Key Words* are at the heart of this individualized approach. The child tells us about something they’re very interested in, and we help them decide on a Key Word or two that best represents what they’ve said.
Then as they watch, we write their Key Word for them. With this, they see how their own “talk” looks — written down. Seeing this for the first time captures their interest and imagination, and they want to do it themselves.
So every day as we write their new Key Word, we show them how we’re doing it.
With this, we’re capitalizing on the young child’s rather amazing, seemingly effortless ability to absorb and copy what they see us doing. This is the same ability that allows them to learn to speak — and to acquire a second language so easily, during their early years.
Here, you’ll learn how to help them use this ability again — this time for reading and writing.
We begin with directions for using Key Words with the child.
Capturing a Child’s Key Word
At the beginning of each session, you sit with a child and prompt them to talk about something special on their mind that day. It may be something they love, want, fear or are simply fascinated with. Perhaps it’s the family pet, an upcoming holiday, a cartoon character, or something else that’s caught their attention..
Take plenty of time with this discussion, prompt them to describe their “mind picture” about it.
Then help them decide what one, two or occasionally three words best captures what they’ve been describing.
Perhaps they’ve been telling you all about having ice cream the day before. So they want that for their word. Using a wide-tipped marking pen, write ice cream on heavy card stock.
Say the names and/or sounds 
of each letter as you write. Once finished, have the child trace over the letters with the index finger of their writing hand.
With this, they’re already beginning to absorb phonics and practice letter formation. More skills will come gradually, as they work through the follow-up activity they’ll do with their word. (These activities are referred to as The Steps.)
Next, have them punch a hole in the word card and place it on their metal Word Ring.
Then make a duplicate of their word on regular typing paper, or on newsprint.
Now they’re ready to leave you to carry out the Steps activity with their Key Word.
The Steps
The Steps are a series of six increasingly complex follow-up activities for Key Words. Each child works through them at their own pace — over time.
So after leaving you, the child above — if at Step 1 – first glues the duplicate of their word at the bottom of a blank page in their Writing Book. They then draw a picture about ice cream. Finally, when finished with their drawing, they return to you, so you can admire their work.
(A preschooler who can’t yet draw, plays with the Word Card. See Modifying Activities For Skill Development, in Key Words With Preschoolers.)
The Steps Develop Writing and Reading Skills
Each child has their own Writing Book — with 5 blank pages. Using one page a day, the child draws and practices some of the writing associated with that day’s word. How much writing they practice depends on the Step they’re currently on.
As they move through The Steps, a child gradually learns all the skills. They learn to use phonics for spelling, proper punctuation and capitalization, and more — all while writing about something they’re especially interested in.
They work at a particular Step for awhile. Then when that’s too easy, they advance to the next. The adult has a set of criteria help decide when the child is ready. So The Steps, are a child’s smooth, fail-safe path toward independent writing and reading.
How does it develop reading? First, once a child begins to writing independently, they do what every author does: repeatedly read to see what they’ve already said and decide what more they want to say. Then once their 5-page book is full, the child reads it repeatedly to themselves and to others.
So in effect, they are writing their own pre-primers — thus allowing their writing skills to effortlessly transfer to reading.
So no child struggles. They learn to both read and write fluently — and they do it with confidence, pleasure and ease!
For important additional details about getting started, see Introducing Key Words. For detailed directions for working through all the Steps, see Giving Key Words At Each Step.
What Makes Key Words and The Steps So Powerful?
Once a child has chosen a true Key Word and done something with it, even a very young child will remember it from then on. A combination of factors make this possible.
First, a true Key Word has strong meaning for that child. Both research and common sense tell us we remember and are more motivated to work on something we’re keenly interested in.
In addition, all the skills are integrated into the process. So the child absorbs and develops the writing skills — first by watching someone else use the skill — then later, by gradually practicing it with their Steps activity. This mirrors the way they learned to speak.
Further, the child’s work has a purpose beyond learning. They’re not just trying to “learn something” because someone else tells them it’s important. They’re actually creating books for their own enjoyment, and they take pride in reading them to others. 
With these factors combined, the child feels good about what they’re learning and producing — thereby gaining confidence with print.
Maintaining confidence with print is crucial. For in helping much older children who struggled and gave up, I have found that losing confidence early on accounts for many, if not most reading problems.
So it’s important that we protect the power of Key Words, and we look now at one essential way to do that.
Protecting the Power of Key Words
At the beginning of every session, the child goes through the words on their Word Ring and “reads” them aloud.
If they come to a word they don’t immediately recognize, it must come off the ring. (Blame the word and toss it later.)
This isn’t “reading” in the traditional sense. It’s remembering a word that had special meaning for them — probably in conjunction with the entire experience of getting it. So if they don’t remember a word — that means it’s not a true Key Word and must come off the ring.
Occasionally, someone helping you give words will give the child hints.
Don’t allow that!
Beginners may not recognize their Key Words elsewhere, and that’s not a problem. But if more than once a child doesn’t recognize a word that’s on their Work Ring, see what to do here.
Overview of The Steps
Key Words are valuable — for all the reasons explained above. But to ensure success, we also need a structure guide the child’s skill development.
Here’s an overview of the series of 6 Steps I devised with and for children to structure their skill development. A child goes through them over time — and at their own pace: 
On the following page, you’ll find detailed directions for giving Key Words at each Step along the way.
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* Sylvia Ashton-Warner, the teacher who developed this concept of what she called Key Vocabulary describes them as the caption for a child’s “mind picture.”