What can I do if my student can’t sound out words? Part I

If sounding out words frustrates your student, then they need to build up their knowledge and tools first. 

Imagine that you receive a disassembled  bicycle in a box with no tools or instructions. Could you put it together? Similarly, students need tools and instructions when learning to read. Before a student can sound out words, they first need to know how the first letter sound in a word works as well as how words are built and used (left to right, beginnings/endings).  

Let’s start with step one: How do we help students focus on the first letter in a word? Here are two ways.

• “I’m Thinking Of…” - Using a familiar book, say, “I’m thinking of a word that starts like the word ‘walk’. Can you find a word that starts like ‘walk’?” When they find it, ask, “What letter does it start with? What sound?”

• Use pictures from Cookie’s Week do demonstrate

• Word Hunts- ,  Using any book or text, say, “let's find every word that starts like the word ‘walk’.  Turn the pages to hunt for those words, asking those questions, “What letter did it start with? What sound?”  

Here’s what not to do:

• Don’t ask a student to sound out words before they are ready. This leads to frustration, which is where learning stops. 

So remember, if sounding out words frustrates your student, then they need to build up their knowledge and tools first.

Don’t give your student a box full of parts and ask them to put a bicycle together with no tools or instructions. Help them fill their tool box up by taking the time to build up letter knowledge and understand the big picture of how words work. When these ingredients are in place, I think you will find that your students will take off like rockets. 

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