This was a follow up to the March, 2025, session on Literacy Instruction using (Structured) Word Inquiry.
(Structured) Word Inquiry is a scientific, linguistics-based approach for understanding language that emphasizes the connections between morphology (meaningful parts of words), etymology (word origins), and phonology (sounds) in English spelling. In this session, we further explored how English spelling captures both sound and meaning, reflecting English’s morphophonemic nature where spellings stay the same, even when pronunciations change. We studied suffixing rules, learned how to tell homonymous words apart from polysemous ones, and practiced identifying a word’s orthographic meaning. We explored how using tools like matrices and word sums both simplify and deepen understanding. We also explored the history of the word “magic.” This approach transforms how educators view words and underscores the importance of this knowledge for developing proficient readers and writers, even among the youngest learners. It was a fantastic session, and I truly appreciated the energy, curiosity, and commitment of this remarkable group of educators.
Liisa Freure’s presentation to the AET Study Group was outstanding. She provided an extensive dive into entomology, morphology, the history of words and more. She was engaging and articulately responded to questions.
Liisa Freure loves language almost as much as she loves learning, and she allows one aspect to inform the other in her rich, keenly thought teachings on SWI (Structured Word Inquiry). Highly recommended!
