Word Recognition and Fluency
Grades 1 & 2
It is important for early readers to know letter/sound associations within words and know how to manipulate them to recognize new words. With a phonics activity such as Make a Word (Cunningham, 1991), children use known letter/sound associations to build a variety of new words by manipulating letters. By doing sorting activities with these words, children learn to recognize frequently used letter/sound patterns in our language. Children can write the words that they build, thereby strengthening the connections between letters and sounds. Consonant blends and digraphs, and variant vowel patterns are introduced over time.
There are four categories of activities to help your child learn advanced letter/sound associations:
Phonics activities that encourage children to isolate sounds and link letters and sounds together (Isolate), practice letter/sound associations (Practice), and sound out words as they spell them ( Write).
Reading in context activities that encourage children to read words in simple, decodable books.
Sight word activities help children learn words that occur frequently in print so they can recognize them instantly.
Fluency activities that encourage children to read words in text immediately and smoothly.
The activities included help children deepen their understanding and their ability to recognize the targeted spelling patterns that they are learning. You will want to teach (in the listed sequence) six strategies daily, one from each of the described sections.
Note: Primary strategies should be implemented with children daily. Alternative strategies can be substituted occasionally for Primary strategies to change the pace.
Phonics
Isolate
Practice
Write
Reading Words In Context
Sight Words
Fluency
Intervention/Tutoring Lessons for Grades 3 & Up
Click on the buttons below to access tutoring strategies and materials for classroom and in-home use. Presentations can be found in English, Spanish and Arabic.