Teachers can decode words to help move students toward reading words independently. During the activity, the teacher sounds out words written on the board and points to each letter as the sound is pronounced. Next, students repeat the word along with the teacher. Students then read the words independently as the teacher points to the letters of each word.
Creating word families can help students learn consonant sounds. Students add letters to the beginning of an ending sound such as - ock. First, this is done as a group. The teacher says "R" added to -ock, or "rock." The teacher asks for students' assistance in identifying another word ending in -ock. Next, the teacher asks students to think of other words that rhyme with "rock." The teacher records students' responses on the board.
Students create words containing a specific vowel and an ending sound they have already mastered. For example, students use the ending -ck along with the short "i." Students combine the -i and -ck and make words with this ending (-ick) by adding consonants to the beginning of -ick, such as "s" or "p". The teacher may choose to assign different vowels to different groups of students depending on their current level of understanding and application of using vowel sounds.
Students can use letter cards to create new words from a list. The teacher lists the words on the board and reads them aloud to students. Students then use letter cards to spell out the words from the list. Students self-check words against the list as they complete the assignment. Lastly, the teacher allows each student to read the list of words to the group.