ASCD Article: Wordle

What Wordle Reminds Us About Effective Phonics and Spelling Instruction

Games can engage young learners, and help them identify rules and patterns in language all on their own.

It’s hard to miss the meteoric rise of the Wordle craze. This game is not only a gift for lexophiles but also for educators. It reminds us that effective phonics and spelling instruction requires carefully designed, explicit teaching combined with volume reading, vocabulary building, and high levels of engagement. 

The object of Wordle is to guess a five-letter word in six attempts. After each attempt, the game tells you which of the letters you guessed are in the word in the right place, which letters are in the word but in the wrong place, and which letters are not in the word at all. With 26 letters in the English alphabet, the game would be nearly impossible as a purely statistical exercise. But knowledge of English orthography (how words are spelled) puts the challenge within reach. Studying how to be successful with Wordle can be helpful to educators because it can remind us of some key points about effective phonics and spelling instruction. 

To find out what are the top five Wordle reminders, click here >>>>> TOP 5