabulary for middle and high school demands
Some students may also have a diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia, or another language-based learning difference, but a diagnosis is not required.
Important note
Root to Word is not a replacement for beginning reading instruction.
Students should already be able to decode words and read connected text with basic phonics foundations in place. If a student is still receiving foundational reading intervention, that instruction should take priority. We can help you determine the right sequence and next step.
What students learn
Root to Word is a structured small-group program that teaches students how words are built — roots, prefixes, suffixes, and the meaning layers that hold them together. When students understand how words work, spelling becomes more logical and less dependent on memorization.
Expand Vocabulary
Students learn how word parts carry meaning, helping them recognize and use new academic vocabulary across subjects.
Strengthen Written Expression
Students apply word knowledge to choose more precise words and write with greater clarity and confidence.
Build Words
Students actively break apart and reconstruct words in every lesson, building a hands-on understanding of how language is put together.
Understand Spelling Patterns
Students learn how consistent spelling patterns reflect word structure, giving them tools they can apply to words they have never seen before.
What makes Root to Word different
Students build an understanding of how words work, not just how to memorize them
Spelling, vocabulary, and written expression improve together rather than in isolation
Students move from guessing at spelling to applying patterns they can rely on
Word knowledge transfers across subjects — science, history, literature, and beyond
Designed for students who have a reading foundation and are ready for the next layer
Our approach and curriculum foundation
Root to Word is grounded in the Word Mapping Project, a structured approach to teaching how words are built and how meaning connects to spelling. Rather than asking students to memorize lists, the Word Mapping Project gives students a system for understanding why words look and sound the way they do.
The curriculum was developed by Sean Morrisey and is designed to be explicit, scaffolded, and accessible for a wide range of learners. Peak Reading Solutions adapts and delivers this curriculum in a small-group format, with instruction led by tutors trained in EBLI and Structured Linguistic Literacy. The approach is a natural extension of the foundational work students have already done in structured literacy programs.
What progress looks like
Early in the program, students begin to notice patterns they can apply rather than words they have to memorize. Spelling becomes more consistent and more reasoned — they start to ask why a word is spelled a certain way instead of simply guessing.
As word knowledge deepens, vocabulary grows alongside spelling. Students begin to recognize unfamiliar words in reading and use more precise language in writing. This transfer into content areas like science, history, and literature is often where parents notice the biggest shift.
Over time, students approach new words differently. Instead of seeing unfamiliar words as barriers, they have tools to break them apart and make sense of them. The goal is independence with language.
Ready to find out if Root to Word in the next right step for your child?
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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.