Word Study

When a parent sees a child inventing words, using their own brain to come up with a word that does not make sense, parents tend to worry. They sometimes think that their child is not on the right track, surely they are doing something wrong. However, after reading Making Words: Enhancing the Invented Spelling-Decoding Connection by James and Patricia Cunningham, it is clear that if a child is inventing their own spelling they are, in fact, doing exactly what they should be! In general, children who use invented spelling tend to eventually be better at decoding words. They also tend to have better reading skills later on down the road. So, parents should be rejoicing when they see their child is inventing their own words and spelling!

Teachers have even began incorporating invented spelling into daily writing instruction! Some teachers have began using a program known as Making Words. This allows the children to get practice in word decoding and invented spelling while doing their regular writing activities. In simple terms, Making Words allows the children to be given a number of letters and then gives them the opportunity to practice making their own words.

In the article, Supporting Phonemic Awareness Development in the Classroom by Hallie and Ruth Yopp, the authors define and clarify the meaning of "phonemic awareness". For many, this concept can be confusing, but Hallie and Ruth Yopp lay out this definition in a simple and accurate way:
"Phonemic awareness is the awareness that the speech stream consists of a sequence of sounds-- specifically phonemes, the smallest unit of sound that makes a difference in communication." An example that the authors give is the difference between the words "dog" and "hog". The smallest unit of sound that is different between the two words not only changes the sound, but changes the meaning. This idea of phonemic awareness of the larger umbrella, phonological awareness which is the recognition and the manipulate any size unit of sound.

I found a fun activity on Pinterest that allows students to practice their phonemic awareness while playing a game. This game changes the first letter of a simple word, when a student rotates the wheel. They then practice the word with each new beginning letter.

Questions to Ponder:
1. What are some other fun games you could create to practice phonemic awareness?
2. What were your original thoughts regarding invented spelling? Did your ideas regarding this change after reading more about it?