Words as a form of communication depend on the ability to code by the sender and the recipient's ability to decode. The decoding skill is termed as word identification. According to Timothy Rasinski, a professor of literacy education, teaching word identification is useful when the focus is not only on phonics but holistic. He asserts that the best way to explain word identification is to engage students on a daily basis. A staunch constructionist, Rasinski says that teachers should guide their students in understanding word identification in an authentic, engaging and play like formula. This makes the students gain interest in them by making it fun to learn. Additionally, teachers need to be empowered to design suitable word identification instructions
The first stage which occurs before alphabetic knowledge development is the pre-alphabetic phase also referred to as the visual cue or logographic phase. Unique visual and contextual cues around or in the recognized words at this stage make it possible for children to identify words at sight. The partial-alphabetic phase is the second stage whereby the child starts to understand letters and detect the letter-sound relationship. For most children, it takes place in kindergarten and first grade. Readers who are starting out at this phase have higher chances of misreading some words which might be sharing same partial letter sound-cues. In the first phase, children need to learn phonemics or phonemic awareness. To be able to read, a child needs to learn and link sounds and the written words. Phonemic awareness is regarded as a powerful tool for teaching word identification. Adams (1990), suggests that rhyming makes learning word identification fun and offer an opportunity for further instruction, therefore, enhancing learning. Similarly, the recognition of the initial consonant of a word and rimes also now as phonograms enhance a learner’s ability to read. Therefore children in kindergarten need to be introduced to common phonograms which enable them to manipulate words and link what they have learned with new words that have a similar rhyme.
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The final stage is the consolidated alphabetic stage whereby the child can speed up the reading process through the use of their knowledge of acquainted and predictable letter patterns. Their ability to take a keen interest in a lot of words makes this possible. The learner has the capability of segmenting words into onsets and rimes ( Blevins, 2017). Analysis of a multisyllabic word is made possible by the ability of the child to recognize letter patterns. Teaching phonics using the traditional approach involves the synthetic and analytic approaches to teaching word recognition. The contemporary instruction emphasizes the ability to read hardcopy materials other than learning rules. Both the traditional and modern method is used by teachers currently to plan for their teaching.
Various strategies can be used for word identification. However, the strategy selected is dependent on the level or phase of the learner. Beginning learners may not be able to recognize words instantly with speed. Repeated exposure to the words has been found to increase the learner’s ability to recognize words instantly with speed. Johnson and Baumann 1984 introduce the strategy of context clues ( Fox, 1996). There are three types of context clues including the semantic clues where the learner can recognize the context mostly familiar contexts are used to induce the association of context and its words. Another one is the syntactic clue which enables the learners to identify adverbs or words that are missing to complete a sentence. The third is the picture clue which enables the learners to identify various words that can be used to predict an activity in a picture. Nonetheless, clues are not particular. Therefore, there can be many words identified from one situation.
A strategy that can be implemented to assist children in learning consonants is the use of physical actions. This technique is advantageous, especially to kinesthetic learners. Just identify the preferred activity for each of the letters. On an extensive writing material, write down the letter one side and on the reverse write the action. A simple drawing can be used for young children in place of a word ( Blevins, 2017). The activities selected should only exhibit one letter. The reader learns a complete word first then identifies the specific letters when the analogic phonic instruction is applied. The teacher chooses the letter pattern to instruct then selects literature containing the letter pattern. The teacher reads the writing loud for the learners to enjoy and also discuss the resulting words. Bringing the letter pattern to the attention of the class and reread so that the children identify those trends in the different words and instructions can be used. Contemporary phonics instruction can be implemented in the classrooms where the core text is the reader and in classrooms where literature-based programs are the foundation of the reading instruction. The reader learns a whole word first and then starts keenly analyzing the parts in analytic phonics instruction.
In word identification, the following are involved: attacking of the word, analysis of the word, recognition of the word and decoding. These words refer to translating written material into words through examining of letter-sound relationship. Phonics provides learners with an instrument of dealing with a word not identified immediately ( Perfetti & Bell, 1991). It involves word identification mediation as learners must concentrate on decoding the alphabetic code. Synthetic and analytic approaches of word recognition teaching constitute the traditional phonics instruction. It insists on the education of individual letter-sound relationships separate from activities which are thought as being meaningful. Contemporary phonics instruction looks more at learning to read hardcopy material other than the rules involved in word identification. Nonetheless, the teacher should be keen on the methods used to help learners gain word identification. Early grasp of word identification in terms of phonological and print awareness is instrumental in enabling learners to know word identification. Systematic instruction enables the step by step progression of learners from gaining general literacy skills to phonics skills. While teaching phonics, consonants should be taught first ( Adams & Bruck, 1993). Vowels should follow consonants. Additionally, vowels are best taught using rime. Learners can be able to identify words on their own as they read.
References
Adams, M. J., & Bruck, M. (1993). Word recognition: The interface of educational policies and scientific research. Reading and Writing , 5 (2), 113-139.
Blevins, W. (2017). Teaching phonics & word study in the intermediate grades . Teaching Strategies.
Fox, B. J. (1996). Strategies for Word Identification: Phonics from a New Perspective . Merrill, Order Processing, PO Box 11071, Des Moines, IA 50336-1071.
Perfetti, C. A., & Bell, L. (1991). Phonemic activation during the first 40 ms of word identification: Evidence from backward masking and priming. Journal of Memory and Language , 30 (4), 473-485.
