Word Recognition Strategies
Chapter 5
3 ways to learn words
Whole word-Look Say
Structural analysis-Visual patterns and
endings.
Context analysis-What is the meaning in
that sentence.
Word recognition should be automatic.
This helps with fluency.
Sight Vocabulary
Having a large sight word vocabulary
helps unlock new words.
Words are recognized instantly, analysis
is minimal.
Attention then is given to meaning
Many high frequency words should be
learned as units, because they are used
so often in reading.
Irregular words
Should be learned as whole units: laugh,
cough, might, right, light, could, should, would
Teach whole words as a preview to guided
reading. Teach the meanings as well.
Students learn these words in experience
stories, in read aloud predictable books, in
narrative writings, labels on items, in picture
dictionaries that they make and use.
Position words
These are learned as whole words:
In, on, above, around, through, across,
beside, among, under
 Use worksheets with pictures and
directions: Put a purple circle around the
tree.
 Student need varied practice on words
such as there and their, where, were.

Scrambled Sentences
A good way to remember whole words.
Write a sentence, copy it, cut it up and
have students put it back in order.
Use sentence strips with beginning
words and finish the sentence with
many different endings.

I like to . . . take my dog for a walk
•
play at the playground, swim in the pool
Phonics
Important aspect of beginning reading.
Primary grade teachers value and use
this approach.
Must be effective in promoting
independent readers. Must be used in
context with meaning.
Sequence of phonics skills
Discriminate speech sounds in words.
Use written letters to represent the
sounds.
Identify the consonant in beginning and
ending positions.
Learn short vowels
Blend the consonants; br, bl, sp, etc.
Sequence of phonics skills
Long vowels
2 vowels diagraphs together are long, e
at the end makes a long vowel.
Vowel diagraphs oo, ew, and
diphthongs oi, oy; ou ow
R controlled vowels: ar, er, or
Final y take long e or long I sound
Direct teaching of phonics
Analytic phonics- Take a word and break it
down into sounds. Most widely used.
Inductive-examples of the pattern are given.
Deductive-next time they see the word
pattern they will know the sounds.
Synthetic phonics- Beginning sounds,
syllables, then words. Take word parts and
combine them to make a words.