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Oh, the joy of watching those little lightbulb moments when our kiddos start to crack the reading code! It’s like watching a flower bloom—slowly at first, then all at once. Phonics, my friends, is the sunshine that makes that blooming possible. Let’s dive into the wonderfully wordy world of phonics and discover how it lights up our classrooms with literacy magic.
Reading isn’t just about memorizing words; it’s an adventure into the science of decoding, comprehension, and making connections. This adventure starts with understanding how our brains turn squiggles on a page into stories in our minds. It’s a mix of psychology, neuroscience, and a whole lot of educational magic that helps us tailor our teaching to light up those neural pathways. Phonics is our trusty guide on this journey, laying down the stepping stones of letters and sounds for our kiddos to hop across.
Speaking of neurons, how cute are these little neuron stuffies?! I grabbed a pair to share with my students to help them conceptualize how reading works in our brains. Totally unnecessary, but a cute, hands-on visual! [linked here]
To support phonics in the classroom, we use phonological awareness to sensitize students to phonemic awarness. Zooming out, phonological awareness is the orchestra, and phonemic awareness is the soloist. It’s about hearing the music in language—the beats of syllables, the rhythms of rhymes. It sets the stage for understanding that words can be broken down into parts, creating a rhythm that guides our reading journey. Every clap, stomp, or snap in rhythm games is another step toward literacy.
I have several activities that help focus on this skill, including:
Typically, I use one of these activities at the beginning of our Orton Gillingham lesson to get their ears primed for listening for sounds! [Check out these activities here]
Imagine each word as a puzzle, and phonemic awareness gives our little learners the power to solve it. It’s all about playing with sounds—identifying them, mixing them up, and putting them back together in new ways. It’s a party in the mouth, with sounds as the guests! Through games, songs, and playful activities, we turn sound manipulation into a skill our kiddos love to practice.
Blending is like giving our kiddos a magic wand. With it, they can tap a series of sounds and transform them into a word. It’s a crucial “spell” in their reading repertoire, turning the “c-a-t” chant into a triumphant “cat!” It’s about making those sounds flow together smoothly, with practice sessions wrapped in fun and encouragement.
These CVC word builders are a hands-on way to practice this skill. They simple and FUN! As a reading interventionist, I have a ton of tools that I use to help support our learning. They’re all linked in my Amazon shop here!
If blending is about putting sounds together, segmenting is the art of taking them apart. It’s giving our little puzzle masters the tools to dissect words into their sounds, laying the groundwork for spelling champions. We turn it into a game—breaking words down into beats, using blocks or beads to represent sounds, making learning a hands-on experience. Get a FREE copy of the seasonal sound boxes shown below via the form at the end of this post that are perfect for blending and segmenting words! [Googly eyes and finger pointers linked here]
At the heart of our phonics adventure is the dynamic duo of letters and sounds. It’s about showing our kiddos that letters are not just shapes but symbols that represent sounds. Through engaging activities, we introduce this alphabet magic, turning each letter into a character with its own sound. This way, we build a strong foundation, one letter at a time.
I love this set of colorful, magnetic letters. Below, I’m using them with a set of magnetic CVC objects. You can also level up this activity by writing the words after you build them with dry erase markers.
Bringing phonics in the classroom by doing activities that sprinkle a little bit of magic into every task. Whether it’s decoding during storytime, playing phonics-based games, or writing with an ear for sounds, we make sure phonics is woven into the fabric of our day. It’s about creating a literacy-rich environment where learning to read is as natural as speaking.
Incorporating phonics in the classroom is like opening a treasure chest of literacy. It’s not just about teaching kids to read; it’s about lighting the path to discovery, understanding, and a lifelong love for reading. With every sound, word, and sentence, we’re not just teaching reading; we’re opening worlds. So here’s to phonics—the key to unlocking the magic of reading, one sound at a time!
As we continue to explore and embrace the wonders of phonics in the classroom, we’re crafting a generation of readers, thinkers, and dreamers. So, let’s keep those phonics fires burning bright, my fellow educators, because the future is indeed written in the stars—or should I say, in the sounds and letters we teach every day.
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Abby is a former kindergarten and first grade teacher who channels her passion for education into creating engaging activities and resources for the kindergarten and first grade classroom. When not dreaming up or working on her next project, you’ll find her enjoying her family – most likely in her minivan on the way to a soccer field.
Help your students build their phonemic awareness with this simple segmenting activity. Get 25 FREE practice pages sent to your inbox today.
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