The Hegge-Kirk technique has worked well with some cases. It
is outlined in Remedial Reading Drills (George Wahr Publishing Co ),
and this inexpensive book is necessary to the technique. The tech-
nique should not be used with persons who have great difficulty in
auditory discrimination or who suffer from a significant hearing loss.
It is essentially a synthetic phonics approach to teaching word
recognition.

 The alphabet technique may be used when all else has failed!
Observation of many specific learning disability cases revealed that
a few taught themselves to read by spelling out the words. Many
stroke victims use this method to teach themselves to read again.
It is a slow, laborious way to learn and should seldom be used with
normal people or with learning disability cases unless the other
methods have not proven fruitful. The basic technique has six steps:
(1) Select a word to be learned and print it on a file card. (2)
Repeat the word several times and then use it in a sentence. (3)
Spell out the word slowly and repeat it. (4) Have the student say
the word with you several times. (5) Have the student spell out
(rhythmically) the word with you several times. (6) Remove the copy
and have the student write the word.

 After the student has learned fifty to a hundred words with
this technique, shift to the Hegge-Kirk technique.

 Most adults in fundamental adult education classes do not need
the techniques outlined in this chapter. These techniques are for
the special few. But the special few must also be taught. If not,
their offspring become the special many. As professionals, we must
not restrict ourselves to teaching the students who learn, regardless
of our efforts. We must attempt to teach all who need or want to
learn. We have to have specialized knowledge in order to be truly
professional. Stuart's Neurophysiological Insights into Reading
(Pacific Books) is recommended to those who want to delve more deeply
into the problem of specific learning disability. For those desiring
a text dealing with remedial reading generally, Harris' The Improve-
ment of Reading Ability, 4th edition (Longmans, Greene) is one
resource. Others are given in Appendix B.


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