Starting our Reader's Toolbox Inquiry

We have been talking about how readers are like builders...when we read a story, we are building the story in our mind.

We learned that readers have tools too, but they aren't wrenches or screwdrivers or hammers.  They are strategies to help us figure out words!

We are doing a mini-inquiry to see what our brains do to help us out when we get to tricky parts in our books.

So far, we have noticed that using the pictures is helpful, like Mason did in this book when he got to the word straw...

We shared how using the pictures helped us when we got to a tricky part.

Kaylene used her picture to help her with the word 'insect.'

Chance used his picture to help him with the word 'kick.'

Today we tried out a strategy that worked for Aloura, Asher, and Maddin:  getting our mouth ready for the first part of the word.

When Aloura got to the last word on this page, she got her mouth ready by saying the short u sound...
and she figured out that the tricky word was umbrella! 

We shared how this strategy helped us, too.

Mason got his mouth ready for the tricky word 'playing' by making the 'p' sound.

At first Jace thought the word was 'doctor' but then got his mouth ready by saying the 'n' sound and fixed it--'nurse!'

Aloura got stuck on this word...she got her mouth ready by saying the 'st' sound and figure it out--'stay!'

What strategy helps you with your tricky words?