Teaching High-Frequency-Words: New on YouTube

High Frequency Words

Did you know that high-frequency words are decodable? Yes, most high- frequency words are 100% decodable once students have learn the phoneme-grapheme relationships. For this reason, high-frequency words can be placed into two categories: decodable and irregular. This is the discussion in my latest YouTube video. In this video, I will discuss the different types of high frequency words and how to teach high frequency words.

What Makes a High Frequency Word Decodable?

Decodable high-frequency words are high frequency words that are spelled with the general sound to symbol correspondences. Once students are explicitly taught a given set of sound to symbol correspondences students can read and spell high frequency words with those same skill sets.

What Makes a High Frequency Word Irregular?

Irregular Temporarily High Frequency Words: Some irregular high-frequency words are considered “temporarily” irregular because the spelling pattern hasn’t been taught. Example:

has h/ /a/ /z/

The s is considered irregular until students learn: s says /z/ when after a short

vowel

2. Irregular High-Frequency Words:

Only about 25% of high-frequency words are not decodable because a spelling pattern doesn’t follow the general sound to symbol correspondence. Example:

said /s/ /e/ /d/

The ai is considered irregular because is doesn’t make the long a sound

For this reason student will have to learn that in the word "said" the vowel ai

is not acting like the long a vowel team, but rather a schwa vowel sound.

To learn more about teaching high frequency words watch my YouTube video.