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Develop sight-reading skills with the Dolch list of words

The Dolch High Frequency Word List was originally published by Edward Dolch, Ph.D. in his book, Problems in Reading in 1948. The idea behind the "Dolch 220" is that these words comprise the majority of words encountered in early reading books, and therefore if kids can learn to sight-read all of these words they will be well on their way towards reading without help.

We have categorized the words into five groups that are generally ranked from easiest to hardest so that teachers and homeschoolers can pick a level and work on it until the child is ready for the next level. This particular page creates flashcards of the words, but we will be releasing additional materials based on these words soon.

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Develop sight-reading skills with the Dolch list of words The Dolch High Frequency Word List was originally published by Edward Dolch, Ph.D. in his book, Problems in Reading in 1948.

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When routines are established, children begin to learn about objects and vocabulary associated with certain activities. Active participation in all steps of a routine can reinforce concepts and language skills. Routines can also help a child to develop sequencing skills (first/then; start/finish), and some tasks can be arranged in left to right order, such as setting the table, laying out clothes, or arranging materials for any activity.

Children who are blind or visually impaired need the opportunity to experience things through hands-on activities that are meaningful and fun. As mentioned above, they will often need specific instruction because of the lack of access to information through incidental learning. For example, a book about a farm will be much more meaningful if the child has first had a chance to visit an actual farm, touch different kinds of animals, touch their fur or feathers, feel how big they are, listen to their calls (moo, neigh, quack), e xamine what they eat (hay, grain), and learn about what they produce (e.g. milk, eggs, wool).

The development of a wide range of vocabulary and concepts are essential to success in literacy. Model appropriate language for your child throughout the day. For example, "Let's put on your smooth rubber boots today. It's raining and they will help keep your feet dry." Or "Let's put the cold milk in the red plastic cup. Can you help me pour it?" Just adding some adjectives (wet/dry, rough/smooth, big/little) and more detailed descriptions can help to expand a child's vocabulary and to reinforce concepts.

Many children benefit from reading aloud. It is a time for them to enjoy special individual attention, to reinforce language and concept development, and to work on book handling skills. In order for the experience to be pleasant and meaningful, however, it is important to follow a few basic tips.

1. Reading a book with a young child should be fun for both the adult and child.

2. Choose a book that relates to the child's own experiences.

3. Read at a pace that is appropriate to the child.

4. Provide props to supplement the illustrations. Concrete objects, movements, and sounds may all be helpful.

5. Modify the book to meet a child's individual needs and interests. Add texture, color, tactile cues, or anything to enhance the experience and make the book more accessible to the child.

For more ideas about reading aloud, see Enriching the Reading Experience for Children with Visual Impairments: Reading to Young Children with Vision Loss by Holly Allen.

Include the child in the process of reading and writing lists, directions, recipes, menus, messages or letters to friends and family, and any other activities that occur within routine activities. Because they may not be able to observe you reading or writing, you will need to be creative in finding ways to make these activities accessible. For example, before going to the grocery store, ask the child to help you think of what things you might need to buy. Have him or her help you look in the refrigerator or cupboards to see the supply (e.g. "This carton of milk is almost empty! It feels light and I can hear it sloshing around in there. Let's add it to our shopping list, so we'll remember to buy more when we get to the store.") Be sure to refer back to the list once you get to the store, and even check it when you get back home again, to be sure that you got everything on the list.

For more ideas, see also: Essential Literacy Experiences for Visually Impaired Children by Eva Lavigne (TSBVI)

This article suggests a way to individualize literacy experiences for visually impaired students in order to promote meaningful reading and writing. It includes a list of global experiences and suggestions of how to use the essential literacy experiences for students with a visual impairment. A blank form of Sample Essential Literacy Experiences for the Visually Impaired Student can be downloaded; available in English and Spanish.

Move, Touch, Read is an informal collection of sample units by Wendy Drezek that provide simple techniques for adapting print books. It grows out of the belief that experiential learning can help children who are blind to develop concepts, motor skills, and an understanding of the world that are at the foundation of braille literacy skills. Beginning with movement and sensory-based experience, vocabulary and concepts are introduced or reinforced, and tactile symbols using real objects supplement each story with a hands-on component. Story boxes or props help to make each story more meaningful to the child through tactile exploration. Each unit includes an introduction, vocabulary, concepts, skills, symbols, and suggestions for movement, touch, and reading activities.

"To facilitate emergent literacy in young children with disabilities, early interventionists should provide collaborative, family-centered support that is developmentally appropriate and based on evidence-based and recommended practices that result in functional outcomes within naturally occurring learning opportunities."
-- Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers with Visual Impairments

Strategies and interventions to facilitate emergent literacy focus on the development of the six key components:

Developmentally appropriate strategies and interventions that promote functional outcomes include:

routines-based literacy

responsive literacy environments

shared storybook reading (especially dialogic reading, storybook preview, and storybook sounds)

storytelling, including decontextualized language

dialogue/conversation.

To learn more, see the power point presentation What Is Emergent Literacy? from the Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers With Visual Impairments, FPG Child Development Institute, 2005

Emergent Literacy Skills for Future Braille Readers

Young children must develop skills in a wide range of areas, including tactile, fine motor, listening & attention, concept, and book & story. This chart shows a variety of prerequisite skills and concepts that will help future braille readers to be successful.

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Helping Young Children to Develop Emergent Literacy Skills

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When routines are established, children begin to learn about objects and vocabulary associated with certain activities. Active participation in all steps of a routine can reinforce concepts and language skills. Routines can also help a child to develop sequencing skills (first/then; start/finish), and some tasks can be arranged in left to right order, such as setting the table, laying out clothes, or arranging materials for any activity.

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Whether your child is learning to read sight words, needs work on vocabulary lists, or is simply bored with the same old spelling activities, these five word games will inject an element of fun into the learning process.

For each game, you'll need a list of focus words - you can look online for sight word lists or use the spelling or vocabulary words that your child's teacher has sent home or assigned for review. Play these games with as many or as few words as you'd like. Be guided by the age and concentration span of your child. I recommend starting with between eight and ten words and then adding more if your child has the patience for it. You can mix up the words regularly too, replacing those that your child has mastered with some new challenges.
1. Bam!
This game can be played by 2-4 players.
You will need:

Craft sticks - two per focus word, plus five additional sticks

Marker pen

Tin can or similar

Get ready:
Use the marker to write a focus word on one end of each craft stick. Repeat until you have two sticks for each word. Write BAM! on the remaining five craft sticks. Place all sticks into the can so that the end with the word on it is hidden inside the can.
How to play:
Players take turns drawing a stick from the can. Players can either read the word on the stick, or quickly look at the word, cover it up, and then spell it without looking. If the player answers correctly, she keeps the stick. If the player answers incorrectly, the stick is returned to the can.

If the player draws a BAM! stick, she must return all her sticks to the can.

Play continues until the parent calls time. Alternatively, a time limit can be set and the winner is the person with the most sticks in their possession when time is up.
2. Trash Ball
For 1+ players.
You will need:

A clean trash canor large container

Paper

Get ready:
Write each focus word on a piece of paper, and then crumple the paper into a ball. Place all the crumpled papers in the container or trash can.
How to play:
Players take turns reaching into the container to choose a paper ball. Players will then un-scrunch the paper ball and either read aloud the word or quickly look at it, then cover up the word and spell it.

If answered correctly, the player can crumple the paper up again, and try to shoot a "basket" in the trash can. For each basket scored, the player receives one point. Continue playing until all of the paper balls are in the basket, or take them out and start all over again!

To play with a large group of children, divide the group into two teams. Each basket made results in a point for the team. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winning team.
3. Roll It
For 2 players.
You will need:

A set of focus word cards, shuffled and placed face down in a stack

A die

A sheet of paper to keep score

How to play:
Players take turns picking up a card from the stack, then reading the word or covering it up and spelling it. If the answer is correct, the player rolls the die for a score. The number rolled is recorded on the score sheet as the player's score for that turn.

The first player to reach a pre-agreed number of points wins the game.
4. Swat It!
For 2+ players.
You will need:

Two clean fly swatters (though hands will work too)

A set of index cards with the focus words written clearly on them

How to play:
For two players: Lay all of your words out on the table face up. Give each player a fly swatter.

The parent calls out a focus word. The first child to find and swat the word reads or spells it aloud (turn to face the opposite direction for spelling). If the player answers correctly, she scores a point. The first player to reach a pre-agreed number of points is the winner.

For a larger group: Tape word cards to a wall. Divide players into two teams. The first player for each team steps forward and competes to be the first to swat the word called. The player who wins the round scores a point for his team. Repeat for each pair of players until all team members have had a turn. The team first team to reach a pre-agreed number of points is the winner.
5. Word Pong
For 1+ players.
You will need:

One disposable paper or plastic cup for each focus word

One ping pong ball

Get ready:
Write one focus word on the bottom of each cup. Arrange the cups in a triangle formation across a table top.
How to play:
Players take turns bouncing the ping pong ball into the cups. Whichever cup the ball lands in, the player must turn over and read the word or cover it up and spell it. The cup can be left upturned so that all words are eventually read/spelled or turned back over before the next turn. Players receive a point for each correct answer, or simply play for fun without scoring.

For larger groups, divide the players into two teams. The first team to reach a pre-agreed number of points is the winner.

Happy spelling - and playing!

Featured Photo Credit © nikoniko_happy/Thinkstock

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5 Literacy Games to Play With Your Child

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Whether your child is learning to read sight words, needs work on vocabulary lists, or is simply bored with the same old spelling activities, these five word games will inject an element of fun into the learning process.

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Foundations of Writing Skills - WorksheetWorks.com

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Create a worksheet: Build primitive writing skills and hand-eye coordination

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Find worksheets about Graphic Organizers

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For students to become both confident and comfortable writing, they need to practice the habit daily. Devoting as little as 15 minutes of each day to writing can make a big difference.

"That's where writing prompts are valuable," says Genia Connell, a third-grade teacher in Troy, Michigan.

"I rely on writing prompts for my students to get their daily dose of writing," Connell says.

Having them on hand is particularly helpful on whirlwind days, as well as when you have a guest teacher or an unexpected substitute filling in, she says. Read on to discover the writing prompts Connell uses in her classroom each spring.

These handy writing prompts stand alone, Connell notes. "They don't need an accompanying mini-lesson," she says.

Plus, students can complete them independently - no need to pair students up in groups, or stand over them to offer help.

These springtime-themed writing prompts from Connell take advantage of the season, from marking big holidays and events (think Earth Day) to acknowledging spring's occasionally stormy weather.

Springtime brings wet weather that's evocatively described as "raining cats and dogs." In this writing prompt, students will write a story about what it would be like if it actually rained cats and dogs.

Download a printable that includes the prompt, plus writing space for students to use.

On Earth Day-or anytime of year-use this writing prompt to encourage students to think creatively about ways to preserve the planet and introduce key STEM concepts.

Download the Earth Day printable.

Patriots' Day commemorates Paul Revere's midnight ride. For this writing prompt, students will rewrite the events of that historic evening as if they were occurring today.

Download a printable with this prompt along with writing paper.

Help get kids thinking about nature! For this writing printable, students will brainstorm interview questions for Mother Nature. Next, they can pick one and write out a potential response.

Download the Interview With Mother Nature printable.

This printable includes the writing prompts mentioned above, along with seven additional ideas to get students writing.
Download the printable of 11 springtime writing prompts!

To get more ideas for writing lessons and prompts, shop the print and digital resources below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.

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Ready-to-Go Spring Writing Prompts | Scholastic

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Encourage your students to write daily with seasonal, creative topics.

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Graphic Organizers to Help Kids With Writing

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Discover four graphic organizers that can help kids organize their ideas in a very visual way. They also help break a writing project into smaller, more manageable steps. Graphic organizers are especially helpful for children with dysgraphia, executive functioning issues, and other issues that can cause trouble with writing.

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fun writing paper for student choice

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Enjoy some fun coloring writing paper! These printables are great for all ages and subjects in school and at home. Use them for writing assignments or free time activities.

Make sure to share with fellow teachers and family! Also - take a minute to sign up for my newsletter, Doodle Diaries, and stay up to date with new printable and more.

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Enjoy some fun coloring writing paper! These printables are great for all ages and subjects in school and at home. Use them for writing assignments or free time activities. Make sure to share with fellow teachers and family! Also - take a minute to sign up for my newsletter, Doodle Diaries, and stay up to date with new printable and more.

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251 FREE Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

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Fire up young minds with 251 FREE writing prompts for kids! Think outside the box and craft amazing stories, poems, and whatever their creativity cooks up!

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Word families are groups of words that have a common feature or pattern - they have some of the same combinations of letters in them and a similar sound. For example, at, cat, hat, and fat are a family of words with the "at" sound and letter combination in common.
The 37 most common word families in English (according to Wylie and Durrell) are: ack, ain, ake, ale, all, ame, an, ank, ap, ash, at, ate, aw ay, eat, ell, est, ice, ick, ide, ight, ill, in, ine, ing, ink, ip, it, ock, oke, op, ore, ot, uck ,ug, ump, unk.

Many of the nursery rhymes contain common word families. You can use these rhymes to teach these letter combinations (and how they are spelled and spoken), having the students sound them out after memorizing the rhyme. You can study one word family a week. Students can use the Little Explorers Picture Dictionary to look for more words that belong to word families.

The following is a list of the most common word families in English (from Wylie and Durrell, 1970, plus a few extra word families) and examples of each.

Word Families

Books to Print About Word Families

A book for early readers with words that have the "an" sound, like can, fan, man, van, and pan. Each page has a sentence to copy. Pages include: Dan ran. Fran has a can. Jan can use a fan. The man has a van. The plan began. A pecan is in the pan. Nan is from Japan.

A book for early readers with words that have the "at" sound, like cat, hat, rat, vat, and mat. Each page has a sentence to copy. Pages include: Matt is at bat. Pat has a hat. This is a fat cat. Nat sat on a mat. The bat spat. The rat is in the vat. Drat, a gnat.

A book for early readers with words that have the "en" sound, like pen, hen, and when. Each page has a sentence to copy. Pages include: Ben has a pen. There are ten men. Glen saw a hen. The wren is in the fen. Gwen asked, "When?" and Ken said, "Then!"

NURSERY RHYMES COLORING BOOK

A Mother Goose nursery rhyme coloring book you can print out, read, and color.

THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
A booklet to print and color.

Word Wheels on Word Families

Activities About Word Families

On these printable worksheets, the student writes six words that rhyme with a simple sound. Worksheets including the sounds: ad, ag, ake, all, an, ap, ar, at, ate, ay, ed, ee, ell, en, est, et, ig, ink, ing, ip, og, and op, ot, un.

Word families used in Nursery Rhymes:

Bees: ay, may, hay.

The Boy in the Barn: ay, hay, away.

Curly Locks: ine, mine, swine.

Georgie Porgie: ay, play, away.

Hickory Dickory Dock: ock, dock, clock; ive, five, hive; ine, nine, fine.

Humpty Dumpty: all, wall, fall.

Hush A Bye Baby: all, all, fall.

I'm a Little Teapot: out, out, spout, stout.

Jack Be Nimble: ick, quick, stick.

Knick Knack Paddy Whack: ee, three, knee; ive, five, hive; ine, nine, shine; en, ten, hen, eleven, heaven.

Little Bo Peep: eep, peep, sheep.

Little Jack Horner: horner, corner.

Little Mouse: ouse, mouse, house; eal, steal, meal; out, about; un, fun, run; eep, creep, peep.

Little Sally Walker: est, west, best.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary: ary, Mary, contrary; ow, row, grow; ells, shells, bells.

Mockingbird: ing, ring, sing; brass, glass.

Monday's Child: ace, grace, face; ing, giving, living; ay, day, gay.

Old Mother Hubbard: ead, bread, dead; at, cat, hat; ig, wig, jig; oat, coat, goat.

One, Two, Buckle my Shoe: en, ten, hen; twelve, delve.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five: ive, alive, five.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-eater: ell, shelll, well.

Rain, Rain: ay, away, day.

See-Saw Marjorie Daw: aw, Daw, saw, straw.

Star Light, Star Bright : ight, light, bright, night.

Ten Little Monkeys: ed, bed, head.

There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly: at, cat, that; og, hog, dog; ow, cow, how.

Three Blind Mice: ife, wife, knife.

Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son: eat, eat, beat.

Tommy Tittlemouse: ouse, Tittlemouse, house.

Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee: attle, battle, rattle.

Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,: orn, corn, thorn; ock, lock, flock; est, west, nest.

Reference: Richard E. Wylie and Donald D. Durrell, 1970. "Teaching Vowels Through Phonograms." Elementary English 47, 787-791.

Rebus Rhymes: Topics

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Advertisement. EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site. As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages. Click here to learn more. (Already a member? Click here.) Word families are groups of words that have a common feature or pattern - they have some of the same combinations of letters in them and a similar sound.

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Improving reading comprehension is the goal of reading instruction, and open-ended questions can help! Reading comprehension can be a challenge to achieve because it's such a complex set of skills. There are many reading comprehension strategies for readers to employ across many genres at different reading levels.

Close-ended questions could require a simple yes or no. They could be multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank. However, open-ended questions require students to either reexamine text evidence or extend their own thinking.

Reexamine and Extend - those are powerful thinking skills!

So let's look at a quick list of open-ended questions that you can use in your classroom.

Open-Ended Questions to ask Before Reading the Text

1. Looking at the cover, what do you predict this book might be about?

2. What detail on the cover supports that prediction?

3. What do you think will happen in the plot?

4. What ideas do you think will be present in this text?

5. Can you please describe what you think the illustration on the front cover is trying to tell us?

6. Why do you think the author used this title?

7. Why do you think the author used this type of font (style of letters) on the cover?

8. What do you already know from reading the title?

9. What connections can you make after reading the blurb?

10. How do you think this story will end?

11. What is a problem that you think could occur in this story?

12. What questions could you ask before reading this text?

Open-Ended Questions to Ask During the Reading

1. What time of day do you think it is in this story?

2. Why do you think it is that time of day?

3. What connections can you make to this setting?

4. What would you do if you went to this place?

5. Do you think you would enjoy being here?

6. Why do you think the author started the story/text this way?

7. How are you adjusting your predictions after reading this (page, section, chapter)?

8. What sentences parked your imagination?

9. How do you think the character is feeling? What evidence supports your thinking?

10. What could happen to make this character feel a different way?

11. Which details were the most interesting to you?

12. What questions do you have now?

13. How did the setting change?

14. How does the setting impact the plot for these characters?

After the Text

1. What do you think the author hoped you would think after reading the text?

2. What do you think about the story/text?

3. Can you summarize the text in just two or three sentences?

4. What was your favorite part?

5. Was the plot/text different than you thought it would be?

6. What would you change in this text if you could write it?

Use these questions in your class, in guided reading, in literacy centers, or during your daily reading comprehension warm-up routine.

How to Use Reading Response Questions for any Book

Here are some ways that a teacher can use reading response questions to any book:

As a warm-up activity: Reading response questions can be used as a warm-up activity to get students thinking about the book before they start reading. This can help to engage students and to focus their attention on the text.

As a way to check for comprehension: Reading response questions can be used as a way to check for comprehension after students have read a section of the book. This can help teachers to identify any areas where students may need additional support.

As a way to spark discussion: Reading response questions can be used to spark discussion about the book. This can help students to share their thoughts and ideas about the text, and to build their understanding of the book.

As a way to promote writing: Reading response questions can be used to promote writing by asking students to write about their thoughts and ideas about the book. This can help students to develop their writing skills and to express their understanding of the text.

As a way to assess student learning: Reading response questions can be used to assess student learning by asking students to answer questions about the book. This can help teachers to track student progress and to identify areas where students need additional support.

Related Reading

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32 Open-Ended Questions for Reading Comprehension - TeamTom Education

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Improving reading comprehension is the goal of reading instruction, and open-ended questions can help! Reading comprehension can be a challenge to achieve because it's such a complex set of skills. There are many reading comprehension strategies for readers to employ across many genres at different reading levels.

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In preschool, your child is just beginning to get to know the world through early literacy concepts. Help them meet the neighbors with this community helpers quiz. In this picture comprehension game full of friendly faces, kids will find the figure that performs the task mentioned in the narration. When they're done, suggest they visit the library or the post office to meet the helpers in person!

No standards associated with this content.

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Community Helpers Quiz Game | Game | Education.com

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In this quiz, kids learn about different jobs and how community helpers give back and make communities stronger.

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Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party - Read With Me Book

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Share with Students

Assign text-dependent questions to improve students' reading and writing skills.

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Analyze student performance and compare class reports on key reading and writing skills.

CommonLit is working for kids in over 75,000 schools. Read more about how our program drives growth in our effectiveness report.

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For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Assign text-dependent questions to improve students' reading and writing skills. Analyze student performance and compare class reports on key reading and writing skills.

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Cutting edge scientific research accessible to kids. A free STEM teaching resource.

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ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

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ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis.

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Phonics - Cowboy And Spaceship | Learn to Read | Alphablocks

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What are Elkonin Boxes?

Elkonin Boxes are a visual tool used to help children break down words into individual sounds or phonemes. They are typically drawn as a series of squares, with each box representing one sound in a word. For example, the word 'cat' would be divided into three boxes, representing the /c/, /a/, and /t/ sounds respectively.

The Role of Elkonin Boxes in Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness refers to the understanding that spoken language is made up of individual and separate sounds. It's a crucial step in learning to read and write, as it allows children to understand the relationship between sounds and letters.

Elkonin Boxes play a significant role in developing this awareness. They provide a visual representation of the sounds in a word, helping children to see the segmentation of the word. This helps them understand that even though a word is a single unit when we say it, it's made up of individual sounds.

Using Elkonin Boxes in the Classroom

Using Elkonin Boxes is a straightforward process. The educator says a word slowly and clearly, and the child pushes a token into a box for each sound they hear. For instance, for the word 'dog', the teacher would say /d/ - /o/ - /g/, and the child would push a token into three separate boxes.

Over time, as the child's phonological awareness improves, they can start to use Elkonin Boxes independently. They can also begin to use them for more complex words with blends or digraphs.

The Benefits of Elkonin Boxes

Elkonin Boxes offer multiple benefits for early literacy development:

Building Phonological Awareness: They help children understand the concept of individual sounds in words, which is crucial for reading and spelling.

Enhancing Listening Skills: Children need to listen carefully to distinguish the different sounds in words, which can improve their overall listening skills.

Encouraging Active Learning: Moving tokens into boxes makes learning interactive and engaging, which can help children stay focused and retain information better.

Providing Visual Support: For visual learners, seeing a word broken down into individual sounds can make the concept more concrete and understandable.

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What are Elkonin Boxes? Elkonin Boxes are a visual tool used to help children break down words into individual sounds or phonemes. They are typically drawn as a series of squares, with each box representing one sound in a word. For example, the word 'cat' would be divided into three boxes, representing the /c/, /a/, [...]

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Free Resources to Teach Your Child to Read

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This post is the first in a two part series on using sound walls in the classroom. Here I share general information about phoneme sound walls, discuss how a sound wall is different from a word wall and how sound walls help students learn to read, write and spell.
Sound walls.... It's likely your literacy coach has mentioned them, you've seen talk of them on social media, or you may even have a colleague who has started using one! Maybe you're curious about sound walls but unsure where to start, or you know a bit about them but are nervous to ditch the comfort of your word wall to try something totally new!

I understand! Change can be hard! But I think once you get to know more about sound walls and the value they bring, you'll see it's a change worth making!

To help you out I've decided to create a two-part blog series all about sound walls. In this first post, I'll share general information about sound walls, discuss their benefits, and how they are different from word walls. The second post will focus on how to set up and use a sound wall in your classroom. I hope you'll find it all to be useful info that will help you get more comfortable with the idea of using a sound wall in your classroom!

So without further ado....

What is a Sound Wall?

A is a way to organize and display the different sounds (or phonemes) we hear in speech. Similar to a word wall, a sound wall is a place for students to reference when they are spelling and reading words. But UNLIKE a traditional A-Z word wall (where words are grouped by their beginning letter), words on a sound wall are grouped by their sounds.

Because sounds cannot be written, we use letters to represent the sounds. A grapheme is the written representation of one phoneme, or sound. A sound wall matches our speech sounds (phonemes) to the letters (graphemes) that represent those sounds.

When you see a sound wall you will often find pictures of mouths next to each sound. This helps students better understand what their tongue and mouth are doing when they produce a sound and encourages them to pay attention to the way their mouth feels, looks and acts when they produce different sounds. Mouth pictures are a great support to help students connect the sounds they hear with the print that represents them.

There are usually two parts of a sound wall - a consonant sound wall and a vowel sound wall. They're organized separately and in different ways. Let's talk about the consonants first...

Consonant Sound Walls

A consonant sound wall is organized by the manner of articulation (how the sound is being formed) and the place of articulation (wherein the mouth a sound is occurring).

There are five major categories of consonants based on the manner of articulation. In his book Phonics from A to Z, Wiley Blevins describes the categories as:

1. Stops: formed by closing or blocking off the airflow and then exploding a puff of air. Place your hand in front of your mouth and produce the sounds /b/, /p/, /d/, /t/, /g/, /k/. Do you feel the burst of air? These are stops.

2. Fricatives: formed by narrowing the air channel and then forcing air through it which creates friction in the mouth. /f/, /v/, /th/, /z/, /s/, /zh/, and /sh/ are fricatives. Affricative is a subgroup of fricatives. It is a sound produced by the sequence of a stop followed by a fricative. Examples of affricatives include /ch/ and /j/.

3. Nasals: formed when the mouth is closed, forcing the air through the nose. /m/, /n/, /ng/ are nasals.

4. Liquids: formed by interrupting the airflow slighting, but no friction results. /r/ and /l/ and liquids.

5. Glides: sometimes called semivowels because they are formed in similar ways as vowels. /w/, /y/, /h/ glides.

Finally, consonants can also be grouped as voiced or unvoiced. When you produce a voiced sound, your vocal cords vibrate. An unvoiced sound produces no vibration.

I realize it can be really hard to fully understand and envision all this info about sound categories just by reading about them.

This video does a great job providing more clear examples and explanations of each one. It's worth taking a look for a deeper, more clear understanding!

Vowel Sound Walls

A vowel sound wall looks different than a consonant one. It is organized by the place of articulation. It is visually represented in the shape of a V or a valley to mimic the change in position of our mouths and shift in our jaw when we produce the different the vowel sounds. When we make the first vowel sound, /e/ our chin starts very high, and as we move down the v, our chin lowers.

Then there are some vowel sounds that are outliers and aren't placed along the "vowel valley". Outside the valley you should also include /oi/ and /ou/, as well as the r-controlled vowels (ar, or, ur, and ir).

Check out this video for more information about the vowel sound walls. It really helped me envision what it looks like and how I would use it in my classroom.

Additionally, this video does a great job showing the differences in the position of the teeth, tongue and lips for each sound category. I think it is helpful for both teachers and students!

The Benefits of a Sound Wall

The more I read and learn about sound walls, the more they make sense to me. Here are a few of the main benefits I see to using a sound wall in the classroom:

- Sound walls are based on the science of reading! Research tells us that readers make the connection between print patterns and phonological information that is already stored in the brain in order to then make meaning of the word they're reading ( Moats, 2010). This is why explicitly teaching phonemes is necessary before you teach sound-letter correspondence.

- Sound walls approach things from the learners point of view. On a traditional A-Z word wall, words are categorized by the first letter. But that doesn't make sense to someone who is just learning to spell! A student looking for the word phone will not naturally look to P. Putting the word knee under K is confusing to them! A sound wall categorizes words by their sounds which makes much more sense to the learner!

- They allow for explicit instruction of phonemes. Kids learn to talk well before they learn to read or write. This is because the human brain is hardwired for oral language, but not for reading and writing. Students need direct and explicit instruction on how to read, write, and spell. A sound wall is a tool that allows for this valuable, explicit phonics instruction.

Do you use a sound wall in your classroom? What benefits do you see to using one?

I hope the information I've shared today helps you to better understand sound walls and why they are such a great resource for helping students read and write. Be on the lookout for my next post where I'll share all about getting a sound wall set-up in your classroom!
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What is a Sound Wall and Why Should You Use One in Your Classroom?

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This post is the first in a two part series on using sound walls in the classroom. Here I share general information about phoneme sound walls, discuss how a sound wall is different from a word wall and how sound walls help students learn to read, write and spell. Sound walls....

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