If you are like me, you want to ensure that every student in your class gets the phonics instruction needed to be successful readers and writers. I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to achieve that goal. I know that to make something work in my classroom, I need a routine. Unfortunately, there are too many kids and not enough time to figure things out in the moment.
That’s why I created my small group phonics review routine. It combines many ideas I found from books, websites, blogs, and many pins on Pinterest. I planned out everything I was going to say and do so that I could focus on the students instead of the lesson.
Every day, we follow the same routine to learn a new sound. Learning a sound a day is too much for regular instruction, but this small group work is designed to be a review. If your students get stuck on a sound, you can always repeat the day for as long as they need it. Also, you can use this routine with any grade, but I created it for my second grade students.
Here is the routine we follow:
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As we transition: Students get sound/letter cards for the day. (I write a list for them.)
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Students read the review list for the day. Each review list has words from the past six lessons. I read that students need four to six weeks to master a new sound pattern. Introducing a sound per day won’t give students that long, but the repetition is still helpful.
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Phonological Awareness Activity: I use lists from Equipped for Reading Success A Comprehensive, Step-By-Step Program for Developing Phonemic Awareness and Fluent Word Recognition
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The teacher points to each sound card, and students say the letter and sound as a review.
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The teacher holds up the new sound card for the day and tells the students the sound the letter(s) make.
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The teacher builds a word using the sound cards and models saying each sound and blending the sounds into a word.
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Students build more words using the sound/letter cards.
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Students read the word list for the day. (Some days have multiple lists to give you added flexibility.)
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Students practice writing words the teacher dictates using the sound pattern.
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Students read a decodable reading passage based on the sound pattern. I will share the resource I use for free decodable reading passages as soon as I find it again.
I know it is ten steps, but it is so simple. Plus, the kids catch on really fast. I send home the review list, word list, and decodable reading passage for extra practice. I print two sheets per page to save as much paper as possible.
Here is the great news for you. I have been using this resource in my classroom with great results, but I need more eyes on it before it is ready to sell. For a limited time, you can download the file and use it in your classroom totally for free. If you find a mistake or discover something that could be better, email me to tell me about it, and I will make sure you get access to the updated file, even when I list it for sale. You can email me anytime at cate@forthelove.com.
Small Group Phonics Review Lessons
At some point, I will be taking this link down, so grab the file today and share your thoughts via email!
You will notice I often refer to sound/letter cards in this routine. You can use any sound/letter cards you have, make your own, or get mine! Read all about them here.