Reading Word Recognition
Strategy: Fish Strategy
Appropriate Grade Level: K-8
Procedures/Steps:
1. F ind the rime (the first vowel and the rest of the word)
a. Ex. – that => at
2. I dentify the rime or a word you know that ends like that
a. Ex. at or cat
3. S ay the rime (the word you know without the first sound)
a. Ex. at
4. H ook the new onset (beginning sound) to the rime
a. Ex. th + at = that
Comments and/or tips:
 Use SIM model to teach strategy (Pretest, Describe, Model,
Verbal Practice, Controlled Practice, Advanced Practice,
Posttest, Generalization)
 It is helpful to utilize FISH strategy when playing games with
onsets and rimes
Source:
Whitaker, S.D., Harvey, M., Hassell, L.J., Linder, T., & Tutterrow, D.
(2006). The fish strategy: Moving from site words to decoding. Teaching
Exceptional Children, 38(5), 14-18.