All students who struggle with acquiring sight words can benefit from this instructional practice.
One foundational skill to support reading fluency is rapid recognition of sight words (NICHHD, 2000). Folding In is a simple tutoring intervention that promotes student acquisition of common sight words. This simple practice can be used by teachers, support staff, paraprofessionals, or parents.
This is an instructional practice. An instruction practice is a teaching method that guides interactions in the classroom and supports student learning. Instructional practices involve an educator using particular method, practice, or protocol during instruction.
This is an instructional practice. An instruction practice is a teaching method that guides interactions in the classroom and supports student learning. Instructional practices involve an educator using particular method, practice, or protocol during instruction.
1. Create a deck of flashcards taken from a master sight word list (e.g., Dolch word list, Fry’s Instant Words). Label the three sandwich size plastic bags with the words “known,” “unknown,” and “daily deck.” Label the gallon size plastic bag with the student’s name.
2. Before beginning the intervention, establish piles of “known” and “unknown” words. Show each flashcard from the master deck to the student. If the student is able to read the word correctly within 3 seconds place the word into a "known" pile. Any card that the student reads incorrectly or hesitates on for more than 3 seconds is sorted into an "unknown" pile. These cards will then be stored in either the “known” or “unknown” bags. All plastic bags (and cards) will be stored in the large gallon bag.
3. Before each session, create a daily deck of 10 cards by drawing three cards from the “unknown” bag and seven from the “known” bag. These cards will be stored in the “daily deck” bag.
4. Shuffle the deck, presents each card to the student, and say, "What is this word?" If the student responds correctly within 3 seconds, say, "Yes, the word is [word]." If the student responds incorrectly, say, "No, the word is [word]. Say [word]." If the student hesitates for longer than 3 seconds, the tutor says, "The word is [word]. Say [word]." When all flashcards have been presented, you may shuffle the cards and repeat.
5. When the student is able to read all sight words in the daily deck correctly 3 sessions in a row, update the daily deck. To do this, pull any 3 cards from the daily deck, places them in the "known" pile, and add 3 new cards from the "unknown" pile to the daily deck. Shuffle the deck and repeat the above step.
Adapted from Intervention Central: Link in related websites
Baranek, A., Fienup, D. M., & Pace, G. (2011). Brief experimental analysis of sight word interventions: A comparison of acquisition and maintenance of directed interventions. Behavior Modification, 35(1), 78-94.
NICHHD: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction (NIH Publication No. 00-4769). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Dolch Word Printable Flash Cards