Chapter 6 - Word Identification

Katie ShriverDanielle TevlowitzKristie Harris

Word recognition includes the following elements: Recognizing words without conscious attention Recognizing words without attending to every letter Using parts of words to quickly identify new words Connecting unknown words to known word (analogies) Connecting spelling with word meaning (homonyms, plurals,

tenses)

Automatic word recognition and word analysis skills are imperative to comprehending texts.

Elements of Word Recognition

Readers make use of non-visual information already stored in the brain; prior knowledge reduces the amount of information required to identify entire

words

Tunnel Vision- state of incomprehension occurring when the brain is overloaded with visual information;

happens when reading too slowly, attempting to sound out words letter by letter, and when readers lack background knowledge/material is too difficult

Sight words are best learned using the whole-part-whole approach

Visual/Non-visual Information

Word Recognition Activity

Your brain is capable of identifying:*4-5 single random letters per second *2+ words per second; 10-12 letters per second- when letters are organized, or ‘chunked’, into words

When words are organized in grammatically correct sentences, the brain can process four times the amount it can handle when identifying random letters. (e.g., I love to read.)

The Brain & Reading Process

1. Syntactic- system of grammar and sentence structure; noun follows a verb (making sense of text through flow of sentence; what fits in the sentence)

2. Semantic- refers to the meaning of words, sentences, & longer passages in language; figuring out the meaning of words in the context of a sentence (homonyms cause confusion because words have double meanings)

3. Pragmatic- refers to the situational context of a word, sentence, or passage; impacted by prior knowledge and previous experiences; all readers’ experiences are different (students in Hawaii may not recognize ‘blizzard’)

4. Graphophonic- refers to relationships between letters and their sounds; phoneme- smallest unit of speech sound; grapheme- written representation of the phoneme

Four Cueing Systems(Observe and assess students’ reading to determine what reading processes they are using when encountering unfamiliar words. Proficient readers simultaneously use their knowledge of the four curing systems to identify words.)

Word Knowledge*Receptive Vocabulary- a bank of words a student can understand during conversation; listening vocabulary*Expressive Vocabulary- vocabulary students use during speech or writing*Sight Words- words that do not conform to pronunciation rules*Sight Vocabulary- words that students recognize in half a second or less

Word Analysis Skills*Context Clues- rhetorical knowledge, schema, and picture clues that a student can use to figure out unknown words*Visual Analysis of Monosyllabic Words- the ability to break words into smaller known parts to figure out unknown words*Blending Polysyllabic Words- the ability to blend the smaller parts (single syllables) of words together to make whole words*Structural Analysis- the ability to distinguish frequently used prefixes and suffixes form root words and the knowledge of how they affect the meaning of words*Morphemic Structure- understanding how root words with different affixes (prefixes & suffixes) form different parts of speech (e.g., music, musician, musical)

Components of WordIdentification

“Proficient readers use visual information for print and graphics; put together the information to gain the literal meaning of the text; and remember it

while reading, thinking beyond the text.” (p. 127)

Have struggling readers….. learn how to use the four cueing systems

learn the components of word identification increase their range of strategies for analyzing

words

Goals for Corrective Reading Instruction

~First assess struggling readers as they read/write, then address specific skills that meet their particular needs:

1- Word identification skills

2- Receptive and expressive vocabularies

3- Sight words

4- Sight vocabulary

5- Context clues

6- Visual analysis of monosyllabic words

7- Blending polysyllabic words & structural analysis

Activities for Enhancing Elements of Word Identification

Word Identification Skills (pg. 138) Guided Reading- small group instruction of

learners with like abilities & needs

Intervention Strategies & Activities

Receptive & Expressive Vocabularies (pg. 139)

Wordless Books- encourage discussion of pictures/text features to enhance schemata

Picture Books- use pictures to help readers decode text and build vocabulary

Sight Words (pg. 140) Match the Word- match words on sticky notes to word in text Dolch List Bingo- enhancing automaticity through quick recognition

when word is called

Intervention Strategies & Activities

Sight Vocabulary (pg. 141)

Unscramble the Sentence- after reading short poem/story, sequence sentences on separate strips

Personalized Flash Cards- create readily accessible cards for recurring unknown words to gain sight recognition

Personal Word Walls- create individual lists of unknown/tricky words; possibly related to a concept being learned

Unscramble to Word- cut out individual letters of vocabulary words new to student and practice assembling

Technical Terms- identify new words & familiarize student with words before reading a text; usually with concept books

Visual Analysis Monosyllabic Words (pg. 144) Toss the Cube- creating words with a given set of letters; help

students recognize smaller elements within monosyllabic words

Intervention Strategies & Activities

Blending Polysyllabic Words and Structural Analysis (pg. 144-147)

Compound Words- help students see smaller parts within words; cards with words that can be combined to create compound words

Affixes Word Study- separate root words from added prefixes/suffixes and practice matching to create new words/meanings

Personalized Word-Part Dictionaries- student creates personal dictionary defining various prefixes, suffixes, and root words

Morphology Rummy- engaging game to help students define and understand prefixes, suffixes, and root words

Activity

Sight Word Bingo

Formal Assessments: Diagnostic Reading Scales Gates McKillop-Horowitz

Reading Diagnostic Test Gray Oral Reading Tests Gilmore Oral Reading Test The Durrell Analysis of

Reading Difficulty

Assessment of Word Identification Skills

Informal Assessments: Checklists Assessing Receptive Vocabulary Assessing Sight Words Assessing Sight Vocabulary Assessing Context Clues Assessing Visual Analysis Assessing Blending Assessing Structural Analysis