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Why isn't the Sumo Word List organized based on rhyming words?
I've found that kids "figure out" rhyming words very quickly. For example, a child may only look at the letters c, h, m, and r; when reading the words cat, hat mat, and rat. Most kids won't even read the "at" part of the word since they have retained that sound in short-term memory.
Kids are forced to use decoding skills to sound out the words in the Sumo Word List because they do not rhyme. I only rely on rhyming words when a sound has an unusual spelling such as "could." In these circumstances, there isn't a simple rule that can explain the spelling; I've found it is easier if the child just memorizes the spelling.
Kids are forced to use decoding skills to sound out the words in the Sumo Word List because they do not rhyme. I only rely on rhyming words when a sound has an unusual spelling such as "could." In these circumstances, there isn't a simple rule that can explain the spelling; I've found it is easier if the child just memorizes the spelling.
What about high-frequency sight words?
At the end of the Sumo Word List, I've included all of the high-frequency sight words that have spellings that don't follow conventional rules. I've left these at the end since they often confuse kids because they are the "exception" to the rule. I don't place an emphasis on sight words because I think it is much more important to teach the "rule" before the "exception."