I’m not sure how effective this approach is….but the way I’ve been trying to help my son learn those orthographic patterns which seem impossible for him to recognize is by having him go over word lists with words that have those particular orthographic patterns. (For example: “ir” words like “birth, girth, etc…).
Is this effective? I find that general reading doesn’t give enough practice with specific patterns.
Might there be a better method? Maybe a combination of lists with phonic readers that repeat the specific patterns we’re working on?
Re: Using Word Lists - effectiveness?
Yes, that works especially if you ask him what patterns he sees. Then as you work with some more patterns, ask him to sort them according to the patterns. Our brain is programmed to recognize patterns. Afterwards, it would help if you also ask him to read sentences that have those patterns. I would also ask him to highlight the particular pattern that you’re working on.
Re: Using Word Lists - effectiveness?
Yes, I certainly do plenty of this. I have found that LD readers often don’t attend to the details in words. So, they will confuse similar appearing words. You could outfit him with highlighters in several colors and have him highlight the vowel pattern in each word. Maybe you could mix two patterns: “ir” and “or” and have him use a different color to highlight each pattern. Something to get him to attend to the letters in sequential order.
Re: Using Word Lists - effectiveness?
Sequential Spelling (http://www.avko.org) uses a word list approach that is very effective. At the end of the webpage describing Sequential Spelling 1 is a week’s worth of words so you can see how they do it, which is slightly different than what you are doing. Over time this approach develops visual sensitivity to orthographic patterns.
Nancy
It doesn't work when...
… as others have said, if the student figures out the pattern and is then just chanting from memory, but *not* making the visual symbols trigger the reading-the-right-word then it takes a whole lot longer for things to stick. Highlighting, spelling ‘em back, etc. all help — and explaining about making that visual connection to the student.
Once they’ve got a pattern, mix it up — make some flashcard decks that have two (non-confusing at first!) patterns. Again, though, point out and emphasize the individual sound-symbol connections so i-tch is two sounds, two pictures of sounds. Then try showing him a-tch… and asking him *why* it is what it is, if he knows.
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Re: Using Word Lists - effectiveness?
Jerome Rosner has lists of what he calls decoding units in his book “Helping a Child Overcome Learning Difficulties” that might give you some more ideas. He has instructions too, although I haven’t read them carefully.
We used Scholastic’s spelling series by Louisa Moats this year with great success. It does a lot of the types of things others have talked about—sorting by patterns, ect. My son’s spelling has improved but just as importantly he is recognizing patterns better.
I plan to use ACKO with him this summer in hopes of getting him closer to grade level more quickly in spelling. (The Moats book was an alternative circul. material that I selected and convinced his teacher to use). I personally have tired of teaching decoding in all its forms, after three years, and have decided to work on spelling. You have to be able to be able to read to spell so I figure that there has to be carryover. And I think he really is at the pattern point too.
Beth
Reading word lists can help. However, the student has to get involved; it is usually more effective to write as well as read. Copy words, spell them by sound, play various pencil and paper games using these patterns. A good phonics workbook series can provide this kind of practice and give you ideas for more.