Reading Words: The Instructional Road to Automaticity Dr. Kathleen J. Brown Director: University of Utah Reading Clinic .

Reading Words: The Instructional Road to Automaticity

Dr. Kathleen J. Brown

Director: University of Utah Reading Clinic

www.uurc.org 801-265-3951

Expert Reading=Word Rec X Comp

Word Recognition is Automatic

accurate fast effortless

Comprehension is both Automatic & Strategic

accurate, fast, effortless

know how to troubleshoot flexible persistent

(Adams, 1990; Rayner, Foorman, Perfetti, Pesetsky, & Seidenberg, 2001)

Novice Reading=Word Rec X Comp

Word Recognition is Necessarily Strategic

often inaccurate slow effortful

Comprehension is both Automatic & Strategic

accurate, fast, effortless

know how to troubleshoot flexible persistent

(Adams, 1990; Rayner, Foorman, Perfetti, Pesetsky, & Seidenberg, 2001)

Novice Reading=Word Rec X Comp

Word Recognition is Necessarily Strategic:

often inaccurate slow effortful

Word Recognition Must Become Automatic.

Most children need explicit, systematic instruction phonics & practice in text.

Some need basic word rec. intervention!

A few need intensive word rec. intervention!

Age is Almost Irrelevant…

Phonics & Text Should Target the Child’s Instructional Level & Move as Mastery is Achieved!!!!

Identify Child’s Instructional Level: Text That Can Be Read With:

at least 93% accuracy, and rate of:

primer (mid G1)- at least 30 wpm end G1 - at least 40 wpm mid G2 – at least 60 wpm end G2 - at least 80 wpm mid G3 - at least 80 wpm end G3 – at least 110 wpm end G4 – at least 120 wpm

Three Questions to Ask Every Day about Every Child:

1. Right now, what is already “in this child’s head” for these words:

- cup?- spurt?- skullduggery?

a.k.a. representation in memory

2. Where should I go next with phonics to extend what is “in the head?”

3. What type of text is best for extending what is “in the head?”

IMPLICATION:

Phonics and Text Type should change over the course of development to:

1. reinforce what is already known and

2. help the child progress as quickly as possible

Know the “Race Course” of Word Recognition Development

STARTING LINE Learning About Print

pre-alphabetic to partial alphabetic reader K students

Breaking the Code (a.k.a. Glued to Print) **** partial alphabetic to full alphabetic reader

early to midG1

(Ehri, 2005; Stanovich, 2000)

What Needs To Be In Place to “Break the Code?”

Letter-sound correspondences (e.g., c = /k/)

Concept of word (1-to-1 voice to print match)

Identify and isolate first consonant phoneme in words

Short vowel sounds

What Kind of Phonics? Text?

Phonics: - explicitly teach blending a.k.a. “sound it out” with 3 letter, 1 syllable words with 1 short vowel

- drill vowel sound cards- speed check for accuracy & fluency (no<35 in 1min; no>2 errors)

Text Type: interesting texts with repetition of easy high frequency words; most other words are decodable (e.g., A Present for Baby Bear, Bob Books)

Text Levels: 4-8 (approximately) = oct-dec G1

Phonics: Short Vowels – Closed Syllables

cat win mom

Phonics: Short Vowels – Closed Syllables

cat win mom

lappigjob

Phonics: Short Vowels – Closed Syllables

cat win mom

lap pig job

hit

hop

flat

van

chip

rock

High Freq. Words for G1 Level Readers (beginners & strugglers)

get a list (e.g., Dolch) start with easiest & gradually complex use “flash” presentation

read off the deck sort into 2 piles: automatic vs. wrong or >3

second hesitation re-do “trouble” pile when deck n=25, retire 15 and build up again

for G1 readers, do not build “torture decks” every “trouble” word needs 5 fairly solid words

Three Questions to Ask Every Day about Every Child:

1. Right now, what is already “in this child’s head” for these words:

- cup?- spurt?- skullduggery?

a.k.a. representation in memory

2. Where should I go next with phonics to extend what is “in the head?”

3. What type of text is best for extending what is “in the head?”

Know the “Race Course” of Word Recognition Development

STARTING LINE Learning About Print

pre-alphabetic to partial alphabetic reader K students

Breaking the Code (a.k.a. Glued to Print) **** partial alphabetic to full alphabetic reader

early to midG1

Going for Fluency **** full alphabetic to early consolidated reader

endG1 – endG2 PARTIAL FINISH LINE & onward…

What Needs To Be In Place to “Go for Fluency?”

everything in the “learning about print” phase

automaticity for 50-75 high frequency words (e.g., the, said)

ability to quickly blend unfamiliar 3-5 letter 1 syllable words

What Kind of Phonics? Text?

Phonics: - explicitly teach chunking strategy with 4 and 5 letter 1 syllable words with most common phonograms (e.g., turn spurt)

- augment & drill vowel sound cards- speed check for accuracy & fluency (no<35 in 1min; no>2 errors)

Text Type: interesting “easy reader” texts that gradually increase in difficulty (e.g., Sammy the Seal Frog and Toad Nate the Great)

Text Levels: 8-12/16 (approximately) = jan-june G1

Phonics: Vowel Patterns – Syllable Types

cat lake barn

lap gate park

brain

sharpflame

van

tail

flat

rain

paid

High Frequency Words for G2+ Level Struggling Readers

get a list (e.g., Dolch) gradually build a word deck from oral reading

errors & list use “flash” presentation

read off the deck sort into 2 piles: automatic vs. wrong or >1.5

second hesitation re-do “trouble” pile when deck n=25, retire some and add as

needed

Irregular & High Frequency Words

For persistent “trouble” words, try: Letter-Sound-Trouble Analysis Make-n-Break 2,2,&2

For persistent “trouble” words, child must: Say word aloud as often as possible

Ask “What word?” Spell word aloud Physical manipulatives can help! Visualization can help!

Three Questions to Ask Every Day about Every Child:

1. Right now, what is already “in this child’s head” for these words:

- cup?- spurt?- skullduggery?

a.k.a. representation in memory

2. Where should I go next with phonics to extend what is “in the head?”

3. What type of text is best for extending what is “in the head?”

What Kind of Phonics? Text?

Phonics: - explicitly teach syllable types, division, & morphemic knowledge (e.g., skullduggery, disruptive)

a.k.a. representation in memory

Text Type: interesting texts with some control that gradually increase in difficulty (e.g., Marvin Redpost Magic Tree House )

Text Levels: 18 and up = end G1 and on

Types of Syllables: Driven by Orthography & Morphology

cup, branch

the, of, who, enough

lake, barn, tail

hopped, pretest, provoke, incandescent

Closed syllables

High Frequency & Irregular

Vowel patterns

Words with affixes and polysyllabic words

(Henry, 1990; Moats, 2000; Morris, 2005; UURC, 2006; Wilson, 2006)

“Breaking Up” Big Words: Syllable Types & Morphemes

velvet decline

hobo rumple

incandescent boisterous

confirmatory disruptive

Three Questions to Ask Every Day about Every Child:

1. Right now, what is already “in this child’s head” for these words (e.g., cup, burn, skullduggery)?

a.k.a. representation in memory

2. Where should I go next with phonics to extend current representations?

3. What type of text is best practice for extending current representations?

Resources for Educators & Parents

Discover Intensive Phonics Wilson Language/Fundations LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of

Reading & Spelling) Texts by Louisa Moats, Marcia Henry, Isabel

Beck, Words Their Way group

University of Utah Reading Clinic (UURC) 801-265-3951 or www.uurc.org