What type of words should teachers focus on teaching as whole words because they do not follow phonics rules?

Teachers should focus on teaching common sight words as whole words because these words often do not follow standard phonics rules and cannot be easily decoded through phonetic strategies. Sight words are frequently used in reading and writing, and they include words like "the," "is," "and," and "you." Since these words appear often in texts, recognizing them on sight helps young readers develop fluency and confidence in their reading abilities.

By prioritizing common sight words, teachers enable children to focus on comprehension and enjoyment of reading without getting stuck on decoding every single word. This approach supports the learning of vocabulary that children will encounter regularly, making it easier for them to engage with texts and understand the overall message.

The other options present different types of words, such as compound words, which can often be broken down into their parts, homophones, which have similar sounds but different meanings and spellings, and root words, which can typically be modified with prefixes and suffixes. These types of words typically adhere more closely to phonics rules and can be taught using phonetic methods.