This article introduces Making and Writing Words Using Letter Patterns (MWW-LP), a variation of the popular Making Words word study and spelling instructional activity. Research indicates that proficient readers use knowledge of letter patterns to decode unknown words. The MWW-LP activity uses letter patterns as a key building block for examining and making words. In MWW-LP students are guided by their teacher in writing and sorting words using a limited set of letters and letter patterns.

The article contains the following sections:

• Introduction
• Focus on Onsets, Rimes, and Other Patterns
• Combining Letter Patterns with Making and Writing Words
• Implementing MWW-LP in the Classroom
• A Sample Lesson
• An Effective Instructional Tool
• References
• Additional Sample Lessons
• MWW-LP Form (Copy Master)

Rasinski (e-mail trasinski@educ.kent.edu) teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in reading and language arts education at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. His professional interests include early and elementary reading instruction, teaching reading fluency, parent involvement in children's literacy, and working with students experiencing difficulty in learning to read.