Did you know?

• The best way to become a better reader is to practice each day, with books you choose, on your just-right reading level. (Daily 5)
• Better readers read more and, by reading more, get to be even better readers. (LETRS)
• The English language has 26 letters which make 44 sounds that are represented 96 ways.
• Reading to someone allows for more time to practice strategies, helping you work on fluency and expression, check for understanding, hear your own voice, and share in the learning community. (Daily 5)
• Human brains are naturally wired to speak; they are not naturally wired to read and write. (LETRS)
• About 9/10 of the world's 4,000 to 6,000 existing spoken languages have no indigenous, or native, written form, let alone an alphabet. (LETRS)
• Most English word spellings can be explained and most English words DO follow spelling patterns. However, some of our most common words (does, of, aunt, been, etc) just don't follow the rules of phonics. They are often the oldest words in the English language whose pronunciations have changed over many centuries of use. (LETRS)
• Surprisingly, about only 4% of all English words do not follow a pattern and are truly irregular. These words are typically left over from Old English. More commonly, speech sounds in English words are spelled with one of several possible spellings, which are determined by various kinds of patterns. (LETRS)

Credits:

• Boushey, G. (n.d.). The Daily 5. Stenhouse Publishers: Portland, Maine.
• Moats, L., & Sedita, J. (2006). LETRS: Language essentials for teachers of reading and spelling. Boston, MA: Sopris West.