Reading Strategies for Decoding Tricky Words

Reading Strategies for Decoding Tricky Words

The Flip Ultra Camcorder will be used to create a video toolbox of reading strategies demonstrated by students. These strategies, which develop independent readers who self-monitor and self-correct as they read, will be shared with parents. The video toolbox will provide a balance between reading strategies, self monitoring, and cross-checking behaviors.


PA State Standards for 1st Grade:
1.1. B. Demonstrate phonemic awareness, the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in spoken words

1.1. C. Demonstrate knowledge of the alphabetic principle, the ability to associate sounds with letters and use these sounds to form words

Objective:
1. Students will be able to apply decoding skills to accurately and fluently read tricky words.
2. Students will be able to recognize and self-correct errors.

Materials:
- Flip Ultra Camcorder
- Poster or big book
- Tape to cover selected words

Procedure:
1. Choral read a poster or big book as a whole group.
2. Ask students to predict covered word. Write predictions on board.
3. Prompt students to use the following reading strategies to figure out the unknown word:

~ Look at the Picture - “Use the picture to help you figure out what the tricky word could be.”
~ Does It Make Sense? - “Does the sentence make sense?”
~ Get Your Mouth Ready - “Make the beginning sound of the word, then go back and try the sentence again.”
~ Does It Look Right? - “What do you think that word could be?” Check through the entire word to see if it looks right.
~ Reread - “Go back and try the sentence again.”
~ Does It Sound Right? - “Put in a word that would make sense there.”
~ Look for Chunks - When you come to a tricky word, you can look for chunks, or small parts of words like “at” in “that”.

4. Uncover words and check predictions.
5. Discuss the importance of being a “word detective” by using tools to decode unfamiliar words.
6. Encourage students to self-monitor and self-correct to develop independence in their reading.

Culminating Activity:
Using the Flip Ultra Camcorder, record the students demonstrating each strategy they have learned to decode unknown words. Teacher edits video clips to create a toolbox of reading strategies to be shared with parents.

Assessment:
Running records will be used to formally assess each student to determine if he or she is applying the reading strategies to unknown words in a guided reading book.