Red Words

We are starting something new this semester and it's uncharted territory for me, so I'm not sure how it's going to go. I'm introducing "Red Words" into our morning circle time. Red Words are words that do not follow phonetic rules and therefore must be visually memorized and recognized. The use of the color red helps students in the memorization process to associate these words as rule-breakers. To introduce red words, I have written them in red on flashcards and plan to teach 1-3 words a week (depending on how easily he memorizes them) and review them in the same manner that we review letters/sounds. Because these words are visually memorized, I will simply show him the word, state the word, and have him repeat the word to me. As we progress through the week and he begins to commit words to memory, I will transition from stating the word to having him state the word.
It is important to evaluate your student(s) to ensure that they are ready for red words. For us, I felt that once my son was able to progress through the 3-part drill with speed and ease, and as he is beginning to read simple 3-letter words, he was ready for a new challenge.
There is another component to red words that involves kinesthetic movement in assisting the memorization process. I am not ready to introduce that process to my son yet, but I may come back to it if need be and address it at that time. (If you are interested in that process, feel free to email me or send a comment and I will get that information to you.)
As far as a list of red words, I plan to post a link to a list of stage one red words soon. The first six words I plan to introduce over the next two weeks are: and, the, is, he, she, said. I chose these words because they are fairly common in beginning reader books.