I can remember as a student myself taking home list of words that I was supposed to be able to read by a specified date. My sister also has these list sent home with her girls. Once a list is mastered, the student moves on to a harder list. In addition, at the beginning of each nine weeks, I send home a list of words that the students are responsible for knowing.
The words that teachers send home have various names. Some teachers call them sight words or high frequency words. In my classroom I call them popcorn words because the term is fun and the words pop-up all of the time when reading text.
So what are parents to do when they receive a list of words from their child’s teacher? First, give the list attention. Reading over and quizzing your child on the words to see which ones she/he already knows is a good idea.
One of the most difficult tasks for children when they are introduced to a new word is to look at the entire word as a whole. Many children can form sounds and identify letters in the word. However, they have a difficult time combining the letters and sounds to make a word.
When introducing a new word to your child, first examine the word. Show your child the word and discuss it. Count how many letters are in the word. Name the letters that are in the word. Look for smaller words that are inside of the larger term. Help your child make sentences using the word.
Cover up the word and have your child rebuild it using letter tiles or magnetic letters. Your child should practice rebuilding, spelling, the word without looking at the word for reference.
Finally, have your child write the word. Your child may enjoy writing the word even more with tools such as a chalkboard or dry erase board.