Alphabetic Principle, Word Study, and Spelling Definitions Match the Key Concept to Its Definition by Writing the Letter In

Handout 3.3A

Alphabetic Principle, Word Study, and Spelling Definitions

Match the key concept to its definition by writing the letter in the correct blank.

1. Decoding A. Understanding that the sequence of letters in written words represents the sequence of sounds (or phonemes) in spoken words

2. Common sound B. Sound that a letter most frequently makes in a word

3. Decodable texts C. Vowels and certain consonant sounds that can be prolonged during pronunciation and are easier to say without being distorted

4. Encoding D. Engaging and coherent texts in which most of the words comprise an accumulating sequence of letter–sound correspondences being taught

5. Alphabetic principle E. Process of converting printed words into their spoken forms by using knowledge of letter–sound relationships and word structure

6. Continuous sounds F. Process of converting spoken words into their written forms (spelling)

7. Sounding out G. Words in which some or all of the letters do not represent their most common sounds

8. Letter recognition H. Groups of consecutive letters that represent a particular sound or sounds in words

9. Irregular words I. Ability to distinguish and name each letter of the alphabet, sequence the letters, and distinguish and produce both uppercase and lowercase letters

10. Regular words J. Relationships between common sounds of letters or letter combinations in written words

11. Stop sounds K. Words in which the letters make their most common sounds

12. Letter–sound L. Process of saying each sound that letters represent in a correspondences word and blending them together to read the word

©Foundations of Reading Instruction. University of Texas at Austin/TEA (2009) Used with permission

13. Letter combinations M. Consonant sounds that are not as easy to pronounce in isolation without a vowel sound

14. Morphology N. Consistencies in patterns and relationships that apply to more than one word

15. Phonological O. Description for the combination of letters and letter– processing sound correspondences

16. Orthography P. Strategies to improve memory, such as using key words or visualizing

17. Independent level Q. Reading level in which more than 1 in 10 words are difficult (89% or less accuracy with low comprehension)

18. Phonology R. Writing system of language

19. Graphophonemic S. Reading level in which no more than 1 in 20 words is difficult for the reader (95%–100% accuracy with high comprehension)

20. Phonetic spelling T. A beginning stage of spelling that develops with one’s ability to analyze the phonemes in words (also known as beginning, temporary, invented, and emergent spelling)

21. Instructional level U. Ability to remember words in their spoken forms as sequences of speech sounds and to apply the sounds to symbols when spelling and reading words

22. Generalizations V. Reading level in which no more than 1 in 10 words is difficult for the reader (90%–94% accuracy with average to high comprehension)

23. Frustrational level W. Structure of meaningful units and patterns in words

24. Mnemonics X. Calculation that determines the reading level of texts (total number of words read correctly divided by the total number of words read)

25. Percent accuracy Y. Rule system of speech sounds in a language

©Foundations of Reading Instruction. University of Texas at Austin/TEA (2009) Used with permission Module 7 | Handout 1 | 1 of

Handout 3.3B Alphabetic Principle, Word Study, and Spelling Definitions—Answer Key

Match the key concept to its definition by writing the letter in the correct blank.

1. E Decoding A. Understanding that the sequence of letters in written words represents the sequence of sounds (or phonemes) in spoken words

2. B Common sound B. Sound that a letter most frequently makes in a word

3. D Decodable texts C. Vowels and certain consonant sounds that can be prolonged during pronunciation and are easier to say without being distorted

4. F Encoding D. Engaging and coherent texts in which most of the words comprise an accumulating sequence of letter–sound correspondences being taught

5. A Alphabetic principle E. Process of converting printed words into their spoken forms by using knowledge of letter–sound relationships and word structure

6. C Continuous sounds F. Process of converting spoken words into their written forms (spelling)

7. L Sounding out G. Words in which some or all of the letters do not represent their most common sounds

8. I Letter recognition H. Groups of consecutive letters that represent a particular sound or sounds in words

9. G Irregular words I. Ability to distinguish and name each letter of the alphabet, sequence the letters, and distinguish and produce both uppercase and lowercase letters

10. K Regular words J. Relationships between common sounds of letters or letter combinations in written words

11. M Stop sounds K. Words in which the letters make their most common sound

12. J Letter–sound L. Process of saying each sound that letters represent in a word correspondences and blending them together to read the word

©Foundations of Reading Instruction. University of Texas at Austin/TEA (2009) Used with permission

13. H Letter M. Consonant sounds that are not as easy to pronounce in combinations isolation without a vowel sound

14. W Morphology N. Consistencies in patterns and relationships that apply to more than one word

15. U Phonological O. Description for the combination of letters and letter–sound processing correspondences

16. R Orthography P. Strategies to improve memory, such as using key words or visualizing

17. S Independent level Q. Reading level in which more than 1 in 10 words are difficult (89% or less accuracy with low comprehension)

18. Y Phonology R. Writing system of language

19. O Graphophonemic S. Reading level in which no more than 1 in 20 words is difficult for the reader (95%–100% accuracy with high comprehension)

20. T Phonetic spelling T. A beginning stage of spelling that develops with one’s ability to analyze the phonemes in words (also known as beginning, temporary, invented, and emergent spelling)

21. V Instructional level U. Ability to remember words in their spoken forms as sequences of speech sounds and to apply the sounds to symbols when spelling and reading words

22. N Generalizations V. Reading level in which no more than 1 in 10 words is difficult for the reader (90%–94% accuracy with average to high comprehension)

23. Q Frustrational level W. Structure of meaningful units and patterns in words

24. P Mnemonics X. Calculation that determines the reading level of texts (total number of words read correctly divided by the total number of words read)

25. X Percent accuracy Y. Rule system of speech sounds in a language

©Foundations of Reading Instruction. University of Texas at Austin/TEA (2009) Used with permission Module 5 | Handout 3 | 1 of

Handout 3.3C Model Lesson for the Alphabet Arc

Objective: Students place three-dimensional letters in sequence around the arc.

Materials: Alphabet arc; uppercase set of letters • Let’s review the sequence of the alphabet. Say the letter as you touch it on the alphabet strip at the top of your arc. (Name letters with students.)

• Place all the letters on your desks.

• Say the letter name, find it on your desk, and place it on the arc.

• Let’s do the first letter. Name it: A. Find it. Place it on the arc.

• Find the last letter. Name it: Z. Find it. Place it on the arc.

• Find the two middle letters. Name them: M, N. Find them. Place them on the arc.

• What’s the next letter? Name it: B. Now, find it. Where do you place B on the arc?

• That’s right; place the B after the A. Finish placing the remaining letters on your arc in the correct order.

• Remember to say it, find it, and place it.

• (When students have finished placing all the letters in an arc, have them proofread by touching and naming each letter. Students can use the alphabet strip at the top of the arc to help them self-check.)

• Let’s put our letters back in the containers. Say the letters as you return them in sequence to the container.

Adapted from Neuhaus Education Center, 1992

©Foundations of Reading Instruction. University of Texas at Austin/TEA (2009) Used with permission

Guidelines for Teaching Letter–Sound Correspondences

Because our goal is to teach all students to read connected text as quickly and accurately as possible, it is helpful to remember the following guidelines in designing letter–sound correspondence instruction, especially for struggling readers: • Letter–sound correspondences often are introduced in a sequence based on their frequency of use in text and spelling. Frequently used letters and sounds are taught before infrequently used sounds and letters.

Examples: • The letter m is more frequently used than the letter x.

• Present the “hard” /k/ sound for the letter c as in can before the “soft” /s/ sound for c as in cent.

• The /g/ sound for the letter g, as in girl, is presented before the /j/ sound for g, as in gym.

If students demonstrate difficulty during guided practice, provide immediate clarification by modeling correct responses and having students give the answer on their own. Then repeat several of the previous tasks and the one that caused confusion.

For example, when you ask for the sound of the letter a in cat, a student responds /i/. You would model the correct response by saying /aaa/ and then check the student’s understanding by asking for the student to give the sound for the letter a in cat. • There is not an established order of introduction for letter– sound correspondences, so it varies across beginning reading programs.

• Begin with letter–sound correspondences that can be combined to make words that students can read and understand.

This helps students generalize that letters and their common sounds can be combined to make many words. For example, with the knowledge of the letters m, s, t, and a and their common sounds, students can read words such as at, am, as, mat, sat, and Sam.

©Foundations of Reading Instruction. University of Texas at Austin/TEA (2009) Used with permission

It is important to introduce some vowels early so that words can be made and read. • Letter sounds with auditorily similar features can be separated and introduced at different times.

• Examples of auditorily similar letter sounds include /m/ and /n/ and /e /and /i/.

• Continuous sounds are usually introduced before stop (or clipped) sounds.

Continuous vowel or consonant sounds can be prolonged or stretched out when they are pronounced and are easier to say without distortion. Voiced stop sounds are not as easy to pronounce in isolation without a vowel sound. The vowel sound should be “clipped” to make it as brief as possible.

For example, b should be pronounced /b/ instead of /buh/ and g should be pronounced as /g/ instead of /guh/.

Teaching voiced and unvoiced sounds can help some students who are having difficulty distinguishing the sounds of English. Students can distinguish the sounds through feeling the vibrations of voiced sounds by touching their voice box with their fingertips or by covering both their ears and listening as they say the sounds.

Small mirrors are also helpful for students who are having trouble distinguishing sounds. Students can watch the position of their mouths, tongues, and teeth as they form the sounds. Be sure to model the correct formation for the letters.

It is not necessary to teach all of the continuous sounds before introducing stop sounds. • Introduce only a few letter–sound correspondences at a time and provide many opportunities for practice.

The number of letter–sound correspondences introduced will vary, de- pending on students’ knowledge and skills. You may need to reduce the rate of introduction of new sounds for students who are experienc- ing difficulties.

Using multisensory techniques, such as “sky-writing,” helps some students remember letters and their sounds. • When students can reliably identify the sound of a letter, it is helpful to provide opportunities for these students to practice discriminating the new sound from other known letter–sound correspondences.

For example, present the newly introduced sound for t with other known letter–sound correspondences in this way: s, t, m, t, p, t, s. Ask students to identify the letter sounds. This task provides built-in review for previously learned letter sounds, helping students remember them.

Handout 3.3E Example Sequence for Introducing Letter–Sound Correspondences

Letter Sound Keyword i /i/ it t /t/ table p /p/ pig n /n/ nest s /s/ sock a /a/ apple l /l/ leaf d /d/ dog f /f/ fish h /h/ house g /g/ goat o /o/ octopus k /k/ kite c /k/ cup m /m/ mitten r /r/ rabbit b /b/ bat e /e/ elephant y /y/ yarn j /j/ jam u /u/ umbrella w /w/ wagon v /v/ valentine x /ks/ box z /z/ zipper qu /kw/ queen

This example sequence for letter–sound correspondence introduction is based on frequency of use in reading and spelling. Sounds and letter shapes that are easily confused are widely separated in this order of introduction.

Adapted from Neuhaus Education Center, 1992 ©Foundations of Reading Instruction. University of Texas at Austin/TEA (2009) Used with permission

Handout 3.3F Guidelines for Teaching Irregular Words

• Introduce frequently occurring irregular words that are found in many stories and expository texts.

• Teach new irregular words before students encounter them in stories.

• Limit the number of irregular words introduced in a single lesson.

• Introduce visually similar irregular words, such as where and were and was and saw, in separate lessons to avoid confusion.

• Review irregular words that have been previously taught.

Sample Lesson

• Write an irregular word on the board: said.

• With students, sound out each letter using its most common sound, and blend these sounds to read the word as you point to each letter.

• Using this “sounding-out” strategy to read irregular words helps students, especially struggling readers, consistently apply a familiar strategy to read a word. Using this strategy confirms what students know because some of the sounds in these words are regular.

• Help students discover the parts of the word that do not represent their most common sound(s).

• Circle the irregular part: ai in said.

• Compare this part to what is said by writing the pronunciation in parentheses: (s-e-d).

• Say the word slowly: /s-e-d/.

• Write the word on a card.

• Review previously introduced irregular words before introducing a new irregular word.

Adapted from Carreker, 1999