Camera Words
Not all words can be decoded, but most can. Camera words are the high-frequency, irregular, high-utility words children want to use before they can decode them.
← Video Explainer Series · Video 7 of 12
About This Video
Camera words are words like was, the and friend. Children learn them as though they are taking a photo of the word with their mind’s eye, memorising only the part of the word that is tricky. They cover Step 3 (reading irregular high-frequency words) and Step 7 (spelling them) of the 8 Steps of Phonics.
The video covers how camera words are taught in the Toolkit, reinforced with look–cover–write–check, and practised through games such as Photographer, Snap and Pairs.
Resources Featured in This Video
About Camera Words · Camera Word Spinners · Camera Word Posters
Want to Go Deeper? Professional Learning from Training 24/7
Build your expertise with the Synthetic Phonics Full Day Course (Self-Paced), covering the theory and practice behind everything in this series. It’s included in the All Access Pass PLUS, along with 200 hours of professional learning, full demonstration lessons and much more.
Up next: Decodable Readers
Steps 4 and 8: moving from single words to full sentences, and how to select and use decodable stories.