When we teach high-frequency words as whole words, we are encouraging kids to remember them by shape. This method contradicts the phonics approach that explains that all words can be decoded - but some have complex spellings! Unfortunately, many of the common words beginner readers encounter are such words.
So how do we combine phonics with teaching tricky words? Build on the knowledge the reader already has and explicitly teach the tricky part.
Here are some easy-to-understand infographics to print and use in the classroom to teach this difficult concept.
