Heart Words

What Heart Words practices

Heart Words teaches common words with an irregular part, such as the, to, said, was, one, you and they. The part that does not follow the usual sound rules is marked with a heart, so your child learns that tricky bit “by heart” and sounds out the rest.

The list runs to over a hundred words, including contractions like can’t, it’s and don’t. Each round finishes by finding the word among real look-alikes, such as was and saw or the and they.

Who it suits

Beginning readers around ages five to seven who keep meeting words that will not sound out, and older beginners or English learners who need these everyday words to read anything at all.

How a round goes

First the buddy reads the word with its heart part marked. Then your child reads it aloud. Finally the word disappears and your child taps it among three look-alikes. A wrong tap wiggles and shows what that word says, then your child tries again.

The speaker replays the word at any point. With the microphone off, a grown-up can mark the read-aloud step. One word per round, about half a minute each.

A tip for home

Write a heart word on a card and draw a small heart over the tricky part, like the ai in said. Stick it on the fridge for the week. Ask your child to spot that word in every book you read together.

Try next

• Flash Word — makes reading familiar words quick and automatic.
• Read the Line — reads heart words in a whole sentence.
• Story Time — meets heart words inside a real little story.
• Read and Do — meets familiar words inside a sentence that the player makes true on the stage.

More from “Reading words”

• Picture Pick — Sound out a word, then pick the picture it names.
• Silly or Right? — Read two words one sound apart and pick the right one.
• Read the Word — Sound out a new word and read it out loud.

Read more

Behind in reading, or a late bloomer?: where instant words like the, a and is fit in the early reading years.