Standard 2: Reading Foundations

Students will develop foundational skills for future reading success by working with sounds, letters, and text.

PHONICS AND WORD STUDY: Students will decode and read words in context and isolation by applying phonics and word analysis skills.

2.2.PWS.2 Students will decode words by applying knowledge of structural analysis:

• all major syllable patterns (e.g., closed, consonant +le, open, vowel team, vowel silent e, r-controlled)

• inflectional endings (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing)

• compound words

• contractions

• abbreviations

• common roots and related prefixes and suffixes

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will use major syllable patterns to decode words.

• closed

• consonant +le

• open

• vowel team

• vowel silent e

• r-controlled.

• Students will use knowledge of inflected endings to analyze and decode words.
• Students will use knowledge of compound words to analyze and decode words.
• Students will use knowledge of contractions to decode words.
• Students will use knowledge of abbreviations to decode words.
• Students will use knowledge of common roots, prefixes, and suffixes to decode words.

• Teachers explain syllable patterns when teaching words that belong within that pattern.

• Teachers model using syllable patterns to analyze and decode words.

• Teachers give students opportunities to identify syllable patterns and use these patterns to decode words.

• Teachers post syllable patterns when taught and review frequently.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback while using syllable patterns to decode words.

• Teachers explain word structures when teaching inflected endings.

• Teachers use think-alouds to explain how to analyze and decode words using structural analysis.

• Teachers provide students opportunities to decode words using structural analysis, increasing the difficulty of words as students become more skilled.

• Teachers encourage students to look at word structure when trying to decode an unknown word in texts.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback or interventions with structural analysis as needed.

• Teachers explain word structures when teaching compound words.

• Teachers use think-alouds to explain how to analyze and decode compound words.

• Teachers provide students opportunities to decode compound words, increasing difficulty of words as students become more skilled.

• Teachers encourage students to look at word structure when trying to decode an unknown word in texts.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback or interventions with structural analysis as needed.

• Teachers explain the structure of contractions.

• Teachers model reading contractions with one or two syllables.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge of contractions when reading words with one or two syllables.

• Teachers encourage students to look at word structure when trying to decode an unknown word in texts.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback or interventions with structural analysis as needed.

• Teachers explain that abbreviations are a shortened form of a word.

• Teachers model reading abbreviations.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge of abbreviations when reading words.

• Teachers encourage students to look at word structure when trying to decode an unknown word in texts.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback or interventions with structural analysis as needed.

• Teachers model decoding words with common roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge of common roots, prefixes, and suffixes. to decode words.

• Teachers encourage students to look at word structure when trying to decode an unknown word in texts.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback or interventions with structural analysis as needed.  

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

FCRR:  Syllable Pattern Activities (PDF)

FCRR:  Compound Words / Inflected Endings / Affix Activities (PDF)

FCRR:  Morphemic Elements Activities (PDF)

TPRI:  Graphophonemic Knowledge Activities (webpage to PDFs)

Six Syllable Types by Louisa Moats (webpage)

• Knowing syllable-spelling patterns helps students know what type of vowel is in the word, if any endings have been added, and allows students to spell and decode words with greater fluency and accuracy.  

• Using syllable types will help students decode new vocabulary words.

• Closed syllable - A syllable with a short vowel spelled with a single vowel letter ending in one or more consonants (e.g., picnic, rabbit, biggest).  

• Consonant +le - This combination is only found at the end of words.

• If c+le is combined with an open syllable (e.g., cable, bugle), there is not doubled consonant.

• If c+le is combined with a closed syllable (e.g., dabble, topple) the consonant is doubled.  

• Open syllable - Open syllables end with a long vowel sound created by one vowel letter. There is no consonant to close and protect the vowel (e.g., be, me, so).

• Inflectional endings (-s, -ed, -ing, -en, -’s, -er, and -est) do not change the part of speech of the word..

• -ed is pronounced /d/ when the base word ends in a voiced sound.

• -ed is pronounced /t/ when the base word ends in an unvoiced sound.

• -ed is pronounced /ed/ when the base word ends in /t/ or /d/.

• Compound words and multisyllabic words are often confused.

• Many words are formed by combining root words and affixes. Sometimes the root word can stand on its own, but typically Latin and Greek roots are not stand-alone words. In the word reject, the prefix is re-, and the root is -ject.

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.