Word Mapping: How to Teach Sight Words Based on the Science of Reading

Word mapping saved me! I once found myself struggling to teach sight words effectively.

Despite my best efforts, it seemed that traditional teaching methods were falling short for my students.

That’s when I decided to dive deep into the science of reading, and it transformed my approach to teaching sight words.

In this blog post, I’ll share my insights and strategies to help you teach sight words based on the science of reading, ensuring your students become successful readers.

Understanding Sight Words, High Frequency Words, and Heart Words when Word Mapping

First, let’s clarify the difference between sight words, high frequency words, and heart words, as these terms are often used interchangeably and can be confusing.

• Sight words: Words that are instantly recognized by sight, with the goal of teaching high frequency words so they become sight words.
• High frequency words: The most common words in text, which students need to learn as they appear frequently in reading materials. These can be both decodable and non-decodable.
• Heart words: High frequency words with at least one irregular part that is not decodable. Most of the word can be decoded, but one or more parts need to be memorized.

How the Brain Learns to Read

The Science of Reading provides valuable insights into how the brain learns to read.

In simple terms, our brain uses four key processors to recognize and understand words: phonological, orthographic, meaning, and context.

The phonological processor helps us identify the individual sounds, or phonemes, that make up words.

The orthographic processor connects these sounds to the written letters, or graphemes, in words.

The meaning processor allows us to understand the meaning of a word, while the context processor uses the surrounding text to provide further clarity.

When we teach reading, focusing on these four processors helps students build strong connections in their brains.

This makes reading easier and more efficient.

Understanding Sight Words and the Reading Brain

When children learn to read, their brains engage in a process called orthographic mapping.

This involves creating mental representations of words that are stored in long-term memory.

This process is crucial for developing a strong sight word vocabulary and efficient reading skills.

To understand how the brain learns to read, we must first understand the three key components of reading: phonological awareness, decoding, and language comprehension.

The science of reading tells us that these components work together to create a solid foundation for reading success.

You must focus on all three components to help your students become fluent readers.

What is the Multi-Sensory Approach to Teaching Sight Words?

The multi-sensory approach to teaching sight words involves engaging your students’ senses to create a more memorable learning experience.

This can include using visual aids, such as flashcards or sound walls.

Incorporating tactile activities like tracing words with their fingers, and incorporating auditory cues through songs, chants, or rhymes.

By engaging multiple senses, you increase the chances of your students successfully mapping sight words to their long-term memory.

Orthographic Mapping

Orthographic mapping is a crucial process in the science of reading, as it enables students to develop strong sight word recognition skills.

Through orthographic mapping, students create mental representations of words that are stored in long-term memory.

This allows them to recognize words quickly and efficiently as they read.

One effective strategy for teaching sight words based on orthographic mapping is using word mapping and word mapping mats.

Orthographic mapping is a vital component of the science of reading and is essential for developing strong sight word recognition skills.

We’ll explore this approach more and provide examples of how you can incorporate it into your classroom.

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Using Word Mapping

Word mapping is an instructional technique that helps students visually break down words into their individual components, such as letters or letter patterns.

This method supports the development of orthographic mapping skills by allowing students to recognize the structure and patterns within words.

This in turn supports their sight word recognition.

1. Break down the sight word:
   • Write the sight word on the board or on a piece of paper and have your students identify its individual components.
   • Example: For the sight word “play,” have students identify the letters “p,” “l,” “a,” and “y.”
2. Discuss patterns and connections:
   • Encourage students to identify patterns or connections between the components of the sight word.
   • Example: For the sight word “play,” discuss how the “ay” pattern is also found in other words like “day” and “stay.”
3. Practice writing the sight word:
   • Have your students practice writing the sight word, focusing on the patterns and connections they’ve identified.
   • Example: Students write the word “play” multiple times, paying close attention to the “ay” pattern.

Using Word Mapping Mats

Word mapping mats are visual aids designed to help students practice breaking down and mapping sight words.

1. Prepare the word mapping mat:
   • Create or use a word mapping mat with spaces for each letter or letter pattern in the sight word.
   • Example: For the sight word “play,” create a mat with four spaces labeled “p,” “l,” “a,” and “y.”
2. Introduce the sight word:
   • Present the sight word to your students and have them place the corresponding letter tiles or cards on the word mapping mat.
   • Example: Students place the letters “p,” “l,” “a,” and “y” in the correct spaces on the mat to form the word “play.”
3. Practice and discuss:
   • Encourage students to practice creating the sight word on the word mapping mat and discuss any patterns or connections they notice.
   • Example: Students practice forming the word “play” on the mat and discuss the “ay” pattern and its connection to other words.

Using word mapping and word mapping mats in your classroom can help your students better understand the structure and patterns within words.

This enables them to recognize sight words more efficiently

Introducing Sight Words

When introducing sight words to students, use a step-by-step approach that activates each processor in their brain.

For example, with the word “they”:

1. Say the word and have students repeat it: Say “they” aloud and ask students to say it back to you.
2. Use the word in a sentence for context and meaning.
3. Provide a sentence using the word “they,” such as “They went to the park,” and encourage students to come up with their own sentences using the word as well.
4. Break the word into individual sounds and have students count them: Slowly pronounce the word, emphasizing each sound (e.g., /th/ /ā/), and ask students to count the sounds.
5. Draw lines on the board to represent each sound.
6. Connect the phonemes to their spelling: Start with the decodable parts of the word. Ask students what sound they hear first and how it’s spelled.
7. For “they,” begin with the /th/ sound, which is represented by the letters “th.” Then, move on to the tricky parts of the word.
8. In this case, the /ā/ sound is spelled as “ey.” Explain that this is the part they may need to memorize.
9. Give students multiple opportunities to practice writing, spelling, and reading the word: Have students practice writing “they” several times while saying the sounds aloud.
10. Encourage them to use it in their own writing. This repeated practice will help solidify the word in their memory.

What is the Best Method to Teach Sight Words?

When students practice and review sight words, use the “tap it, map it, graph it, write it” routine to promote the orthographic mapping process.

Follow these detailed steps:

1. Say the word: Begin by having students say the sight word aloud to ensure they can recognize and pronounce it correctly.
2. Tap the sounds: Ask students to tap out the individual sounds they hear in the word using their fingers or another method, such as tapping on the table.
3. For example, if the word is “she,” students would tap twice: once for /sh/ and once for /ē/.
4. Map the sounds using sound boxes and counters: Provide students with sound boxes, which are visual representations of the individual sounds in a word.
5. Have students place a counter, such as a small object or a cube, in each box for the corresponding sounds they hear in the word.
6. For “she,” they would place one counter for the /sh/ sound and another counter for the /ē/ sound, resulting in two counters in total.
7. Graph the word by assigning each sound to its corresponding spelling: Instruct students to write the letters that represent each sound in the appropriate sound box.
8. For “she,” they would write “sh” in the first box and “e” in the second box. Remind students that some parts of the word may be irregular and require memorization.
9. Write the word multiple times, marking any irregular parts: Encourage students to write the sight word several times, either on paper or a whiteboard.
10. As they write, ask them to identify and mark any irregular parts of the word. This process will help students recognize the word more easily in the future and improve their reading fluency.

Guided Writing with Sight Words

Incorporate sight words into guided writing activities by using dictated sentences that include the high-frequency words students have been learning.

This helps students practice using the word in context and strengthens their understanding of the word’s meaning.

Try this Guided Writing Routine:

1. Choose a sight word: Select a sight word that students have been learning recently, such as “she.”
2. Create a dictated sentence: Craft a sentence that uses the chosen sight word in context. For example, “She went to the store to buy some apples.”
3. Discuss the sentence: Before having students write the sentence, discuss its meaning and context.
4. Ask questions like, “Who is the subject of the sentence?” or “What is she doing in this sentence?” This helps students understand how the sight word functions within the sentence.
5. Guide students in writing the sentence: Instruct students to write the dictated sentence, paying special attention to the sight word.
6. Encourage them to think about the word’s meaning and spelling as they write. You may want to provide support for students who struggle with spelling or handwriting.
7. Review and discuss: After students have written the sentence, review their work together.
8. Discuss any difficulties they may have encountered, and praise their efforts in using the sight word correctly. Offer additional examples and practice opportunities as needed.

By incorporating sight words into guided writing activities you can help students build a stronger understanding of these essential words.

You will also improve their overall reading and writing skills.

Review and Reinforcement

Regular review is crucial for reinforcing sight word knowledge.

Offer a variety of engaging, multisensory activities that allow students to read, map, and write sight words.

Consider using orthographic mapping with word mapping mats or other resources that target sight word recognition and practice.

Here are some examples of activities to reinforce sight word learning:

1. Sight Word Write the Room: Place sight words on notecards and place them around the room. Have students go around the room and write each sight word as they find it.
2. Sight Word Color by Code: Use a color by code worksheet, and have students to find their sight words and color each one a specific.
3. Secret Sight Words: Draw figures that respresent the letters in each word. Have students write each letter to make a mystery sight word. Example: draw a horse – students write h – draw an egg – students write an e. They have now written the word “he”.
4. Sight Word Memory: Write sight words on notecards. Make two cards for each word. Have students place cards face down and turn them over one at a time until they find each match.
5. Rainbow Writing: Provide students with colored pencils or markers and have them practice writing sight words in different colors. This helps to reinforce the spelling of the words while making the activity more engaging.
6. Sight Word Puzzles: Create puzzles with sight words by cutting them into pieces. Students can work together or individually to put the words back together, promoting recognition and spelling practice.

By offering various engaging and multisensory activities for sight word review and reinforcement, you can help students solidify their understanding of these important words and enhance their reading and writing skills.

In conclusion

Teaching sight words based on the science of reading is essential for developing strong readers.

By understanding the role of orthographic mapping sight words, using a multi-sensory approach, and implementing the strategies outlined in this post; you can help your Kindergarten students become confident and fluent readers.

If you have anything that you’d like added to this post, feel free to leave a comment below.

XO – Kisha

kisha@phonicstofluency.com