Word Analysis Activities Prek-12 grade: Cow

An entire language arts block of 90 to 120 minutes should and can be organized to address both of the major aspects of reading – language comprehension and word recognition…” (Moats, 2020; pg. 257) and the Four-Part Processing Model (Seidenberg & McClelland, 1989). 

Part 1 

For the lower-level processors (i.e., orthographic & phonological), Moats (2020) asserts that “one can use phonic or dictionary symbols to transcribe the phonetic properties of words, but the disadvantage of such a phonic representation system is that many speech sounds must then be presented with letter combinations…” (pg. 32). 


We will be analyzing the word cow in the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 11th edition p.289. 

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The phonetic transcription is \ˈkau̇\. It is critical to note that “the aim of instruction during kindergarten would be to achieve basic phoneme awareness and knowledge of…letter-sound correspondence for simple word building” (Moats, 2020; pg. 258). 

 

1st sound 

2nd sound 

Phonemes

/k/

/ou/

Graphemes

c

ow 

These points address what we hear and see when using the dictionaries phonetic symbols (i.e., less than dark print or pronunciation):

·      Three written graphemes, but two distinctive sounds. 

·      The first most common way to spell the sound /k/ is with the letter c

·      The second most common way to spell the /ou/ sound are with the letters ow is in down. 

Note: it is important to use words that exemplify alliteration and rhyme, use diacritical marks as phoneme/graheme correspondence are built, teach multiple spellings of phonemes as they occur, and introduce the first three ways how to read isolated vowels (i.e., a,e,i,o,u & y) and vowel teams (i.e., ou, oi, etc.). For instance with the letters [ow] there are three different ways to read them (i.e., snow, plow & knowledge).

Part 2

Students are then exposed to multiple meanings of the vocabulary word, which strengthens the meaning processor through accessing the dictionary definitions. Analyzing this Anglo-Saxon word, we can identify the base is gwou meaning "ox, bull, cow.” By equipping students with this type of instruction, they gain fundamental linguistic knowledge through critically analyzing words. Note: the dictionary definition is accessed by the teacher and shared verbally with the students when the students are young or when they cannot yet read the definition provided. This process reinforces comprehension skills. 

Part 3

Therefore, when we critically reflect on the word’s definition and consider all the elements learned, we can put the word into perspective (i.e., context) with the following activity.

Direction: Read the sentence and write a definition or synonym for the word. Use contexts clue to help you determine the words meaning. 

Sentence: We saw a cow while driving past a farm. 

Can you use the word in a sentence?

Until next time

Shawn Anthony Robinson PhD

 

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