Why BIG WORDS?

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• Many students who struggle with reading in upper elementary grades continue to face challenges in later grades.

• After second grade, reading instruction often shifts from helping students sound out (decode) words to focusing on reading for meaning.

• This shift can leave students who still need help with decoding without the support they need—just as the texts they’re reading become more complex.

• Upper elementary students still need support with decoding and spelling longer, more complex words ("Big Words").

• Struggling with these Big Words can make it harder for students to:

• Understand what they read.

• Use a rich variety of words (vocabulary) in their writing.

• Write sentences with more complexity and clarity.