TRT Podcast#56: Introducing a new series: Reacting to Fountas and Pinnell Fountas and Pinnell are big names in the field of literacy education. But for years they've been accused of advocating methods that do not align with reading research. Fountas and Pinnell have finally responded to this criticism in a 10-part blog series called "Just to Clarify." This episode is the introduction to a 10-part series in which I ... Read More
A simple process for teaching sight words
TRT Podcast#55: A simple process for teaching sight words We've learned that teaching students to memorize sight words as wholes isn't the way to go. But what should we do instead? This episode will walk you through a simple process for teaching sight words. Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript Related resources Our sight word blog series begins here. Free sight word lessons and decodable ... Read More
Editable sight word games
Our students need to turn a LOT of high frequency words into sight words ... words they recognize instantly without sounding out or guessing. In this sight word series, we've talked extensively about how to TEACH sight words. But how do we practice them? After all, students need to encounter the words multiple times to orthographically map them. The answer? Editable sight word games! If ... Read More
Sight word worksheets – based on the science of reading!
Are you on the hunt for sight word worksheets? Check out our set for 240 sight words … in two levels of difficulty. Bonus - they align with the science of reading! Have you been following along with our sight word series? This post is the 7th in a ten-part series. So far, we've shared: Today we're going to look at how to choose the best sight word worksheets. How to choose sight word ... Read More
The best kindergarten sight words
Have you been following along with our sight word series? We've talked about what sight words are, how to teach them, and why it's important to integrate sight word teaching with phonics. Today we'll tackle kindergarten sight words. Many schools require kindergarten teachers to teach a long list of sight words to their kindergartners. Unfortunately, lists of kindergarten sight words are often ... Read More
The most important thing to remember when teaching sight words
TRT Podcast#54: The most important thing to remember when teaching sight words There's a lot of misinformation out there about teaching sight words. In this episode, we boil it down to the MOST important thing to get right. Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript Related blog posts, podcast episodes, and other resources Our sight word blog series begins here. Strongly recommended book (I read ... Read More
4 Common Misconceptions about Teaching Sight Words
TRT Podcast#53: 4 Common misconceptions about teaching sight words Should we use the Dolch grade-level lists to help us decide which sight words to teach? Should we teach our students to memorize sight words as wholes? And should beginning reading instruction START with sight words? Get answers to these questions and more as we look at common misconceptions surrounding the teaching of sight words. Listen to the ... Read More
Do phonics and sight words go together?
A small number of words make up a large percentage of the words that appear in print. These are called high frequency words. It's important that our students recognize a large number of high frequency words by sight so they can read fluently. We call these words - the words they recognize instantly without needing to sound out or guess - their sight word vocabulary. In essence, we want our students to turn ... Read More
Preschool Sight Words
How should I introduce sight words to preschoolers? What is a good sight word list for preschoolers? Where can I find preschool sight word worksheets? These are all questions I've heard from parents who are eager to get their children on the right path when it comes to learning to read. They are all good questions, but I think we need to back up and ask this question first: SHOULD we teach sight words ... Read More
Science of Reading Q & A: #2
TRT Podcast#52: Science of Reading Q & A: #2 What should you do with all your leveled books? Is there any place for them in a science of reading classroom? What should you do when students just can't master their short vowel sounds? When do you move on? And what about assessing struggling readers? Should you use Fountas & Pinnell's benchmark assessment to find their reading level? Get answers to these ... Read More