How to Make a Frequently Used Words Notebook
When you read to your child, you might notice some words appear frequently. Your child's reading progress may be enhanced by learning to recognize and read those familiar words, with or without phonics lessons. Teachers use two word lists to help kids learn sight words -- the Dolch list and the Fry list. Both lists contain high-frequency words such as ̶0;the,̶1; ̶0;I,̶1; ̶0;am̶1; and ̶0;go,̶1; as well as words that don̵7;t follow phonetic rules. A notebook of frequently used words allows your child to keep track of learned words for easy review.
Things You'll Need
- Dolch list
- Fry list
- Index cards
- Pen
- Hole punch
- Highlighter
- Binder
- Spiral notebook or pad of lined paper
- Pencil
Instructions
Choose words from the Dolch or Fry lists that are in your child̵7;s favorite stories. Some early reader books may already have a list of frequently used words specific to the book. Print one word on an index card and punch one hole in the left center margin of the card. Use a highlighter to mark parts of a word that could cause your child difficulty when sounding out the word phonetically, such as silent e̵7;s and whole words that don̵7;t follow phonetic rules, such as ̶0;lose̶1; or ̶0;of.̶1; The highlighted parts of the word remind your child the word follows different rules. Sort the cards in the order you plan to use them. Place the punched cards inside a three-ring binder, inserting the metal ring through the hole in the left margin of each card. Place words your child already knows at the front of the book and follow them with words your child is currently learning and then words you have not yet covered. Show the cards to your child and read through four or five of them with your child. Say each word together. Have your child spell the word as you point to each letter. Repeat the word together and have your child use the word in a sentence. Give your child a spiral-bound notebook or a pad of lined paper and a pencil. Have your child copy each word onto a separate page in the notebook. Ask her to say each letter as she writes it and then repeat the word after she finishes writing. If she can illustrate the word, she can do so at the bottom of the page. Compare the word she has written to the word on the index cards in the binder. Remove the relevant cards from the binder during lessons and let her review them. Mix the words together to form sentences.
