Improve nonsense word assessments while fostering fluency, knowledge, and comprehension.
Imagine a teacher, Ms. Thompson, sitting at her desk after school with a list of nonsense words: mip, lat, frob. She practices reading them aloud, feeling a twinge of stress. Tomorrow, her students will be assessed on their ability to decode these “words,” and though she knows they’re just a test of phonics skills, she can’t help but feel the pressure. After all, these scores are shared at data meetings, and even though no one says it outright, comparisons happen. Teachers take it personally—Ms. Thompson takes it personally—because she wants her kids to succeed. But instead of drilling nonsense words, what if there were a way to prepare students for these assessments while also building their decoding skills with real, meaningful words?
The Problem with Nonsense Word Drills
Nonsense word assessments are designed to test students’ decoding abilities by requiring them to read unfamiliar, made-up words. The goal is to see if they can apply phonics rules without relying on memorization or context. While these assessments provide valuable insights into early reading skills, the practice of drilling nonsense words for test preparation can feel disconnected from the ultimate goal: teaching children to read real words fluently and with comprehension.
It’s a tricky balance. Teachers want their students to perform well on these assessments, not just for the sake of data but because decoding is a foundational skill. However, focusing too heavily on nonsense words can feel frustrating. After all, the words aren’t real, and teaching them doesn’t contribute directly to a student’s ability to read with meaning.
What If We Focused on Real Words?
Instead of practicing nonsense words, imagine Ms. Thompson introducing her students to “syllable stacking.” This strategy uses real word parts—many of which look like nonsense words on their own—and teaches students how to combine them into meaningful, multisyllabic words.
For example, instead of drilling “mip” and “lat,” Ms. Thompson might teach her students to decode the syllables in a word like “magnetism”: mag, net, ism. Each part is manageable on its own, and when stacked together, they form a real, meaningful word. This approach not only prepares students for nonsense word assessments by teaching them to decode unfamiliar syllables, but it also builds their vocabulary and comprehension.
How to Teach Syllable Stacking
Here’s how Ms. Thompson might approach a lesson on syllable stacking:
1. Explain the Purpose
Before diving into the activity, Ms. Thompson clearly explains to her students why syllable stacking matters:
- We’re learning this so you can break down long words into smaller parts. This will help you read new words you’ve never seen before, faster and with confidence.
- She emphasizes how this skill is like having a “secret code” to unlock bigger words, which builds their decoding abilities and understanding.
2. Model the First Example
Ms. Thompson selects a word like “incredible.” She breaks it into syllables (in-cred-i-ble) while thinking aloud:
- Let’s break it down into chunks. First, ‘in’—that’s a closed syllable because it ends with a consonant. Next, ‘cred,’ another closed syllable. Then, ‘i’—this is open because it ends in a vowel. Finally, ‘ble’—a consonant-le syllable.
- Note: If you have taught the six syllables, be sure to have an anchor chart for students to refer to. If you have not taught the six syllable types, model without the syllable explanation.
- After decoding the parts, she blends them together to say the whole word. She then uses it in a sentence: The view from the top of the mountain was incredible.
3. Provide Guided Practice
Ms. Thompson then moves to guided practice. She gives her students another word, like “magnetism,” and works through the syllables with them:
- First, let’s read the syllables, which look like nonsense words
- mag
- net
- ism
- What’s the whole word when we put it together?”
- Let’s read the sentence together….
- Students work alongside her, and she provides prompts or corrections as needed.
- First, let’s read the syllables, which look like nonsense words
4. Partner Practice with Support
After guided practice, students partner up to decode more words on a worksheet or using word parts provided on index cards. Each student takes turns stacking the syllables into real words and reading them aloud. Ms. Thompson monitors their progress, offering support and clarifications. For example, if a student struggles with a word like “transportation,” she reminds them to divide it into chunks: trans-por-ta-tion.
5. Extra Time? Build More Sentence-Level Meaning
Once students have decoded a word and read the sentence, they could write and share a sentence using the word to connect decoding to comprehension. For instance, a student might say, “The transportation system in the city is very fast.” This step ensures students not only decode but also understand how the word fits into meaningful contexts.
Why This Approach Works
Syllable stacking bridges the gap between preparing for nonsense word assessments and teaching evidence-based reading strategies (multisyllabic word work). By focusing on real word parts, students develop their decoding skills while also building vocabulary and comprehension. This approach helps students become better readers, not just better test takers.
Additionally, teaching with real words and sentence-level practice supports student engagement. Kids are more motivated to learn when they can see how their skills apply to real reading tasks. And for teachers like Ms. Thompson, it’s a win-win: her students are prepared for assessments, and she knows she’s helping them develop the skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.
A Balanced Approach
So, the next time Ms. Thompson sits down to prepare for a data meeting, she can feel confident. Her students’ scores on nonsense word assessments reflect their ability to decode, but more importantly, they’re learning to read real words fluently and with understanding. By focusing on strategies like syllable stacking, teachers can strike a balance between performing well on assessments and providing meaningful instruction that prepares students for a lifetime of reading success.
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