6 Science of Reading Strategies for Teaching Sight Words
6 Science of Reading Strategies for Teaching Sight Words l Miss Rae's Room Teaching Reading to Special Education Students Blog
Sight words make up 50 to 70 percent of any general text. Sight word vocabulary is the words that are recognized instantly and effortlessly from memory regardless of whether or not it is phonetically regular or irregular. A sight word is known as a familiar word, rather than an unfamiliar word. An unfamiliar sight word is one that students either try to sound out or guess.
So basically, students need to memorize these words by sight in order to improve overall reading fluency; thus, improving comprehension, right?
No! Not right!
Memorizing is not learning!
Memorizing words asks students to visually imprint all words to memory, or use extraneous information such as the shape of a word, and/or use the context - so what word would make sense in the context of the sentence and/or paragraph.
Brain research has shown us that this is not an efficient way to learn to read.
So basically, students need to memorize these words by sight in order to improve overall reading fluency; thus, improving comprehension, right?
No! Not right!
Memorizing is not learning!
Memorizing words asks students to visually imprint all words to memory, or use extraneous information such as the shape of a word, and/or use the context - so what word would make sense in the context of the sentence and/or paragraph.
Brain research has shown us that this is not an efficient way to learn to read.
“If a child memorizes ten words, the child can read ten words. But if the child learns the sounds of ten letters, the child can read...
350 three-sound words
4,320 four-sound words
21,650 five-sound words”
~Dr. Martin Kozloff (2002)
These strategies will help you increase students’ sight word vocabulary AND teach them to be proficient readers!
Orthographic Mapping!
Orthographic mapping is the process we use to store words in our long term memory for quicker, more efficient retrieval - or quicker, more efficient reading. This process helps readers move oral language (or sounds/phonemes they already know) from their brain to text (letters in a word).
The most effective, empirically validated approaches for preventing and correcting reading difficulties focuses on instruction and interventions including orthographic mapping. Orthographic mapping is the most efficient strategy for moving word patterns into long-term memory for students, thus increasing a student’s sight word vocabulary.
Every word has three forms: 1) its sounds or phonemes, 2) its orthography or spelling, and 3) its meaning. Orthographic mapping connects these three forms to help retention of the word.
Here’s how! Orthographic mapping asks students to say a word (i.e. /cat/).
The meaning of the word is then defined.
The student should repeat the word and then, sound out the word /cat/ attending to each letter and corresponding a sound to each letter.
Next, the student pulls apart the spoken word /cat/ into its individual phonemes.
Then, we align those phonemes to the printed letter sequence used to represent the oral word /cat/. Align corresponding sounds, already established in memory, onto the sequence of letter c-at. Notice the sound in each place of the word (beginning, middle, end) in the word and align those sounds/phonemes onto corresponding letters in the printed word /cat/. This leads to mapping the pronunciation of a spoken word into its printed spelling.
A reader’s orthographic memory stores words based on the associations between letter sequences in a word’s pronunciation, not according to a word’s visual properties. Oral phonemes in spoken words become aligned to printed letter representations of these phonemes through orthographic mapping. Printed letter sequences, then, get anchored to oral language.
Once a student has stored a written word to their memory, when the student encounters the word or similar string of letters again, they can apply previous knowledge to quickly identify the word. This is faster than having to sound out each letter to decode an unknown word.
AND… orthographic recall is the specific memory of letter combinations and sequences and is necessary for fluent reading and spelling.
Here’s how I teach orthographic mapping!
The most effective, empirically validated approaches for preventing and correcting reading difficulties focuses on instruction and interventions including orthographic mapping. Orthographic mapping is the most efficient strategy for moving word patterns into long-term memory for students, thus increasing a student’s sight word vocabulary.
Every word has three forms: 1) its sounds or phonemes, 2) its orthography or spelling, and 3) its meaning. Orthographic mapping connects these three forms to help retention of the word.
Here’s how! Orthographic mapping asks students to say a word (i.e. /cat/).
The meaning of the word is then defined.
The student should repeat the word and then, sound out the word /cat/ attending to each letter and corresponding a sound to each letter.
Next, the student pulls apart the spoken word /cat/ into its individual phonemes.
Then, we align those phonemes to the printed letter sequence used to represent the oral word /cat/. Align corresponding sounds, already established in memory, onto the sequence of letter c-at. Notice the sound in each place of the word (beginning, middle, end) in the word and align those sounds/phonemes onto corresponding letters in the printed word /cat/. This leads to mapping the pronunciation of a spoken word into its printed spelling.
A reader’s orthographic memory stores words based on the associations between letter sequences in a word’s pronunciation, not according to a word’s visual properties. Oral phonemes in spoken words become aligned to printed letter representations of these phonemes through orthographic mapping. Printed letter sequences, then, get anchored to oral language.
Once a student has stored a written word to their memory, when the student encounters the word or similar string of letters again, they can apply previous knowledge to quickly identify the word. This is faster than having to sound out each letter to decode an unknown word.
AND… orthographic recall is the specific memory of letter combinations and sequences and is necessary for fluent reading and spelling.
Here’s how I teach orthographic mapping!
Orthographic Mapping l 6 Science of Reading Strategies for Teaching Sight Words l Miss Rae's Room Teaching Reading to Special Education Students Blog
This learning can be extended by making new words with the existing word parts. For example, change /cat/ to /hat/ and so forth to expand student learning by using word patterns to make new words.
Orthographic mapping asks the learner to interact with sounds and print to help commit words to long-term orthographic memory, growing the sight vocabulary, to enable more efficient reading.
But orthographic mapping alone will not lead to proficient reading. If you want students to truly learn a concept that they will efficiently apply to new situations - you know, like reading an unknown word - you have to give them multiple opportunities to practice the skill.
But how do we do that???
Orthographic mapping asks the learner to interact with sounds and print to help commit words to long-term orthographic memory, growing the sight vocabulary, to enable more efficient reading.
But orthographic mapping alone will not lead to proficient reading. If you want students to truly learn a concept that they will efficiently apply to new situations - you know, like reading an unknown word - you have to give them multiple opportunities to practice the skill.
But how do we do that???
Isolation & Context!
Teach sight words in isolation and context simultaneously.
Provide students with opportunities to read and spell sight words in isolation. Such activities might include reading sight words on cards or on a list. Dictate sight words for students to practice spelling them in isolation on paper, white boards, or with tools like play doh.
At the same time, provide students with opportunities to read and spell sight words in context. Read! Have students read texts to apply side word reading in context. Have students write dictated sentences that include sight words. This will allow students to practice spelling sight words in context.
Provide students with opportunities to read and spell sight words in isolation. Such activities might include reading sight words on cards or on a list. Dictate sight words for students to practice spelling them in isolation on paper, white boards, or with tools like play doh.
At the same time, provide students with opportunities to read and spell sight words in context. Read! Have students read texts to apply side word reading in context. Have students write dictated sentences that include sight words. This will allow students to practice spelling sight words in context.
6 Science of Reading Strategies for Teaching Sight Words l Miss Rae's Room Teaching Reading to Special Education Students Blog
Meaningful Multi-Sensory!
Get students more involved in learning through multi-sensory learning. This includes the use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways to enhance memory and learning. Research has shown that when students are engaging this different parts of the brain during learning, learning is enhanced!
Have your students spell their sight words in shaving cream, type them, write them in different colors, do jumping jacks as they read and spell, march in place…
Tapping is an excellent instructional strategy for teaching reading. We tap out phonemes in words by touching our thumbs to our fingers for each phoneme in a word. We can also use tapping to improve our sight word SPELLING instruction. Arm tapping taps into kinesthetic learning and provides our students with tactile feedback during word reading instruction.
Here’s how it works!
Show the students a word. Make sure that the student is looking at the word during each step of the sequence. You can project the word across the front board or if teaching an individual student or a small group, hold a flashcard of the word at the students’ eye level.
Next, the teacher should read the word aloud. As the teacher reads the word, the teacher should touch their left shoulder with their right hand.
Then, the teacher spells the word aloud, saying each letter and using two fingers (index and middle finger of right hand) to tap the left arm, gradually progressing down the arm from shoulder to wrist.
Next, the teacher reads the word again, while sweeping the two fingers along the left arm, from shoulder to wrist.
The students should then repeat this sequence, copying the exact motions but, using their right hands to tap out the word on their left arms.
Ask students to repeat the sequence two times.
The more repetition a student has with a word, including adding spelling to the sequence, will make a deeper cognitive impression for students. So add this step to your orthographic mapping sequence for added learning in spelling!
Have your students spell their sight words in shaving cream, type them, write them in different colors, do jumping jacks as they read and spell, march in place…
Tapping is an excellent instructional strategy for teaching reading. We tap out phonemes in words by touching our thumbs to our fingers for each phoneme in a word. We can also use tapping to improve our sight word SPELLING instruction. Arm tapping taps into kinesthetic learning and provides our students with tactile feedback during word reading instruction.
Here’s how it works!
Show the students a word. Make sure that the student is looking at the word during each step of the sequence. You can project the word across the front board or if teaching an individual student or a small group, hold a flashcard of the word at the students’ eye level.
Next, the teacher should read the word aloud. As the teacher reads the word, the teacher should touch their left shoulder with their right hand.
Then, the teacher spells the word aloud, saying each letter and using two fingers (index and middle finger of right hand) to tap the left arm, gradually progressing down the arm from shoulder to wrist.
Next, the teacher reads the word again, while sweeping the two fingers along the left arm, from shoulder to wrist.
The students should then repeat this sequence, copying the exact motions but, using their right hands to tap out the word on their left arms.
Ask students to repeat the sequence two times.
The more repetition a student has with a word, including adding spelling to the sequence, will make a deeper cognitive impression for students. So add this step to your orthographic mapping sequence for added learning in spelling!
Arm Tap Spelling l 6 Science of Reading Strategies for Teaching Sight Words l Miss Rae's Room Teaching Reading to Special Education Students Blog
All students learn differently and require different stimuli. Multi-sensory learning is a best practice approach for ALL learners, but learning must also be meaningful.
Remember Algebra class? Remember wondering when will I ever use this in life? Remembering wanting to ask, “Why am I learning this?”
Don’t let your students wonder why they are learning! Make their multi-sensory learning meaningful!
Having your students use stamps to spell sight words is a cute idea, but we can make it meaningful. After stamping, trace over each letter, saying the letter aloud, and then, reading the word at the end. Write a sentence using the word.
Remember Algebra class? Remember wondering when will I ever use this in life? Remembering wanting to ask, “Why am I learning this?”
Don’t let your students wonder why they are learning! Make their multi-sensory learning meaningful!
Having your students use stamps to spell sight words is a cute idea, but we can make it meaningful. After stamping, trace over each letter, saying the letter aloud, and then, reading the word at the end. Write a sentence using the word.
Motivation!
Motivate your students to learn with a little healthy personal competition! Have students keep a record of the sight words that they are able to read and spell with automaticity.
Spend a few minutes each week assessing student progress. Have them color in or check off the sight words they are able to read and/or spell in under 3 seconds. Award them for each level of sight words that they accomplish! Plus, your students are maintaining their own progress monitoring data!
A great motivator is my High Frequency Words and Sight Words Rainbow Challengewww.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/High-Frequency-Words-and-Sight-Words-Rainbow-Challenge-Reading-1476364!
Spend a few minutes each week assessing student progress. Have them color in or check off the sight words they are able to read and/or spell in under 3 seconds. Award them for each level of sight words that they accomplish! Plus, your students are maintaining their own progress monitoring data!
A great motivator is my High Frequency Words and Sight Words Rainbow Challengewww.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/High-Frequency-Words-and-Sight-Words-Rainbow-Challenge-Reading-1476364!
Miss Rae's Room High Frequency Words and Sight Words Rainbow Challenge
Word Study!
Word study is an approach to spelling instruction that moves away from a focus on memorization. When studying the alphabetic layer, students examine the relationship between letters and sounds. They learn to match single letters and pairs of letters (i.e. ch) to specific sounds and, in doing so, to create words.
At the elementary level - word study involves “doing” things with words - examining, manipulating, comparing and categorizing - and offers students the opportunity to make their own discoveries about how words work!
At the secondary level - start teaching Greek and Latin roots and enrich those vocabularies!
And include those orthographically inconsistent sight words in your word study. These are the words that do not follow the “rules” of the English language - like /said/. (Note: you can still teach these words using orthographic mapping.)
I provide my students with lists of sight words. We highlight the sight words that they can read with automaticity in one color. They highlight the sight words that they can spell automatically in a different color.
Each week students circle 3-5 sight words in pencil. These words are added to their weekly word study lists. They practice reading and spelling these words, and then, these words are included on their weekly tests.
At the end of each month, students are assessed on the words that they have chosen for the month to be added to their list. They are asked to read and spell the sight words. Any words read and spelled with automaticity are highlighted in their corresponding color and added to their charts! (Hey, look! The students are keeping their own progress monitoring data!)
You can use my Sight Words Pre- and Post- Tests to assess student progress! These tests will help you implement systematic instruction by giving you a scope and sequence for teaching high frequency sight words.
At the elementary level - word study involves “doing” things with words - examining, manipulating, comparing and categorizing - and offers students the opportunity to make their own discoveries about how words work!
At the secondary level - start teaching Greek and Latin roots and enrich those vocabularies!
And include those orthographically inconsistent sight words in your word study. These are the words that do not follow the “rules” of the English language - like /said/. (Note: you can still teach these words using orthographic mapping.)
I provide my students with lists of sight words. We highlight the sight words that they can read with automaticity in one color. They highlight the sight words that they can spell automatically in a different color.
Each week students circle 3-5 sight words in pencil. These words are added to their weekly word study lists. They practice reading and spelling these words, and then, these words are included on their weekly tests.
At the end of each month, students are assessed on the words that they have chosen for the month to be added to their list. They are asked to read and spell the sight words. Any words read and spelled with automaticity are highlighted in their corresponding color and added to their charts! (Hey, look! The students are keeping their own progress monitoring data!)
You can use my Sight Words Pre- and Post- Tests to assess student progress! These tests will help you implement systematic instruction by giving you a scope and sequence for teaching high frequency sight words.
Miss Rae's Room High Frequency Sight Words Pre- & Post- Tests
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Miss Rae's Room High Frequency Sight Words Multi-Sensory Flashcard Activities
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Get Visual!
Let’s get visual!
Visuals give students a trick for learning! Think of different ways you can use a mnemonic device to improve your students’ memory for learning. Mnemonic devices are a memory technique to help a student’s brain better encode and recall important information quickly. Mnemonics give meaning to our learning by anchoring a concept to make it more memorable when a student is required to recall it.
For example, turn words or letters into visual representations. Turn the letter /r/ in the word /there/ into an arrow, and turn the letter /i/ in the word /their/ into a person.
Grab a mnemonic FREEBIE!
Visuals give students a trick for learning! Think of different ways you can use a mnemonic device to improve your students’ memory for learning. Mnemonic devices are a memory technique to help a student’s brain better encode and recall important information quickly. Mnemonics give meaning to our learning by anchoring a concept to make it more memorable when a student is required to recall it.
For example, turn words or letters into visual representations. Turn the letter /r/ in the word /there/ into an arrow, and turn the letter /i/ in the word /their/ into a person.
Grab a mnemonic FREEBIE!
Miss Rae's Room THERE vs THEIR Sight Word Spelling Strategy Posters FREEBIE
AND learn a trick for WOULD, COULD, and SHOULD!
When learning becomes fun, students make progress! And when students make progress, they achieve!
~ By Miss Rae
When learning becomes fun, students make progress! And when students make progress, they achieve!
~ By Miss Rae
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