What: Presentation Handout -
Comprehensive literacy instruction should include word
instruction that teaches students to decode unfamiliar words (NRP, 2000). The Nifty Thrifty Fifty (NTF) is a powerful approach
to word instruction from Pat Cunningham (1998), typically used in the upper
elementary grades. NFT introduces 50 key
words that teach patterns for decoding, spelling, and building meaning for
polysyllabic words through understanding root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Students learn to identify the 50 key words,
develop a ‘visual checking sense’ when spelling, and cross check meaning with
knowledge of word patterns. Once they
have learned the meaning of the prefixes and suffixes, they learn to transfer
that knowledge to figure out unfamiliar words that contain those prefixes and
suffixes. As with Cunningham’s other
work, this approach to phonics instruction doesn’t require speech, which makes
it ideal for students who don’t speak, including those who use augmentative and
alternative communication (AAC).
Who: Dr. Caroline Ramsey Musselwhite and Dr. Gretchen Hanser
Where: Closing the Gap Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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