All Info About Reading

 Some sight words can be especially troublesome for some students.  Flashcards and context practice may not be enough to push their skills to mastery.  Tricky pairs, like want/went, the/they, and were/where with their similar shapes and spellings, are often misread by students who are struggling with reading skills.  Teachers and parents need to find alternative techniques to help these students.

One technique to try is writing the sight words.  By adding a written component to the study program, you will be adding a kinesthetic element to the practice routine.  Movement and motor memory can help some students master tricky sight words.  There are several different ways to do this and each focuses on a slightly different combination of learning modalities.

Try copying the troublesome words from a model, much in the same way as spelling words are practiced.  Have the student copy the words five to ten times daily, doing each whole group followed by the next.  If you allow the student to copy first one word then another in round robin fashion, the practice will not be nearly as effective.  And watch for students who copy the first letter of all of the repetitions, then the second, and so forth.  This is counterproductive!  Focus on a small number of words at a time; two to five words are best.

Another practice method involves making a few worksheets.  Choose the target words, and create worksheets that have random letters missing from each example.  For instance, the first item might be “w__ a t” and the next might be “w h a ___.”  Progress from a single missing letter in each example through increasing numbers, and the final items should require the student to write the entire word from memory.  Be sure to use a large font so that students’ writing will fit into the word comfortably.

Finally, tactile methods may help some students master difficult sight words.  Put a small amount of sand in a clean tray or shallow box and have the student form the letters of the tough word by drawing with a finger.  If a student has a great deal of difficulty, you can make a model of the word that will fit right inside the tray and then put the sand in on top.  The student can actually trace the correct letters in order using this tool.  For a different tactile experience, try using pudding on finger paint paper.  Again, you can write the word on the paper ahead of time if the student needs to trace.

By involving other senses, you will be invoking additional avenues of learning and increasing the chances that the student will commit the word to memory.  Remember to work on a very small number of words at a time, and experiment to find out which methods work best for each student.  With some extra focused practice, your struggling reader will master the sight words in no time!

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