Heart words, oh how they can be tricky! These little devils are irregularly spelled words that we encounter so often in our reading and writing that they need to be embedded in our brains. They are called heart words because some part of the word will have to be “learned by heart.” Clever, right?
Now, heart words can be a real pain sometimes. They don’t follow the usual spelling patterns or rules, so we can’t rely on our trusty phonics skills to sound them out. Nope, we just have to memorize them and hope for the best.
Let’s take a look at some examples of heart words. Take the word “said” for instance. Now, the “ai” in “said” doesn’t make the sound we would expect it to make based on phonics. Instead, it’s pronounced like the “e” in “red.” Tricky, huh? Another example is the word “are.” The “ar” in “are” is pronounced like the “r” in “car,” not like the “ar” in “bar.” And let’s not forget about “where.” The “wh” in “where” sounds like the “w” in “wet,” not like the “wh” in “whale.” Confusing, right?
These heart words are used so frequently in our everyday language that we need to be able to recognize and spell them automatically. They’re like the building blocks of our sentences, always popping up and demanding our attention. So, it’s important to practice reading and writing these words until they become second nature to us.
Now, I know it can be frustrating to encounter these irregularly spelled words, but with enough practice and exposure, we can conquer them. The more we see and use these heart words, the more familiar they become and the easier they are to recognize and spell correctly.
So, let’s embrace these heart words and make them a part of our vocabulary. Let’s learn them by heart and use them with confidence. Because when it comes to reading and writing, heart words are the keys to success.