Road to Reading...

 This is a MUST for all K-2 teachers, and even parents!  Like the last resource , it is more geared towards teachers, but can easily be adapted for parents’ use in the homes.  It basically breaks down the steps toward learning the alphabetic principle into 6 levels, which are color coded.  Each level has 4-5 steps: Sound-Symbol Correspondences, Teach/Review New Decoding Skills, Review Phonetically Regular Words, Read Orally in Context and Dictation.  It is not a complete reading program, but rather one to help students strengthen their letter/sound correspondence skills.  

All you need to do is grab a markerboard, a marker and get going!  As a teacher, I love giving my students opportunities to change words by only substituting a few different letters.  For example, the other day we did this sequence: hard- card- cord- bird- third- thorn.  Do you see how forcing children to keep some of the letters in place and erase/change the ones that don’t belong allow them to see relationships between words?  I am certainly glad I have it, and I certainly recommend it for other K-2 teachers out there.

Thought I’d share some sequence strands for you to try with your child.  Use a markerboard or letter tiles.  Do not let your child erase every letter, but rather the few that he/she doesn’t hear in the next word.  Remember, these are probably geared more towards our K-2 learners.

Kindergarten:

AT- PAT- CAB- DAD- SAD- TAP-LAP-CAP-ZAP-WAG-BAG

MOM-TOM-TOP-MOP-MOB-BOB-COB-COT-LOT-NOT-POT

1^ST GRADE:

THAT- THIN- THUD- THIS- THEM

BATH-PATH-MATH- BETH- SETH

CHIP-CHAT-CHOP-CHIN-CHUG

SHIP-SHOP-SHED-SHUT

RUSH-DASH-WISH-HUSH-CASH-FISH-MASH-GUSH

DUCK-DECK- DOCK- DOT- POT- PACK- QUACK

QUIZ- QUIT- QUICK- THICK- THIN- CHIN- SHIN

DAMP-LAMP-LUMP-JUMP-STUMP-STAMP-CAMP-CRAMP

2^ND GRADE:

SHINE-SHIN-BIN-BIT-BITE-QUIT-QUITE-QUOTE

TILE-TALE-STALE-STOLE-MOLE-MILE-SMILE

OIL-SOIL-COIL-COIN-JOIN-JOINT-POINT

CREW-SCREW-SCREAM-STREAM-STREET-STEW-THREW

HEAD-BREAD-SPREAD-SPRAIN-RAIN-READ

NEW-NOW-PLOW-COW-CLOWN-COIN

I plan on using this resource this summer whenever I tutor rising K, 1 and 2 students.  And, by the way, if you have one of those, CONTACT ME !

Back to good read-alouds tomorrow!  Enjoy your weekend :)