|
In reading, it is not just what you know, but how fast you know it.
Rapid-Accurate Naming is the ultimate goal for Phonics and Jiffy Words.
Rapid-Accurate Naming means . . .
Good readers name words, and sounds, quickly & correctly.
Children learn Rapid-Accurate Naming by accurate practice.
Comprehension depends upon Rapid-Accurate Naming.
How should we practice Rapid-Accurate Naming?
Drill games with flashcards
Use strategies to stay at your student’s level of success.
Matching
Pointing
Naming
Adjust the Rapid-Accurate Naming drill
Re-reading familiar text
Rapid-Accurate Naming means thinking of the names of things, quickly and correctly.
bird rock sky water . . .
. . . children learn to name thousands of objects around them.
Letters are objects, too.
They have letter-names like Em, Jay, Ess; and sound-names like m-m-m, j-j-j and s-s-s.
Written words are objects, too.
Some are unfamiliar, and we name them syllable-by-syllable, or even sound-by-sound.
croscarmellose
Some words are so common, and seen so often, that we learn to name them on sight.
and the some one people very
top
Good readers are able to name words, and sounds, rapidly and accurately.
They don’t have to ‘think’ about it: It is as if the letters announce themselves in the ‘Mind’s Ear.’
Poor readers generally have poor naming of sounds and words.
Children learn Rapid-Accurate Naming of letter-sounds, and words, by plenty of accurate practice.
The ‘rapid’ part develops with experience--as long as the ‘accurate’ part is there.
Children need to practice at about 85% accuracy--better than 8 out of 10 correct responses--for best learning.
If your child has learned to name many things in her environment, and if she has has solid Phonemic Awareness, then there is no reason she will not learn to name letter-sounds and whole words, too.
It is just a matter of practice to the point of ‘overlearning.’
Some children will need much more practice than others.
This is normal.
As long as the practice is fun, and stays at the level of the child’s success, Rapid-Accurate Naming will grow.
Keep it happy! Nervous or criticized children do not learn well.
top
Comprehension depends upon easy, Rapid-Accurate Naming.
When readers have to ‘think about’ what the sounds and words are as they read, reading is hard work.
The ‘thinking’ process slows them down.
It is hard to understand when you read too slowly.
It is also hard to understand when you have to spend your attention just to decode the writing.
When readers can decode with the same speed and ease as conversation, they comprehend as well as they would if they were listening.
How should we practice Rapid-Accurate Naming?
First, remember that the 'Accurate' part comes before the 'Rapid' part.
If a child’s practice tends to be sloppy--mistakes, lots of hesitations and
self-corrections--then that practice is not leading to Rapid Accurate Naming!
Slow and steady wins this race.
top
Here are two options for Rapid-Accurate Naming practice:
Drill games with flashcards
Make a flashcard for each letter-sound or Jiffy Word the student is practicing. Print neatly, in bold marker.
- I cut index cards in half for Phonics letter-sounds, and cut off the top left corner to indicate which end is 'up.'
- I use whole index cards for Jiffy Words.
You can add new flashcards for Phonics sounds, and selected Jiffy Words, as your student encounters them in her Phonics program, reading texts, or Natural Language Stories.
(But remember--keep each set small enough, and growing slowly enough, so that the student is successful in rehearsing the cards accurately!)
For drill-games in Matching, Pointing, and Naming, see below.
top
Use Strategies to Stay at Your Student’s Level of Success.
These strategies allow you to adjust your Rapid-Accurate Naming rehearsal, so that your student is generally about 85% successful--or better.
When students practice getting the ‘right answer,’ with whatever help, they develop independence in knowing the ‘right answer.’
When students practice struggling in any way, struggle is what they are learning! So keep with success.
top
Matching is the easist task.
In matching, you show the child a sample letter-sound, or a sample Jiffy Word, and let her pick out another one just like it from a small group of flashcards.
You use the opportunity to ‘feed in’ the sound of the flashcard she is looking for: “Here’s a ‘s-s-s’ . . . Let’s see . . . where’s that other ‘s-s-s’?”
For Jiffy Words, you might say, "Here's 'was.' 'I was doing something.' Look around . . . See the other 'was’?"
In other words, let her hear the letter-sound, or the Jiffy Word, over and over and over again, as she sees what it looks like.
If the child makes a mistake, just say “Look again.”
Keep it happy! Nervous or criticized children cannot learn well.
Variation: Make a duplicate for each of your student’s cards, and mix them up. How quickly can your student
find the matching pairs? As your student works, you can both name the sound (or word) he is looking for. After the
cards are all paired up, use the opportunity to say the name of each pair once again. "Let’s see . . . you
found . . . (giving your student time to name any she can, then helping) . . . 'both,' and 'was' . . . "
By saying the sound or word again and again as your student sees it, you are helping her to become more and more
familiar with that letter-sound or Jiffy Word.
top
Pointing is the next-easiest task.
In pointing, you show a small group of letters, or Jiffy Words, and ask for one of them. “Show me ‘s-s-s.’” The child points to the one you say, and repeats its name.
By pointing, he is demonstrating that he knows which letter goes with the sound, or which card shows the Jiffy Word, even if he could not name it quickly on his own.
This is like being able to point to a slightly familiar person named at a party, even if you could not think of their name quickly on your own.
Pointing is a great warm-up for the next task . . .
top
Naming is the hardest task, and the reason for practicing the others.
In naming, the child sees a letter-sound (for example, m or sh), and says its sound. Or the child sees a Jiffy Word and reads it.
Naming can be aloud, or in the ‘Mind’s Ear’ when the child is reading silently.
- Lay the flashcards out on a table in rows, and name them.
- Name the cards from left-to-right, and from the top row to the bottom row, just the way we read.
- Take turns.
- When it is your turn, you might make an obvious mistake--try to get your student to 'catch' you. If your student does not notice your error: point out your mistake, and tell your student that you 'got away with it!'
- Mix them up and try again.
- Once your student is very accurate with a set, you can use a stopwatch to time how long it takes to read the set.
- Add one second to the time for every self-correction or mistake the student makes, to encourage accurate rehearsal.
- Each day, after warming up, you might time a few rounds. Can your student beat his 'personal best'?
- Be sure to warn the student that each time the set gets bigger, the time will get longer. This is normal.
Variation: Arrange the flashcards into a 'road' and take turns 'traveling' down it (naming each card).
Variation: Arrange the flashcards into a circle or other shape, and use them as the spaces in a board game. Use a spinner/dice and markers from a board game you already have. Land on a spot, and read it. First one to the finish, wins.
Variation: Make duplicate cards, and practice by playing Memory Match. Each time any player turns over a card, he or she names that card.
Variation: With duplicate cards, you can play Go Fish. Players name one of their cards as they ask another player, "Do you have ___?"
Variation: With duplicate cards, you can add numbers to them and play War. You can add colored dots or colored borders, and wild cards to play a version of UNO. Each time a player lays down a card, he or she names that card.
top
Adjust the Rapid-Accurate Naming Drill
The goal is to keep your student successful every day.
Practice with a small-enough set of letter-sounds, or Jiffy Words, so that your student stays successful.
Add new sounds or words gradually as your student is ready for them.
If your student keeps stumbling or hesitating on some cards, pull them out for extra warmup before rehearsing the
student’s whole deck.
Practice an easy-enough task so that your student stays successful.
Move up to harder tasks gradually as your student is ready for them.
Matching --> move up to Pointing --> move up to Naming
Use a task that your student has mastered, as a warm-up for a new task that he is learning.
Always focus on tasks in which your student is successful and accurate.
Trust in the process of accurate rehearsal to teach accurate performance.
Trust in the process of easy rehearsal to prepare your student for the next harder level.
top
Reading and re-reading familiar text
Students need to re-read selections after they know how to read them well. Seven independent repetitions is not too many.
Rapid-Accurate Naming--in other words, fluent reading--of stories your student already knows well, is fabulous rehearsal.
Seven 'Authentic Reasons' to Re-Read
(Seven ways to get kids to 'read it again!')
1. Have your student read the text to Dad, to little brother, to the dog. Call Grandma and read it to her over the phone.
3. Have your student read it into a tape recorder. Record it in a low voice; a high voice.
4. Have your student read it into a voice-changing device. I have a toy 'microphone' that adds a tinny, echo-y quality.
5. Get out a stopwatch, and have your student read a short selection as you time him/her. Let your student 'warm up' first; then time the selection two or more times.
(Add one second to the time for each stumble or error, to encourage accurate practice.)
Write down the day's 'personal best' time at the bottom of the selection. (You can use a sticky note.)
Next day: Let your student re-read one or more times--can he beat yesterday's 'personal best' time?
6. Have your student read the text to you so that you can type it into the computer. Then . . .
7. Print it out in a new color, or a new font. Have your student read the new 'version.'
top
More on this topic: The Reading Treehouse -> THE WALLS: Phonics
The Reading Treehouse -> MORE WALLS: Whole Words
Navigate The Reading Treehouse
Begin BUILDING Continue BUILDING
Begin QUICK TOUR
Do you prefer a map? Then let the menu bar on the left guide you. Just pick a starting point and click your way down the list.
top
|
