Print Skills (Alphabetics)
Word Recognition
Word Analysis

Word analysis (WA) is more commonly known as "phonics" or "decoding." It is the process of using the written patterns of speech to figure out unfamiliar words. It also includes the ability to recognize and take advantage of the recurring spelling patterns of a language; this ability can then help the reader to recognize words quickly and accurately. For those readers with advanced word analysis skills, the term also refers to knowledge of the meanings and spellings of prefixes, root words, and suffixes. Word analysis instruction can be very effective in helping beginning readers learn to read with understanding.^RR

First, to letters - How well do your learners know the sounds of consonants and of short and long vowels? In random order, point to letters and ask for the sound, not the name, of the letter. Do they know them all? Is the ability automatic--that is, without hesitation? This is the first step in learning to decode words; each step needs practice until the response is automatic. Some beginning and adult poor readers are too disabled to acquire automaticity, but most can reach mastery. Assess this initial skill of any reader who is having consistent trouble decoding words.

Other steps of WA to assess word attack skill:

• consonant blends to automaticity: st, sp, pr, bl...
  
  
• consonant digraphs (two letters, one sound) to automaticity: ch, sh, ck, ph...
  
  
• vowel combinations: digraphs ai, oa..., and dipthongs ( two letters, sounds blended) au, oi...
  
  
• blending consonants and vowels to form syllables: /s/ /i/ /l/ to /si/ /l/ to sill; or /ch/ /I/ /k/ to chick.
  
  
• syllabication rules

Word Analysis inventories assess most of the possible phonetic letter combinations. Some tests use lists of real words that contain the different phonic elements, but those tests that present pseudowords instead of real words have the advantage of avoiding words that learners might know as sight words. Being able to read the word stop is not proof that the learner knows the short sound of o, but being able to read the pseudoword stoz is. Several assessments use pseudowords to evaluate word analysis skills. In some pseudoword inventories, the particular letter combination being assessed is noted so that you can have a record of those word parts or constructions that each learner needs to work on. You can download Sylvia Greene's Informal Word Analysis Inventory from the "Resources" section of this web site.^RR A timed test such as the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE) will give a measure of word analysis automaticity.

Onsets and Rimes

Structural Analysis

Structural analysis skill is assessed with teacher made inventories. Ask learners to divide compound words or to underline the root word or the affix in words with prefixes and/or suffixes.

Practice can have the same format as the assessment. This activity is a good illustration of how components work together to further skill in each - learning about affixes is both word analysis and a rich word meaning activity.

Compound Words

Affixes (prefixes and suffixes)^RR

Different from suffixes--which indicate parts of speech and use in a sentence--prefixes are additions to root words that form a new word with another meaning from that of the root word. In the word disagree, the prefix dis- (meaning not) changes the direction of meaning of the root, agree. Prefixes are introduced in reading texts around the third grade; the most common ones are un-, meaning "not" (as in unclear), or "opposite" (as in unfold); and under- (as in underpaid).

An interesting illustration of the complexity of English orthography are the several prefixes that indicate "not": un-, dis-, im- as in impossible, in- as in inaccurate, mis- as in misunderstand, and ir- as in irrational.

1. closed (by a consonant), CVC or CCVC as in cot, plan - vowel is short
   
   
2. open (ends in a vowel), CV as in go - vowel is long
   
   
3. final silent -e as in in/flate - vowel in last syllable is long
   
   
4. vowel combinations as in sail, teach - two vowels make one sound
   
   
5. R controlled - any vowel followed by an r, vowel sound is changed. The vowel is neither long nor short as in doc/tor, per/son, curd, part/ner, bird.
   
   
6. final -le as in bu/gle - vowel sound in (consonant, vowel)+ le syllable is a schwa (uh), a sound close to that of short u.

Lists of affixes, compound words, and syllable types can be found in most teaching materials accompanying reading programs. In addition, you can find information in other resources.

See the Test Bank for published assessments of Word Analysis.

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