WORD BUILDING ROCKS!

Jun 2, 2019
3 min read

Updated: May 5

Word building should be an integral part of every literacy session. It should be an everyday play event in your home. Word building is an active process and engages even the most reluctant learner.

In the beginning, working with groups of letters develops the initial sounds knowledge needed for first decoding. Go here to see the first sequence we use in the clinic.

Building words can seem like a game, but so much learning happens, too. In later years, I also use vowel and consonant spellings with older students to give them plenty of playful exposure to longer graphemes, which helps with spelling. Word building links reading and spelling. Head here to read more.

A fun and quick way to build the sound-symbol correspondence needed for fluency

Here is the beginning process we use.

Say the word that corresponds to the picture.

Listen to the word and segment the sounds.

Find the grapheme tiles.

Build the word and say the sounds.

Blend to reread the word.

Write the word.

And if you want to extend learning, add the word to an oral sentence, then a written sentence.

Once students get the hang of building one word, we then make a word chain.

This is a great activity to help your child manipulate sounds to create new words.

As your child actively participates in this activity, they are building their skills in blending and segmenting sounds, which develop brilliant word-attack skills. Building rhyming chains and word chains is a great way to focus attention on the skills of segmenting and blending sounds to create words.

The grapheme tiles act as a scaffold for later learning. Writing can be a struggle, but it is such a worthwhile activity even if only a few words ever make it to the page. Handwriting reinforces the letter's visual shape and the speech sound. I always encourage my students to say letter sounds as they write. Children often confuse letters, and one reason is that they don't know how to form them. Once students know the orientation and can write it fluently, the confusion with letter sounds disappears.

For a free basic movable alphabet code, go here.

Manipulating sounds to create new words is the most effective way to develop the sound-symbol correspondence.

Multisensory learning occurs when we engage all our senses. Emphasise seeing the letters, hearing the sounds, feeling the sounds in your mouth and moving tiles to make words.

Word building is not just for beginning readers. Word building is an effective way to start spelling instruction.

Use a movable alphabet to assist all learners with segmenting and blending.

Having fun with an activity, even if it is taxing, fuels curiosity and aids learning. A movable alphabet can help little learners connect reading and spelling skills. Making a word chain from the first word built using a jigsaw or word-building cards supports all students in developing the blending and segmenting skills needed for fluent decoding.

Pictures are also a brilliant visual aid to start a word-building sequence. I use pictures as a starting point for playful word chains. Word building links reading and spelling. Head here to read more.

Word-building cards and jigsaws are a fun way to get little learners started with first words.

Building a word using a jigsaw scaffolds the blending-to-read process. Students can then copy the word, saying the sounds as they write it to reinforce the sound-symbol link. Jigaws come with and without letters. I often send home both sets for repetition. The letters can even be cut off the jigsaw and used as movable alphabet tiles to match pictures.

Building words is a great warm-up for reluctant writers and readers, as it actively engages their bodies and stimulates the feeling of "I can do this!" Before the hard work of—I now have to write begins!

Learning how to write words and form correct sentences takes time for all. Scaffolding learning, from the very beginning, takes all children through a process of first forming short decodable words, then manipulating sounds/letters to create new words by adding, deleting, and substituting sounds.

Think it, Say it, Write it.

Have your students say their sentences and count the words so they know how many words they must see on their page or whiteboard.

Most children I work with are reluctant writers, and the very act of putting pencil to paper is just hard work. We must work with all learners to help them gain confidence and flourish. C heck out my first sentence post here.