To the teacher:
I wrote this book to help students learn how to use their senses to "make sense of" reading, spelling, and writing American English words. It will accompany any text.
This efficient, systematic, multi-sensory decoding method allows the student to use her/his stronger sense(s), while he/she is learning, practicing, and developing her/his weaker sense(s). The method empowers the student, as he/she learns how to mark the letters in words, in order to make multi-sensory "sound sense." The student gains a strong knowledge base in phonics, and her/his confidence and enjoyment of the written word increase.
Then, as decoding skills improve, the student is able to focus his/her concentration on comprehension of the written words. In my 13- year career as a special education teacher, I have seen this method help many students become better readers and writers. I hope it will help many more!
Please note:
This book is meant to provide a guide for a multi-sensory decoding program. For some vowel-consonant sound patterns, I have used simple pronunciation marks, which show approximate sounds. I have attempted to include an example for each sound pattern, using high-frequency words as much as possible. I encourage you to modify it wherever you feel you should.
Also, you may need to show your student(s) how to decode some or all of the example words for the vowel sound patterns. Individual reading ability will dictate this. Use decoding steps 1- 27 with any example word. And, depending on the degree of intervention needed for each individual student, you will find that you will need to modify and omit steps. You should also emphasize the strong sense(s) of each individual, while teaching the others. Success, at all times, should be the plan.
Have fun "playing around with words" !
Wishing you and your students much success,
Anita
CONTENTS
Forward
Decoding Directions
Example Words for "a" Vowel Sound Patterns
Exception Words
Example Words for / ā /, and Related Sounds
Example Words for / ă /, and Related Sounds
Example Words for "e" Vowel Sound Patterns
Exception Words
Example Words for / ē /, and Related Sounds
Example Words for / ĕ /, and Related Sounds
Example Words for "i" Vowel Sound Patterns
Exception Words
Example Words for / ī /, and Related Sounds
Example Words for / ĭ /, and Related Sounds
Example Words for "o" Vowel Sound Patterns
Exception Words
Example Words for / ō /, and Related Sounds
Example Words for / ŏ /, and Related Sounds
/ ā /
ā
eigh /
ā
w e i g h
w eigh / w ā /
ā ā
e i g h eigh /
The man weighs 180 pounds.
Has the money inadequacy scarred your life and made it hard to survive? Don’t you want to check out a mortgage lender frequently just for the ar______________ P has been doing very well reading, spelling, and writing Level one words. Level one words include the most frequently used words in speech and______________ My reading students chose to participate in their annual talent show recently. They chose to sing along with songs they liked. Once they selec______________ Today is a bright, blue sky autumn day in Southside Virginia. The leaves of the trees are losing their green, and are glowing with reds, orange______________ In many instances, the teacher is assigned a particular curriculum to be used for language arts/English instruction. The material often creates______________ Many struggling learners of English have difficulty with phonemic awareness. They do not hear the sounds of words clearly enough to comprehend ______________ Citizens of the world are interested in learning the English language. English-speaking countries generally value democracy and free enterprise______________ Struggling readers have the desire to be able to communicate with their friends on social media. They wish to be able to read and post messages______________ Readers are writers, and writers are readers. Natural readers enjoy reading widely, often at an early age. They comprehend the words and the t______________ Today I helped a learner who is planning to sing a self-selected country song in a talent show this fall. He has listened to the song on the ra______________ Recently I was asked why I insist on teaching phonics to students who are having difficulty learning phonics. My answer to that question is tha______________ Once upon a time, there was a little first grade boy who had given up on reading. He came to class each day very reluctantly, and he wasted his______________ Recent research shows that students who are frequently involved with texting are losing formal writing skills. So, how do teachers/parents help______________ Recent research using fMRI reveals differences in brain functioning between some pre-readers with a family history of dyslexia and pre-readers w______________
Children who are read to have better success in school. That is generally accepted fact. So, when do you begin reading to a child? Well, try ______________ "...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rig______________ Struggling readers are able to develop routines that help them function in everyday situations. They are able to get information and entertainm______________ Many struggling learners also struggle with appropriate learning habits. It is very important for the teacher/parent to provide interesting and______________ I recently attended the high school graduation ceremony for a group of students who were also graduates of The Sounds Of Words. I had helped th______________ "Determination, patience, and genuine love for teaching," is a phrase that describes teachers. Teachers involved in exceptional education may e______________ I had an interesting telephone call on Wednesday. One of my former struggling students, now 40 years old, called me to share information about ______________ Recently I bought a spelling activity game to use with my learners. The goal of one version of the game is to find and use alphabet letters obt______________ Research has found that, "when writing by hand, the movements involved leave a motor memory in the sensorimotor part of the brain, which helps u______________ Now struggling learners have another option if they wish to increase reading comprehension using The Sounds Of Words! The book, which originall______________
Students with problems learning to read will often have problems with comprehension for single alphabet letters and their sounds. The Sounds of______________
What does the parent/teacher do when the reading selection requires the learner to use comprehension for homonyms? Learners with decoding probl______________
Here are some thoughts related to Earth Day: Clean energy sources and uses prevent Earth's atmosphere from becoming polluted and overheated. T______________
Were you aware that April 12 was National Drop Everything And Read Day? That day is Beverly Cleary's birthday, and since children love her book______________
The reading book was a good choice for P. Page by page, she read aloud each selection. She took a copy of each page to practice reading for fl______________
Because P was reading material with ungraded vocabulary, she was encountering some complicated words. I was using the term "complicated" when t______________
P came to me with a little book of poems that she wanted to learn to read. She knew how to read some words, but had difficulty reading a senten______________
When helping a struggling reader improve reading skills, it is helpful not to encourage her/him to rely on context to figure out the word. The ______________
At http://Facebook.com/thesoundsofwords ______________
Every word is decodable. The natural reader is able to look at a word, pronounce it, read it, and understand it, because she/he has been able t______________ Help students make "sound sense" of any word they need to read. ______________ |




