Creating these R-Controlled Vowels posters has been on my to-do list for quite sometime. Today is my official first day of summer vacation and there's no better way to begin vacation than to get going on that never-ending list. Of course, there's a few household chores, but … [Read more...]
Write It Phonics Cards
Well, if the cookie sheet activities are my all time favorite, the Write-It cards come in a very, very close second. The Write-It cards are great for either small group instruction or as an independent activity for your literacy centers. The cards are ideal for working with … [Read more...]
Short Vowels Cue Cards
Some of our little readers are still having trouble confusing those short vowel sounds. We certainly see this in their written work. I'm hoping these cue cards can help. Simply print the cards, cut them out and place them on the desk or table. They serve as a visual cue to … [Read more...]
Teaching Blends and Digraphs
Seems like this week there's been quite a few questions about blends and digraphs. Teachers have been asking and wanting to know what the difference is between a blend and a digraph, which to teach first and the best way to teach these skills. Well, with all these questions, … [Read more...]
DIY Magic e Wands
Look what I found at the Dollar Tree! The Dollar Tree is literally a gold mine of fun stuff for creating engaging classroom activities. I found this pack of three foam wands in the arts and crafts section and thought how easy it would be to write an "e" on the star and make … [Read more...]
Using Blending Boards During Small Group Instruction
We've finished our DIBELS Next testing and our intervention groups are now in full swing. Our teachers have been bringing out those blending boards that the Career Tech students made us last year (love them!) and are using them within their small group instruction. We started … [Read more...]
Fun Finds at Walmart for Your Small Group Intervention
Horray! Back-to-school supplies are now in stores! If you've been following my blog for a while, you know how I love my Walmart. So I was thrilled to see great bargins in the school aisle at my favorite store. Here are a few of items I found that would be great to have in … [Read more...]
Activities for Teaching the Magic e Rule
Learning vowels can be very challenging for our young readers and writers because they make different sounds in different words. Vowels can either make a short sound such as the /a/ sound in the word "cap" or a long sound, such as the /a/ in the word "lake". When reading, … [Read more...]
Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness and Phonics
Several years back all the K-6 and special education teachers in our districts participated in the Language Essentials for Teachers of Language and Spelling (LETRS) training. One of the beginning sessions introduced the the five key areas of reading instruction proposed by the … [Read more...]