Phonics Skills/Strategies
Skill 1: Letter Names and Sounds - Your child should be able to name all 26 letters of the alphabet. These can be capital letters or lowercase. They should also be able to say the sounds of each letter.
- To build letter name and sound fluency, try the following activities:
- Letter Name and Sound Flash Cards - Show your child the letter. Say what is the letter name? What is the letter sound? Turn it into a game by going as fast as you can.
- Write each letter on a piece of paper and put them in a paper bag. Let your child take a piece of paper out of the bag. Have them say the letter name and sound.
- Say a letter sound, then ask your child to draw the letter in cornmeal, sand, or shaving cream.
Skill 2: Short Vowels - Short vowels are commonly used in CVC words, or words that start with a consonant, have a vowel in the middle, and have a consonant at the end. For example: cat, nap, run. Watch this video for an example of each short vowel sound.
- Many students can sound out the words, which is great! However, we encourage all students to blend words fluently when reading. This means that they can look at the word, sound it out in their head, and then say it out loud.
- Try the following activities at home to:
- Say a Variety of Words (Short Vowel Word List) Ask your child if they hear the short vowel sound in the word. For example - Cat. Do you hear the short vowel sound in cat? (child answers yes or no). What is the vowel sound?
- Roll and Read Short Vowel Words.
- Short Vowel Word Bingo
Skill 3: Initial and Final Blends - Consonant blends are when two or more sounds are blended together, but still make their own sound. For example: brick (br), click (cl), task (sk), and bend (nd). Initial blends take place at the beginning of a word, and final blends take place at the end.
- Try the following activities at home:
- Finger stretch the phonemes (sounds) in each of these words. Does your child hear each sound? To finger stretch the phonemes, start with a closed fist at your chest. Beginning with your thumb, extend one finger for each sound you hear in the word. To see a video, click here.
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Identifying Final Blends Game
Skill 4: Digraphs - Digraphs are a combination of two letters that make one sound. For example: sh, ph, and th.
- When working with your child, help them understand that sometimes, two letters can make one sound. Try the following activities:
- Finger stretch the phonemes (sounds) in each of these words. Does your child hear each sound? To finger stretch the phonemes, start with a closed fist at your chest. Beginning with your thumb, extend one finger for each sound you hear in the word. To see a video, click here.
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Identifying Digraphs Memory Game
Skill 5: Long Vowel Silent E - Long Vowel Silent E are words where there is a vowel, followed by a consonant, and ends with a silent e. For example: love, cave, site, and bite.
- Try the following activities at home:
- Say a variety of words (Long Vowell Silent-e Word List) Ask your child if they hear the long vowel sound. For example - Dove. Do you hear the long vowel sound in dove? (child answers yes or no). What is the long vowel sound?
- Roll and Read Long Vowel Silent E Words.
- Long Vowel Word Bingo
Skill 6: Predictable Vowel Teams - Vowel Teams are a combination of two vowels that make one sound. Predictable vowel teams always make the same sound. They include ai, ay, oa, igh, ee, and oe.
- Try the following activities:
- Finger stretch the phonemes (sounds) in each of these words. Does your child hear each sound? To finger stretch the phonemes, start with a closed fist at your chest. Beginning with your thumb, extend one finger for each sound you hear in the word. To see a video, click here.
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and Read Predictable Vowel Teams
- These Words (Predictable Vowel Team Word List)
Skill 7: Unpredictable Vowel Teams - Vowel Teams are a combination of two vowels that make one sound. Unpredictable vowel teams are two vowels that make different sounds in words. They include ea, ie, oo, ow, ou, ew, ue, ei, ey, and ui. When working with your child, help them understand that sometimes, two vowels work together to make one sound.
Try the following activities:
- Finger stretch the phonemes (sounds) in each of these words. Does your child hear each sound? To finger stretch the phonemes, start with a closed fist at your chest. Beginning with your thumb, extend one finger for each sound you hear in the word. To see a video, click here.
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and Read Unpredictable Vowel Teams
- These Words (Unpredictable Vowel Team Word List)
Skill 8: Vowel-R - An r controlled vowel is any vowel followed by an r. The r changes the sound that the vowel makes. For example: er, ir, or, and ar.
- Try the following activities:
- Finger stretch the phonemes (sounds) in each of these words. Does your child hear each sound? To finger stretch the phonemes, start with a closed fist at your chest. Beginning with your thumb, extend one finger for each sound you hear in the word. To see a video, click here.
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and Read Vowel R Words
Skill 9: Complex Consonants - Complex consonants are combinations of consonant letters that are pronounced as a single sound. For example: dge, mb, and tch. This skill also includes silent letters. For example: kn and gn.
- Try the following activities:
- Finger stretch the phonemes (sounds) in each of these words. Does your child hear each sound? To finger stretch the phonemes, start with a closed fist at your chest. Beginning with your thumb, extend one finger for each sound you hear in the word. To see a video, click here.
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and Read Complex Consonants
Skill 10: Closed Multi-syllables - Closed Multisyllabic words have more than one syllable that includes a closed syllable. Closed syllables have one vowel followed by one or more consonants. The consonant closes in the vowel, making it a closed syllable. For example: tidbit, candid, catfish, and napkin.
- Try the following activities:
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and read closed multisyllabic words.
- Closed multisyllabic bingo
Skill 11: Long Vowel Silent E Multi-syllables - Long Vowel Silent E Multisyllabic words have more than one syllable that includes a silent e pattern. Long Vowel Silent E are words where there is a vowel, followed by a consonant, and ends with a silent e. For example: include, hopeless, mistake, and active.
- Try the following activities:
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and read long vowel silent e multisyllabic words.
- Long Vowel Silent E bingo
Skill 12: Open Multi-syllables - Open Multi Syllable words have more than one syllable that includes an open syllable. Open syllables end with a vowel. For example: tornado, human, beside, and ruler.
- Try the following activities:
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and read open multi-syllable words.
- Open multi syllable bingo
Skill 13: Vowel Team Multi-syllables - Vowel Team Multisyllabic words have more than one syllable that includes a vowel team. Vowel Teams are a combination of two vowels that make one sound. For example: fifteen, autumn, laundry, and oatmeal.
- Try the following activities at home to:
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and read vowel team multisyllabic words.
- Vowel team multisyllabic bingo
Skill 14: Consonant Multi-syllables - Consonant Multisyllabic words have more than one syllable that includes the consonant le. For example: candle, sample, table, and circle.
- Try the following activities at home to:
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and read consonant le multi-syllable words.
- Consonant le multisyllabic bingo
Skill 15: Vowel-r Multi-syllables - Vowel-r Multisyllabic words have more than one syllable that includes an r controlled vowel. An r controlled vowel is any vowel followed by an r. The r changes the sound that the vowel makes. For example: forget, border, thermos, and garment.
- Try the following activities at home to:
- Elkonin Boxes - Move one chip into each box as you say the correct sound. Ask your child to write the word afterwards. To see a video, click here.
- Roll and read vowel-r multisyllable words.
- Vowel-r multisyllabic bingo
Typical mastery of these skills should come in the following grades:
- Kindergarten: Skills for Quarter 1
- 1st: Skills 1-5
- 2nd: Skills 6-9
- 3rd: Skills 10-15