What is word recognition?
Word recognition refers to a reader's ability to easily recognize a word, on sight, when encountered in text. Reading words, on sight, with little effort, is one characteristic of a fluent reader.
Why is word recognition important?
Some words may have to be decoded when first encountered; however, over time, the reader may recognize those words on sight as a result of frequent exposure and increased proficiency as a reader. Other words, however, do not necessarily follow the "rules" for phonetic spelling. These words (also known as "sight words" or "red words") must be acquired through alternate methods for long-term retention and use! When we use multiple senses to see, hear, and touch as we learn new words, it helps to store those words into our long-term memory.
Teaching Tips:
Shhh! Don’t tell her my secret!
I think it’s wonderful when we can create a learning experience that feels “magical” for our children! She doesn’t know that this is a multisensory technique that will help store this sight word away for long-term memory retention, nor does she need to understand all that. She just thinks there’s magic in her fingertips... and what a way to learn!