Why do we have so much trouble with these small silly words? Is it because they don't follow any patterns or look like other words. For example let's look at the word go, which sounds like /g/ and /oe/ and the word do, which sounds like /d/ and /oo/. They begin to look the same with one consonant and one vowel. Both of the consonants follow what the sound will be normally and how we introduce those sounds. The vowel is open because there are no other letters after it. This means if we follow patterns for open vowels, those vowels should be long and say their name /oe/. So go /g-o/ sounds right and looks right, yet the word do, which seems to be in it's word family because of the way it looks, however it is not because of the way it sounds. So for these complex ideas that sounds and word families are patterns, are proven false from these very basic words in our language.
High frequency words fall under this category because they are short, used often, and unable to be decodable. Decode the... /th/- /u/? My... /m/-/i/. These words need to be practiced, memorized and drilled! The best way to to read and write and practice over and over and over.
The goal of high frequency words is for our students to be able to write them. Yes write them. If they can read them in one book with a text font they are familiar with, that's great but they might not be able to read that word in a font they don't know. But research says if a student can write a high frequency word in under three seconds, in the correct order (t-h-e not h-t-e and moving the t in front), and not writing a letter in reversed or backwards, then the child is able to read the word any time is appears in any font!
Remember writing is the output of reading, the harder part, and if we can make our students feel success with writing it will transfer into reading! So continue to practice our high frequency words because they are the way they are because... well, they are!
Head to my Teachers Pay Teachers page and down load your free word sheets to help your students practice the high frequency words!
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