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Identify principle, medial, and final phoneme. Good to get a sense of segmenting and identification skills to create goals and personalize instruction.

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Specific curriculum and resources that argue that stories can help with retaining phoneme-grapheme relationships. I haven't finished looking into this, but it seems particularly helpful with digraphs.

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A guest post by first grade teacher, Karrie Kehrig.
Teacher Overwhelm

It was the first week of October, and even though school hadn't started until the end of August, I was already feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

As a hybrid classroom for distance learning, I have 22 students in person and 7 online, and teaching both groups well is anything but easy. We were only a few weeks into this school year when I experienced one of those special "teacher-moments" when you know that you're doing something that is perfectly right and you can't help but to smile! I'll come back to this in just a bit, but first, a little background.....

This year is my 21 st year teaching, though I took ten years off in the middle of my career to raise my three children. I began teaching in the late 1980s when whole language was all the rage, though I had grown up in Catholic schools where phonics was the focus. I have seen and lived through both sides of the teaching debate and the resulting "Reading Wars" over what works best when it comes to teaching reading.

Fast forward to the 2012 State Reading Conference....
If you've never been to a reading conference before, then you should know that you're usually just hoping for a few nights away to clear your mind, and maybe one or two good ideas that you can bring back to use in your classroom. However that year, the Michigan Reading Conference changed my life forever.

If They Don't Know the Phonics Secrets, How Can They Read the Words?

I will never forget that day. I was walking around trying to decide what speaker to go see, when I noticed a room jam-packed with people.I told my friend that we needed to go and see what all the excitement was about.

I walked in and Katie Garner was on the stage, talking about how au & aw were "in love," and how they got so embarrassed when they had to stand together in words, they always put their heads down and said, "Awwwwww...." (as in: saw, paw, cause, August, etc...) Katie further explained that this was a "grown-up reading secret," and then she said something that really struck me, which was "If kids don't know the phonics secrets, how can they read the words?"

The more Katie talked, the more everything made sense to me. I just kept listening as she shared information about early brain development, and how the earlier-developing, emotional part of the brain could be easily accessed and "tricked" into remembering phonics skills through social-emotional (feeling-based) stories, especially "secret" stories! This was really intriguing to me, as was the idea of being able to make sense of letter sounds and phonics for my students.

Everyone in Katie's session was given a free download pack with the anchor posters and activities used in the session. That was great, but I wanted all of it, so as soon as I got home, I immediately bought the Secret Stories Kit so that I could start using it in my classroom.

Looking at Words vs. Reading Them

When I first started using Secret Stories, I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't listen to Katie and only put up a few posters, as I just didn't think that I would have time to teach them all. We have a reading series AND a phonics program, as well as writing, math, science and social studies curriculums that we have to follow, so my initial plan was to just use the Secret Stories as yet another curriculum. Oh boy, was I ever wrong!!

I quickly realized that the more Secrets I shared, the more words my kids could read and write on their own, and that the more they knew, the more they wanted to know! This was eye-opening for me, as I now understood why Katie was so adamant in the book about putting up ALL of the posters up on Day 1. We are working with words all day long across all areas of the curriculum, and the Secrets are IN those words! If kids don't know the Secrets, how can they read the words?!

Typically in kindergarten and first grade, we just look at the words and say them, as we don't actually expecting the kids to read them.

For example, we look at and say the words on our daily calendar every day, but kids aren't actually reading them. How could they when in words like August, the letter /A/ is making the short /o/ sound, or in words like: January, May, July and Monday, the letter /y/ is making every sound other than the one that kids actually know? And so, we just point to the words and say them.

But where's the instructional value in just looking at words day in and day out, or even worse, in all of the time we spend memorizing words because kids don't know how to read them? When you can't read the words, looking and memorizing are the only options, especially for beginning grade learners who don't even know all of the letter sounds.

Phonics Instruction that Makes Sense

But with the Secrets, I can just tell a story about au/aw being in love in the word August, or about Sneaky Y® and the sounds he makes when he's at the end of a word (as in: July, May & January) and thinks no one will see him!

All I have to do is tell a Secret and my five and six year olds instantly understand WHY the letter /y/ makes the many different sounds that it does, and not just on our calendar, but in every other word that they see.... all day long!

Why wouldn't I tell them the Secrets?
Especially since our daily calendar provides a perfect "built-in" opportunity to practice using them in a familiar context, so it's a win-win! And likewise in math, social studies, and even at lunch! Text is everywhere....and so are the Secrets!

Once you start seeing them, you can't stop....and your students can't either! They will start finding them everywhere in every subject area across the entire instructional day and even at home! My kids point them out all the time- in math problems, science and social studies lessons, and even religious studies (as I teach at a Catholic School). We find Secrets in everything we do ALL day long.

Check out some of the Sneaky Y® words that one student found in his story with Secret Stories® Phonics Task Cards (which can be with any text).

Don't Wait for the Reading Series or Phonics Program to Teach It

By putting up ALL of the posters, I was able to explain the sounds of letters in words that we see everyday, long before our reading series formally introduced them. This was a huge timesaver, especially since words like play and they were on our Week #1 sight word list, but the ey/ay phonics skill needed to read them wasn't supposed to be introduced (by our reading series) until mid-January. That meant countless hours, weeks, and months of instructional time that would have typically been spent memorizing these words was now spent reading them....plus many more!

This realization that I didn't have to "wait" until mid-January to teach the ey/ay Secret that my kids needed now was huge! By not waiting on the reading series to teach the Secret, my students were actually able to make better use of it-as now they could actually read it! They were finding the Secrets in every story, and they were so excited!

I really enjoy using Secret Stories with our reading series, not only because kids could actually read the stories that were in it, but because it provided endless opportunities to introduce more Secrets while reinforcing the ones they already knew. It also allowed me to shift instructional focus to comprehension strategies, as students were no longer overwhelmed with memorizing and decoding.

More than anything, I began to realize what a huge disservice I'd done to my students that first year by holding back so many Secrets and waiting for my reading series to introduce them. But we live and learn, and when we know better, we do better....which brings me back to October.

The Phonics Code Kids Need to Read and Write

We were working on the short /e/ sound, and Cecilia needed to write a sentence with a short /e/ word in it. She did that, and so much more!

Not only did she spell the word wet correctly (Thank you Better Alphabet™ Song!), she was able to use the ey/ay Secret (these letters are just too cool, like Fonzie, and always stick up their thumbs and say, "Ayyyyyyyeeeee!") to build the word rayn, too!

Even though the spelling isn't technically correct (as she didn't know the Secret for /ai/ yet), Cecilia "owned" enough of the phonics code to write the word that she wanted....and this was so much more exciting to me than the fact that she spelled the word wet correctly!

You see, my class learned about the ey/ay Secret in the first week of school when the word "play" came up in a story. Unlike my first year, I didn't wait to tell it until mid-January when our reading series introduced it. Instead, I took advantage of the first opportunity I had, and I used that teachable moment to give my students a valuable piece of the code they would need to read and write every day. And use it they did.

Cecilia's writing shows that she is starting to "play" with the critical sound-symbol ("speech to print") connections that are the foundation for all reading and she knows a Secret that she can use to convert that sound to print. With each new Secret she learns, her power as a reader and writer grows. She is able to make sense of the sounds letter make in words all around her, in books and on billboards. and writing. She hears the long sound in the word /a/ rain, Text is everywhere, and she's reading it!

This is such a tremendous accomplishment for a first grader at the beginning of October, and there is no doubt in my mind that as Cecilia learns more Secrets and gains more text experience, she will spell rain with /ai/ and not /ay/...... but for now though, I am smiling! When kids know the phonics Secrets, they CAN read the words!
Karrie Kehrig is a first grade teacher at St. Lawrence Catholic School in Utica, Michigan. She has an MA in Early Childhood Education from Oakland University and a BS in Science from Siena Heights College. (Connect with Karrie in NEW Secret Stories® Support Group on Facebook here.)
I am so grateful to Karrie for taking the time to share this post and provide a glimpse into what hybrid learning looks like in her classroom this year!

And to "run" with Karrie's point about just how powerful early ownership of the phonics code can be for beginning grade learners, I wanted to share some "end of year" kindergarten writing samples, along with some first grade writing samples further down, below. The Secrets are everywhere throughout their writing, as they are the tools they use to write about dolphins, kings and queens! For more on how to fast-track phonics for beginning writing, check out the video below, and subscribe on Youtube for more.

You can also download the FREE Secret Stories® Fairy Tale Writing Pack (used in some of the writing samples below) here or by clicking on the pic below.
If kids don't know the Secrets, how can they write the words?

To see more kindergarten writing samples click here, and to see the compounded skill progression of the Secrets in first grade, click here.

NEW Secret Stories® Digital Phonics Tools for Online Reading Lessons

I apologize for the looooong delay between blog posts, but like all of you, my time away wasn't due to a wonderful summer vacation. Nope! On the contrary, I feel like there was NO summer this year, just a crazy-long Spring that somehow turned into Fall. And now, here we are.

However, I was fortunate enough to see many of you "virtually" in your school and district professional developments over the summer, which was awesome! I loved getting to spend a full day together, even if it isn't in person.

I also got to see over 30,000+ of you at the Get Your Teach On Virtual K/1 Conference, which was a whole new level of virtual FUN! If you weren't one of the 30,000+ that attended, you can watch my two hour session free on my YouTube Channel! (And if you like, it, please click "like" and subscribe, as apparently, this is important, Lol! And you'll see how I know this a bit further down, below!)

And while all that virtual learning was going on, I was on an obsessive mission (literally!) to create the digital resources that teachers needed to fully implement the Secret Stories® remotely, as well as model their use to read and spell words across the virtual learning day and beyond.

As many of you who've been using Secret Stories® for a while now already know, teaching kids the Secrets (i.e. phonics "skills") is one thing, but teaching them how to apply them as "strategies" to read and write is another. Both are equally important!

It's the latter- modeling strategy application-that was virtually impossible (no pun intended!) for teachers last year in distance learning lessons. That's not to say that there weren't some incredible ideas and lessons created by teachers to make it happen (you can find them here), but just that it wasn't ready-made, easy and concrete. Now it is.

It's not enough for kids to just "know" the Secrets. They need to be using them like keys to unlock the words that are all around them ALL DAY LONG, and especially when they are reading and writing at home!

To this end, I'm happy to say, I've got you covered! And everything that's been created for virtual learning will be equally valuable in the "physical" classroom, as well!
Note: The only item not created this summer (but the MOST USEFUL) is the ​Here's a quick run-down of all the NEW Secret Stories® digital resources.... Porta-Pics. The Secret Stories® Phonics iOS App in Apple Store ​ They were a lifeline for those who had them last year, as they are the equivalent of your classroom Secret Stories® wall of posters. Porta-Pics were #1 on "take-home" student supplies this year, just in case everything goes fully virtual-again!

This digital teaching tools puts all of the Secret Stories® sound graphics AND stories at your fingertips, as well as the Better Alphabet™ Song! Whether you're a teacher, student or parent, this app is the #1 digital resource we've created. It is for use only on iPads or iPhones, and will not work on any other devices, or allow for screen-sharing or mirroring on other devices/platforms, due to the built-in technology.

If you're a teacher, this app is not designed to "broadcast" the Secrets, but simply to put them all at your fingertips so that you have them all "on the ready" for instant access and use in your online reading lessons, and you don't have to go rifling through a stack of posters on your desk, or re-adjust your camera to show the a particular poster on the wall. Plus, it will also tell the stories for you, just in case you're not quite sure what they are, and can't easily recall them by glancing at the poster (as you normally would in the physical classroom).

The app is equally valuable for parents and students to practice the Secrets, as well as the Better Alphabet® Song for individual letter sound mastery, if needed. Kids can select a Secret phonics image and listen to the story that explains its sound, or, they can test their Secret Story knowledge by listening to stories OR sounds and trying to identify the Secret phonics pattern before time runs out! They can sing along to the Better Alphabet® Song with individual letters highlighted as they are sung, helping to build the critical "sound-symbol" connections in the brain! Kids can also test themselves on the letter names and sounds with timed play. The static grid can also be used as a digital Porta-Pic for reference during independent reading and writing at home. (The app is especially helpful to remediate and reinforce phonics skills for struggling readers, as well as to allow advanced learners to learn more Secrets at a faster rate.)
The Secret Stories Better Alphabet™ Song Videos
Aside from the teacher video above, I also made an overview video below with more detailed information, explaining how it works, what it's designed for, and how your parents and students can also use it at home.

All of this has also been added to the unlisted teacher page, as well as a short synopsis to the unlisted parent page. Both pages will continue to be added to over the course of this year, with more remote teaching ideas, distance learning lessons, and parent/student videos. (You can read more about these way down below.)

These are for easy use during online learning lessons, as well as for student use and practice of the individual letters and sounds at home. The song videos include both the "original" version of the Better Alphabet™ Song, which uses muscle memory for fast mastery of the individual letters and sounds in as little as two weeks, as well as a second version by Jack Hartmann for a fun twist! (Think of the original version as what "builds" the reading & writing muscles, and Jack's version as a way to "exercise" them!)

I've also added a third "hybrid" video of the original Better Alphabet™ Song with a split screen showing mouth positions alongside the letters, so as to maintain focus on the symbols that make the sounds, but also provide some additional insight into what to do and how to do it. You will be able to use this version interchangeably with the other original one, as both are designed specifically to strengthen the critical "sound-symbol" connections in the brain for reading and writing. You can find the videos here on TpT. (All of the letter anchors displayed on the screen in the video match those on the Better Alphabet® Anchor posters and Digital Student Mini-Mats, shown down, below.)

I'm also excited to share this fun video that Jack and I did together, which is great for kids who know the original Better Alphabet™ Song to sing along with! This video is great fun, but should not be used for actually "teaching" the letters and sounds, as the focus is on Jack and I, more so than on the letters-which are what kids' eyes should be GLUED to when singing the sounds in order to cement those "sound-symbol" connections in the brain! That said, as mentioned up above, it's a great way to "exercise" those newly developing reading and writing muscles that the original Better Alphabet™ Song is building!

"visit the letters where they live" on the on the classroom wall-whether it's the alphabet anchors above your board, or the And just in case you're wondering....
The Original Better Alphabet™ Song IS included in the Secret Stories® Kit music download (or CD in older versions), but it's an audio file, rather than in video format. This is because, ideally (in the traditional classroom), kids should always Secret Stories® posters hanging on your wall. This is critical, not just to solidify the skills, but to reinforce where to go to find them for independent reading and writing!

It's also why, for years, I've recommended NOT using a PowerPoint to flash the letters (or the Secrets) on a screen when practicing them, as they disappear-and this effectively eliminates HALF the value of the time spent practicing them. Think of it this way, when you practice singing the letters and sounds, you're teaching the "skills," and when you reference them where they live on the wall, you're teaching the "strategy" that kids need to know to USE them! :-)

That's not to say that you can't have fun singing along with the videos (the "original" version and Jack's!) in the traditional classroom, but the core "twice a day" practice when learning the letters and sounds should be done with reference to the actual alphabet anchors in your classroom that kids will need to refer back to when reading and writing.
The Better Alphabet™ Digital Mini Mats for Student Reference ​
The Better Alphabet™ Song Video options were created for the sole purpose of helping teachers use the Better Alphabet™ Song most effectively in the current online learning envirnment, so as to focus learner-attention (i.e. "eye glue") on each individual letter symbol as the sound is sung ("mouth muscles"). This visual-auditory connection is critical to cementing the "sound-symbol" relationship in the brain for reading and writing. Additionally, if kids have the Better Alphabet™ Digital Mini-Mats at home, they contain the same alphabet anchors seen in the video, so they kids can refer back to them for independent reading and writing at home.

And for everything you EVER wanted to know about the Better Alphabet™ Song, itself, check out the video below!

These "mini-size" versions of the Better Alphabet™ classroom anchors posters are for individual student use and online distance learning. Both the mini-mats and the classroom anchor posters were recently updated to include an additional a "made-to-match" pastel version to go with the Decorative Square Poster colors. If you previously purchased either, you will be able to re-download and get the additional new set for free!
Sharing and Support Pages for Secret Stories® Teachers and Parents
The Secret Stories® Interactive Phonics Instruction with "Copyright-Safe" Sound Graphics
This Interactive Grid is the perfect teaching tool for modeling how to use the Secrets to read and write words in remote learning lessons. Offered in PowerPoint format and easily transferred to Keynote and Google Slides, it provides an easily accessible and concrete way to show students how to "make and break" words with the Secrets. It also includes digital Secret Stories® stickers with embedded sound graphic "hints" to help students forge concrete connections to the phonics patterns and their sounds. While still copy written, these digital stickers are "copyright-safe," which means you can use them to create your own lessons for your students.
What's Coming Up
The Secret Stories® Digital Phonics Task Cards for Use with ANY Text​
This was actually the first distance learning tools that was created last spring, and it's recently been updated for easy use across all platforms, including PowerPoint. These digital task cards can be used with ANY text-from stories, to spelling and vocabulary lists. Like the Interactive Grid (above), these help students forge concrete connections between the Secrets they know and daily text-from simply spotting Secrets, to actually using them to read and spell words. These task cards are universal and evergreen for use over and over again. (video below)
Before closing, I just want to remind you that the best way to "never miss a Secret" is to subscribe to the Secret Email Blast! While I try to post content from previous blasts to this blog, I tend to run several weeks behind. (For example, the unlisted teacher and parent page links were created in April, and I'm just now sharing them here- Lol!)
And stay "never miss a Secret" by joining the NEW Secret Stories® Support Group on Facebook!

​The "Unlisted" Teacher Page​
This page is not publicly available, but housed on the "back end" of the Secret Stories® website. It was created last year to provide teachers who are already using the Secret Stories® with "copyright-safe" ways to support instruction in distance learning lessons. It will continue being added to throughout this year as well.
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​The "Unlisted" Parent Page
This page is designed just for parents to help them understand what the Secret Stories® are, how they work, and how they can best support their child's use of the Secrets at home for independent reading and writing. Teachers are welcome to share this link with their parents. (There is a special parent video at the top that really helped with student progression last year!) Here is the direct link that you can copy and paste, as needed-https://www.thesecretstories.com/learn-more/free-phonics-resources-for-parents/.​

In February I'll be doing a full-day PD (1/2 day each) with the wonderful Jen Jones of Hello Literacy on Brain Based Phonics Instruction and Word Work in Guided Reading. There will be both recorded and live components, andif you follow either of us on Instagram or Facebook, you will be hearing a lot about this very soon. (If not, I promise to send an email all about it once the details are complete!
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I've been running weekly contests on Instagram and Facebook to highlight "Class Pics/Vids of the Week" and would love to see yours! Any pics or vids sent carry over to the following week, and you can keep sending more thoughout the year! Whether sharing a pic of your Secret Stories® poster display, or a video snippet from your online lesson, I would love to see your "Secret Story-happenings" and share them, so send them my way! You can email them to me at Katie@KatieGarner.com, or post and share them on social media. Just be sure to tag me and use the hashtag #TheSecretStories. (If sharing on social media, you can message it to me as well, just to make sure I don't miss it!)

A guest post by second grade teacher, Kelli Gunkle.
Struggling Readers + Failing School = No Time for "Cute"

My name is Kelli Gunkle and I am a second grade teacher in Daytona Beach, Florida. I have been teaching for 5 years in a low-income, DDD, turn-around school with many struggling readers. If you are not familiar with a school climate like the one I teach in, you may have some questions about what all of that means.

In a nutshell, 90% of our students are on free and reduced lunch. We have been a D status for 3 years which placed us in "turn-around" status. This simply means that if we do not earn a C or better we will be taken over, closed down, or turned into a charter school. I tell you this to paint a tiny picture of the environment that I truly have the pleasure of working in.

People often look at statistics and status' and use those as reasons not to be somewhere. I look at statistics a little differently. All of what I told you above is why I teach at my school. It's why I get up everyday and teach my heart out. It's why I don't have time for the cute stuff.

In my first year teaching, I was like most teachers, and very aware of the "perfect" Pinterest classrooms. Don't get me wrong, I love anything that is aesthetically pleasing....who doesn't?! More and more though, I was seeing too many "cute" activities and too little rigor. Activities that would get people to "pin, pin, pin" or "like, like, like," but none that had much substance to move our struggling readers.

I am lucky enough to work for one of the best principals in our county, and under her training, I have learned a lot about choosing rigor over looks. The experience of working for this amazing woman taught me how to properly vet materials for quality before giving them over to my students. I don't choose the craftivity; I rarely, if ever, even do them. Instead, I choose what I know is going to give my students the maximum instructional value, because our school just doesn't have the time to "fluff" anything up.

Filling the Phonics Gaps for Reading

This past fall, I was looking for something - anything that could help fill the gaps in phonics with my struggling readers, who were at least a grade level behind in reading. I was given the opportunity to loop to third grade with my class, and so I was well aware of the gaps that they had. I went into this year knowing the holes that would need to be filled, but not knowing HOW I was going to fill them.

Through countless search attempts, I stumbled upon the Enter Secret Stories
Secret Stories website and started reading all of the reviews. I was hooked. The minute I read that students were ASKING to learn about letter sounds and phonics patterns, I knew it was what I needed for my kids. And while the Secrets may be cute, they are all "meat" and no fluff! And so, unbeknownst to anyone at my school, I ordered the kit, put up the posters, and let the magic unfold! I call it magic because that's the only way to describe what happens once you let the "genie" out of the bottle and start telling the Secrets.

With the current status of our school, we are a revolving door of district, state, and management company personnel going in and out of our rooms on a weekly to monthly basis. We have extra trainings, new strategies, brand-new curriculum, and countless other responsibilities that all teachers have. I don't know about you, but I don't have time to learn one more routine, strategy, or program to implement in my classroom. My kids don't have the ability to take anything else in. THAT is why I love Secret Stories so much. It runs itself!

The minute I told my students the first Secret, and that NO ONE could know what I was about to tell them- especially all of those people in suits that kept coming in and out of our classroom-they were hooked! They have been begging for more phonics Secrets ever since!

If you were to come into my classroom, you would be welcomed by one of my favorite sights-our Secret Stories phonics posters! My classroom is all pastel colors, so this set was perfect. My kids use these posters ALL DAY LONG to reference how to both sound-out AND spell words words. (Ignore the feet in the first pic, as it was a long day! ;-)

Weaving Phonics Skill Instruction into Reading & Writing Across the Instructional Day

I wanted my kids to be thinking about the Secret phonics patterns outside of reading block as well, so we started "catching" the Secret sounds wherever and whenever we came across them throughout the day! This could be during a math lesson, during I-Ready lessons, or during our read-to-self time. Whenever they find a Secret, they can "catch" it and add it to our collection.

I bought a shoe rack, added the Secret Stories cards from the back of the book to each pocket, and on the side, placed a container for half-sized index cards and markers. This gives them everything they need to catch Secret phonics patterns and sounds during centers, small group, etc.

Watch the video below to see how we use this to "catch" Secrets!

Small Group Reading Instruction and Assessment Prep

I also use the Secrets heavily during small group time. As I mentioned above, our school is in "turn-around" status, so it is incredibly important to fill as many gaps as possible in the primary grades before students move on to 3rd-5th. In small group, we have learning targets and success criteria for the skills we are working on. The success criteria helps my struggling readers to see what steps they need to take in order to master their "I can" targets.

They know that they must achieve these smaller goals in order to obtain their greater goal. To that end, they rely on the Secrets when reading their word lists, as well as whatever they are reading for their weekly text.

When practicing test-taking strategies, we use the Secrets to help identify the phonics patterns and figure out new words in the text. This helps them to become more familiar with the text before they read it.

That way, when they are taking tests, they know to look for phonics patterns in unfamiliar words to help them. This makes them feel more comfortable when they working with more complex text, especially my struggling readers.

To see how we use Thinking Maps with Secret Stories, watch the video below.

The Secrets have changed the way I teach phonics and, if I'm being honest, I will never go back to phonics-based routines in order to teach my students how to read. They do not need to memorize; they need to WANT to READ!

The Secrets have given my students a "need to know" the sounds, rather than me having to force them to learn them. Now, they are ASKING me to teach them....they want to know ALL of the Secrets!!

In a profession where we have no time for the cute stuff, the Secrets have found a way to be adorable AND rigorous. What an amazing accomplishment!

If you have any questions, or would like to reach out, you can find me in the Secret Stories® Support Group on Facebook, as well as on Twitter and Teachers Pay Teachers.

Happy New Year!
Kelli

From Learning to Read, to Reading to Learn: A Third Grade Update

HELLO SECRET STORIES ......AND HELLO THIRD GRADE! 🙌🏻😍🙌🏻

I had been going into my classroom with my teammate to get things set up. While we didn't know what this year will look like, setting up our classrooms has brought a much needed peace. Just getting my Secret Stories Sound Wall up felt 👏🏻 so 👏🏻 good 👏🏻!

The Secret Stories are the keys to our reading, and they mean everything to me as a teacher. After using them for the first time last year, I will never go back! It is the best investment I've ever made for my classroom and my students' learning💗 ..... not to mention my own learning as a teacher of reading.

Since last year's blog post, I have looped on to third grade with my class. I am happy to say that, due to my students' success in reading last year, there are now other teachers at my school who have caught "Secret Stories-fever" and are now using the Secrets with their students, as well.

The older kids get, the more they want you to just tell them how to spell words. Having not been with my class for six months, given our early release last spring due to Covid and summer vacation, I've had to to remind them to use the Secrets they know to spell words. For reading, this is a non-issue, as they just look at the Secret sound wall to decode the words, but for spelling, they often have to choose between two or three different ways to spell the sound.

In late September, I asked my students to take notes on a story, focusing on the main character, their feelings, their motivations, and their actions. Each student wrote what they thought the character was feeling, and what they believed had motivated their actions.

When I looked at this particular student's paper, I was absolutely ELATED!

She had written the words "geelous," and I knew immediately which Secrets she'd used to figure out that spelling! She clearly had command of the ge/gi/gy and /ous/ Secrets. And while she didn't spell the word jealous exactly right, her ability to "build" that word demonstrated her ownership of the phonics skills that were in it - skills that could be easily used to read ANY words with these Secrets in them!

After telling me the word that she'd written, I commended her for using the Secrets she knew to spell it. Then we made a comparison of "geelous" and "jealous" on the board. Seeing her use the /ge/ Secret for the /j/ sound, and then correctly spell the ending with the /ous/ Secret just made my teacher-heart explode!❤️

And it's still September....

Before I close, I want to share something that Katie and I worked on together to help students notice and use the Secrets to read and spell in remote learning lessons (as well as in literacy centers, whole group, and small group classroom instruction in the physical classroom next school year). They are "universal" task cards that work with any text and any grade level and can be used over and over again, making it easy to target specific skills/ Secrets on an individual, whole, or small group level. They are also helpful for differentiation, given that they can be paired with any text - from guided readers, to poems on the board, to math directions - they will get your kids searching for Secrets, no matter what they are reading!

Here is little sample batch that you can download and try, so you can see how they work. There is also a video down below that shows the complete set, which are available here.

For the complete set of Secret Stories® "Universal" Task Cards, click here.

Join me LIVE on Youtube for "Secret Sundays" at 5pm EST for Brain Based Phonics for Accelerated Reading and Writing Instruction!

If you tuned in last Sunday for the very first Secret Sundays LIVE at 5 on YouTube, then you know it was a blast! (And if you didn't, you can catch it by clicking on the video below.)

And if you tuned in for, what was supposed to be "Rewind Wednesday," which was supposed to be a replay of Sunday's episode on Facebook Live, but with me "chatting" live in the comments section throughout, then you know that was a complete debacle. Ugh!

Well, not a total debacle....at least, not once everyone from the THREE live groups (yes, I accidentally streamed three at the same time) all found their way into the one that I was actually in. But from that point on, it was smooth sailing! :-)

So, if you're up for a challenge, try and join me this weekend for the second episode of Secret Sunday LIVE at 5pm on YouTube for "Cheating the Brain for Easy & Early Access to Hard Phonics Skills!" You will discover the "secret" ingredients to cooking-up a powerful, brain-based phonics "stew" in your classroom! In this short 30 minute timeframe, you will learn how to align core tenets of brain based learning with your existing phonics instruction to accelerate access to the WHOLE code that kids need to read AND to write!

I will also be doing another giveaway for a FREE Secret Stories Classroom Kit OR (if you already have it) any other item of your choice from the Secret Stories® website-from the Flashcards, to the new Decorative Squares, the Manipulative Placards or a class set of Porta-Pics....it's your choice! To win, just share this link to the live broadcast on your Facebook or Instagram page anytime between now and the 5pm broadcast, and then be sure to follow and tag! I will also be sharing a free download link to one of the most popular items in my TpT store - one that's never been offered for free-to ALL who tune in to learn on your precious Sunday! :-)

So I'll see you all on Sunday.... same time, same place!

Talk soon,
Katie
https://www.KatieGarner.com

PS And YAY! I actually did it!!! I gave you a "heads-up" more than an hour in advance! Lol ;-)

No, you didn't misread the title.

If you're subscribed to my Secret Newsletter, you were probably expecting to receive the video link to my presentation at this year's National Title I Conference in your email last weekend.

The reason I was unable to send out the Title I video link last weekend as promised, was due to an unexpected, four-hour long dumpster dive in Detroit last Sunday-the ONE day that I had time in-between flights and conference travel to edit and upload it.

Why was I dumpster diving in Detroit, you ask? Was it for jewelry or cash....? Nope.
It was to rescue my favorite 1st-grade student writing sample below.

If you've seen me speak at a conference, it's likely that you tripped over this particular piece of writing when walking into my session, as it's usually draped over the door and extending out several feet into the walkway. It is a perfect example of early learner skill-automaticity, but at over 12 feet long and heavily laminated, it's always a challenge to get into my suitcase! That said, I love it and always take it with me wherever I go (to speak, that is, not on regular vacations- lol)

Even when I do keynotes, you're likely to see it thrown over those fancy, giant ballroom doors, like a "Jed Clampett-style" welcome sign for teachers!

So you can imagine my horror when after finishing up my sessions at the Michigan Reading Conference, I looked up and saw that it was GONE!

I searched everywhere and questioned everyone.
" Has anyone seen a 1st-grade writing sample that's about 12 feet long?" No one had.

I was especially suspicious of the "little-kid" cheerleaders (whose cheer competition was in the same part of the convention hall as the reading conference) as they seemed like the most likely suspects. Not only were they everywhere, tumbling up and down everything, but they were the only ones (aside from myself) who would have had any use for a 12-foot long piece of plastic (the makings of a perfect " cheer-banner!")

But as it turned out, it wasn't the cheerleaders.

It was a custodian who had apparently spotted my giant, puddled-up, plastic mass of writing on the floor by the door (where it fell) and decided to throw it away.... or try to, as it wouldn't fit in her garbage bag.

The writing was so long, and the heavy-duty laminate so inflexible and unwieldy, that she'd apparently had to "hand-carry" that 12-foot long writing across the entire 3rd floor, down the escalator, and to the far side of the main lobby to the gondolas (a fancy word for rolling garbage bins), where it would then be taken to the building's main compacting dumpster on the outer deck.

I later found out that my precious writing sample had been put into that giant compacter, where it was squished and squashed by an iron plate that pushed it further and further into the back recesses to make room for more cheerleader garbage.

By the time I had figured out what happened, that damn dumpster had literally "eaten and swallowed" my 12-foot long, 1st-grade writing sample! And to make matters worse, there was only one opening at the very front through which all of the garbage had to be pushed through. There was no top or side access door, which meant that there was no way to tell just how deep down that "rabbit hole" dumpster my writing had fallen!

But that didn't stop me.... or my new (and VERY kind) friend, Kevin, an off-duty custodian who was willing to help me try and rescue my writing. So, with the circuit breakers turned off so that we wouldn't be squished, (Can't you just see those headlines? "Teacher and Custodian Squished to Death While Trying to Save Student Writing at the Michigan Reading Conference") So Kevin and I donned matching garbage bags over our heads like ponchos and went in. (He went in because he knew what he was doing, and I went in because I was unable to accurately describe to Kevin what a 12 foot long, laminated 1st-grade writing sample actually looked like.)

We were in about three feet and randomly poking at walls of cheerleader garbage when I suddenly saw my writing pop out from behind some plastic cups. That super-heavy (and extremely expensive) Kinko's lamination just would not be contained! Imagine a can of snakes trying to uncoil. It was like the tentacle of a giant, plastic octopus reaching out to me...as if it were running home to mommy (if mommy were standing in a dumpster).

I was so happy to see it that I actually had tears in my eyes, as I just couldn't imagine having to fly home and leave it behind- no more than I could have imagined leaving behind the sweet student who wrote it! At this point (as if there had been any previous doubt) I'm sure that Kevin thought I was certifiably nuts!

It's something that only a teacher would understand.

Kevin, the bravest custodian EVER (and my personal hero!)

It is thanks to Kevin (the kindest and most patient custodian EVER) and to Kinkos (whose overly-expensive, plastic lamination is virtually indestructible) that my favorite 1st grade writing sample is back where it belongs....safe and sound, and ready for its next trip to Montana on Monday (despite being "three times-compacted" and having a little less spring in its step!)

And I got to experience two things that I never thought that I would:

1. Go dumpster diving in Detroit

2. Take a shower with a 12-foot long writing sample (It was the only way to get us both cleaned-up in time for the flight! :-)

So now that I've provided you with what is probably WAY too much information, here it is as promised!

And if don't have an hour and just want to watch some highlights, watch the video below.

I also want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to send me pics and vids (or post them on Instagram, FB or Twitter) from your classrooms, as I can't tell you how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing all of the awesome things your doing with the Secrets and your kiddos! It's the reason that I dig through dumpsters- Lol!

PS To all those in Montana, I'm looking forward to doing the morning keynote and several breakout sessions at your State Title I Conference later this month, and to hopefully seeing many of you there! And Maryland-friends, I will be coming back again in May, so am looking forward to seeing many of you again soon, as well! (To view all upcoming conference and school/district PD dates, click here.)

And a note to all subscribers, be sure to add Katie@KatieGarner.com to your address book so that your spam folder doesn't "eat" my emails like the dumpster "ate" my writing- Lol! :-)

For a list of upcoming conferences, or for information on scheduling a school or district professional development workshop, click here.

Teaching Sight Words- Never Make Kids MEMORIZE What They Can READ!

"The Secret Stories are the life-blood of our classroom. They are always in view, always in our whole and small group conversations. We couldn't read words without them. They are our best friends. They are always there, always teaching. They are the tools that students will take with them to the next grade!" -Tara Settle/1st Grade Teacher

Kids who know the For example, they know that the Secrets understand why letters behave the way they do when they get together. Superhero Vowels® have a power that no other letter in the alphabet has-they can "SAY THEIR NAMES!" (like /i/ in " short and lazy" sound disguises to keep from being noticed (like /i/ in hit or /a/ in hat). To learn more about the Superhero Vowel® Secrets, check out this vlog post on the Secret Stories® Youtube Channel. hike or /a/ in hate). But like all superheroes who don't want to be recognized, they don't want to be recognized, and so they will use

How to Be a Good Word Doctor

So what about words in which vowels don't make the sounds that they should?

Like those pesky, high-frequency, one syllable sight words: of, was, come, love, what, some, want, etc... Well thanks to Tara Settle and her brilliant "Head-Bop/Thinking Vowels" trick, we can become even better Word Doctors, while at the same time, clear out some of the most frequent offenders that would otherwise have to be sentenced to Word Jail! (Note that in the "Word Jail" video was made before Tara had shared her trick with me, and so you will see many of the above word-offenders serving out their time!)

(Keep in mind that this strategy is of much more value to kids who know the Secrets, given that they can decode almost everything So here is Tara's "Head-Bop" Word Doctor Strategy that you can start sharing with your kiddos! except these words; whereas those who don't know the Secrets, especially those in kindergarten and first grade, are likely unable to decode so many words that these are just the tip of the iceberg. This is due to the incredibly slow pace of phonics skill introduction, as per the grade level "scope & sequence" in common reading series and/or phonics programs.)

Sometimes a vowel just can't make up his mind And here is where you give yourself a big BOP ON THE HEAD while making the The "Thinking" Vowels-
which sound to make... "Should I be long?... Should I be short?.... I just can't make up my mind- Uhhhhhhhhhhh?" ( "uhhhhh" sound, while prompting the kids to do the same!)

This handy "action-based" cue easily prompts kids to try the schwa, or "uhhh," which is the MOST LIKELY sound-alternative for vowels that "stray" from their original sounds, allowing them to now easily decode: nof, was, some, come, done, want, from, love, othing, brother, a gain, around, among, another, something, etc... (For more tricks like this, as well as how to know when words really do have to be sentenced to jail time, you can check out this post.)

What I love about Tara's trick is that, like the Secrets, it gives beginning and struggling readers even more power over text, minimizing the need to memorize words that can actually be look at how many words can now be "paroled" from , kids all across the country now have a lot less read! Plus, Word Jail!
Thanks to Tara and her student word doctors who who identified this tricky vowel-shifting pattern sight words to memorize!

For more on "teaching the READER, not teaching the reading," as well as insight into the brain on memorizing sight words vs. decoding text, click here or on the pictures below!

You can also check out Tara's most recent post for more on how she doesn't teach sight words, here!

Join in the discussion on Facebook! Check out the original post by clicking the image on the left, below! And thank you so much to Tara, who actually has her own interactive blog with lots of oodles of resources for teachers! It's called "Settle On In" and you can find it here.

The Scoop on Summer Reading Conferences!

For those who have never been, it's an incredible experience. And for those who have, well you know how hard it can sometimes be to squeeze into the sessions that you reeeeeeallllly want to see- even just to sit on the floor, which teachers are usually more than happy to do!

Unfortunately, those pesky fire marshals don't like floor-sitters too much, and will often ask them to leave, which is why I personally prefer to take cover underneath a nearby tablecloth (and out of fire marshal view) if it's a session that I really want to hear and it's full. Otherwise, I'll just hang outside of the session room door and strain to listen, which is a lot less fun!

But for those planning to attend my session at ILA, I have great news! It's going to be in a BIG session room!!! So, unlike last year, it's highly unlikely that you'll have to resort to hiding under a tablecloth to get in! If you would like session details or information on registering, click here.

Another great one is the National Charter School Conference on June 11-14 in Washington, D.C., but don't let the name fool you, as this conference is great for ALL educators, not just those who work with charter schools. It's a big as ILA, but includes all subject areas, not just reading. And the best part (for me, anyway) is that my sessions are two and a half hours long instead of one...and there is a repeat for those unable to get into the first one, which means that once again, the chances of having your view obstructed by a tablecloth is minimal! For more information on this conference, you can click here.

And while this one isn't a national conference, I want to mention it for all of my PK-2 teaching friends out there in South Dakota, as I'll be in Beresford for the South Dakota Kindergarten Academy June 19-22 for two 2-day workshops! (The first 2-day session is already full and the other is almost capped, so register now if you want to go!) You can obtain more information here, including how to get college credit through the University of South Dakota for attending.

And for those who just can't get away this summer, no worries! The National Title I Association brings the speakers to you with their Video On Demand series! There are so many amazing sessions, and now you can watch them all from home!

You can watch highlights from my featured Title I presented here, or by clicking directly on the video below. The full-length presentation is also available as part of Title I's subscription series, but you can view it free in its entirety here, along with lots of other video clips from conferences, school and district PD Workshops, video blogs and more on the Secret Stories® YouTube Channel.

So until next time... HAPPY "ALMOST" SUMMER!

Katie :-)

Why Wait to Teach the Sounds of Y?

There's an elephant in your classroom.
And it's huge.

You sweep by it every day in your classroom, several times in fact, and probably without ever even noticing. It's most conspicuous during morning calendar time, as that's its favorite time of day.

Giving Beginning Readers Easy Access to "High-Leverage" Phonics Skills

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Free Phonics Resources Archives - The Secret Stories

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A guest post by first grade teacher, Karrie Kehrig. It was the first week of October, and even though school hadn't started until the end of August, I was already feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. As a hybrid classroom for distance learning, I have 22 students in person and 7 online, and teaching both groups well is anything but easy.

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Consolidated small group strategies based on phonemic awareness skills

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Consolidated small group strategies based on phonemic awareness skills

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My first grade team and I came up with this, using in part the resources from this course, to use specific activities to target letter sounds, segmenting, blending, etc.

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Customizable phonics games and assignments, weekly challenges. Great for differentiation.

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Most downloaded kids' learning program on iOS and Android in Q2 2020.

ABCmouse is amazing!

My children are excited to learn and they don't want to stop. I'm so glad that I made the decision to invest in my children's education by signing up with ABCmouse.com. Thank you! I'm a happy mother!"

-Mother of 3- and 5-year-old girls

See More Testimonials

Award-Winning Curriculum!

Available on
10 Levels. Over 850 Lessons. More than 10,000Individual Learning Activities.

"Love the progressive activities! I don't have to take the time to search for activities for my 3-year-old, and my 5-year-old just follows along when she's playing by herself... So I know everyone's doing the right things for their ages!"-Crystal, mother of 3- and 5-year-old girls
computers, tablets, and smartphones!

The Reading Curriculum Includes:

Uppercase and lowercase letter recognition

Phonics

Rhyming words and word families

More than 450 books and beginning readers

Sentence structure

Parts of speech

ABCmouse.com's reading curriculum spans the entire range of early reading, from learning the names of each letter and the sounds they represent to being able to read books, starting with a few words on a page and gradually advancing to paragraphs.

The curriculum for first grade also includes writing and language skills, such as sentence structure and punctuation, parts of speech, and practice with writing genres.

ABCmouse.com's reading curriculum spans the entire range of early reading, from learning the names of each letter and the sounds they represent to being able to read books, starting with a few words on a page and gradually advancing to paragraphs.

The curriculum for first grade also includes writing and language skills, such as sentence structure and punctuation, parts of speech, and practice with writing genres.

The Math Curriculum Includes:

Recognizing and counting numbers 1-120

The base ten system

Place value

Addition and subtraction

Names and attributes of 2D and 3D shapes

Length, time, and money measurement

The Math Curriculum Includes:

Recognizing and counting numbers 1-120

The base ten system

Place value

Addition and subtraction

Names and attributes of 2D and 3D shapes

Length, time, and money measurement

ABCmouse.com teaches numbers, addition and subtraction, shapes, patterns, measurements, and more! Our games and creative activities make math fun while giving young learners the practice they need to build a strong foundation for success.

The Science and Social Studies Curriculum Includes:

The body and health

Plants and animals

Weather, climate, and the seasons

Earth's environments

Maps

Regions of the United States

The Solar System

Matter and its properties

Science and Social Studies

ABCmouse.com's science and social studies curriculum helps children understand the world they live in and inspires curiosity.

Science and Social Studies

ABCmouse.com's science and social studies curriculum helps children understand the world they live in and inspires curiosity.

The Art & Colors Curriculum Includes:

Primary and secondary colors

Shades of colors

Paint-by-number activities

Number and letter dot-to-dots

The Art & Colors Curriculum Includes:

Primary and secondary colors

Shades of colors

Paint-by-number activities

Number and letter dot-to-dots

ABCmouse.com's unique drawing and painting program gives children of all ages the opportunity to use lines, shapes, and colors to create original works of art. Games, books, paint-by-number activities, and puzzles teach children to name and use a variety of colors.

"My daughter loves this site! She has learned so much more than I thought she could learn at her age. ABC's are her favorite things to do, and since I started her on this website she has learned to read words well above her age level." -Morgyn, mother of a 2-year-old girl

ABCmouse.com's curriculum includes hundreds of highly entertaining animated activities, each teaching a specific learning topic. From Prospector Paul discovering new letter combinations to King Grammar explaining proper nouns to his villagers, these animated videos engage children while they learn.

"My child absolutely loves everything about this site, and I see improvement in her counting and color association already. I think this site is fantastic." -Father of a 3-year-old girl

social start nav start

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Most downloaded kids' learning program on iOS and Android in Q2 2020. ABCmouse is amazing! My children are excited to learn and they don't want to stop. I'm so glad that I made the decision to invest in my children's education by signing up with ABCmouse.com. Thank you! I'm a happy mother!"

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"Find the letter that makes the ___ sound!"

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We have liftoff! In this alphabet game, your kid can explore an awesome outer space scene and find uppercase letters with Officer Ice Cream's X-ray camera. Anytime a child looks at letters, she's improving her letter recognition skills, which help build reading and spelling skills later on. Use this game to give your child some more exposure to letters.

Grade

Subject

View aligned standards

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Outer Space Photoshoot Game | Game | Education.com

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Kid can explore outer space to find letters of the alphabet with Officer Ice Cream's X-ray camera in this alphabet game.

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match uppercase and lowercase letters, teacher can prompt to make the sound that the letter makes. Great pair with Starfall.

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Earn dress up items to build a silly monster. Single player or whole class.

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Each letter has appropriate examples of the corresponding letter sounds. Interactive and some letters have games. Helps with alphabetic principle and knowledge of phonemes.

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Letter Reversals - Overcoming Letter Reversals

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Remember that an English Learner is likely to come into the classroom with existing alphabet and phonetic knowledge. These are NOT deficits. Assess on sight word learning, phonetic decoding as taught, letter sound as taught, comprehension, vocabulary development.

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Benchmarks for native speakers aren’t appropriate for ELLs

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Similar to EL chaining practice, but the routine in this lesson is strong. Great pacing of this style lesson.

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Working with Words: Making Words in First Grade

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rhyme, spelling, segmenting, and deletion. I found this resource while diving into additional resources for my curriculum.

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K-2 Skills Block: Chaining Instructional Practice

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Use familiar images to represent the phonemes in a word

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Use familiar images to represent the phonemes in a word

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Need to know if students are comfortable with the alphabet if they are going to build their alphabetic principle.

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Visual supports for sounds (can support the use of sound boxes and segmenting skill). This website also has other supporting materials that are great! Visual supports are also helpful for ELLs.

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If you teach students to read, then you know how important building a base of phonemic awareness is. When students are aware of the sounds they are hearing, it helps them encode as they write or spell and decode as they read. Elkonin boxes can be a helpful part of that teaching process. Named after their creator, psychologist D.B. Elkonin, the boxes are a teaching tool that helps students break down words into their component sounds.

How do Elkonin boxes work? It's easy. Each time a student hears a new sound, they drag a colored circle into a new box. For example, the word "see" would have two circles. The first circle for the sound "s" and the second one for the sound "ee." Diagraph or combined letter sounds count as one phoneme. For example, for the word "sheep" there would be three circles for the sounds or phonemes /sh/ /ee/ /p/.

You can easily modify the online Elkonin boxes to fit your lessons by changing the color of the circles and the number of the boxes. Select the color from the drop-down menu by clicking on the blue circle. Tap on the number "2" to select the number of boxes. Clear the Elkonin boxes by pressing the restart symbol.

Visit classplayground.com for more resources and printables related to Elkonin boxes and literacy.

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Elkonin Boxes | Free Educational Activities | Toy Theater

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Online Elkonin boxes make early reading, phonics, and literacy lessons fun and exciting. Students will build awareness of sound and phonemes.

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(example video)

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Segmentation: Finger Blending and Finger Spelling