Word Families/Letter

Information Technology Solutions

Combinations
ABOUT THE STRATEGY
Teaching phonics through WORD FAMILIES/LETTER COMBINATIONS is one way to help
students apply decoding skills to unknown words. To use this strategy, students are taught
word families, spelling patterns, and onsets and rimes of words. Students practice reading
these word families/letter combinations both in isolation and in context. Students should be
Common Core taught these word families/letter combinations through direct and explicit instruction and
State Standards they should also be embedded into the text that they read and into spelling instruction.
Reading:
INTERNET SECURITY Educational games can also be used to help students practice decoding unknown words and
Foundational Skills
Sit amet, consec tetuer to reinforce the application of previously taught word families/letter combinations. For
additional information about Reading: Foundational Skills, see Common Core State Standards
- Phonics
adipiscing & diam
elit, sed Word for English Language Arts Appendix A, pages 17-22
Recognition tincidunt
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(http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf).
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Grade Level IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY

K-5
NETWORK PROTECTION  Select the word families/letter combinations to specifically teach.
Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam,  Tell students that they are going to learn to read common word families/letter
combinations that appear in several words.
Purpose
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 Review the word families/letter combinations that you are going to teach. Model how
Use with students
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they are pronounced.
to support
dignissim phonics
qui blandit  Model how to read the word families/letter combinations in isolation and in words. For
and word delenit
praeseptatum zzril example, “The –at combination says /at/. Words that have –at in them include cat, hat,
recognition:
augue duis dolore te feugait bat, sat. What other words have the –at combination in them?”
 Repeat the tasks until students can decode the target word families/letter combinations
explicitly
nulla adipiscingteach
elit, sed diam
with accuracy.
word nibh.
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 Once students understand the concept, create a more game-like situation to practice
families/letter reading word families/letter combinations.
combinations
P E R S O N A L F I R Eto W ALLS

facilitate
Tincidunt decoding
ut laoreet dolore MEASURING PROGRESS
magna aliquam erat volut pat. Ut  Teacher observation
 Conferring
When to Use
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Before Reading
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 Informal decoding/word families assessment
During
lobortis Reading
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RESEARCH
After Reading Bursuck, W. D., & Damer, M. (2011). Teaching reading to students who are at risk or have
disabilities: A multi-tier approach (2nd Ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Grouping Gaskins, I. W., Downer, M. A., Anderson, R. C., Cunningham, P. M., Gaskins, R. W., &
Schommer, M. (1988). A metacognitive approach to phonics: Using what you know to
Whole Group
decode what you don’t know. Remedial and Special Education, 9, 36-41.
Small Group Vaughn, S., & Linan-Thompson, S. (2004). Research-based methods of reading instruction:
Partners Grades K-3. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Individuals Development.
Word Families/Letter Combinations
List of common word families/letter combinations with example words to directly teach.
ack add ail ain ake ale
attack bad fail brain awake bale
back clad hail chain bake male
black glad pail explain flake scale
all am ame an ank ap
ball dram game fan bank lap
fall exam name man drank rap
install slam shame span prank scrap
ar ash at ate aw ay
far flash gnat crate claw away
guitar mash pat debate jaw display
scar thrash that plate straw play
eat eel eep eet ell en
beat feel keep feet dwell hen
meat kneel sheep sheet sell open
wheat wheel sweep sweet smell when
ent est ice ick ide ife
event best dice brick bride knife
scent quest slice quick slide life
vent west twice slick wide strife
ight ile ill in ine ing
bright mile dill chin fine bring
knight smile mill pin shrine spring
slight while thrill spin twine thing
ink ip it oat ock og
drink chip knit boat crock log
mink hip quit goat knock frog
stink strip split throat smock smog
oil oke oo (rhymes with too) ood(rhymes with hood) ood (rhymes with food) oof (rhymes with proof)
broil bloke boo good brood proof
foil poke too hood food roof
spoil stroke zoo wood mood spoof
oof (rhymes with hoof) ook oom ool oon oop
hoof book bloom cool moon droop
woof crook gloom spool noon loop
took room tool spoon snoop
oot (long oo) oot (short oo) op ore orn ot
boot foot chop chore adorn forgot
scoot soot drop more corn knot
schoot shop swore thorn spot
ought ould ouse out ow (rhymes with cow) ow (rhymes with low)
bought could house about chow blow
sought should mouse scout plow show
wrought would spouse trout vow throw
own uck ug ump un unk
crown duck bug dump fun dunk
frown pluck mug plump shun plunk
gown truck smug thump sun trunk

Wylie, R. E., & Durrell, D. D. (1970). Teaching vowels through phonograms. Elementary English, 47, 787-791.