Word Identification Skills

1. Word Identification Skills English 84 El Camino College Professor Stephanie Schwartz Fall 2013 CSU Fullerton Graduate Student: Carolee Vakil-Jessop CSUF READ 597 – Final Project

2. Word Identification Skills • Sight Words – words which are most commonly found in written materials. Review Fry’s New Instant Words list to see how many you know! • First 100 words the or will number he we some call at of one up no was when her who she and had other way for your would oil two a by about could on can make now come to word out people are said like find be in but many my as there him long do is not then than with use into down more you what them first his an time day made that all these water they each has did this it were so been I which look get how write may have their go part from if see over

3. Word Identification Skills • Second 100 words new great put kind sound where end hand take help does picture only through another again little much well change work before large off know line must play place right big spell year too even air live mean such away me old because animal back any turn house give same here point most tell why page very boy ask letter after follow went mother thing came men answer our want read found just show need study name also land still good around different learn sentence form home should man three us America think small move world say set try high

4. Word Identification Skills • Third one hundred words Every left until idea near don’t children enough Add few side eat food while feet face Between along car watch own might mile far Below close night Indian country something walk real Plant seem white almost last next sea let School hard began above father open grow girl Keep example took sometimes tree begin river mountain Never life four cut start always carry young City those state talk earth both once soon Eye paper book list light together hear song Thought got stop leave head group without family Under often second body story run late music Saw important miss color

5. Word Identification Skills • Use context clues. • Context clues are the words, phrases and sentences surrounding the unknown word which provide clues as to the meaning of the unknown word. • Semantic and Syntactic Cues are important types of context clues. • Semantic cues = meaning cues • Semantic cues are taken from the meanings of the surrounding words, phrases and sentences • Ex: Daniel went out to walk her bichon frise. • Ask yourself what kind of things can be walked? • Answer: dogs • Therefore, bichon frise is probably a type of dog. It is!

6. Word Identification Skills • Context Clues • Syntactic cues = grammar clues • Because certain types of words appear certain positions in spoken and written English, the word order gives clues to the meaning of an unknown word. • Ex: Will you football with me? • Think what type of word would make sense in the sentence? Noun? Verb? Adjective? Adverb? • Answer: a word showing action = verb • Possible verbs: watch, play

7. Word Identification Skills • Homographs – words that look the alike but have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations. • Examples: row, wind, bow, read, content, rebel, minute, lead, record and live • Context can clarify the pronunciation and meaning of homographs. Read the following sentences and listen to how the italicized word is pronounced differently. The wind was blowing hard today. Will you wind the clock tonight? I put a bow on every present I wrap. After a theatrical performance the actors take a bow. My friend James is considered a rebel. Some teenagers rebel against their parents. I record television shows with my DVR. Olympians often break world records.

8. Word Identification Skills • Structural Analysis – enables readers to decode unfamiliar words using larger units than a single grapheme (letter). • Types of Structural Analysis • Inflectional Endings • Prefixes and suffixes • Contractions • Compound words • Syllabication and accent

9. Word Identification Skills • Inflectional endings = suffixes: -s, -ed, -ing • They do not change the meaning of the root word • When added to nouns – changes number, case or gender • When added to verbs – changes tense or person • When added to adjectives – changes degree • The also can change the root word’s part of speech. • Examples: girl girls walk walks walking walked shop shops shopping shopped

10. Word Identification Skills • Inflectional endings: -s, -ed, -ing • Changes to Base Words When Adding Inflectional Endings Base Words +ing +ed +s • CVVC, CVCC No change No change No change Ex: look, walk looking, walking looked, walked looks, walks • CVC Double final letter Double final letter No change Ex: bat batting batted bats • CVCe Drop final e Drop final e No change Ex: rake raking raked rakes • Words that end in consonant No change Change y to i Change y to i +y . Ex: cry crying cried cries • Words that end in a vowel No change No change No change +y. Ex: play playing played plays • Two-syllable words accented Follow rules 1-5 Follow rules 1-5 Follow rules 1-5 on the second syllable admitting, inviting, admitted, invited admits, invites Ex: admit, invite, apply, enjoy applying, enjoying applied, enjoyed applies, enjoys • Words that end in c Add a k Add a k No change Ex: panic panicking panicked panics

11. Word Identification Skills • Prefixes and Suffixes are known as affixes, and they are letters or sequences of letters that are added to root words to change their meanings and/or parts of speech. • A prefix is placed before a root word and a suffix is placed after a root word. • Good readers learn to recognize common prefixes and suffixes automatically. This helps them recognize unknown words more rapidly than sounding out a word. • Knowledge of prefixes and suffixes can help readers decipher the meanings as well as the pronunciations of unfamiliar words. • Common prefixes to learn: un-, re-, in-, im-, ir-, dis-, en-, em-, non-, in-, im-, over- and mis- • Common suffixes to learn: -s, -es, -ed, -ing, -ly, -er, -or, -ion, -tion, -ation, -ition, -ible, -able, -al, -ial, -y, -ness, -er, -ed, and -ing

12. Word Identification Skills • Contractions • The apostrophe used in contractions indicates that one or more letters have been left out when two words were combined into one word. Good readers are able to identify the two words that are combined into one. • Common contractions: Can’t/cannot I’d/I had or I would I’ll/I will Shouldn’t/should not we’ve/we have I’ve/I have We’re/we are they’re/they are Isn’t/Is not she’d/she would or she had Let’s/let us

13. Word Identification Skills • Compound Words • Exploring compound words can help a reader develop the following skills • The reader learns how words can combine in different ways to form new words. • The study of compound words lays the foundation for studying syllables. • Students reinforce their knowledge of the spelling of high-frequency words. • Ex: bedroom, lightweight, sunlight, fireman

14. Word Identification Skills • Syllables • Open syllables (CV syllable pattern) end with a long-vowel sound: tiger, Katy, reason • Closed syllables (CVC syllable pattern) contain a short-vowel sound that is usually closed by two consonants: Caddie, rabbit, racket Syllable patterns Pattern Type Examples VCCV Closed skipping, button, chapter, window V/CV Open lazy, coma, beacon, bacon VC/V Closed river, robin, cover, planet VCCCV Closed laughter, pilgrim, instant, complain VV Open create, riot, liar

15. Word Identification Skills • Accent • Most words with two or more syllables, one of the syllables is accented or stressed more than the others. • Some dictionaries use bold apostrophes to identify the accented/stressed syllable. • Practicing identifying the accented/stressed syllable is beneficial to decoding other words with the same patterns. • When pronouncing a word ask yourself, which syllable sounds louder than the others?

16. Word Identification Skills • Sources: • Bear, D.R., et al. (2008). Words Their Way. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. • Roe, B. D., Smith, S. H., & Burns, P. C. (2009). Teaching Reading in Today's Elementary Schools. Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.