Decoding and Reading Practice

Open Syllable

  • Ends in one vowel.
  • The vowel in an open accented syllable is long.
  • Code with a macron.
  • Long vowels say their names.

Closed Syllable

  • Ends in one vowel followed by at least one consonant.
  • The vowel is short.
  • Code with a breve.

Vowel Pair Syllable

  • Has two adjacent vowels.
  • Treat each pair with care.
  • Underline the vowel pair because it's generally a digraph.

Final Stable Syllable

  • Code with a half bracket.
  • Accent the syllable before.
  • Final in final position and stable because their pronunciation is consistent.

Vowel-r Syllable

  • One vowel followed by one r.
  • The vowel-r makes an unexpected sound.
  • Coding can look like a lot of things.
    • Initially, it'll start out as a circumflex. An arc under the o r, an arc, and then a circumflex over the o.

Vowel Consonant e Syllable

  • One vowel, one consonant, and an e.
  • The e is silent - cross it out.
  • The vowel is long - code it with a Macron.
  • Long vowels say their names.

Transitioning from Common School Language

  • Consistency is key.
  • Use consistent language, and students will adapt.
  • The transition is generally not difficult.

Examples of Closed Syllables

  • Low syllable I as in pit.
  • Introduced first because it is the most common syllable in the English language.

Auditory Discovery

  • Repeat these words after me.
  • Think about the common sound.
  • Look in your mirror. Say the sound. What's happening to your mouth? Is it open or blocked?
  • If it's blocked, what's blocking it?
  • Or if it's open, what's you know?
  • Is it voice? Put your hands on your vocal cords. Say the sound I. Do you feel your vocal cords moving?

Vowel Sounds

  • Open your mouth, and they're voiced.

Open Syllables

  • Ends in one vowel.
  • The vowel in an open accented syllable is long.
  • Code it with a Macron.

Accent Marks

  • Introduced in alphabet skills.
  • An accent mark opens your mouth wider, your voice is louder and higher.
  • Practice with letter sequences (e.g., a b, c d, e f, g h).
    • Accent mark starts off on the second letter: a b, c d, e f, g h.
    • Then move it to the first letter: a b c d e f g h.

Planning Decoding and Reading Practice

  • Happens right after the introduction of a concept.
  • New sound symbol correspondence with a linkage procedure.
  • Non-sound symbol concept - not using the linkage procedure, using the script in your basic language skills manual.

Review Days

  • Reading practice has a number 1.
  • Sometimes, you'll have a number one and a number two.
    • That tells you that you have two days of potential practice there.
    • Day one would be the day of your new concept.
    • Day two would be a review day
  • If you look at concept number seven, concept number seven is n says n. If you go down to reading practice, what you see next to it is a one and a two. So that tells you that you will have two days of practice for this concept.
  • day one of reading practice would be the day that you introduce the concept, and day two would be a review day of that concept. If you look at concept number 12, this is that a says, Again, you're using your script for this concept.

Reading Practice Numbering

  • Concept 18 has four days of practice.
  • Days one and two: homogeneous word lists (newly introduced concept with previously introduced letters).
  • Day three: review list (this concept and other concepts, including suffixes, derivatives, contractions, and possessives).
  • Day four: sentences (indicated by an "a" after the reading practice number).

Lesson Plan Structure

  • Four boxes for each component (alphabet skills, phonemic/phonological awareness, handwriting, decoding).
  • Establish focus and goal (measurable outcome).
  • Practice activity guides the focus and goal.

Resurfacing Prior Knowledge

  • Review concepts needed for success in the reading practice.
  • On linkage procedure days, you do not have to resurface prior knowledge because you have already done that in the application step of linkage.
  • For homogeneous lists, review syllable coding and vowel sounds.

Types of Practice

  • Introductory day
  • Review day
  • Sentences

Questions to Ask Students

  • Check for understanding and accuracy.
  • How do we code this word?
  • What kind of syllable is this?
  • Why is this a closed syllable?

Decoding Coding Procedure

  • Five rows of words.
  • Rows one and two: code each word, prepare sounds, read the word (one word at a time).
  • Row three: code all three words, check accuracy, prepare sounds, read each word.
  • Row four: code any word if needed, prepare sounds, read each word.
  • Row five: code any word if needed, prepare sounds, read each word.

Review Word List Procedure

  • Goal: automaticity.
  • Rows one and two: code if needed, ask questions if needed.
  • Rows three, four, and five: prepare sounds, then read each word.
  • Correct coding or reading errors by asking:
    • What kind of syllable is this word?
    • How do we know that?
    • What does that mean our vowel sound will be?
  • What about our coding?

Sentences

  • High frequency irregular words listed in the upper left corner.

  • Review those words before starting.

  • Procedure

    • Read the sentence silently.
    • Code any word if needed (generally, avoid coding in sentences).
    • Listen for accuracy and automaticity.
    • Model phrasing, intonation, and expression.

  • Check understanding the word meaning of that Main concept introduced today.

Checking Comprehension

  • Ask questions about the sentence.
  • Look for opportunities for inferencing practice.
  • Address errors immediately.

Giving Corrective Feedback

  • Be immediate: correct the error when it's made.
  • Have students explain why the error was made.
  • If they can self-correct, it improves accuracy in the next sentence.

Common Misreads

  • Isolate the symbol with the sound. Have them touch and name each word and each letter to reinforce the sound symbol. Sound each blend out. Touch, name each one and say blend.

Omitting Suffixes

  • Go back to the word.
  • Code the suffix (box).
  • What do we call the rest of the word, base word? Is the base word following a rule?
  • What kind of syllable is the base word?
  • Guide them to understand what the grapheme is going to do or say.

Guiding Principles

  • Have students read words independently; don't read with or before them.

Focus and Skill Goals

  • Student will read words with n says n n/ accuracy
  • Resurface prior knowledge: review syllable types and vowel sounds appropriate concepts on selected reading practice paper.