Search for CHUNK PATTERNS in Fry & Dolch

AI assured me that the Fry and Dolch list are in the public domain as they are very old.  The Fry Word list was published by American Heritage in 1957.  "The Fry words list is based on the "American Heritage Word Frequency Book", whose 87,000 words are ranked by the frequency in which they occur in reading material for grade 3 to ,. " ThoughtCo.

By focusing on decodable and irregular phonics aspects of the high frequency words we can also come to recognize patterns of the English language.

This chart is the result of a "CHUNK SEARCH" of the 'on' or 'in' chunks in words listed on the Fry 1,000 list.  You will see that 'on' is often a schwa sound as in "sun and son.'  'On' has a larger variance in sound than 'in'.

Determining Decodability

"There is no official percentage of decodability that qualifies a text to be decodable. That said, Wiley Blevins provides a guideline that more than 50% of the words must be decodable (A Fresh Look at Phonics: Common Causes of FAILURE and 7 Ingredients for SUCCESS, p. 217).

To determine this percentage refer to your phonics scope and sequence.  Choose a text, and mark all the words that can be sounded out based on the elements taught thus far.  Add up the number of decodable words and divide it by the total number of words." Informed Literacy.

Without a scope and sequence, then, one cannot claim their book is decodable without first creating a scope and sequence, or allowing the teacher to compare words of the book to their own scope and sequence.  Students transferring from another school may have or may not have been taught, or grasped what they were taught, and assessment geared to a scope and sequence needs to be done for placement.

What is the Science of Reading? (Name of research for reading over time , a methodology, an instructional approach? A publishers logo?)

If someone were to ask me what the Science of Reading is, I would have to say that it appears; to be a rebranding name for the names of reading instruction and research which have evolved over time.  The same principles of reading from the past have not changed.  They still include the same five pillars of reading instruction as existed in the past (which AI identifies from the National Reading Panel): 

• Phonemic Awareness: The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This is a foundational skill for phonics.
• Phonics: Understanding the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes) to decode and encode written words. Systematic phonics instruction is more effective than unsystematic approaches.
• Fluency: The ability to read text accurately, quickly, and with appropriate expression. Fluency bridges word recognition and reading comprehension.
• Vocabulary: Knowledge of a wide range of words and their meanings, which is essential for understanding the text.
• Reading Comprehension: The ability to understand and interpret the meaning of text. This involves integrating decoding skills with oral language skills, background knowledge, and reasoning abilities

During the "Reading Wars,", the branding names separated approaches such as 'whole language' vs 'phonics' and pushed early phonemic skills into pre-reading. . .  then each of the opposite approaches was branded together into the name  'Balanced Reading.'  

AI tells us about the term "Science of Reading."

The term "Science of Reading" has a long history, first appearing in educational contexts as early as the 1830s, but it emerged as a widely recognized label for the interdisciplinary body of modern reading research in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and gained significant traction in the mid-to-late 2010s. 

Historical Context

• Early Usage: The phrase was used in a letter to the editor in 1836 in the context of systematic spelling and pronunciation instruction. It was also found in educational literature in the mid-20th century, though not often.
• The "Reading Wars": During the debates (often called the "reading wars") in the 1990s over the best way to teach reading (phonics vs. whole language), the term "scientific research-based reading" (SRBR) was used in federal law to emphasize evidence-based approaches.
• Modern Re-emergence: The term "Science of Reading" re-emerged more prominently around the turn of the 21st century after the release of the National Reading Panel (NRP) report in 2000. This report synthesized a vast body of research and identified five key components of effective reading instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), which laid the foundation for the modern understanding of the "Science of Reading".
• Widespread Popularity: The term became an educational phenomenon in the late 2010s, largely due to investigative journalism, notably Emily Hanford's 2018 radio documentary Hard Words, which highlighted the discrepancy between scientific research findings and common classroom practices at the time. 

Today, the term serves as a shorthand for a vast, interdisciplinary body of research from fields including cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics, which informs how proficient reading develops and the most effective ways to teach it. 

These historical articles trace the origins and resurgence of the "Science of Reading" label from the 1830s to its modern prominence in the late 1990s and 2010s.

The 2000 National Reading Panel (NRP) report identified five evidence-based components of reading instruction, often termed the "five pillars," based on a synthesis of research. For more information, visit reallygreatreading.com. 

Just when I determined that SOR is a methodology, I had to ask, 'What is the difference between

 Balanced Literacy and the Science of Reading?"  It appears it may also be an instructional approach.

Now we are finding that the science of reading cannot act as a literacy method on its own.  And there is

a call for structured literacy approach.

Common Decoding Strategies

        

Open and Closed Syllables

     I like to teach the long vowels sounds first, as they carry the name of the letter and vowels sounds and are easier to distinguish than short vowel sounds. 

     We can sing the vowels.  Additional charts suggest sounds in the vowels. 

      Dropping the jaw from a long sound to a short sound will help students find the short sound.  Dialects vary in the sounds, slightly and they need to be learned by ear as spoken, the same as all sounds are learned. 

     Find a FREE download of this chart in my store Country-Station-213 on the Teachers Pay Teachers.com platform.

Webster listed only six types of syllables in the late 1800's.  So a Vowel Team and Vowel Split may fall under the same category, making only six syllable types, according to Webster.

> Franklin Reader. BY CHAT GPT

Reading & Language Arts

• What Happens in the Brain When We Learn to Read

Why I Changed the Numbers (13 to 213) in my Blog and Store Name

I did it. I changed the name of my blog and store—from Country Station 13 to Country Station 213. If you’re wondering why, here’s the story behind those numbers—and why one of them means a little miracle to me.

The Meaning Behind the Numbers

When I began teaching, my first classroom was Room #13, a nod to where it all began.

But 13 has a reputation, doesn’t it? Superstition aside, another number nudged at me: 213. It’s the number of my father’s battalion in the Korean War. And here’s what makes it unforgettable—despite being in active combat, no one in the 213th Battalion died in the line of duty. Not one.

A Legacy of Service and Prayer

My dad served overseas with the National Guard’s 213th Battalion. There have been documentaries about their deployment. And over the years, I’ve heard many versions of what happened—each story slightly different, but the outcome the same: every man came home.

At my father’s funeral, my cousin Jack shared something powerful. He also served in the 213th at a later time from my father, but not in Korea. He said “Not everyone in that unit was particularly good or religious—but every one of them was spared.”

He recalled a moment when some Korean POWs reportedly said, “We shoot, but you no fall.” (That line still fires hope in my heart. I’ve even heard similar things said about George Washington in battle.)

Jack believed something sacred was happening. Their commander, Frank Dalley, had made a promise to God: he would pray 15 minutes a day for guidance and for every man in his care. Every. Single. Day.

And every single man returned.

My Father’s Faith

At the time, my father wasn’t a member of any church. In fact, his father had left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and didn’t allow his children to join until they were grown. But after he returned home, my dad was baptized in 1952.

That experience—coming home safe, maybe even miraculously—shaped something in him. And now, all these years later, it’s part of the reason I chose to shift from 13 to 213.

Why I Believe in Prayer

I believe sincere prayers are heard—regardless of religion. Gandhi once asked the people of India to fast and pray for the British to leave. They did.

Some things, we just can’t explain. And maybe we don’t need to.

Closing Thought

So if you’ve seen Country Station 213 pop up and wondered where 13 went—this is where. It’s not just a number change. It’s a story, a memory, and a quiet reminder that maybe miracles still happen.