The High Frequency Word Project

The High Frequency Word Project is an explicit, systematic resource that explains the letter-sound links for 130 high frequency words, giving teachers strategies for making them stick. It also offers linguistically-accurate and fascinating stories about high frequency words’ etymologies providing the missing link to explain their spelling. This edition contains:

• The What and the Why of High Frequency Words: essential information about the English spelling system
• The Words: 130 words explored by their history, their relationship to other words, and their grapheme-phoneme connections. Each entry is professional learning for teachers in bite-sized pieces.
• A Teaching Plan: a 3-step teaching process offering a detailed plan so teachers can get started right away
• Resources: word lists for planning, activities and games, assessments, and printables

This book charts a new path for vocabulary building and orthography in a way that refuses to treat students like they can’t handle complexity. Instead of forcing rote memorization of sight words, it reveals the logic behind the letters, using etymology, morphology, and phonology to make meaning stick. The result is both a treasure trove of word origins and a powerful professional learning tool, with bite-sized insights shining through every entry.