"Funny Words"
Do you have a bright second-grader who seems to be having trouble with reading? It may be because he or she is "seeing" the words instead of hearing them. However, sometimes with the strange spellings of the English language, this can be an advantage. Here is a way to help this child make a transition to both seeing and hearing - essential for reading skills. Numbers refer to commentary at end. (1)
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What do we call this process? (2)
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Here is a short, dramatic vignette that illustrates how a visual Second Grader can make the transition from seeing words on the printed page to hearing the words she or he already knows.
Characters: Eddie: a bright, lively boy who has just returned home from school, where he is in the Second Grade. He is Becky's older brother. (See earlier Post, " P - P - P - Patterns for Reading.")
Christine: a Stay-At-Home Mom who is on leave from her job as an elementary school teacher.
It is 3:30PM and Eddie is tearing into a plate of fruit, milk and cookies while his Mom talks to him. She says, "How was school?" Eddie answers," OK. Where's Becky?" Christine says, " She's resting."
Eddie says, " She's still resting? What's the matter with her?" Christine answers, " She's tired from her cold. But you have a play date today with Jordan. Eddie says, "I forgot." He quickly crams the rest of the food in his mouth, finishes his milk and jumps up. Christine answers, "Wait, honey. I want to hear what you did today."
Eddie says,
" You mean besides Recess and Lunch?" Christine laughs as she clears away the food. Then says, "Yes. That's what I mean. We have about 20 minutes. Why don't you show me your homework?" Eddie replies, "Oops, I think I forgot it." Christine says, "Don't tease me. Where is it?" Eddie says, " It has to do with reading 'Funny Words.'" He takes out a crumpled piece of paper from a folder. Christine smoothes it out.
Christine says, "What did you do? Eat this?" Eddie grabs it and pretends to put it in his mouth. Then says, "No. You want me to eat it now?" Christine answers, "No." She takes the paper back. This is kind of fun. Look at these words. Can you sound them out?
Christine hands him the paper. It says
StarlIGHT
StarbrIGHT
First Star I see tonIGHT
I wish I may,
I wish I mIGHT
Have the wish
I wish tonIGHT.
Eddie reads very slowly, "Star li-gget, Star bri-gget, first star I see to-n-igget, I wish I may, I wish I.....mi-gget, have the wish I wish to n-iigget. This doesn't make sense. " Christine answers, " You're right, but you read what you saw. Did the teacher have anyone read in class?" (3)
Eddie answers, "No. She said we were supposed to try at home." Christine says, "So let's try. What part of the reading made no sense? Eddie answers, "All those "iggets." (4)
Christine says, " Try this. Instead of saying 'Star li-gget' say 'Star light.'" Eddie says, '" Star light.' That's better." Christine says, "Now, put a circle around all the caps at the end of each word, and say "ite" instead of "igget." Christine hands him a crayon. Eddie encircles all the groups of capital letters, and reads more easily. Eddie says, " Star light, Star bright, first star I see to-n-ight, I wish I may I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight." (5)
Christine says, "Great!" Eddie says, "OK. But why did they write it that crazy way in the first place?" Christine explains, "A long time ago, some English language sounded and looked different than it does today. So some words we have to learn. But once you know how "IGHT" sounds in these words, you can say it easily. There's a whole group of them. Fight, Light, Might, which you already know, and others, like Sight, Tight. (6)
Eddie asks, "What about 'Bite'"? (7)
Christine answers, "Not that one! But you learned a lot already. Let's go out on the porch and wait for Jordan."
Eddie says, "Not 'Bite.' Figures. "(8)
He follows his mother out to the porch.
COMMENTARY
(1) Research on the process of teaching children to read mentions phonological awareness (recognizing language sounds) Cunningham, 1990, and print awareness (making the transition from speech and hearing to text on the paper) Ball & Blachman, 1988. This involves the child's ability to recognize the relationship between what he or she hears, and what she or he sees. An auditory child will tend to start with patterns in the spoken sounds, and a visual child will tend to start with patterns formed by the written symbols on the page. The order really doesn't matter as long as both types of children make the necessary transition.
(2) Instead of stating rules, I like to follow the lead of the child and call the many exceptions in English spelling "Funny Words." Most children are happy to agree!
(3) Christine knows that Eddie's teacher welcomes independent activity, especially with some help from an adult.
(4) Eddie's teacher has been teaching word sounds, but the four repeated capital letters in the poem need to be memorized, and their correct sound is much easier to say than trying to sound out this letter group one by one.
(5) It's easy for Eddie to recognize the shape of the letter group, especially if it is in capital letters.
(6) This is a "rule" but Christine eased Eddie into it.
(7) Already an exception. Another common one is "Kite."
(8) It's a little much for him!
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Funny Words