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How to Sound Out a Word

A student who is learning to read must learn to sound out or decode words. She will apply these skills to new vocabulary all her life. She must also memorize a certain number of sight words-words that don°Øt necessarily follow a rule, but must be mastered such as could, find, were. Seeing these words over and over again is the best way to help reinforce them with a child. Here are a few guidelines for helping a beginning reader decode words. You will see if there are gaps in understanding of basic letter sounds which can then be reinforced.

1. Identify the vowels and consonants.

2. Identify sounds you know that are made by two or more letters like str or th.

3. Break the word into smaller pieces (cover up the word except for the first syllable with your finger)

4. Begin to sound out the word starting with the first syllable and moving to the last.
(Remember every syllable has ONE vowel sound in it).

5. When you have sounded out the whole word, blend it and say the word. You may need to try a few different pronunciations and accents before you get it right.

6. Learning to read well takes practice. The more you practice reading, the easier it will become.

Ready for some practice? Try these words:

Planter ship awful being sooner deed beetle quacking kindergarten

Reading Promotes Thinking Skills

• Start in the early years and hold family read alouds.

• If you camp, read scary stories (or others) around the campfire.

• Cook together and let your child read the directions!

• Listen to books on tape while traveling.

• Play games like Scrabble, Quiddler, Taboo.

• Cut out words from the newspaper and make poems!
  
  • Over the summer, stock a basket full of summer reading books, and when all the books are gone, go to the beach or pool or the zoo!
  

• Tips to make stronger reading connections

• Before you read, check it out.
  Look through the book or text and ask your child what he thinks it is about.

• Make predictions.

• Ask questions who, what, where, when, why, how?
  Teach them to ask themselves these questions to see how much they remember and understand.

• Make connections-how does the story relate to the child's own experiences?
  
  Create mental images.

• Stop and ask do I understand?
  The reader should periodically ask this question to monitor understanding.

• Draw conclusions.