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Long Vowel 'O' Words with 'Old' Pattern - Spelling Word List

Teaching students to recognize and spell words with the 'old' pattern is an essential part of phonics instruction. This collection of words helps students understand how the long 'o' sound works in combination with 'ld' to create a consistent spelling pattern. These words are particularly useful for elementary school students who are developing their reading and spelling skills.

Word List for 'Old' Pattern

Here are 21 commonly used words that follow the 'old' pattern:

  • old
  • older
  • cold
  • colder
  • mold
  • told
  • sold
  • scold
  • bold
  • boldly
  • gold
  • golden
  • fold
  • folder
  • unfold
  • blindfold
  • hold
  • holder
  • behold
  • uphold
  • withhold

Educational Standards Alignment

These 'old' pattern words align with multiple Common Core Standards. The most relevant standards include:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.D: Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.F: Use spelling patterns and generalizations in writing words

This word list is particularly well-suited to these standards because it helps students recognize and apply a consistent spelling pattern. The 'old' pattern is an excellent example of how certain letter combinations create predictable sounds in English, allowing students to generalize this knowledge to both reading and spelling tasks.

Teaching Tips for 'Old' Pattern Words

When teaching these words, it's helpful to start with the basic pattern using simple words like 'old' and 'cold' before progressing to more complex derivatives and compounds like 'golden' and 'blindfold'. The words in this list naturally progress from simple to more complex, making them ideal for differentiated instruction.

Many of these words also offer opportunities to teach word families and morphology. For example, students can learn how adding suffixes changes words (cold → colder) or how prefixes modify meaning (fold → unfold). This helps develop a deeper understanding of word structure and meaning.

Using These Words in the Classroom

These words can be incorporated into various learning activities:

  1. Word sorting exercises
  2. Reading comprehension passages
  3. Spelling tests
  4. Vocabulary development
  5. Writing assignments

The consistency of the 'old' pattern makes these words excellent choices for building spelling confidence and phonological awareness.

Create a worksheet using words from this list

Practice and Assessment

Regular practice with these words helps students internalize the spelling pattern and understand how long vowel sounds work in English. The words range from basic vocabulary (old, cold) to more sophisticated terms (behold, withhold), allowing teachers to adjust instruction based on student needs and grade level.

Remember to provide plenty of opportunities for students to encounter these words in context, as this reinforces both spelling and meaning. Consider using them in sentence writing exercises, story composition, or guided reading activities.