| Patterns | Chunking | Base Word | Frame-A-Word |
| Look-Alike Words |
| Context Clues | Picture a Letter |Trace-A-Letter | Initial Sounds |
Prompts to Help Children During Familiar Reading
Prompts to Help Children in Writing
-Prefix: the pattern/letter combination at the first part of a word
Prefix Examples
| dis- | em- | en- | im- | in- |
| inter- | ir- | mis- | un- | sub- |
| re- | over- | non- | pre- |
-Suffix: the pattern/letter combination at the end of the word.
Suffix Examples
| -tion | -er | -ion | -ness | -ment |
| -ly | -less | -ing | -ful | -est |
| -en | -al | -able |
Finding spelling patterns in words often helps students to read words for the first time because they can identify letter combinations and sounds of one word and apply these rules to the new word.
For example: Discover
The student can use his/her knowledge of the prefix, dis- and the suffix, -er to gather information about the beginning and ending sounds.
Chunking involves an understanding of syllables within a word, as well as letter patterns.
For example: Sketches When tapped or clapped out to find its syllables, the claps occur on the first part and the second part. sket - ches
This strategy involves finding a smaller, known word inside a larger word. By teaching students this method their self confidence in their skills along is heightened as well as their sense of success.
For example: Sunshine The student can either see "sun" or "shine" and use these words as aids in completing the entire word's pronunciation.
| Frame-A-Word |
This strategy helps students to focus on one word at a time. Instead of seeing words as a jumbled mess it is possible to create a "frame" with the pointer fingers of each hand to block out neighboring words.
For example, if the sentence is:
Susie watched Louis chase the dog in the backyard.
Let's say the student was trying to decode the word "watched" and was having a hard time seeing it by itself. It would be important that the student isolate the word "watched" by covering the words "Susie" and "Louis" with her pointer fingers.
The eventual goal for any reader is that he/she will learn to read words in groups of four or five at a time for increases in fluency and in comprehension. The important thing is to take reading step by step and encourage students when they are working hard and trying their best.
| Look-Alike Words |
This strategy is as simple as it sounds. When a student encounters a word for the first time, he/she should think: "Does this word look like any other word I know?"
For example: another
The student might think, "Hey, this word looks very similar to the words other and mother. The only difference is the beginning/initial sounds, 'an-'. I will use what I know about the sounds of other and mother to decode this new word: another."
| Context Clues |
Using context clues involves using words, phrases and ideas from the same and/or previous sentences to decode and create meaning for a word/group of words.
For example: The stinky villan wore a repulsive, black coate as he passed by me in the train's isle.
If the student did not know what the word repulsive meant, then he/she could use the other key words in the sentence to discover its meaning.
Key words: stinky, villan, coat
*Imagining a mental picture of what the villan could possibly look like may also help in understanding a word's meaning.
| Picture a Letter |
This strategy is especially helpful when students are listening to stories being read aloud. An adult may pause in his/her reading and ask the students to picture the beginning letter for the sounds of the word just said.
For example, let us say the word we wanted to concentrate on was the word "station". Although station is a complex word for many k-1 students, it would be possible to receive a correct response from the question: "What is the beginning letter (initial sound) of the word, 'station'?"
The procedure:
1. Ask students to close their eyes while you repeat the word two or three times.
2. Ask the students to say the word with you a number of times.
3. Ask students to draw a picture of the first letter sound in the air, once they have secured it in their minds.
4. Tell students to open their eyes and raise their hands if they can tell you the beginning letter (initial sound) of the word in question.
This could almost be made into a fun game. Remember, creating fun, authentic educational moments may create a thirst for knowledge and a heightened sense of academic interest in students.
| Trace a Letter |
You'll need: 4 in. x 6 in. white paper, a dark marker (black preferably), liquid glue (like Elmer's etc...), your knowledge of the alphabet.
1. Using your black marker, draw the letters of the alphabet, one at a time, on each of the 4 in. x 6 in. pieces of paper. Be sure to fill in each letter, making it bold.
2. After your marker has dried, use your liquid glue and place glue dots along the borders of the letter. This way, students can trace the outside (and inside) shape of the letters.
*Be sure to do all the letters in both upper and lower cases!
Initial sounds are just that .... the initial/beginning sound of a word.
Example: Balloon The initial sound is a hard "b".
Example: Tricycle The initial sound is a hard "t".
Example: Circle The initial sound is a soft "c".
(sounds like as "s").
| Parental Support |
As a parent/guardian, you are your child's first and most valuable teacher. Regardless of the saying, "Do as I say, not as I do...." the truth is that children often act according to their parents' example of behavior. If you are an active reader then your student will probably value reading as an important part of life and of learning.
A parent may ask himself/herself , "What can I do to help my child at home?" You are lucky because there are numerous options available to you!
Below is a devised list of possible activities that may enhance your child's reading fluency and love of literature:
1. Tell your child a fairy tale, make-believe, story at bedtime.
2. Ask your child to tell you stories about his/her day, or even a make-believe story before bedtime...or during the evening.
3. Show your child a wordless picture book and ask him/her to tell you a story using its pictures.
4. Before reading a book, look at the pictures (the following process is usually referred to as "pre-reading activities") and ask him/her about: specific pictures, actions that might occur in the story, how this book might relate to something your child has experienced, if he/she has ever read a book similar to this one.
5. Expose your child to numerous literature styles that come in the forms of: poetry books, magazines, picture books, "How-To..." books, comics, newspapers etc....
6. Expose your child to multiple genres (types of) literary styles: Non-fiction (not false, but true/factual information), Fiction (false, often creative tales), Biographies, Autobiographies, Informational Pieces, Poetry, "Student Interest" etc....
7. You could play the alphabet game when traveling on the road:
Each person starts at the letter "A" and tries to find the other letters of the alphabet, in order, before the other contestants. Letters are searched for on the backs of passing cars' license plates, road signs etc.... and are called out as a contestant finds them. Once a sign is used by one contestant, no one else can claim it. A single contestant can use a sign to find more than one letter at a time, but it must be in sequential order. This is a great game for long road trips and can last up to 40 minutes!
As professional educators, it is our goal to work with our parents and students as a team. The teachers at Wendell Elementary hope that you have been given some fresh ideas on this page. Thank you for taking the time to check out our page.
Prompts to Help Children During Familiar Reading
(These are things you can say to help your student come up with a word without telling it to him/her).
I like the way you worked that out.
Try it.
Go back and read that again. Think of what would make sense (or sound right).
You're nearly right.
Do you know something about that word?
Do you know a word like that?
What do you know that can help?
Look at the beginning of the word. Now say more of the word.
Prompts to Help Children in Writing
Say words slowly, listening for the sounds.
Think of how the words look.
Think of other words like the one you are trying to write.
Use a practice page for words the child almost has correct.