I've been asked a great deal about nonsense words in the last few weeks. Teachers anxious about the decoding check next June want to know what they should do about nonsense words. They know that the children in their classes will be expected to read 20 nonsense words and being diligent and caring teachers they want to prepare the children as best they can.
My take on the matter is rather different. I want the children to read real words. I want them to be exposed to all the rich and wonderful vocabulary that they could then use in their writing and spoken language. I want them to learn new words and ways of expressing their ideas. to be honest, I don't care if they can decode 'zerb' or 'ock'. I care if they can read and understand 'beware' and 'chaos'.
A head teacher I met had suggested to staff they put up nonsense words around the classroom. I was completely appalled and baffled. What good would this do the children, particularly those who might not know whether they were real or made up words? If you read Letters and Sounds there are so many good words you might want children to use and have understanding, there is no need to make words up. After only a week of phonics teaching Reception children will be able to make the word 'sap'. I doubt many 4 year olds will know that word so there is a great opportunity to extend their understanding. Go outside, find a tree with sap or talk about the term sapping your strength. Who needs nonsense words when there are wonderful words waiting to be understood and used. Words that will enrich children's writing and are perfectly decodable and could be used in a test, if there is insistence that there is one.
I can think of two instances when nonsense words could be used. One of those is when reading. A book like Linley Dodd's, The Dudgeon is Coming! is full of wonderful made up names like the bombazine bear and the stickleback twitch. Matched with imaginative illustrations of these characters it is a delight to read and would test the phonic ability of many children. The other occasion in a game like phonicsplay.co.uk. The games involve children decoding words and seeing if they are real or nonsense words. As this of necessity involves language comprehension it is a much better use of nonsense words than purely decoding them for the sake of it.
So I say to all those teachers out there, don't teach children nonsense words. Your purpose has to be teaching children to read not just decode. Give them all the wonderful words English has to offer and it will be doing them a far greater service than learning to decode 'blerk'!
