Trace, Copy, Cover, Avert is a routine used in the Orton Gillingham approach. It is multisensory in the simple format using auditory, visual and tactile skills. I used it in my classroom during my small groups. I used it multiple times a week with readers who were working on solidify sounds spelling connections. With my groups of more capable readers, I would use it for spellings that were used in certain places like CK, AI, OW. I know it is something helpful to add to your classroom or even simple enough to do with your own child. 

What is Trace, Copy, Cover, Avert?

Trace, Copy, Cover, Avert (sometimes called Trace, Copy, Cover, Closed) is a multisensory approach to helping students learn the sound a letter represents or the rule for using a special spelling. It has students saying a phrase each time, they do an action. 

Step #1a- Know the Saying

First, you teach the saying that goes with the spelling and sound you are working on. 

With letters it follows this routine: letter name, keyword, sound it represents. 

  • If doing short e- the saying could be: e, edge, /e/. 

When doing a special spelling like vowel team or digraph it follows this routine: letter names “says (sound it represents) then when it is used. 

  • If doing CK- the saying would be: CK says /k/ right after short vowel
  • If doing AU- the saying would be: AU says /au/ at beginning and middle

Step #1- Trace

Now that students know the saying. Then they trace the letter or letters. Each time they trace, they are saying the saying. They trace and say it three times. 

Trace Copy Cover Avert

Step #2- Copy

Next step is writing the letter. Each time students write the letter they are repeating the saying. Do this three times.

Trace Copy Cover Avert

Step #3- Cover

Now what they have already written gets covered up. Then they write the letter while repeating the saying. They do this three times. 

Trace Copy Cover Avert

Step #4- Avert or Closed

The last step is where students either close their eyes or look away from their paper and write the letter without looking and repeat the saying. They do this three times. 

Trace Copy Cover Avert

Helpful Tips

  • Have students stop and pause at each step. Once they do this routine a few times it is easy for them to race through it, which defeats the purpose of the task. 
  • At the copy and cover steps, I will stop students if they aren’t writing letters correctly to help quickly correct letter formation. 
  • At the avert/closed step, I found it helpful to have students look back and pick their best one they wrote and circle or star it. 
  • You don’t have to use this routine for every letter or spelling, but you can. I used it for the ones that were tricky for students and for special spellings to help them remember the saying of when to use them. 
  • This routine can be used with prefixes and suffixes. The saying would follow: spelling out the prefix/suffix, keyword, then the meaning of the prefix, suffix. 
  • For example for prefix re, the saying could be: re, redo, do again. 

Why I Use TCCA? 

Even without doing anything else from the Orton-Gillingham approach, I have found this beneficial to students at all levels. It truly helps them remember the saying for special spellings and sayings for letters and sounds. I have had students repeating the sayings for short vowels when writing. I have had students say the CK saying when trying to figure out what they needed. Followed by them getting excited that they figured it out. 

If You Would Like To Try

I made TCCA for each of the phonemes plus included an editable one for you to make any others you may need.