The Word Identification Strategy The Learning Strategy Series

Pertinent Setting Demands –Students who struggle in content area classes with long, multisyllabled words. –Students whose comprehension skills are greater than their decoding skills.

Purpose of this Strategy –To give the student a systematic process through which long words can be attacked.

Steps of the Strategy Require the student to: –Focus on the context surrounding the word –Dissect a word into component parts using simple rules –Use other resources available people dictionary

Rationales Behind the Strategy Steps 1.The strategy requires the student to actively interact with the reading material. 2.Through the application of a few rules, the strategy enables the student to easily dissect and pronounce most words. 3.The strategy enables the student to make use of resources for very difficult words.

Word Identification Strategy Results Performance on Grade-Level Materials 99% Correct Pronunciation 70% Comprehension After Mastery 95% Correct Pronunciation 40% Comprehension Before Instruction

Instructor’s Manual Contents Introduction Instruction Methods

Instructor’s Manual Contents Instruction Methods –Stage 1:Pretest and Make Commitment –Stage 2:Describe –Stage 3:Model –Stage 4:Verbal Practice –Stage 5:Controlled Practice and Feedback –Stage 6:Advanced Practice –Stage 7:Posttest and Make Commitments –Stage 8:Generalization

Instructor’s Manual Contents Appendix A:Evaluation Guidelines Appendix B:Instructional Materials Appendix C:Prerequisite Lessons Appendix D:Answer Keys Appendix E:Suggested Commercially Available Materials

Student Folder Contents Front cover: Progress Chart Assignment Sheet Back Cover: Envelope Eventual Contents: Cue Cards Tests Controlled Practice Attempts Advanced Practice Attempts Generalization Attempts Activation Adaptation Maintenance

Selecting Students for Word Identification Prerequisites: 1.Reading at or above the 3rd-grade level. 2.Knowledge of phonic sounds. 3.Can find a word in the dictionary. 4.Understand the meaning of prefix, suffix, and stem. If any of these are missing, you must preteach these skills!

Appendix C Overview Results of the Prefix/Suffix Test –Mastery –Instructional Need? Appendix C Materials –Suggested Procedures & Materials for Teaching or Review –NOT Comprehensive

Appendix C Overview Appendix C Materials (cont.) –Materials Include: Prefix/Suffix Lesson Prefix List Suffix List Prefix Worksheets Suffix Worksheets –Prefix and Suffix Lists Based on Most Frequently Used Prefixes & Suffixes What are the issues and concerns related to Appendix C?

Steps of the Word Identification Strategy Step 1:Discover the context Step 2:Isolate the prefix Step 3:Separate the suffix Step 4:Say the stem Step 5:Examine the stem Step 6:Check with someone Step 7:Try the dictionary

Rules of Twos and Threes Rule 1 If a stem or part of the stem begins with: –A vowel, divide off the first two letters. –A consonant, divide off the first three letters. Rule 2 If you can't make sense of the stem after using Rule 1, take off the first letter of the stem and use Rule 1 again.

Rules of Twos and Threes Rule 3 When two different vowels are together, try making both of the vowel sounds (diet). If this does not work, try pronouncing them together using only one of the vowel sounds (believe).

Providing Corrective Feedback Factors that Make for Good Feedback: 1.Positive –At least 3 positive remarks are made 2.Corrective A.Specify a category of errors B.Specify what the student should do C.Provide a model

Providing Corrective Feedback D.Have the student practice E.Have the student paraphrase the feedback F.Have the student write a goal G.Repeat corrective steps A-F for each category or errors made H.Communicate your positive expectation to the student

Providing Corrective Feedback Factors that Make for Good Feedback: 3.Individual 4.Immediate –After last performance –Immediately before the next

Rationale for the Generalization Stage Research suggests that many low- achieving students do not independently generalize skills and strategies. Consequently, if strategy instructors teach skills and strategies in isolation, capable students may not reach the independent learner level.

Rationale for the Generalization Stage Most importantly, without planned generalization activities and demonstrated competence in this area by students, useful skills and strategies have not really been taught.

Rationale for the Generalization Stage In summary, without Stage 8, you really haven't achieved mastery of Stages 1-7.