Questions & Answers about Reading (Superkids) . Why do children need to memorize Memory Words? Because not every word in English contains regular letter-sound correspondences. Memorizing phonetically irregular but very common words helps children develop automaticity in both reading and writing. The ability to memorize is a skill students will need throught out their education.
. How often should children practice encoding (saying) the words and spelling the words? Everyday.
. Are children expected to memorize the spelling rules? No. Children should be able to apply the rules.
. Why not tell the children in advance which Pattern Words will be on the test? If children are told the four Pattern Words that will be on the spelling test, they will likely just try to memorize the spellings of these words. Remind them that Pattern Words are words they can sound out and use spelling patterns or rules to spell correctly.
. Why is fluency important? Students who read slowly or haltingly have trouble keeping track of ideas developed across sentences and paragraphs. To become a fluent reader, a child must first become an automatic decoder. Accessing words quickly and accurately allows a child to concentrate on comprehension.