Make a Word...Any Word! :)

Here we are practicing real words and nonsense words.  Why is it so important for Emergent readers to be able to read nonsense word?  Well, if a reader is able to read a word that doesn't make sense and they can not use context clues from a story or picture (or familiarity), and that lets us know that they are relying soley on their ability and strategies to read/decode.  Here, our students are using two consonants and our five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) to create a word ladder.  Switching only the vowel sound as they slide their two consonants helps them focus on building their aptitude with reading their short vowels (when the vowel does not say its name.)  Try it with word ladders, too!  (Picture Right) Go down a row of consonants with the same vowel and consonant.  This also helps readers solidify letters and sounds and see those letters and sounds in chunks.