Here are my favorite strategies for making word study fun, using concepts based on the science of reading and the Orton Gillingham approach: Word Sorts of All Shapes & Sizes It’s an evidence and science-based way to teach reading that really works!

The idea is to give students multiple ways to interact with (and play!) with words. It’s a multisensory approach to reading, using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic strategies. It was developed specifically to help students with learning challenges such as dyslexia, but it also works well with any young learner. I personally love the Orton Gillingham approach.

The next step is knowing how to make it fun and enticing for kids! In my classroom, we talk a lot about “playing with words.” Word study time isn’t about rote memorization, it’s about exploring words with curiosity. Knowing about the science of reading is the first step for teachers to become better at teaching literacy. We now know that most children need explicit instruction in phonics and phonemic awareness to make connections between how a word looks and how it sounds. Research into the science of reading has given us a lot of insights into how the brain works when learning how to read. I emphasized memorization way too much and didn’t spend enough time giving students phonics strategies they could apply to unfamiliar words. I’ve spent a lot of time studying literacy-enough to know that how I used to teach reading wasn’t great. Reading is the foundation for everything! There have been a lot of theories and much debate about the best strategies for teaching reading.

Teaching children to read is perhaps the single most important job we have as elementary school teachers.

Vocabulary word sorts for third grade