Differentiated Phonics Instruction/Practice/Review

A great way to meet the varied needs of your students:  different sorters to provide all students with needed practice: (1) number of syllables,
 (2) compound words, (3) short and long vowels, (4) digraphs and (5) ending sounds.

Needed for this activity are the printable sorter mats and stickers.  Pictures are included at the end of  this post if you do not have stickers. Three examples are shown below.  More follow -

 Student examples - 2 syllable words sorted according word type - compound word, not a compound word.  Pictures include rainbow, eggplant, airplane, newspaper, football, carrot, zebra, paddle, rabbit, honey, zipper, apple, sandwich and monkey.

Words sorted according to where the /ch/ sound is heard- beginning or ending of a word.  Pictures include: chicken, cheese, chips, chocolate milk, chicken soup, chocolate chip cookies, cherry seltzer, sandwich, watch and lunch.

Pictures are sorted according to the short vowel or long vowel sound (s) heard.
 .  Pictures include: pumpkin, bus, dress, egg, fox, fish, igloo, octopus, grapes, ice-cream, rainbow, x-ray, kite, yo-yo and tea.

Pictures are sorted accorded to their ending sound.  Pictures include yarn, pumpkin, lemon, queen, crane, watermelon, net, donut, vest, bat, rabbit and carrot.

Sorter mats to print

Pictures to use instead of stickers

The Learning Continues Even During Report Card Assessments

 

Although individual assessments for student report cards are necessary, they are often numerous and time consuming.  As an educator I believe every minute counts so I implemented activities that are engaging, can be completed independently and reinforce important learning skills. They are as follows:

Samantha the Snowwoman!

Sam the Snowman!

Lesson Day 2- Teaching compound words that consist of the word snow. 

Have children fold along the segmented line.  Once folded have children cut along the outer side of the snowman/woman.  Then open and have students write the compound words inside - the first word (snow) of each compound word on the left side and the second word of each compound word on the right side..

Cut- 0ut Pattern

 

Compound word foam snowflake

 How many words can we make with the letters in the word, snow.

A second writing - A Trip to the Farm

A second student example:

Templates for the above activities:

Snowwoman Scene

 

 Snowman  Scene

Snowwoman/man Cut Out

Words made from the letters in the word, snow

 

The Farm Scene

 

 

Fun Quiz Game to Review Phonics

Fun Game Quiz to Review Phonics!

 Examples of Category Questions and Answers
Category 1- CVC words for 10 points

Category 2- CVCe for 20 points

Category 3 - Digraphs for 30 points

Category 4- Consonant Blends for 40 points

Category 5- Vowel Pairs for 50 points

Slideshow to play the game can be downloaded from

Slideshow to play quiz game

Also, questions and answers can be viewed as a video on youtube

Reading, Writing and Science - A Win, Win!

Our Nocturnal Friends hang out at Night.  This activity is Inspired by the book, Night Animals, by Gianna Marino.

As stated by the student, "The sun is rising and the nocturnal animals will soon go to sleep".

As told by the student, "The skunk was scared by the fox.  He sprayed and the hedgehog and the possum ran up the tree to get away from the smell".

Nocturnal Animal Cut Outs - owl, hedgehog, skunk, possum and fox.

Activity inspired by the fantastic book, Night Animals!

Introduction to Persuasive Writing - Theme Recycling

Introduction to Persuasive Writing -Theme Recycling

Student example - First purchase water, next (use) drink water, then make a piggy bank with the emptied water bottle.

Convince - The What, The How

 Hands-On Activity - We recycled  an empty potato chip can into a pencil storage container

Other Examples of the What and the How
First purchase the bananas, next eat a banana and then recycle the peel for compost.

First purchase cereal, next eat the cereal, then recycle the empty box.

Convince  - The Why

Student Paper

Our Class Poster.  Recycle cans and stickers in the center of our poster were purchased at the Dollar Tree.  Students decorated their portraits (template below) and placed them on our poster.

Portrait Template

Extension Activity: A recycled box turned into a bakery for our community neighborhood