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Word Families
Purpose:
Looking for patterns in words helps readers expand their vocabulary.
How:
- Find two or three words that are part of a word family
- Ask the reader to read one of the words
- Ask the reader to pronounce the sound of the first letter
- Ask the reader to pronounce the word family (the combination of letters that repeat and rhyme)
- Brainstorm more words that follow the same pattern
Did you know?
To be considered a word family, the combined letters are repeated in each word and rhyme. An understanding of consonant sounds and rhyming are required to teach word families.
Practice:
Making word families with letter tiles
https://www.literacymn.org/word-family-phonics
Use a word from the reader's personal dictionary to make a Word Slide
Read More:
According to researchers Wylie and Durrell, there are 37 common word families: ack, ain, ake, ale, all, ame, an, ank, ap, ash, at, ate, aw, ay, eat, ell, est, ice, ick, ide, ight, ill, in, ine, ing, ink, ip, it, ock, oke, op, ore, ot, uck ,ug, ump, unk.
Add Complexity:
Challenge intermediate to advanced readers to find exceptions to the rule that word families have common spelling or pronunciation.