Week 7 - Assignment 3

1.     Explain the three levels of words and how you can use word levels to decide which words to teach.

According to the video, words can be categorized in to three levels. As teachers we need to decide which words to teach to our students. The first level of words is familiar words like “bad” and “look” that don’t need to be taught. Students already know the meanings on these words since they are common and used on a regular basis. The second level of words appears often in conversation that needs to be taught. Students may read words like “democracy” and “hurricane” in passages and not know its meanings. Therefore, it’s important to discuss the meanings to help students comprehend the text they are reading. The third level of words is highly technical words that are subject related. These can be taught when students are taking specific subjects related courses such as biology or chemistry. In my classroom, I would mostly teach the second level words and how to define them. Students are more likely to come across these words in their textbooks, independent reading books, and informational articles. Therefore, it’s a key strategy for students to learn in order to figure out the meanings of unknown words for better reading comprehension. 

2.     How do you teach your students to "chunk" words as a strategy for decoding unfamiliar words? When do you provide this instruction?

Students should be taught to “chunk” words as a strategy for decoding unfamiliar words. They can break the word into two to three chunks and put them together. Students who are learning to read can sound out letters and put the sounds together and repeat it numerous times to figure out the pronunciation of the word. This instruction can be provided in the early grades. These instructions can also be provided when students are struggling to decode words in the upper grades.

They can be taught to look for prefixes, suffixes and root words. They can look for familiar words within the unfamiliar words.

3.     Based on Professor Allington's comments and the classroom examples, what are some ways you might foster word study in your classroom?

The video provided many examples of word study in the classroom. I would promote word study in the classroom by creating a wall where students can add words. Each day I would spend a few minutes to discuss the words with the students. I would also use differentiated instruction to cater to the individual needs of my students and help improve their decoding skills.