Word Matters
Word Matters presents essential information to help children learn about letters, sounds, and words. The central goal is to teach children to become readers who can take words apart while reading for meaning and writers who can construct words while writing to communicate.
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What is it?
Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom presents essential information on designing and implementing a high-quality, systematic literacy program to help children learn about letters, sounds, and words. The goal is to teach children to become “word solvers.”
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Who is it for?
Through this text, Fountas and Pinnell offer teachers of grades K-3 how to address the needs of the whole classroom as well as individual readers by focusing on phonics and spelling instruction.
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What is inside?
Inside this text you’ll find the theoretical underpinnings and practical wherewithal of word study presented in these three contexts:
- Word Study includes systematically planned and applied experiences focusing on the elements of letters and words.
- Writing includes how children use phoneme-grapheme relationships, word patterns, and principles to develop spelling ability.
- Reading includes teaching children how to solve words with the use of phonics and visual-analysis skills as they read for meaning.
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How is it implemented?
Each of the three content topics--word study, writing, and reading--is supported with a variety of practical tools: reproducible sheets for a word study system and for writing workshop; lists of spelling minilessons; and extensive word lists, including frequently used words, antonyms, synonyms, and more. Armed with these tools, teachers can help students develop not just the “essential skills,” but also a joyful appreciation of their literacy.
