Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and Writing, 7th edition

• Readers establish a firm foundation for helping all children to learn to read (Chs. 1-5). Included are:
  • Five critical understandings children must develop to start their journey down the literacy road.
  • A look at the functions of print, the desire to learn to read, print concepts, phonological and phonemic awareness, concrete words, and letter names and sounds.
  • Four activities for building early reading concepts, including shared reading of predictable books, predictable charts, writing, and Getting to Know You.
  • Discussion on how children develop phonological awareness as they learn to count words and clap syllables.
  • Activities for using children’s names to build phonological and phonemic awareness.
  • Activities for building children’s store of concrete words and teaching letter names and sounds.
  • A kindergarten version of Making Words, a popular multilevel phonics activity in which children become the letters and arrange themselves to spell words.
  • A checklist of early reading concepts and ways to determine who is learning what by using formative assessment to observe interactions during the activities in the book.
  • Suggestions for differentiating instruction based on observation and analysis of students’ responses.
• Ready-to-use, classroom-tested activities help children learn to read and write fluently (Chs. 6-8). Included are:
  • Activities for teaching high-frequency words, with suggestions for building meaning for these words and ideas for using a word wall.
  • Ideas for expanding the pervasive Words Correct per Minute (WCPM) fluency to measure accuracy, expression, and comprehension in addition to reading speed.
  • Fluency interventions shown effective in improving fluency and reading achievement.
• Additional activities help students use rhyming patterns to decode and spell words (Chs. 9-11). Included are:
  • Ideas on how Making Words can help all levels of children move forward in their decoding and spelling abilities.
  • Activities focusing on rhyming patterns and ways to teach children to decode and spell using patterns.
  • Suggestions for using formative assessment to determine the phonics and spelling skills students are actually using as they read and write.
  • Suggestions on coaching children to apply what they know as they are reading and writing.
• Lessons and ideas help students become morphologically sophisticated and get over the fear many older students have of big words (Chs. 12-14). Included are:

Increased attention to morphology as the key to decoding, spelling, and building meaning for big words.

• Compound Combos: Chapter 12 includes a new set of lessons, Compound Combos, designed to help teachers introduce morphology to students.
• The lessons are designed to help teachers teach 40 common compound words and then combine the parts of these compounds to create over 100 other compound words.
• Nifty Thrifty Fifty: A new Chapter 13 presents a series of lessons to gradually teach these 50 words and how manipulating the parts of these 50 words can help decode, spell, and unlock the meaning of over 300 other words.

Also new to this edition:

• All of the lesson frameworks contain a transfer step in which students use the patterns they have worked with to read and spell new words.
• Chapter 11 includes a section on coaching children to use what they know as they are actually engaging in reading and writing.
• A new chapter on phonics and spelling interventions for older struggling readers, Chapter 14, includes four game-like lesson frameworks to use with older children who still struggle with phonics and spelling. Particularly useful with older students who are learning to speak, listen, read, and write in a new language, the games include:
  • Brand Name Phonics
  • Mystery Word Match
  • The Wheel
  • Making Big Words
• Common Core State Standards are addressed in Phonics They Use boxes that explain how the lesson frameworks and activities help teachers meet the standards.
• For English Language Learners boxes contain valuable information on ways to include students who are learning English. Included are more suggestions and adaptations for ELLs scattered throughout the chapters to help ensure a more successful experience for these students as they learn to read and write.
• Relevant new research is included in the research summary in Chapter 15.
• All chapters have been updated and contain some of the best activities from prior editions, along with new ideas and activities.