81. Articulatory Gestures and Early Literacy: What the Research Actually Says with Deirdre O'Toole, The Playful Classroom

Deirdre O’Toole’s doctoral research focuses on early literacy acquisition, specifically around articulatory gestures and attention to speech production. In recent years, we hear a lot about Sound Walls being “aligned to the Science of Reading”. In this episode, Dee shares what we know from research, what we don’t yet know, and how small instructional shifts (like simply saying “Look at my mouth”) can make a meaningful difference in early reading instruction.

Key Takeaways:

1. What phonemic awareness really means (and why “conscious awareness” is key)
2. Articulatory gestures refer to how speech sounds are physically produced (lips, tongue, jaw, airflow, voicing)
3. Research supports articulatory-based interventions (like Lindamood-Bell LIPS), but evidence does not show they are superior to other high-quality interventions
4. What the research says (and does not say) about sound walls
5. The impact of visual speech cues (including research during COVID on masked instruction)
6. Practical teacher language for supporting spelling and phoneme-grapheme connections

Dee also shares insights from her work organizing the Right to Read Ireland conference and advocating for evidence-informed literacy instruction across Ireland.

Resources Mentioned:

1. Right to Read Ireland Conference / IG: @righttoreadirl
2. The Teacher’s Table / IG: @attheteacherstable
3. Facebook: Science of Reading Discussion for Irish Teachers
4. Lindamood Bell
5. Open Access: Seeing the Mouth: The Importance of Articulatory Gestures During Phonics Training - Novelli et. al., 2023
6. A Meta-Analysis on the Optimal Cumulative Dosage of Early Phonemic Awareness Instruction - Erbeli et. al., 2024

Connect with Deirdre O’Toole:

1. https://playfulclassroom.ie/
2. Instagram: @playful_classroom
3. Facebook: Playful Classroom
4. TPT: Playful Classroom

Thank you to Express Readers for supporting the production of this episode.

Express Readers creates thoughtfully designed decodable texts that align with the Science of Reading and support developing readers at every stage. You can visit their website to learn more and grab a free sample to try with your students!

1. https://expressreaders.org/
2. Instagram: @expressreaders
3. LinkedIn: Express Readers
4. Facebook: Express Readers Inc.

Connect with Michelle:

1. Follow me on Instagram: @michelle_thecolorfulclassroom & @logosliteracyacademy
2. Join our Facebook Community
3. Sign up for my Newsletter
4. Shop on TPT: The Colorful Classroom
5. Visit: www.michelleandthecolorfulclassroom.com
6. Join The COLORFUL Literacy Toolkit Membership

Want to Support the Podcast?

1. Make a Donation to Support Production

Interested in Learning More about Morphology?

1. Logos Literacy Academy
2. Course 1: Mastering Morphology: Foundations for Every Educator
3. Course 2 & Curriculum: K-2 Morphology
4. Monthly Coaching Calls: Logos Live

Mentioned in this episode:

Express Readers

Get your Free Decodable Book Sample today! https://expressreaders.org/

Reading.com

Visit reading.com/color for 60% off the annual plan today!