Red Words

Red Words

The irregular, or unexpected words which we call “Red Words” must be studied weekly for mastery. I will introduce Red Words one at a time through the multisensory approach using kinesthetic, auditory and visual components. We use bumpy boards, arm tapping and choral spelling. This allows the children to feel tactile bumps and physically move their body to arm tap as they write, say and spell the red words. We will be discussing the Red Words in detail about the expected and unexpected ways the word is spelled. We will be practicing them during our time together. However, it is extremely important that your child practices these Red Words on a daily basis at home as well. These Red Words will come home in their Reading Folders on a ring of index cards. Please make a note of the words and then return them in their Reading Folders on a daily basis for in school practice. You will notice that they are coded with red and green letters. The green letters signify the expected phonetic sounds/letters in the words. The red letters are a signal to stop that they are irregularly spelled parts of the word that need to be carefully studied to remember them for spelling and reading these red words.

Ideas and ways to practice and reinforce red words:

• Create Red Word flashcards on index cards to practice arm tapping (your child knows this routine and can show you how it is done) and reading it over and over.

• Make Red Word bingo on a 5 x 5 grid. Put the words in the squares, call out red words for your child to locate and play with regular Bingo rules. Switch roles throughout to have your child call out the words from index cards as well.

• Using magnetic letters and a cookie tray have your child make red words and read them.

• Word Searches- Using an online word search generator to create word search puzzles for your child.

• High five words- Print and cut out hand templates. Write the red word color coded with red and green letters. Then hang them around your house. Each time your child passes the word high five it and then have them arm tap as they spell and read the word.

• Memory Game- Write the words on index cards (you will need 2 cards for each word) flip them upside down and play traditional memory.

• Go Fish- Grab a cheap pack of Go Fish from the dollar store and add red words to the cards.

• Play-doh Red Words- Build the red words using play doh.

• Sensory Zip Locks- Fill a zip lock bag with gel and some food coloring. Duck tape the zipper closed. Write red words on the bag with their finger.

• Shaving Cream Writing- Write red words in shaving cream on a tray.

• Sand or Rice Words- Write red words in sand or rice on a tray.

• Body movement- Jump, Hop, Clap out red words as you spell them with your child.