1. Introduction

This wrap-up exercise incorporates and brings together all the elements of our sight words instruction curriculum: recognizing the word on sight, spelling it, and writing it. In this activity the child will use a flat surface to simulate writing out the sight word, first while looking at the flash card, and then without looking at the card.

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2. Procedure

Video: Technique Five: Table Writing

This exercise is similar to Air Writing, but the child will “underline” and write the word away from the flash card. This is a prelude to writing the word without even looking at the flash card.

Position the child in front of a flat, horizontal surface, such as a table, a desk, or the floor. Hold the sight word flash card at the child’s eye level. The child will say the word while making the left-to-right “underlining” motion, but they will do this on the table, not on the flash card. Then they will use two fingers of their writing hand to “write” the word, looking at the flash card but “writing” on the table. They will say each letter out loud as they write it. Then they will say the word again, making the “underlining” motion once more.

Here is a sample script for you to follow:

Adult: I’ll go first. Ready? WHERE. W-H-E-R-E. WHERE.
            Again: WHERE. W-H-E-R-E. WHERE.
            Now it’s your turn.

Child: WHERE. W-H-E-R-E. WHERE.
Adult: Again.
Child: WHERE. W-H-E-R-E. WHERE.
Adult: One more time.
Child: WHERE. W-H-E-R-E. WHERE.
Adult: Great job!
Adult: Now let’s do it without looking at the flash card. Ready?
Child: WHERE. W-H-E-R-E. WHERE.
Adult: Again.
Child: WHERE. W-H-E-R-E. WHERE.
Adult: One more time.
Child: WHERE. W-H-E-R-E. WHERE.
Adult: Good job!

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13 Responses to “Technique Five: Table Writing”

  1. Lorraine Meriles

    If I had my student write the word in a tray of sand to get visual feedback as well as kinesthetic would that be adding to the value of this technique or harming it?

    ADMIN – Hi Lorraine,

    Writing in a tray of sand and getting that tactile sensation of the grains of sand on your fingertip sounds like a great idea. I haven’t had first hand experience with that method, but it sounds like a good alternative to table writing, and if you are getting good results I would keep doing it. Thanks for sharing your technique.

    Reply
  2. Itesha

    Thank you so much for this help! God bless u !?

    Reply
  3. Azzy

    Do we have to use these all five teaching techniques in each lesson time?

    ADMIN – Hi Azzy,

    We recommend that you at least start out using all five teaching techniques. Children learn sight words through repetition, so the more repetitions they get, the more solid their knowledge of the words will be.

    If, after a while, you see that the child is truly learning the words in less time, then you can try skipping the final technique (Table Writing). If the child is still learning the words easily, you can cut the fourth technique (Air Writing). Do not cut out any more than that, and if the child’s mastery of the words declines at all, add these techniques back into your lesson.

    Reply
  4. aliyah

    Thanks for the letters it helped us. Good strategies.

    Reply
  5. Sophia Han

    Thank you for sharing so much useful technique to learn and teach sight words and I found it’s also good ways to learn Chinese characters. Nice website!

    Reply
  6. Judy

    Thank you so much for the great tips and materials , I would like to ask if we should make the child write them in his notebook to memorize them or it is not necessary.

    ADMIN – Hi Judy,

    We don’t usually have the child write the words down, although that would certainly work.

    Reply
  7. Tracie

    Hi!
    Could each component (See and Say, Spell Reading, etc.) be taught on a different day versus in a row or one 10 minute lesson (ie: Monday : See and say the five words of the week, Tuesday: Spell Read the five words of the week, Wednesday: Arm Spell the five words of the week, etc.)?
    Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Maysa

    Thank you for sharing so much techniques to learn sight words.

    Reply
  9. Margaret Corbin

    Does this work for adults? I am an adult literacy tutor. I am looking for methods to use with adults. I don’t want them to feel I am belittling them with material that is childish.

    Reply
  10. Mira vara

    Excellent super awesome

    Reply
  11. jonz gineta

    Free download the worksheets. Print the cursive lower case q on worksheets, free letter printing worksheets for kids. For more detail visit our website : https://educationworksheet.com/worksheets/print-cursive-small-letter-q

    Reply
  12. Zahid Mehmood

    nice post

    Reply
  13. Frankie

    Good strategies. Thank you for sharing
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    Reply

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