LITERACY  INTERVENTION   FOR EVERYONE
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Tricky Word Skills

Here are 5 skills we teach students in project LIFE to help students clear the hurdles that unfamiliar word present them with while  they read.

1. Look at the Picture
   the students are encouraged to look for clues with in the pictures that might help them figure out what the word might mean.

2. Slide your finger
   Students are asked to keep their eyes and fingers together and slide their finger under the tricky word as they say each letter sound in the same order it is written.  Each pass of the word is to be a little faster.  As they say the slide they are encouraged to think of a word that they know that sounds similar to what they are saying and decide if the word they know would make sense in this sentence.

3. Go back to the beginning of the sentence
   Re reading from the beginning of the sentence to the tricky word often helps the student build a better understanding of what kind of word would make sense in the sentence. 

4. Read to the end of the sentence
   Reading to the end of the sentence and then coming back to the tricky word adds additional contex for the reader to use in figuring out what kind of word would make sense in this story.  Even if they don't get the word correct, often they will find a word that closely resembles it's meaning.

5. Chunking
   This  is the process of breaking the word apart into littler bits so they can figure it out in little chunks.  Usually thy will cover up a known ending like ing, or try to find a little word inside they are able to sound out.

6. If the student has tried all of the strategies they are told to read past the tricky part.
   Students are easily frustrated when faced with an unknown word.  Sometimes it is so frustrating that they give up and stop reading or even cry.  They need to be taught that if they've given it their best shot it is ok to skip it and read on.

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