Looking Through Words (Irene Gaskins)
(Discuss the goal for the lesson and use Key Words to decode
multisyllabic/polysyllabic words-help for decoding and spelling) What are the
possible ways a child might decode words?
How about bondiferous? b-o-n-d-i-f-e-r-o-u-s
bon dif er ous bond if er ous
bondi fer ous (you used consolidated syllables
you already knew to decode the word)
Bond iferous (you used a chunk of the word larger than a syllable)
slide
Try Looking Through Words for bicarbonate
lide
(Use key words to decode the word-what
ide
could they be?)
fox
ide
her
ox
ide
per
ox
ide
peroxide
round
roun
coun
coun
her
coun
ter
ten
coun ter
en
coun ter
encounter
Steps to good spelling by Gaskins et al
1. Analyze: How is your spelling different from the correct spelling?
2. Copy, Check, & Underline: Copy the word in your language log. Copy several letters at a
time (chunks for affixes, spelling patterns, etc.). Check to see if you copied the word
correctly. Underline the part of the word you need to study.
3. Write chunks. Write the word in chunks (chunk into syllables, then focus on affixes and
onset-rime/spelling pattern in the base word).
4. Stretch & Point. Say each word slowly and think about the sound –letter matches in the
syllables.
5. Write known words. What is the key word for the spelling pattern? What is another
word with the same spelling pattern? (Ex. use the key word caught to get the au in the
word cause; Four to get our in course; civilian to get the second i in civilization)
Are there small words in the word that you already know?
6. Discover. Write your discovery about what you need to do to spell the word correctly.
7. Practice. Cover, Write, Check (2 times). Use the word in a sentence for meaning.
Procedures for fully analyzing words
1. Stretch and put up a finger for each sound. How many sounds do you hear?
2. How many letters do you see? Why? Stretch and write letters for the sounds.
3. Tell yourself about the vowel:What letters are needed to make the vowel sound? Is the
vowel short of long or is it a different sound? Why? What is your rule about the word?
(Ex. the word like is:cvce so the vowel is… because…) Are there any words on the word
wall that have the same sound?
4. What is the spelling pattern? What are some words that rhyme?
5. Remember to chunk words by syllables, then underline the spelling patterns in the root
word and circle the affixes (prefixes and suffixes) for spelling rather than trying to sound
out a word letter by letter.
6. Summarize using the Talk to Yourself Chart (found in the analogy strategy for phonics
and comprehension powerpoint from courseden class powerpoints)