Word Identification Strategies: Building Phonics into a Classroom Reading Program

Pre-service and in-service teachers get the detailed information they need to successfully teach word identification skills and practical applications to use in the classroom. This straight-forward, comprehensive, easy-to-understand book gives readers a solid look at classroom reading programs in the elementary school-how the word recognition process unfolds, why and how to teach different strategies as children develop as readers and spellers, best practices for teaching, how children learn and use the letter-sound patterns of phonics, and the contribution that multi-letter chunks (prefixes, suffixes, syllables, and Greek and Latin roots) make to learning new words. Through a theory-based, developmental perspective on teaching word identification, this book gives teachers the technical information they need to know to successfully teach word identification, and the practical applications they can use to apply this information. The book focuses on effective practices for teaching English language learners and children at risk, includes ready-to-use review and practice activities that fit nicely into short periods of available time, cites research studies that support teaching various word identification strategies, and includes valuable information on using e-resources for teaching word identification in the elementary school. More than a "phonics" book, this text takes a comprehensive approach to word identification, explaining all the print-based strategies children develop and use-providing a thorough understanding of teaching word identification, PreK through 5.