SnapWords® Complete Classroom Kit

Sight words are critical in early literacy because they make up 80-90% of the words children encounter in text, and recognizing them instantly greatly simplifies reading, improving fluency and comprehension. These high-frequency words, such as "the" and "and," enhance reading fluency, comprehension, and confidence, laying the foundation for more advanced literacy skills, reducing cognitive load, and supporting performance on standardized tests and overall language development. In a nutshell, mastering sight words is essential for building strong reading skills in children.

SnapWords® are designed to cater to diverse learning styles, particularly accommodating visual learners who benefit from associating words with images, seeing the whole word before delving into details like phonics, spelling, and decoding. This approach begins with presenting the entire word, allowing learners to establish a visual memory of the word's form before exploring spelling patterns and phonics rules, ultimately empowering them to tackle more complex, unfamiliar words. While sequential methods typically start with teaching details before introducing the whole word, SnapWords® recognize that right-brain dominant learners thrive by grasping words and phonics holistically.

For individuals with a left-brain dominant learning style, who think in words and handle abstractions adeptly, the images on the front of the cards may appear redundant or distracting. The unadorned word on the back may align better with their preferences. However, for right-brained visual learners, the inclusion of images is indispensable. These images enable them to create a mental picture and store the entire word in visual memory, matching their cognitive style. This image then serves as a recall anchor, even when they encounter the plain word. If asked how they remember the word while reading, they will often attribute it to the image stored in their visual memory.

SnapWords® take a comprehensive approach by incorporating body motion to engage kinesthetic learners, activating body memory. Additionally, the inclusion of sentences aids in comprehending and using words correctly within the context of sentences. This multifaceted method ensures that SnapWords® address various learning preferences and provide a holistic learning experience.

When introducing sight words to your child, the appropriate starting point depends on their familiarity with these words. If your child is a beginner, commence with List A. However, if your child has some prior exposure to sight words, it's essential to assess their knowledge. Begin with List A and have them read the words aloud. They should be able to recognize and read these words quickly, without the need to sound them out. If your child successfully reads all the words in the list, advance to the next list and repeat the evaluation process. In cases where your child encounters words they need to sound out, it's advisable to commence with that specific list. Initiating with a list that contains words they already know provides a confidence boost and helps them transition to this new approach to learning.

SnapWords® Assessments

The Teaching Cards come in a convenient size of 5.5" in width and 4.25" in height, making them perfect for group instruction. If you prefer a more compact option, the Pocket Chart Size Cards are half the dimensions, measuring 4.25" in width and 2.75" in height. These smaller cards are excellent for small group activities and independent practice, offering flexibility in how you use the materials.

Embrace a holistic approach to learning to read, one that engages multiple regions of the brain and the body—a comprehensive "whole body/brain learning" strategy. This method taps into the brain's optimal learning mode, which is through sensory input encompassing body movement, visuals, tactile experiences, and tangible objects, as opposed to static images. To effectively support kinesthetic learners, consider the following tips: encourage physical replication, link abstract concepts to tangibles, involve hands-on learning, employ multimodal teaching, and integrate problem-solving with tangible objects. 

Complete the learning cycle to ensure the learning process forms a full circle. When you teach through all three modalities, the second step involves allowing the child time to deepen their understanding by drawing, writing a phrase using the new word, and illustrating it. The final step is when the child can articulate and demonstrate what they've learned, showing you the drawings they've created and discussing their learning journey. This process ensures that information is absorbed, organized, and committed to long-term memory, and then it is shared verbally and tangibly—an exceptionally effective and beautiful learning approach.

Commencing phonics instruction as early as kindergarten is entirely feasible when adopting a right-brained approach that incorporates images, body movement, and fosters meaningful connections for learning. This approach capitalizes on a child's natural inclination for sensory experiences and can effectively introduce phonics concepts from an early age.

Phonemic awareness is the fundamental ability to recognize and distinguish individual sounds that come together to form a word. By placing a primary focus on developing this skill, children can effectively learn to discern and manipulate the sounds within words. Phonics, on the other hand, is the practice of associating these sounds with their corresponding "pictures," which are the letters that represent those sounds. Together, phonemic awareness and phonics lay the foundation for strong reading and language skills.

Segmenting and blending are fundamental phonemic awareness skills that form the basis of early literacy development. Segmenting involves the practice of identifying and isolating the individual sounds within words. This skill can be introduced to children as early as preschool. Initially, you can model segmenting by saying a word out loud and asking the children to focus on the sounds they hear. Gradually, encourage them to segment the word with you, and with practice, they'll become adept at independently breaking words into their individual sounds.

Blending, on the other hand, is the complementary skill. Here, you enunciate the distinct sounds you hear in a word, then gradually bring them closer together until you say the complete word. These phonemic awareness exercises, segmenting and blending, are crucial in helping children grasp the relationship between sounds and letters, laying the foundation for reading and language skills.

Phonetic spelling, also known as invented spelling, was a pedagogical trend in early education. This approach aimed to encourage children to start writing words using the letters that made sense to them, often resulting in creative spellings. For instance, a child might write "FONIX" for "phonics" or "PENSL" for "pencil."

However, promoting phonetic spelling can be detrimental because, once children associate sounds with their written representations, these initial spellings can become ingrained, making it challenging to correct them later. In my kindergarten class, a daily practice involved having children draw a picture and provide a caption for it. While their initial spellings were often inaccurate, this provided a valuable opportunity to guide them toward the correct phonics and spelling. By using the words they wanted to write as a starting point, we could effectively integrate phonics and spelling instruction, gradually helping them improve their written language skills.