Module 3: Activity 2

Nonsense words or pseudowords were a hot topic in many of my undergraduate reading courses. Similar to the teacher in the video, we worked with students using letter tiles to create the spelling of words. While we used similar strategies, like the slide to blend letters, we did this using actual words. The only work we did with nonsense words was in a pre- and post-test on the child's ability to read pseudowords. I see both viewpoints on using nonsense words to help struggling readers crack the code and become more proficient readers. If students are able to read pseudowords, they are likely able to read real words because they have a good understanding of letter sounds. However, pseudowords do not represent letter patterns that are typically found in words. This is where the problem with having students read nonsense words comes in. Students need to learn to read word by word rather than letter by letter. To read nonsense words, students are decoding each individual letter. Teaching real words with word patterns will help students develop more sight words and will make them more proficient readers. I like the techniques the teacher used with the letter tiles, because I have seen them to work effectively for young readers struggling with phonics. I would just adjust that strategy to include real words that follow traditional word patterns.