Reading Teacher

cropped-Logo-02
Menu
Log in
START FOR FREE

Category: Uncategorized

Supporting Kindergarteners with Phonemic Awareness Activities

Supporting Kindergarteners with Phonemic Awareness Activities

Introduction:

 

As a kindergarten teacher, helping children develop phonemic awareness is a critical component of teaching reading. Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. It is an essential step in the process of learning to read and spell. In this article, we will discuss some of the best activities to support the development of phonemic awareness in your kindergarten classroom.

 

Phoneme Segmentation:

 

One of the most straightforward phonemic awareness activities is phoneme segmentation. This activity involves having children break words down into individual phonemes (sounds) and then putting them back together again. For example, if you say the word "cat," the child would break it down into /c/ /a/ /t/.

 

Phoneme Blending:

 

Phoneme blending is another important activity for phonemic awareness development. In this activity, children combine individual phonemes to form words. For example, if you say the sounds /c/ /a/ /t/ the child should be able to blend the sounds to form the word "cat."

 

Rhyme Recognition:

 

Rhyming is a great way to help children develop phonemic awareness. Children can practice recognizing and producing rhymes in words by identifying words that have the same ending sounds.

 

Sound-to-Letter Correspondence:

 

Sound-to-letter correspondence activities are another way to support phonemic awareness development in kindergarten. These activities involve teaching children to associate individual sounds with their corresponding letters. For example, you could provide students with magnetic letters and have them match sounds to letters.

 

Phoneme Substitution:

 

Phoneme substitution is a phonemic awareness activity that involves changing one sound in a word to create a new word. For example, if you say the word "cat," the child could change the /c/ sound to /g/ to form the word "gat."

 

Conclusion:

 

In conclusion, phonemic awareness activities are an essential part of teaching kindergarteners how to read. By providing opportunities for children to recognize, understand, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, you can help them develop the critical skills they need to become successful readers. Incorporating a variety of activities into your lessons will keep children engaged and motivated while also helping them to develop the foundational skills necessary for reading success.

Start Teaching Reading for Free Now!

Access Level 1’s four interactive stories and the accompanying supplemental resources to teach elementary students how to read. No credit card is needed. Join the 42,635 teachers and students using our reading program.

The Best Reading Tools for Kindergarten Teachers

The Best Reading Tools for Kindergarten Teachers

Introduction:

 

Kindergarten teachers play a crucial role in the development of young children's reading skills. With the right tools and techniques, teachers can help students build a strong foundation for reading and literacy. As an experienced educator with a background in elementary education, I understand the importance of preparing young students for success in their future academic careers. Reading is a critical skill that sets the foundation for success in all subjects, and it is crucial to begin building strong reading skills in the early years of a child's education. In this article, I will provide tips, tools, and resources for parents to help their child develop the skills and love of reading needed for success in Kindergarten.

 

The Importance of Preparing Early:

 

Starting early with reading preparation is essential because research shows that children who have developed pre-reading skills have a higher likelihood of success in their later academic years. Reading is a complex process that involves several skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and fluency. Preparing a child for Kindergarten reading success requires a focus on building these skills in the early years, so they are ready to read and learn when they enter the classroom.

 

Building Pre-Reading Skills:

 

There are several pre-reading skills that parents can work on with their children to help them get ready for Kindergarten. One of the most critical skills is phonemic awareness, which is the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in words. Phonemic awareness is essential for learning to read, and it can be developed through simple activities like rhyming games, sound matching, and syllable clapping.

 

Another pre-reading skill is alphabet knowledge, which is the ability to recognize and name the letters of the alphabet. Parents can help their child develop this skill by exposing them to books with large, clear print and by using alphabet toys, games, and puzzles.

 

Phonics Games:

 

Phonics games are an excellent tool for helping young children learn the sounds of letters and words. There are many different types of phonics games that teachers can use, including flashcards, matching games, and memory games. These games can be used to reinforce phonics skills and help students learn the sounds of letters and words in a fun and interactive way.

 

Sight Word Recognition:

 

Sight words are words that children should be able to recognize instantly, without having to decode them. To help children learn these important words, teachers can use flashcards, word walls, and sight word bingo games. These tools help students learn the most common sight words and recognize them quickly and easily.

 

Preparing Children for Reading Lessons:

 

Preparing children for reading lessons is an important part of the process of teaching them to read. To help children get ready for reading lessons, teachers can provide them with a quiet and calm environment, plenty of time to focus, and a variety of materials to work with, such as books, worksheets, and reading games. By giving children the right tools and resources, teachers can help them feel confident and comfortable as they learn to read.

 

Phonemic Awareness:

 

Phonemic awareness is the understanding of the sounds of language and how they can be used to form words. To help children develop phonemic awareness, teachers can use rhyming games, clapping out syllables, and playing with sounds. These tools can help children understand the sounds of language and the way that words are made up of individual sounds.

 

Effective Reading Tools:

 

There are many different tools and resources that teachers can use to help children learn to read. Some of the best tools include books, worksheets, and reading games, as well as digital resources such as e-books, reading apps, and educational websites. By using a variety of tools, teachers can provide children with a well-rounded and engaging learning experience that will help them develop strong reading skills.

Encouraging a Love of Reading:

In addition to building pre-reading skills, it is crucial to encourage a love of reading in children. Research shows that children who enjoy reading are more likely to become lifelong readers, and they are also more likely to perform well in school. To encourage a love of reading, parents can provide their child with access to a wide variety of books and reading materials, read to them regularly, and allow them to choose their own books.

 


Resources for Parents:

 

There are many resources available to parents who want to help their child prepare for Kindergarten reading success. Local libraries, bookstores, and educational websites are great places to start, and many of these resources are available for free or at a low cost. For example, local libraries often offer storytimes for young children, and many bookstores offer free activities and events for kids.

 

Another great resource for parents is the website of the International Literacy Association, which provides a wealth of information and resources for parents, including tips for encouraging a love of reading, a list of recommended books for children, and information about pre-reading skills.

Conclusion:

 

Kindergarten teachers play a critical role in helping young children learn to read. With the right tools and techniques, teachers can help children build a strong foundation for reading and literacy. Whether you're looking for phonics games, sight word recognition tools, or resources to help prepare children for reading lessons, there are many effective tools available to help teachers make the most of their time and resources. By using the best reading tools available, teachers can help children build a lifelong love of learning and a foundation for success.

Start Teaching Reading for Free Now!

Access Level 1’s four interactive stories and the accompanying supplemental resources to teach elementary students how to read. No credit card is needed. Join the 42,635 teachers and students using our reading program.

Best Tools for Teaching Phonemic Awareness in Kindergarten

Best Tools for Teaching Phonemic Awareness in Kindergarten

Introduction:

 

Phonemic awareness is an essential skill for young children as they begin their journey towards reading. It involves recognizing and manipulating sounds in words, which is the foundation of decoding and reading fluency. Kindergarten teachers play a crucial role in helping children develop this skill, and there are many tools available to assist them in this process. In this article, we'll explore some of the best tools for teaching phonemic awareness in kindergarten.

 

Alphabet Cards:

 

Alphabet cards are an excellent tool for teaching the relationship between letters and sounds. They come in different sizes and materials, such as magnetic letters, flashcards, and foam letters, which can be used in a variety of fun and interactive games. Children can use the cards to match letters with sounds, build words, and learn the order of the alphabet.

 

Rhyming Books and Games:

 

Rhyming books and games are an enjoyable and engaging way to teach phonemic awareness. Children can listen to and identify words that have the same ending sounds, and this helps them to understand the different sounds that make up words. Games like "Rhyme Match" and "What Rhymes with Cat?" are great for building this skill in a fun and interactive way.

 

Phonics Tiles and Puzzles:

 

Phonics tiles and puzzles are a great tool for building phonemic awareness in young children. They can be used to form words and match letters to their sounds, which helps children to understand the relationships between sounds and letters. They also promote fine motor skills as children manipulate the tiles and puzzles.

 

Sound Boxes:

 

Sound boxes are a fun and interactive way to teach phonemic awareness. They come in different forms, such as magnetic sound boxes, foam sound boxes, and cardboard sound boxes. Children can place letter cards into the correct sound boxes and identify the sounds that letters make. This tool is great for building phonemic awareness as well as promoting letter recognition and sound-letter relationships.

 

Phonemic Awareness Apps:

 

There are many phonemic awareness apps available that are designed specifically for young children. These apps provide engaging and interactive activities that help children to develop their phonemic awareness skills. They can be used on a tablet or smartphone and are a great tool for teachers to use in the classroom or for parents to use at home.

 

Conclusion:

 

In conclusion, there are many tools available to teach phonemic awareness in kindergarten. From alphabet cards, rhyming books and games, phonics tiles and puzzles, sound boxes, and phonemic awareness apps, teachers and parents have a wealth of resources to choose from. When used in a fun and engaging way, these tools can help children to develop strong phonemic awareness skills, which will serve as the foundation for their reading journey.

Start Teaching Reading for Free Now!

Access Level 1’s four interactive stories and the accompanying supplemental resources to teach elementary students how to read. No credit card is needed. Join the 42,635 teachers and students using our reading program.

Strategies for Building Sight Word Vocabulary in ESL Classrooms

Strategies for Building Sight Word Vocabulary in ESL Classrooms

Sight words are essential to learning a new language, and can be especially challenging for ESL students. Building their sight word vocabulary is essential to helping them achieve fluency, and it requires creative strategies that work best for each student. In this article, we'll discuss tips and best practices to help you effectively teach sight words and build your ESL students' sight word vocabulary.

1. Use Songs and Rhymes: Incorporating songs and rhymes into your sight word instruction can be a great way to help your students master these words. Songs and rhymes are fun and engaging, and they can help your students remember and recall sight words more easily.
2. Incorporate Technology: Technology can be a great way to enable more effective sight word instruction. Whether it is apps, websites, or other

1212

interactive tools, incorporating technology into your instruction can help your students stay engaged and have access to even more resources for mastering sight words.
3. Create Visual Aids: Visual aids can be a great tool to help students learn and recall sight words. Consider creating posters, flashcards, worksheets, and other visual aids with pictures and the corresponding words to make sure your students are able to link the words with the images.
4. Develop Activities: Another great way to help your students learn and retain sight words is to create activities that give them the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned. This can include games and other activities that reinforce the sight words and help students practice their newly acquired knowledge.
5. Utilize Books: Books can be a great way to introduce sight words to your ESL students. Look for books that are specifically designed to help learners with sight words, and consider creating activities or games that tie the book in with your instruction.

Building sight word vocabulary in an ESL classroom requires creative strategies and an understanding of how best to reach each student. By following the tips outlined above, you can provide your students with the best possible opportunity to succeed in mastering these essential building blocks.

Activities to Develop Sight Word Recognition in ESL Students

Activities to Develop Sight Word Recognition in ESL Students

Sight word recognition is a key component of language learning, and can be especially challenging for ESL students. Developing these skills requires creative strategies that work best for each student, and it is essential to helping them achieve fluency. In this article, we'll discuss tips and best practices to help you effectively teach sight words and develop your ESL students' sight word recognition.

1. Use Technology: Technology can be a great way to enable more effective sight word instruction. Whether it is apps, websites, or other interactive tools, incorporating technology into your instruction can help your students stay engaged and have access to even more resources for mastering sight words.
2. Create Visual Aids: Visual aids can be a great tool to help students learn and recognize sight words. Consider creating posters, flashcards, worksheets, and other visual aids with pictures and the corresponding words to make sure your students are able to link the words with the images.

3. Design Games and Activities: Another great way to help your students learn and recognize sight words is to create activities that give them the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned.

 

This can include games and other activities that reinforce the sight words and help students practice their newly acquired knowledge.

4. Utilize Books: Books can be a great way to introduce sight words to your ESL students. Look for books that are specifically designed to help learners with sight words, and consider creating activities or games that tie the book in with your instruction.
5. Incorporate Songs and Rhymes: Incorporating songs and rhymes into your sight word instruction can be a great way to help your students master these words. Songs and rhymes are fun and engaging, and they can help your students remember and recall sight words more easily.

Developing sight word recognition in an ESL classroom requires creative strategies and an understanding of how best to reach each student. By following the tips outlined above, you can provide your students with the best possible opportunity to succeed in mastering these essential building blocks.

Building Vocabulary through English Phonics for Non-English Speaking Students

Building Vocabulary through English Phonics for Non-English Speaking Students

Introduction

 

As an experienced educator with a focus on the fundamentals and tools required to provide creative solutions for kindergarten teachers, it is important to understand the unique challenges that come with teaching non-English speaking students to read and build their vocabulary through the English language. With this in mind, this article provides tips, tools, and resources to help non-English speaking students build their vocabulary and develop the skills required for reading English successfully.

 

Why are English Phonics Important for Non-English Speaking Students?

 

English phonics is the foundation for reading and understanding the English language. With English being the dominant language in many countries, it is important for non-English speaking students to develop a strong foundation in English phonics in order to be able to read, understand, and communicate effectively. English phonics is also a crucial part of building vocabulary, as it teaches students the relationships between letters and sounds, which helps them to decode and understand new words.

 

Building Vocabulary through English Phonics

 

One of the key elements of building vocabulary through English phonics is to start early and focus on pre-reading skills. This includes building phonemic awareness, which is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. Teachers can start by teaching students the sounds of individual letters and how they blend together to form words.

 

Once students have developed a strong foundation in phonemic awareness, they can start to work on decoding and recognizing sight words, which are words that appear frequently in text and can be recognized quickly without having to sound them out. Sight words make up a significant portion of the English language, and students must be able to recognize them in order to read fluently.

 

Building vocabulary is a key component of learning to read and speak English. By using English phonics, teachers can help non-English speaking students develop a strong foundation for vocabulary acquisition. Here are some specific ways to build vocabulary through English phonics in the classroom:

 

Teach the sounds of each letter: Start by teaching the sounds of each letter of the alphabet and how they are used to make words. This will help students sound out words and identify patterns in the language.

 

Use rhyming words: Encourage students to identify rhyming words and use them to build their vocabulary. Rhyming words can help students see patterns in the language and remember new words.

 

Use flashcards: Flashcards are a great tool for teaching vocabulary. You can use flashcards with pictures and words to help students associate images with vocabulary words.

 

Encourage reading: Encourage non-English speaking students to read in English as much as possible. This will help build their vocabulary and familiarize them with the language.

 

Play word games: Word games such as BINGO, hangman, and crossword puzzles can be a fun way for students to learn vocabulary and practice their English phonics skills.

 

Resources for Building Vocabulary through English Phonics

 

There are many resources available for building vocabulary through English phonics for non-English speaking students. Here are some specific resources to consider:

 

Online Phonics Programs: There are many online phonics programs available that are designed specifically for non-English speaking students. These programs use interactive games and activities to help students learn the sounds of each letter and build their vocabulary.

 

Library Resources: Your local library may have resources such as books and videos that can help students learn English phonics and build their vocabulary.

 

English Phonics Workbooks: English phonics workbooks are a great resource for students who are looking to build their vocabulary through English phonics. These workbooks provide activities and exercises that help students practice their English phonics skills.

 

English Phonics Apps: English phonics apps are a great resource for non-English speaking students who are looking to build their vocabulary through English phonics. These apps provide interactive games and activities that help students learn the sounds of each letter and build their vocabulary.

Practice Makes Perfect

 

In order to build vocabulary through English phonics, it is important for students to practice their skills regularly. Teachers can provide students with opportunities to practice reading and decoding new words by having them read books, articles, and other texts that are appropriate for their reading level. Additionally, teachers can provide students with opportunities to practice writing words and sentences, as this will help them to reinforce the sounds and patterns they have learned.

 

Games and Activities

 

In addition to regular practice, teachers can also incorporate games and activities that are designed to build vocabulary and improve English phonics skills. For example, teachers can use word matching games, word bingo, and other interactive activities to help students learn new words and reinforce their understanding of English phonics.

 

Online and Library Resources

 

There are also a variety of online and library resources available to support non-English speaking students in building their vocabulary and improving their English phonics skills. For example, online games and activities, such as interactive books and educational videos, can provide students with engaging and interactive ways to learn. In addition, libraries often have a wide range of books and resources that are specifically designed to help non-English speaking students learn English and build their vocabulary.

 

Conclusion

 

Building vocabulary through English phonics is a crucial part of teaching non-English speaking students to read and understand the English language. By focusing on pre-reading skills, providing opportunities for practice, and incorporating games and activities, teachers can help students develop the skills they need to become successful readers and build their vocabulary. With the right resources and support, non-English speaking students can become confident and successful readers, opening up new doors and opportunities in their academic and personal lives.

Start Teaching Reading for Free Now!

Access Level 1’s four interactive stories and the accompanying supplemental resources to teach elementary students how to read. No credit card is needed. Join the 42,635 teachers and students using our reading program.

Innovative Approaches to Teaching Sight Words to ESL Students

Innovative Approaches to Teaching Sight Words to ESL Students

 

The ability to recognize sight words is an important part of becoming a proficient reader. For English language learners, the challenge is even greater because they must learn to recognize the words while continuing to learn English. Fortunately, there are innovative approaches to teaching sight words to ESL students that can make the process easier and more successful.

 

 

One approach is to use a combination of research-based instructional strategies and playful activities. From a research-based standpoint, it’s important to provide many opportunities for practice and to build a solid sight word vocabulary. This can be done through activities such as having students write the words with their fingers on a sand tray, or making a game out of finding the words in stories. Another important component of teaching sight words is to teach them in context, such as within stories with pictures or sentence strips. This helps students better understand the meaning of the words.

 

When it comes to playful activities, there are endless options to get students excited about learning sight words. Word building and memory games are great ways to build word recognition skills. For example, students can match word cards to create sentences, or they can play a game of tag where they take turns saying a sight word and then tap another player if they can’t think of one. Also, bingo and other educational games are great for introducing and reinforcing sight words.

 

Finally, providing students with visual cues can be very helpful in helping them learn new sight words. For example, have students draw pictures to represent the words or use objects from around the room to create a visual representation of the words. You can also use tactile activities to encourage students to feel and manipulate the letters in the words.

 

 

In summary, teaching sight words to ESL students can be challenging, but with innovative approaches, it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Research-based strategies such as providing plenty of practice opportunities, teaching words in context, and using visual cues can all be effective in helping students learn and master sight words. In addition, fun activities such as word-building games and educational games are great for engaging students and making learning more enjoyable.

 

 

Phonemic Awareness Lessons for Kindergarten

Phonemic Awareness Lessons for Kindergarten

At Reading Teacher, phonemic awareness is the foundation of long-term reading success. This fundamental skill takes time to develop -- but by starting as early as kindergarten, young readers can get a headstart on their ability to hear, recognize, and play with the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.

 

Whether you’re a parent or educator, it’s helpful -- and, at times, essential -- to have a healthy backlog of phonemic awareness lessons for kindergarten students. Phonemic awareness is the backbone of confident reading; and in the long run, both you and your student will be grateful for the early start.

 

Read on for a brief review of phonemic awareness -- because who doesn’t need a refresher? -- followed by four fun and effective phonemic awareness activities for kindergartners.

 

What is Phonemic Awareness?

 

When readers unlock the magic of hearing, recognizing, and manipulating the sound units in words, they’re using phonemic awareness.

 

While there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, there are 44 phonemes. You can attribute this phenomenon to the power of sound manipulation. Because we can blend certain letters together, such as /sh/ or /ch/, our alphabet allows for unique mixes of sound.

 

To practice their manipulation skills -- and, in turn, develop their phonemic awareness -- students will also practice segmenting words into phonemes, removing one sound to make a new word, or substituting one sound for another: for example, changing the /g/ in “goat” with /c/ to make “coat.”

 

Best Phonemic Awareness Lessons for Kindergarten

 

In kindergarten, many students are eager to tap into the magic of reading. But before they can do this, they have plenty of skills to develop!

 

Fortunately, these phonemic awareness lessons make it easier for kindergartners to blossom into proficient first-grade decoders -- and, eventually, lifelong readers.

 

1.   Silly Songs

Phonemic awareness is all about sounds -- so to appease their listening ears, get silly with singing. For an easy tune, try “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands”: you can replace the main chorus with “If you think you know this word, shout it out!”

 

After singing the verse, shout out the sounds (phenomes) of a simple, 3-letter word. For example, you could say F-A-R, and kindergartners shout back “far.” Teachers who use this activity recommend preparing words beforehand: this lesson can get loud, but it’s also fun and interactive.

 

2.   Sound Swaps

This lesson is all about manipulating phonemes. You can use a whiteboard, cards, or another visual cue to present a word. Ask students to read the word, then challenge them to swap a sound in the word with a new one. For example, students can make the following swaps:

  • Bat to Cat
  • Dog to Log
  • Sand to Send

 

Notice that the sound “swaps” can occur in the beginning, middle, or end of a word, depending on the student’s skill level. To cement the meaning of each word, you can invite students to draw a simple picture of the word’s definition, before and after the swap.

 

3.   Nonsense Words

What’s the purpose of reading nonsense? When students are just beginning to develop their phonemic awareness, there’s actually a purpose to reading nonsense words, which are simply parts of whole words that, on their own, have no meaning.

 

For example, “rep” and “lat” aren’t actual words -- but “reptile” and “later” definitely are! When students read nonsense words, they’re also learning syllables, which are essential for reading fluency. Nonsense words also give adults a sense of whether a student knows how to decode 3-sound phonemes.

 

Regardless of their current decoding skills, nonsense words help students build confidence with silly, sometimes funny word-bites before facing the real words in their favorite stories.

 

4.   Rhyme Time

We love rhyme time: it’s an accessible and engaging lesson that can be incorporated into classroom lessons or while driving to soccer practice. Simply present a word to the student -- for example, dog -- and invite them to list as many rhyme pairs as possible (log, fog, cog, bog, etc.).

 

For an extra challenge, adults can add a timer or present the word in “20-Questions” style. For example: “I’m thinking of an animal that rhymes with ‘sat.’ What is it?” The answer is “cat”, but it might take the student a few guesses to get there!

 

What’s the best part about this activity, and most phonemic awareness activities? There’s no pen or paper involved! It’s all about sound, careful listening, and a willingness to get silly while learning alongside your students.

 

Take-Away:

  • Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, recognize, and manipulate the individual sound units (phonemes) in words. Alongside phonological awareness, it’s an essential foundation for reading success.
  • Phonemic awareness lessons for kindergarten are all about sounds, active listening, and lots of fun! Some of our teacher-tested favorites include:
    • Practicing phonemes with silly songs
    • Swapping out sounds to make new words
    • Reading nonsense words
    • Turning any time into “rhyme time”!

Start Teaching Reading for Free Now!

Access Level 1’s four interactive stories and the accompanying supplemental resources to teach elementary students how to read. No credit card is needed. Join the 42,635 teachers and students using our reading program.

Testing Sight Words and Reading Comprehension

Testing Sight Words and Reading Comprehension

Teaching sight words and reading comprehension is one thing, but testing these two skill areas is an entirely separate challenge.

 

If you’re an educator and slowly working through a list of sight words with your students, you understand the importance of these words for students’ reading comprehension. These small-but-mighty words account for 75% of English language usage: so the more students know, the better they’ll comprehend texts -- and the more likely they’ll discover their new favorite book.

 

Testing sight words, reading, and comprehension can be overwhelming, but with a bit of strategy and planning, it’s possible to test and document your students’ progress from Day 1 to the end of the school year.

 

How To Effectively Teach Sight Words

 

Sight words are simple words that a reader can “see” and pronounce without sounding out or guessing. In the English language, common sight words include “the,” “a,” “I,” and “to.” Many of these words are difficult to sound out, but they appear often in decodable books and readers.

 

To effectively teach sight words, reading experts recommend early exposure and engaging students in consistent, fun reading activities that build their sight-word vocabulary.

 

Teaching sight words as part of a story, looking for them in favorite books, and hanging them around the home and classroom are all simple ways to increase students’ interaction with these familiar phrases.

 

How Do You Test for Sight Words?

 

Your system for testing sight words depends on students’ skills and overall reading confidence. Many educators and homeschooling parents use a combination of pre-assessments, flashcards, fun lessons, and post-assessments to test for sight words.

 

1.   Pre-Assessments

Before proceeding with your sight word lesson, assess students’ familiarity with a list of targeted sight words. In upcoming activities and flashcards, teachers and parents should pay special attention to any words that students miss from the get-go.

 

2.   Flashcards

Simple yet highly effective, flashcards are a must-have in any teacher’s toolkit. During guided reading time or ten minutes before dinner at home, use flashcards -- based on the pre-assessment list of sight words -- to test students’ growing knowledge and progress.

 

3.   Fun Sight Word Lessons

Flashcards are crucial, but both teachers and students know that they can get old! To break up the monotony, try some of these sight word lessons to expand students’ knowledge:

 

  • Heart Word Mapping: A popular technique used to teach both sight words and high-frequency words.
  • Watch Me: In this simple activity, students watch the teacher or parent read the sight word, spell it, and then read the word again. Then, students repeat those steps with the teacher, and repeat them once more independently.
  • Air Writing: After flashcards, ask students to snap a mental photograph of a sight word, then cover it up and write in the air with their fingers. This fun, physical activity improves both writing muscles and long-term memory of sight words.

 

4.   Post-Assessment

After a busy reading unit of sight word lists, flashcards, and lessons, it’s time to test -- but keep it low-stress! Teachers and parents can simply return to the initial list of sight words and retest students to see how many new words they’ve learned.

 

Ideally, students will know them all; but we also recognize that sight words take time to master. Continue working on tricky words until students know them all; then, move on to your next word list.

 

How Do You Test Reading Comprehension Level?

 

The ability to read most sight words is closely linked with reading comprehension. When students recognize and understand the meaning of sight words, they’re able to understand full sentences -- which, as we know, form the foundation of any good story!

 

Many teachers test reading comprehension levels while also teaching and testing sight words. To test reading comprehension, reading experts generally recommend the following steps:

 

  • Invite a student to read a book or passage that is leveled appropriately for their reading skills.
  • After the student reads the text, ask explicit, detailed questions about its content, which could include questions about the character, setting, or overall plot.

 

Note that these are broad, general strategies, and that reading comprehension assessments can vary depending on the needs of individual students and a classroom at large. Teachers might also create assessments to highlight specific comprehension skills, such as:

 

  • Summarizing the main idea or moral of a story
  • Filling in missing words in a passage with blanks
  • Asking students to read and follow simple instructions
  • Asking students to paraphrase the story in their own words
  • Presenting inferential questions about information implied by the text

 

Regardless of which path you take to test sight words, reading, and comprehension, remember that your approach is never one-size-fits-all.

 

With strategic and intentional lessons (and a healthy dose of patience), you can design tests that meet students where they’re at, allowing them to read, learn, and progress at their own pace.

 

Take-Away:

  • Sight words appear frequently in everyday texts, making them essential for comprehending and enjoying books.
  • To test sight words, teachers can perform a pre-assessment with a list of targeted words; after a unit filled with flashcards and engaging activities, they can re-test with the same list to track students’ progress.
  • Because sight words are closely linked with reading comprehension, many teachers test both skills simultaneously, ensuring that students stay on track to meet their reading milestones.

Start Teaching Reading for Free Now!

Access Level 1’s four interactive stories and the accompanying supplemental resources to teach elementary students how to read. No credit card is needed. Join the 42,635 teachers and students using our reading program.

Adult Literacy Reading Programs

Adult Literacy Reading Programs

At Reading Teacher, we often talk about early childhood literacy -- but how do adult reading skills compare?

 

While a majority of adults in the U.S. are functionally literate in English, a striking minority cannot perform basic literacy tasks. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, one in five U.S. adults lacks sufficient reading skills, such as the ability to paraphrase, compare and contrast information, or make low-level inferences.

 

This translates to approximately 43 million adults who possess low literacy skills -- and this is just in the U.S. Worldwide, poor adult literacy remains a primary concern, given the relationship between literacy skills and education, earning potential, and physical and emotional well-being.

 

To fill the gap, several adult literacy reading programs have developed powerful, age-appropriate lessons for mature readers. Today, we’ll highlight some of these programs and examine the driving forces of low literacy in adults.

Picture 1

Causes of Low Literacy In Adults

 

Poor literacy skills in adulthood are often byproducts of intersecting, intergenerational factors. Some common causes of low literacy in adults include:

  • Undiagnosed learning disabilities
  • Undiagnosed or unresolved physical disabilities, including hearing or vision loss
  • Poverty
  • Family or household dynamics in childhood that limit access to education and/or opportunities to read outside of school
    • Examples include frequently switching schools, childhood illness, or caring for a family member
  • Community violence or violence within the home
  • Needing to learn English as a second language

 

Whether separate or combined, any of these issues can lead to challenges with school attendance and success in other academic subjects, and ultimately create barriers to employment and other opportunities in adulthood.

Picture 2

Adult Literacy Reading Programs

 

If you identify as an adult with poor reading skills, you are not a failure. More than often, low literacy skills stem from educational systems that do not grant people the time, resources, and strategies they need to succeed.

 

Even in adulthood, it’s possible to recover essential literacy skills and work toward higher-paying jobs, further education, and a more fulfilling life. Below are some of the top literacy reading programs for adults, which give mature students the tools and confidence they need to become effective readers.

 

1.   Orton Gillingham For Older Students

Orton Gillingham offers a program for older students, which refers to students in junior high and beyond. This well-known program was created by Samuel Torrey Orton, a neuropsychiatrist, and Anna Gillingham, an educator and psychologist. Their approach to literacy is primarily used for readers with dyslexia who struggle in reading, writing, and spelling.

 

The program emphasizes several essential elements of literacy, including:

  • Multisensory teaching, which recognizes that people learn in different ways; some readers are visual learners, whereas others learn better through sound, movement, or touch
  • The logical connection between sounds and symbols in the English language, which is also known as the Phonetic-Alphabetic connection
  • Diagnostic instruction, which requires instructors to continuously monitor -- and celebrate! -- students’ progress

 

The program specializes in structured, sequential, and repetitive lessons, so that adult readers have time to process the foundational tenets of literacy and return to them as needed.

 

2.   Barton Reading & Spelling System

The Barton System is specifically designed for adults with dyslexia, many of whom did not receive a proper diagnosis or support for their literacy needs. The program was developed by Susan Barton, who created her reading system to train tutors for adults with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

 

Research shows that this program is highly effective for teaching students with dyslexia how to read, regardless of their age. The system utilizes direct instruction and multisensory techniques, which combine listening, speaking, reading, and tactile or “hands-on” approaches to teach phonics.

 

3.   Multisensory Teaching Approach (MTA)

Like the Barton Reading System, multisensory approaches to phonics are based on Orton-Gillingham literacy techniques. MTA is similarly designed for readers with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The program is student-centric, which means that its evidence-based lessons are tailored to the unique needs of both groups and individuals: adult readers included.

 

Today, MTA is frequently used in dyslexia intervention for younger students, but it also functions as a literacy reading program for mature students.

Picture 3

4.   The Slingerland Approach

This literacy program offers a meaningful, structured curriculum to improve students’ phonological awareness, reading fluency, vocabulary, and overall comprehension. Like the other programs on our list, the Slingerland curriculum is an adaptation of the Orton-Gillingham approach. Through this program, teachers use multisensory instruction to teach reading, writing, and even handwriting.

 

For adult literacy learners, the Slingerland curriculum reinforces the interdependence of reading fluency, writing, and handwriting: essential skills that shape any person’s ability to navigate the adult world.

Take-Aways:

  • Statistics indicate that low literacy levels in adulthood are relatively common.
    • In the U.S. alone, one in five adults lacks the reading skills to perform basic, literacy-related tasks.
  • Several major literacy programs can support mature students who seek to improve their reading skills, including:
    • The Orton-Gillingham Approach
    • The Barton Reading & Spelling System
    • The Multisensory Teaching Approach (MTA)
    • The Slingerland Approach

Start Teaching Reading for Free Now!

Access Level 1’s four interactive stories and the accompanying supplemental resources to teach elementary students how to read. No credit card is needed. Join the 42,635 teachers and students using our reading program.