The initial stage of the look-and-say approach in formal reading involves teaching learners to recognize and memorize whole words or short sentences visually, rather than decoding words by their individual letters or sounds. This is typically done by showing the learner the printed word or sentence, often accompanied by pictures or meaningful context, and having them repeat the word or sentence aloud. The goal is for learners to develop a visual memory of the word's shape and meaning, enabling instant recognition when they see the word again
. More specifically, the first steps often include:
- Providing material such as simple texts or flashcards with words or sentences related to familiar themes (e.g., home)
- Presenting the word or sentence along with a picture, pointing to each word while saying it aloud to the learner
- Encouraging repetition to reinforce recognition and pronunciation
- Using matching games between words and pictures to strengthen word recognition
This stage emphasizes whole-word recognition and linking the word directly with its meaning, bypassing phonetic decoding
. It relies heavily on visual memory and contextual understanding rather than breaking down words into sounds or letters. In summary, the initial stage of the look-and-say approach is to introduce learners to whole words or sentences visually and orally, supported by pictures and repetition, to build a sight vocabulary for reading
