Lindamood-Bell®
Professional Learning Community
Sight Word Box
Seeing Stars® Instruction
Kathryn Winn
February 17, 2014
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
A Word or Two About Sight Words
With the symbol imagery base developed, or
developing, as we overlap Seeing Stars steps, the next
logical goal is to apply symbol imagery to the
establishment of a sight word base for reading.
But, instant word recognition requires that the
underlying sensory-cognitive processes of phonemic
awareness and symbol imagery are in tact.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
A Word or Two About Sight Words
Your goal is to put a minimum of 300 words in the
student’s memory, to be retrieved instantly.
• Usually learned in first and second grade.
English recycles a relatively small number of words
over & over.
• The first 1,000 most frequently used words are seen in
roughly 72% of the individual words in any English text.
• The first 10 most frequently used words are found in
roughly 23%.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Dolch Words Guidelines
Only meant to provide a road map and sequence for helping
students acquire the words they will encounter frequently in
their reading.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Star Words
Recognized
Level
0–75
Pre-primer
76–120
Primer
121–170
First
171–210
Second
Above 210
Third
The Star Words
Star Words are ordered for both frequency and syllable
complexity.
• Example: The first 100 Star Words are primarily VC or
•
CV words.
Example: The word and comes a little later on the list
because of its VCC pattern, even though it is one of the
more frequently used words.
What words go in the SWB?
• Words that are self-corrected
• Words that are somewhat slow or very slow
• Words that are spit and grunted out
• Any word not read INSTANTLY!
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Word Recognition
Phonological processing does not make a reader.
• The integration of good word attack skills with sight
words, with context, with vocabulary, and with
comprehension makes a reader!
Instant word recognition requires that the underlying
sensory-cognitive processes of phonemic awareness and
symbol imagery are in tact.
The goal for sight words is instant recognition, not
phonetic processing.
• Instant recognition requires concentrated, consistent
exposure.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
The Reading Circles
A Paradigm of Integration
Sensory-cognitive functions for the component parts of reading.
Comprehension
Auditory
Visual
PA & SI
SI
Word Attack
Word Rec.
Language
Contextual Reading
Vocabulary
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
The Visual Circle
It represents a memorized sight vocabulary.
Its development depends on two foundational processes:
PA and SI.
Automaticity in phonemic awareness and confident
word attack skills support the development of sight
vocabulary but do not guarantee it.
Imagery and memory have a documented relationship,
and the ability to image symbols (letters) is a necessary
function underlying the acquisition of sight words.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Steps to Develop Sight Words
for the Visual Circle
1. Capture and Categorize
• Capture from the Star Words list: any words not
recognized IMMEDIATELY.
• Put on cards and categorize them in to “slow,” “medium,”
and “fast” piles.
• Not all cards start in slows.
2. Symbol Image
• Do SI exercises to put in visual memory.
3. Reinforce
• Reinforce repetitively, moving words from slows to fasts.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Repetitive Reinforcement
Practice words, after doing SI exercises, until they are
recognized immediately, automatically.
Activity: Practice doing SI exercises on a few words.
• What are good SI exercises to do with irregular words?
The words need to be seen many times throughout the
reinforcement.
We should be able to read
at the same speed we are able to talk.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Games
Tic-Tac-Toe
Take a Step or Read and Step
Wake Up and Put to Sleep
Mine or Yours
Others?
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Group Instruction
Establishing an extensive sight word base for each
student is important. If you cannot do individual SWBs,
you can do one for the group.
During repetitive reinforcement, you need to be very
observant regarding which words are difficult for which
students.
• Offer more stimulation to that student for the given
words.
All of the games can be done easily with groups or you
can put them in to a PowerPoint.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Sight Words / Star Word Box
Other Tasks During Sight Word Review
Other students review their words independently by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
decoding (silently),
air-writing,
spelling the word on paper, and
checking the word to make sure it matches.
You choose 5–10 words for them to write 1–5 times
each (depending on age/ability).
Have students occasionally review graduates by doing
the above process or using words in a sentence.
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
SWB Practice
ACTIVITY:
Capture and categorize from a list of words.
Practice SI exercises and repetition—play games!
©2014 Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes