Decoding--The Compare/Contrast Way Written by Patricia Cunningham 

1. Give each student six slips of paper or blank index cards.
Have them print words on the paper so they can be seen by
the teacher. These words become the student's key words.

black hold kind play run rain* 

*students must know these words to continue with the lesson 

Display words from the following list. Have each student find
his which is (looks) most like the presented word, an at a
signal from you let all the students display their "lookalike" word.
Students should respond to such questions as, "Where are the
two words alike? Where are they different?" Ask a volunteer to
pronounce both words. 

mind crack  blind blab fold  lack 

pain smack main blast slack runt hay

gold rind  bind mold tack bay stack

gain gray  plain raid pray bun 

2. On the following day (or when you feel the student is ready),
add three words to the key word list: man less her 

Match their nine words to the following list using the procedure above.

pan clay per ban lent fan bless

led  press sun sold sack stain 

3. On the following day (or when you feel the student is ready),
add six words to the key word list: be sit stop take  ten  will 

Students now have 15 words to match with lists like the following.

hen flit rut scold cop crop wit span bit pop top train lend 

flake plan brain spill wig bake Ted wake Jill stun track grain 
 

4. Optional Evaluation Procedure: Put the following ten words
on the board. have students copy the words and write next to
each word the key word from their store of 15 which looks most like each. 

rack lay slit sin snake

grill tan mast sip crop 

5. Students should have their 15 words on slips of paper
as previously described:

black hold kind play run rain man less

here be sit stop take  ten  will. 
 

The teacher should put one of the words from the following list
on the board. Students should copy the word from the board
onto their papers and then try to think of which of their 15 words
looks most like the word and write it under the presented word.
Students should look through their store of 15 words only if they
cannot first think of the word. 

mad rake clack ill gun grit 

van lay rub pit lake tend fit

jack cake test mask pay hit hop

fake tent dill drain den gill herd

dress slay bran drake pen hill clop

Bess mat sake Ben kill ray clan

sway slop mill sill mop rust spun

flop kit sift plain 

6. Optional Evaluation Procedure: Put the following eleven words
on the board. have students copy the words and write next to
each word the key word from their store of 15 which looks most
like each. Students should not refer to their 15 words to do this. 

spit rug grind drill tray snack

tray rail mess map brake 

7. Proceed as in the previous lesson to write words on the board
and have students think of a word they know which looks like the
presented word. This time they are not limited to the 15 words they
have in their key word collections. Instead, they may think of any
of the words they know. Several children may think of several different
words and they should be encouraged to use several of these words
to figure out the unknown word. 

gland chin con spat scat stall clan clam jot shot clot clog bout spout 
worm worth spike frill free spree rim trim prim dim disk rid brim Sid lid frown crown 
clown strong spade glade grade trade rig brig sway clay spend 
sent rent tent few screw shrew lame flame fair stair ground pink rink 
stink blink skin slink shell well spell such stray gold scold hold fold yelp 
face lace ace blouse trust bust rust smart raw claw flaw twine spine 
blast mend bleat cleat frill freight throng 

8. Optional Evaluation Procedure: Put the following eleven words
on the board. have students copy the words and write next to each
word the key word from their store of 15 which looks most like each.
Students should not refer to their 15 words to do this. 

spun wing fry prove dish

card floor flight moon dell 

***Same procedure can be used with words in context.
Whether or not you use the technique with words in context, you
should make a significant effort to help students see the relationship
between what they do during the exercises and how they can use
it during their normal reading. The skills won't do them any good
if they don't transfer to actual reading.