What Are Irregular Words And Why Are They Important For Children With Dyslexia?
Children with dyslexia often experience challenges when learning to read. Irregular words, or those that don’t follow the conventions of the English language, pose additional hurdles since they can’t be decoded. But, adding irregular words to a child’s sight word knowledge base is essential to help children read faster and more fluently. In today’s brief post, Currey Ingram, one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the South, answers a few quick questions on teaching irregular words to a dyslexic learner.
Q: What are irregular words?
Currey Ingram: You can think of irregular words like blocks that make up part of the foundation of the English language. However, instead of traditional words that follow standard spelling rules, irregular words must be memorized as they cannot be easily sounded out. One example is the word “who.” A child might try to enunciate each letter individually, which would lead to incorrect pronunciation. Irregular words are sometimes referred to as sight words; however, sight words can include both phonetically correct words and irregular words and are those that can be recognized instantly by a child. By adding irregular words to their sight word knowledge based, in addition to phonetically correct words, children can train their brains to recognize common, unusual spellings and pronunciations so that they can quickly intake and interpret them while reading, resulting in more fluent reading.
Q: How do mnemonics assist a child with dyslexia in learning irregular words?
Currey Ingram: A mnemonic learning aid gives children an easier way to recall a difficult concept. Specific to irregular words, children may use this type of memory aid to remember how to spell or easily recognize a new word. As one of the top boarding schools in the South, Currey Ingram may employ mnemonics when teaching reading and writing skills to young learners.
Q: Are multisensory reading techniques effective?
Currey Ingram: Absolutely. Multisensory reading employs more than simply looking at words on a piece of paper. A child with dyslexia may learn better when engaging other senses. As a boarding school in the South, we might take children outside on a warm summer afternoon and let them spell out words with twigs and grass. Similarly, we may trace words and letters on textured surfaces or write in sand, dirt, or shaving cream.
Q: Does the history of a word make it more likely to become a irregular word?
Currey Ingram: It often does. Modern words are often offshoots of languages from which we borrowed. Knife and knead are two examples. The “kn” sounds used to include the hard “k” sound. But, as the advent of the printing press took over written language in the 1500s, printers needed a way to standardize spelling. (Previously, scribes used their own judgment, which led to inconsistency). However, the reading habits of our ancestors were already established, so we kept the “kn” as a visual on some words. “Gnat” and “wring” are two other words that lost a sound but kept a spelling because of tradition. Many boarding schools in the South will talk to children about the history of irregular words, which can help put the word into context and make it easier to remember in the long term.
Q: Should children with dyslexia learn all their irregular words at once?
Currey Ingram: It’s not really a great idea to try and force any child to learn something all at the same time. Learning is often better when built upon, and children tend to do better by practicing and mastering no more than five or ten words at once.
Are you looking for an exceptional private school in Brentwood, TN for your young learner? Currey Ingram has openings for K-12 in our boarding and day school programs. Visit CurreyIngram.org or call 615-507-3242 for more information or to schedule your campus tour.
