The initial stage of the look-and-say approach in formal reading is teaching children to recognize and read whole words by sight, treating each word as a single visual unit rather than sounding out its letters or parts. In this starting stage:

  • The child looks at a complete written word.
  • The child then says the word aloud from memory.
  • Words are repeated often (through flashcards, word walls, simple repetitive books), so learners store the shape and appearance of each word in their visual memory.
  • The focus is on linking the whole written word directly to its meaning and pronunciation, not on phonics or breaking the word into sounds.