Wild Old Words: Definition, Activity, & More

Posted by Brainspring on 21st Feb 2021

Just like fashion frenzies, language often takes on trends. I recall watching old Westerns when I was younger and hearing, “Come an’ git’it, it’s time for chow” as a dinner announcement. Depending on where you live, “chow” may not be a frequently used word for dinner. Isn’t language fun?

What are ‘Wild Old Words’?

These Westerns spurred the creation of this activity to teach a lesson for the Wild Old Word patterns (-old, -ild, -ind, -olt, -ost). These closed patterns are “Wild” because the vowels do not take on short sounds. They actually are pronounced with long vowel sounds, as most words containing these Wild Old Word combinations are read with long vowel sounds.

So, with Wild Old Words, the Exception Becomes The Rule! Now, of course, there will be a few exceptions to this rule. For example, the words lost and cost, or the word ‘wind’, like ‘wind’ a clock, could also be ‘wind’, like the wind blows. See how confusing these Wild Old Word patterns can be!

Understanding these words helps students improve their decoding skills and recognize irregular patterns in English spelling, making it easier for them to read and spell correctly.Helping students identify and categorize exceptions in Wild Old Words strengthens their ability to spot irregularities and improves their overall phonics knowledge.

Common Confusion Among Students

One common confusion students may encounter with Wild Old Words is homographs—words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and sometimes different pronunciations. A perfect example is the one from before, the word wind. When used as a noun, wind refers to the movement of air, as in “The wind is blowing.” When used as a verb, wind means to twist or turn something, as in “Wind the clock.”

To help students overcome this confusion, it’s important to teach them how to use context clues. Ask them to read the sentence carefully and determine the meaning of the word based on its usage. Reinforcing these concepts through multisensory learning further establishes their understanding of Wild Old Words. By acknowledging and addressing these cases, students will feel more confident when encountering Wild Old Words in their reading.

Wild Old Words Multisensory Activity

Supplies Needed

  • A horse illustration (Draw your own or use this printout.)
  • Tape
  • Scissors
  • Markers or Crayons
  • Construction paper or copy paper
  • Card printouts (found here)
    • Use index cards or the blank card sheet provided in this printout and write out a word or definition on each. Make sure to have a definition card for each word card and vice versa. (see word list below for Wild Old Word examples)

Activity Directions

  1. Give each student their own horse printout.
  2. Shuffle the cards you’ll be playing with. You can play using just Wild Old Word Cards, definition cards, or by combining the two decks.
  3. Stack your shoe deck facedown. The player that does not answer correctly will pull from this deck.
  4. Player 1 will select a card from the Wild Old Words deck and read either the word or definition on the card. Depending on the number of students playing and their skill level, you can either opt to read the words or definitions yourself or have the players read them to each other.
  5. Player 2 responds with the corresponding word or definition.

  • If Player 2 answers correctly, a point is awarded.
  • If Player 2 is incorrect, they will then draw from the stack of shoe cards.
    • If a horseshoe card is drawn, tape it to your horse’s foot.
    • If a funky old shoe card is drawn, set it to the side.

Rotate players, so each has an equal opportunity to read and answer. When all of the cards in the word set have been played, the game is over, and the player with the most points wins the game. If two players have tied, whoever has the fewest funky old shoe cards wins!

Wild Old Words - Examples & Definitions

Here’s a list of Wild Old Words to get you started on the activity:

-old Words

  • Cold: Frigid or lacking warmth.
  • Gold: A yellow metal often used in jewelry.
  • Bold: Fearless and daring – showing confidence.

-ild Words

  • Wild: Untamed or natural – lacking control.
  • Child: A young person or offspring.
  • Mild: Not severe or extreme in nature.

-ind Words

  • Kind: Showing compassion or being nice.
  • Find: To discover or come across something.
  • Blind: Unable to see.

-olt Words

  • Bolt: A metal pin or fastener used to secure things.
  • Colt: A young male horse.
  • Jolt: A sudden jerky movement.

-ost Words

  • Most: Greatest in amount, number, or degree.
  • Post: A piece of mail or something set upright (like a pole).
  • Host: A person who receives or entertains guests.

Written by Patricia Osburn

Patricia is a Brainspring tutor.

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