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Just like with the other reading basics, ELLs and ESL students can engage in the activities mentioned in the Application section. The following are additional strategies to consider using especially for ELLs and ESL students:
- Social Media Prompts: These are a fun way to engage students with writing about the texts they read in class. Ask them to summarize a text they have read in roughly five "tweets," or short sentences. You could also have students mimic Instagram posts by giving them photos related to the class material and have them write captions for them. There are many possibilities to mimic a wide variety of social media posts, which tend to be very relatable to students.
- Write an Advertisement (Ad): Ask students to bring in one of their favorite possessions, or at least a photo of it, and have them write an ad to sell the idea of their favorite possession to the class. This is another great persuasive writing activity, and it allows students to share things they are passionate about.
- Practice Proofreading: Proofreading and providing feedback to fellow students can sometimes be intimidating to students. This activity has students proofread and provide feedback on a writing sample that you, the teacher, produced. You can start by modeling how you would proofread and provide feedback and have your students take turns pointing out mistakes and making suggestions to improve your example.
- The "New" Student: This is a great activity for testing ELLs on their understanding of classroom rules and procedures. Tell the class you have a new, imaginary, student joining the class. Have your students work together to write a list, letter, or idea web of tips to help the new student get used to the class. Have the class come together and share what they have to put on one, big final list, and have them review it to see if there are any rules or procedures missing.

Continental. (2021, May 28). Vocabulary, Writing, Listening, and Speaking Activities for ELLs. Continental Press. Retrieved November 14, 2022, from https://www.continentalpress.com/blog/listening-speaking-activities-ells/

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Every student learns a little differently. This is especially true when it comes to ELLs who may struggle to sit through a lesson or reading they simply can't understand. As an ELL teacher, you'll need to find engaging and educational activities that help students learn the curriculum and grow social skills.

Luckily, there are hundreds of creative vocabulary, writing, listening, and speaking activities for ELLs to choose from. We've compiled some of our favorite tried-and-true activities for ELLs that get students excited about learning. While not every activity will be appropriate for your students' age group or fluency level, many of these activities can work in your classroom with modifications. Just remember - you know your students best, so choose (and adjust) the activities that work best for your classroom!

Vocabulary Activities for ELLs

ELL newcomers must build their English vocabularies quickly and exponentially. Additionally, ELLs need support in developing mastery of academic language. Here are some of our favorite in-context and isolated vocabulary activities for ELLs.

Previewing Text - Before reading, have students scan the text for words or phrases they don't know. Create a list on the board and then work together as a class to see how many you can define based on context clues and prior knowledge. You may want to create a vocabulary word wall so that students can reference these terms. Celebrate the process of discovering new words and understanding their meanings.

Word Bingo - If you have a large amount of vocabulary to cover at once, try playing word bingo. Call out the words to practice recognition, and as your students' understandings grow, you can call out definitions or fill-in-the-blank sentences to check for comprehension as well. In order to check their winning board, students must read back the words they've marked. Games like bingo can also help students build confidence in their pronunciation alongside other listening and speaking activities for ELLs.

Mad Libs - This simple game is a great way to test word recognition and teach definitions at the same time. Create a paragraph of text using your vocabulary words. Then, remove either the vocabulary words themselves or the context clues around them. Students take turns filling in the words or the context clue words that reveal their definitions.

Picture Dictionary - Picture dictionaries are a great classroom resource, but having students create their own picture dictionaries is one of the best vocabulary activities for ELLs. Provide a template with words in place and then offer drawing materials, magazine clippings, clip art, or even a camera to help students create images that will help them remember each word. Since they choose what to draw and how to draw it, they'll be more likely to create personal connections with each word, assisting with vocabulary retention.

Categorizing and Connecting - Appropriate for all levels of ELLs, categorizing vocabulary and showing connections among words is easy and effective. Give students familiar and new vocabulary words in whatever platform you'd like. Students should categorize the words according to what makes sense to them. You can pair it with discussions or short writing activities. Throughout the unit, build upon the vocabulary and have students repeat the activity as many times as you'd like as a formative assessment. By the end of the unit, students should be able to make connections and categorize the vocabulary for the unit. This is a great way to scaffold a large writing or speaking assignment and can be modified for newcomers with the use of pictures.

Writing Activities for ELLs

In addition to listening and speaking activities for ELLs, writing is less time-depending and therefore offers unique opportunities to build vocabulary in context and demonstrate critical thinking. For many, writing activities for ELLs are one of the best ways to check their understanding without the pressure of speaking in front of the class. Here are some of our favorite writing activities for ELLs.

Social Media Writing Prompts - Social media prompts are a great way to make writing more fun and engaging for students. Ask them to summarize a story they read in five "tweets" or short sentences. Provide photos and ask them to write an "Instagram" caption for each. The possibilities are endless and students love the tie-in to social media.

Write an Advertisement - Ask students to bring in a favorite object (or a photo of it) and then write an ad that tells the class why they should buy one, too. This is a great way to introduce persuasive writing and allow students to share their passions and hobbies with the class.

Practicing Proofreading - Proofreading can be stressful for students because they are often asked to correct another student's work and identify errors on their own. Instead, create a writing sample yourself and ask for your students' help as a class to take turns finding mistakes and correcting them.

The "New" Student - This is one of the best writing activities for ELLs because it also tests their understanding of classroom rules and procedures. Tell the class you want to compile a list of tips for an imaginary new student joining the class. Then, ask each student to create a list, letter, or idea web of everything they think the new student should know. Review the final list as a class to reinforce any classroom procedures that still need practice.

Listening Activities for ELLs

Listening is one of the most essential skills students will need to develop to find success in the classroom. Listening activities test cognition, retention, and their ability to follow instructions. Check out these engaging and interactive listening activities for ELLs.

Simon Says - This classic game is fun and practical. It can be played traditionally or with classroom-oriented instructions like "Simon says pick up your red marker" to practice relevant vocabulary. You can also extend the game by adding flashcards.

Two Truths and a Lie - Students come up with three statements about themselves, including two true statements and one false. The other students discuss and choose which is the lie. This game can be played in pairs, small groups, or as a class. You can also provide groups of three statements about a current topic in the classroom.

Back-to-Back Interview - This game is one of our favorite listening and speaking activities for ELLs because it eliminates facial expressions and gestures, forcing students to truly rely on their listening skills. Students sit in pairs, facing away from one another. One student is the interviewer and asks the other student questions to learn more about them. Then the students switch. Once both students have been interviewed, they share what they learned about the other student with the class. This game can also be played where you or a student play as a book character or celebrity and the other students have to figure out who you are.

Flashcard Games - These games can be especially helpful with tricky vocabulary sets like minimal pairs. Students lay out a set of flashcards on their desk and listen carefully for the word the teacher calls out or uses in a sentence. Color code your flashcards for a quick way to check the class's answers.

I Spy/Scavenger Hunt - Instead of giving an object or a color, start by giving students phonemes or letter sounds (e.g. I spy something that starts with "ch"). You can then follow up with additional clues about the object until the class finds it.

Long-Form Listening - In addition to short-form listening and speaking activities for ELLs, offer your students audio options during silent reading time as well. Audiobooks, podcasts, and even kids-oriented news shows provide engaging listening for ELLs of all ages and skill levels. Follow up the listening with a discussion or questions to check for comprehension.

Speaking Activities for ELLs

Speaking in front of the class can be difficult for many students, so fun and engaging listening and speaking activities for ELLs can make a big difference in the classroom. Here are a few of our favorite ideas to get your students talking.

Question of the Day - This speaking activity for ELLs is a perfect option for morning work as students arrive. Each day, choose a simple, silly, or strange question and have students answer it as they enter the classroom. This is a great activity even for ELL newcomers since all eyes won't be on them, and you have the option to ask follow-up questions or continue the conversation as much or as little as you want to.
To make this activity even more newcomer-friendly, offer a handful of questions all week long and allow students to choose the question they want to answer each day. This way they can get to know the questions better and practice their answers over time.

Desert Island - In pairs, small groups, or as a class, students take turns choosing an object in the room. The next student has to come up with a way to use the object to survive on a desert island. There are no wrong answers, which can take some of the pressure off of speaking in front of the class. For another fun twist on this activity, have students role play and pretend to be a character instead of themselves, explaining how the character might use the item in their story.

Mini Debates - Create a list of opinions you want the class to weigh in on. They can be related to a recent lesson or reading, or something random like "purple is the best color." Create two groups: one to make an argument for your statement, and one to make an argument against. This is a great way of teaching persuasive speech and also helping ELLs learn to think on their feet. It can also be an exercise in empathy since the student may not agree with the stance they're given.

Similarities and Differences - Students pair off (or turn to the student next to them) and take turns asking questions until they discover one commonality and one difference between them. Then the students take turns sharing with the class. In addition to being a great speaking activity for ELLs, this is also a good way to explore and celebrate cultural differences in your classroom.

Songs, Rhymes, and Responses - Especially for ELL newcomers, speaking in front of the class can be daunting. Group speaking can help take the pressure off, so don't be afraid to experiment with different formats like songs, rhymes, and "call and response" to get ELLs speaking. Whatever you choose, use it often to help students learn and memorize their parts.

Thank you to Ellen Richardson, an ELL teacher at Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Lancaster, PA for consulting on this blog post. This blog was originally published on May 28, 2021. It was updated on January 19, 2023.

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Writing, Listening, and Speaking Activities for ELLs | Continental

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Writing, listening, and speaking activities for ELLs are an interactive way to teach new subject matter. Here are 20 of our favorites to try.

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Writing is important to social studies classes because it is how students show their understanding of the class content. It also enables students to show off their skills in persuasion, problem-solving, synthesis of primary sources, and so much more. If students can not write, it will be difficult and limiting for them to share their knowledge and demonstrate understanding of course content, key ideas and concepts, etc.

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Writing is the culmination of all of the reading basics discussed previously, so it is no surprise that is is one of the toughest skills for students to master. To help students hone their writing skills, teachers should engage them in the following writing activities:
- Poetry Scavenger Hunt: For this activity, have students collected words and phrases from the world around them, which is full of examples for the taking. Flyers, billboards, magazines, newspapers, social media posts, and so much more are up for grabs. After students collect their words and phrases, have them arrange them on a piece of paper to create poetry. Encourage them to hone in on a theme and build on it, and when they are done, they can share their poetry with the class.
- Creat Comic Strips: For the more visually-inclined learners, have them create a comic strip to accompany a short story. Give students a limited number of panels to work with to challenge their ability to come up with a quick, concise story and illustrate it. While you are having them do illustrations, the art is not the focus. Their writing and their ability to be concise and creative is what we are interested in.
- Letter to Future Self: Ask students where they see themselves in the future, near or far. Writing a letter to their future selves helps students think about their lives as stories and promotes a growth mentality. Encourage them to hold on to these letters too because it is always interesting to look back at your past self and see where you were when you were younger.
- Persuasive Essays: These are a great exercise for getting students to think carefully about their word choice and how they form clear, concise arguments. Start them off with a prompt and let the students do the rest as they work to state their opinions, back them up with facts, and utilize rhetorical strategies to win over their audience.
- Solve a Real-World Problem: This activity may be similar to persuasive essays; however, this one is testing students' problem-solving skills. It can be a quick, concise piece or an extended essay. As long as students are writing something they are passionate about, you will be able to see how well they can work their problem-solving muscles.

Kampen, M. (2022, March 14). 22 Writing Activities To Help Kids Hone Their Writing Skills. Prodigy Game. Retrieved November 14, 2022, from https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/writing-activities/

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When kids start writing, they're unlocking a whole new world of imagination to explore. It's a great way for them to be creative, express themselves and practice key reading and writing skills.

But as most kids - and adults - will tell you, writing is hard! It can be intimidating to put pen to paper for the first time, and sometimes the challenge of a blank page seems like too much to overcome.

Writing shouldn't be scary for kids. These 22 fun writing activities can help them:

Use their imagination

Think up new stories and ideas

Share their writing with friends and family

Use them in your classroom or at home to get kids excited about writing!

Fun writing activities

Writing is supposed to be fun! Use these activities to help kids stretch their imagination and record their thoughts on paper in a fun, low-stress environment.

1. Try online ELA games like Prodigy English
Great for: Grades 1 to 6
Online games are a great way to engage students in the learning process - and Prodigy English is bringing the power of game-based learning to language and reading skill practice!

As students build and create, they're always practicing key reading and language skills that help them write clearly and effectively. Every correct answer gives players more energy to gather resources, complete daily tasks and earn Wishcoins.

Plus, you can send questions about the topics you want them to practice and collect insights about their learning.

2. Poetry scavenger hunt
Great for: Middle and high school students
Words are all around us, so encourage your students to take inspiration from the real-life writing they see every day. Have students collect printed words and phrases from the world around them, including:

Flyers

Billboards

Magazine ads

Graphic novels

Newspaper headlines

Social media captions

Students can collect and arrange their words on a piece of paper to make a unique piece of poetry. Encourage them to find a key idea and expand on it in creative ways, then have students share their work with the class.

3. Create your own comic strip
Great for: Grades 4 to 10
Students learn in all sorts of ways. For visual learners, creating a comic strip to accompany their story can help them express themselves in a visual medium.

Give students a set number of panels and challenge them to come up with a quick story - just a few sentences. Then, they can illustrate their scene in the style of comic books.

Remind students the point isn't to be the best artist - it's to write a story that's short and exciting.

4. Create your own Madlib
Great for: Elementary and middle school students
Give students vocabulary practice and help them write a silly story at the same time!

Fill a sheet with the outline of the story, then remove key words like:

For younger students, add a word bank to get them started. As students fill in words, they'll craft a unique story filled with unexpected twists and turns.

Creative writing activities

Once students start getting in the habit of writing, these creative writing activities can pull new ideas out of their heads and encourage them to experiment with different genres.

5. Acrostics
Great for: Grades 3 to 8
Acrostic poems are a great way to introduce your students to poetry! Start with a meaningful word or name and use it as a theme for the poem.

Writing the word vertically, students can go down the letters and write a short word or phrase that starts with each letter. Acrostic poems help students write within a structure and theme, so it's easier for them to get started.

6. A letter to your future self
Great for: Middle school and high school
Where do your students see themselves in a year? Five years? Ten years?

A letter to their future selves is a great way for students to explore their own story, and brainstorm what they want to achieve. Not only can students practice their letter-writing skills, they can use their imaginations to develop a growth mindset.

For extra nostalgia, store the letters for students and mail them out once the right amount of time has passed.

7. Write a "Choose your own adventure" story
Great for: Grades 5 and up
Whether it's a fairy tale, detective story or drama, chances are you've had a student tell you they don't know how their story is supposed to end.

A "Choose-your-own-adventure" story lets students brainstorm different storylines and endings. Once they're done, encourage them to share their stories with the class so their peers can go on the adventure too.

8. Write a fake advertisement
Great for: Grades 6 and up
Good writing doesn't just happen in books - it's all around us!

Whether students are writing advertisements on their own or as part of a project-based learning assignment, this activity helps them build key media literacy skills and practice their snappy storytelling.

Have students make up a new product and advertisement, or encourage them to re-imagine an ad for something they love. It's also a great way to bring media literacy and interdisciplinary learning to your classroom.

9. Make a story map
Great for: Grades 2 to 8
Not every student is going to be comfortable putting pen to paper right away. Story maps can help students brainstorm details like plot, characters and setting in a way that makes sense for visual learners.

Have students use charts to set out the beginning, middle and end of their stories. Mind maps can also help them plot out details about their characters or setting.

Encourage students to present their story map as a finished product or use it to start writing!

Academic writing activities

Writing isn't all fairy tales and short stories - it's also an important part of learning in middle school, high school and college. Use these academic writing activities to help students understand proper essay structure, grammar and more.

10. Story chains
Great for: Grades 4 to 8
Stories are better when they're enjoyed with friends and classmates. And story chains encourage every student to get involved!

Put students in small groups of three to six. Give each student a blank piece of paper and have them write the beginning of a story. Then, pass it to the next student in the group so they can write what happens next.

For extra educational value, have students work together to summarize a story from your lesson or an important historical event.

11. Persuasive essays
Great for: Middle and high school students
Sometimes writing is about more than just telling a story. It's about convincing your readers of your point of view.

Have older students practice their debate skills with persuasive essays. Start with a prompt, then let students make their case. Some of our favorite prompts for this writing assignment include:

Is it more important to be right or to not hurt someone else's feelings?

What important historical figure do you think belongs on the ten-dollar bill and why?

Do you think you're born with your personality traits, or do you gain them as you grow up?

Most importantly, make sure students back up their opinions with solid facts and arguments that convince readers to care.

12. Solve a real-world problem
Great for: Grade 6 and up
Climate change, litter, bullying, bad cafeteria food - no matter what students pick, there are lots of real-world problems for them to solve.

Challenge students with a writing assignment that addresses a problem they see in their world. How would they fix it? Whether it's a short paragraph or a longer essay, encourage them to find something they're passionate about. After all, that's where good writing comes from!

13. Vocabulary challenge
Great for: Elementary school students
Vocabulary challenges combine vocabulary strategies with student writing to make your next language arts lesson plan even more engaging.

Give students a new word (or two or three). Once you're done practicing it and they know what it means, challenge them to use it in a story as creatively as possible.

14. Teach citations
Great for: Grades 1 to 12
Footnotes, endnotes and bibliographies are the least exciting part of writing, but they're essential skills. As students write more complex research papers, they need to know how to give credit where credit is due. Thankfully, there are lots of online resources to help!

The Purdue Online Writing Lab offers teachers and students resources for all stages of the writing process, including citations. To practice, students can write an annotated bibliography as part of a project-based learning assignment or the first step in writing a longer research paper.

At-home writing activities

Writing isn't just something happening in the classroom. These at-home writing ideas can help you support your child as they experiment with prose and poetry.

15. Write letters to a pen pal
Great for: Grades 3 and up
Everyone likes getting mail! Got a friend with kids in a different part of the country, or far-away family members? A pen pal can be a great way for kids to build friendships and practice their writing skills at the same time.

16. Bring a home object to life

Great for: Elementary and middle school students
"It's as big as a mountain!" "That's the fluffiest thing I've ever felt!"
The ways kids describe things can crack us up sometimes. Full of wonder and hyperbole, it's the perfect spark for creative writing, too.

Encourage kids to practice their figurative language skills with a description of something in your home. Let them pack as much alliteration and exaggeration into the description as they can, then do a dramatic reading out loud.

17. Write reading reactions
Great for: Grades 2 to 8
If you want to boost reading comprehension and writing skills at the same time, this is the perfect activity. After your child is done reading, encourage them to write a few sentences about what they just read.

Did they like it? What do they think happens next? Which character was their favorite and why? Learning how to express opinions in writing is a valuable skill.

18. Document family stories
Great for: Grades 4 and up
Every family has a unique story, including yours. Make memories with your child when you share stories about important family events or your childhood.

Kids can even interview grandparents, aunts and uncles to record their memories. When you're done, store them in a shared space so everyone can go back and reminisce.

Daily writing activities

Writing is a muscle, and you have to flex it every day to get stronger. Use these daily writing activities to make writing part of your everyday routine.

19. Journaling
Great for: Everyone
Sometimes, you've just gotta write it out.

Whether you're trying to make sense of life or just need a place to organize your thoughts, journaling is a great way to unwind, practice mindfulness and build social emotional skills.

All kids need to get started is a notebook and a pen. Let them know you're not going to read it, but they're welcome to come to you if there's something they want to talk about.

20. Blog about your interests
Great for: High school and up
Everyone's passionate about something. Whatever your students love, encourage them to share it with the world! Blogging is an accessible and fun way to express themselves, nerd out about the things that bring them joy and share their opinions with the world.

Sites like WordPress and Wix offer free website builders to help students get started. This is a great way for kids to build computer skills and digital literacy.

21. Free writing
Great for: Grades 4 and up
Write, write, write and don't stop. That's the premise behind free writing, a writing practice that can help unlock creativity, discover new ideas and take the pressure out of a blank page.

Give students a five-minute timer and challenge them to write continuously, without worrying about formatting, spelling or grammar. They can write about whatever they want, but there's only one rule: don't stop.

22. Answer daily writing prompts
Great for: Grades 3 and up
Make time to exercise your brain with daily writing prompts! At the start of the day or as a quick brain break, set aside time for students to respond to a quick daily writing prompt.

Students should have a dedicated journal or binder to make it a seamless part of your lessons. Whether or not you choose to read their writing is up to you, but it's important to build good daily habits.

Simple writing prompts for kids

A blank page can be a scary sight for a student who doesn't know what to write about.

Use writing prompts to:

Kickstart a student's imagination

Start your lesson with a fun writing activity

Give students a topic to debate in writing

Some of our favorite simple writing prompts include:

1. Write a story about a wooden door, a can of soda and a blue shoe.

2. If you met a monster looking for new friends, what would you do?

3. What's your favorite season? What makes it the best?

4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

5. Describe your dream birthday cake.

6. Write a story about being cold without using the word "cold."

7. If you could decorate your bedroom any way you wanted, what would it look like?

8. Is it better to have lots of friends or just a few really good friends?

9. Write a story in 10 words or less.

10. Write a story about the best surprise you've ever received.

For more writing prompts you can use in and out of the classroom, check out our full list of 225 writing prompts for kids.

Writing activities can bring reluctant writers out of their shells

Writing is hard and can be intimidating for a lot of students.

But even the quietest and most reluctant students have lots of stories to tell! You just have to encourage them to get their words out.

Writing activities help remove some of the pressure and give students:

A fun way to approach writing

A starting point for their stories

Chances to share their writing with students

No two stories are the same, just like your students. Every story can start in a different way, and that's the beauty of writing prompts.

Try some other educational activities

Whether it's writing activities or math problems, there are lots of ways to get reluctant learners excited about your lessons with educational activities.

Here are some of our favorites:

Which ones can you use in your next lesson?

Prodigy English is a brand-new game-based learning platform helping students build key math skills. As students explore and build a world of their very own, they'll answer curriculum-aligned reading and language questions that help build essential skills and encourage a love of learning.

Sign up for your free teacher account and get access to teacher tools that help you differentiate learning and track student progress as they play.

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22 Writing Activities To Help Kids Hone Their Writing Skills

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When kids start writing, they're unlocking a whole new world of imagination to explore. It's a great way for them to be creative, express themselves and practice key reading and writing skills. But as most kids - and adults - will tell you, writing is hard!

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Definition: The process of putting thoughts into words, typically by using pencil and paper, a typewriter, or a computer. The written, or typed, text is often organized in a clear and cohesive manner to easily convey meaning to the reader.

Extended Definition: "Writing is a complex process that requires a wide range of skills — a strong vocabulary; an understanding of genre, text structure, and voice; basic mechanical skills (grammar and punctuation); organizational skills; and higher order thinking."

WETA. (n.d.). Writing. Reading Rockets. Retrieved November 14, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading-basics/writing

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For 4-12 grade students, ELLs, and ESL students struggling with developing their vocabulary, the activities listed in the Applications section may be useful; however, there are additional strategies that could aid them. Here are some of those strategies:
- One is teaching vocabulary thematically, which involves organizing terms around a central theme and choosing texts, such as readings, that work to reinforce the new terms contextually.
- Focusing on common root words and affixes can also be useful since it involves breaking down words into smaller chunks.
- Cognates, or words that are the same or similar in English and another language, can be especially useful for ELLs and ESL students since it bridges their primary language to English.
- Previewing vocabulary is another viable strategy, and this involves pre-teaching important terms and content via a walkthrough of the content reading. Drawing connections to pictures in the text and using the vocabulary terms in context helps form associations before the students read the text for themselves.
- Teaching students how to actively engage with vocabulary as they are reading, aka annotating text, is another valuable strategy. Showing them they can underline, highlight, and write notes about new terms helps students build comprehension of the text's vocabulary on their own. They can use those annotations to decipher context clues, ask for help from classmates, ask for help from the teacher, or research the terms via dictionary, the internet, or other texts.

WETA. (n.d.). Tips for Educators of ELLs: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12. Colorín Colorado. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/tips-educators-ells-teaching-vocabulary-grades-4-12#top

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Tips for Educators of ELLs: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12

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Research shows that vocabulary development is one of the most important skills students need to acquire to become English-proficient. Here are some strategies to help you get started! These strategies are geared towards grades 4-12 but can be adapted for younger students. These tips are available as a one-page handout to download and print.

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Vocabulary is important to social studies classes because social studies is such a broad umbrella that encompasses many classes, each with their own unique terms. It is critical that students understand vocabulary so that they can successfully navigate course material, tests, and classroom discussions. If students do not understand the vocabulary of the texts they engage with, they will likely not be able to fully comprehend the texts, engage in discussions about the texts, or write about the texts.

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While learning new vocabulary may seem simple on the surface, it takes some time and effort to get new terms to sink in and for students to fully comprehend how to effectively utilize them. Here are some examples of activities that could be used in the classroom to help students learn vocabulary:
- Word Maps/Webs: With the vocabulary at the center, students can create connecting bubbles to other words and concepts to form a word map, or word web. This can help students in their comprehension of new vocabulary as it ties the new terms with words and concepts they are already familiar with.
- Frayer Model: Somewhat similar to word maps/webs, the Frayer model expands the idea by having students define the new vocabulary in their own words. Half of the model has students provide examples and non-examples, and this could be an opportunity for students to bring in prior knowledge. The other half of the model has students define the vocabulary term in their own words and write some facts/characteristics of the vocabulary. This is organized with the new term in the center and four corners for the definition, facts/characteristics, example, and non-examples.
- Vocabulary Sketchbooks: Having students draw sketches that represent the meaning of new vocabulary can create a strong visual association. This is helpful for students because the students are writing the word and doing the sketch themselves, which adds a personalized layer to learning vocabulary.
- Fill in words from A to Z: This activity gamifies learning new vocabulary by having students think of as many words as they can that are related to the new word. Each letter has a different score value, and more difficult letters have more score value. The words that students could use range from synonyms to antonyms to examples. As long as the words are related to the new vocabulary, its fair game.
- Acrostics: Less gamified, but still fun and challenging, acrostics allow students to get creative with new vocabulary. The new vocabulary term is written vertically, and then each letter determines what the first word in the line will be. They can be done like poems or be simple with words and concepts related to the new vocabulary being on each line.

Staake, J. (2022, April 26). 20 Meaningful Vocabulary Activities for Every Grade. We Are Teachers. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.weareteachers.com/vocabulary-activities/

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30 Meaningful Vocabulary Activities for Every Grade

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Learning new words is like adding to your writing toolbox.

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Definition: Individually, vocabulary is the collective pool of words a person knows and uses to communicate. In terms of education, vocabulary refers to the words, general and disciplinary, that students need to understand to be academically successful.

Extended Definition: "Vocabulary refers to the words we must understand to communicate effectively. Educators often consider four types of vocabulary: listening, speaking, reading, and writing."

"Vocabulary plays a fundamental role in the reading process and is critical to reading comprehension. Children learn the meanings of most words indirectly, through everyday experiences with oral and written language. Other words are learned through carefully designed instruction."

WETA. (n.d.). Vocabulary. Reading Rockets. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading-basics/vocabulary

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For middle school students struggling with reading comprehension, ELLs, and ESL students, the activities I mentioned in the Applications section may be useful to them as well. In the article "These 13 Reading Comprehension Activities for Middle School Will Help Your Students Succeed," Simona Johnes lists some activities that could be helpful for middle school students, and she suggests some ideas to help support these students. Here is an excerpt of the ideas she suggests:

"Explicitly teach vocabulary using visual aids, graphic organizer, and mnemonics.

Help your students learning thinking strategies (such as activating their prior knowledge, visualizing, asking questions, predicting, making connections between texts, and re-reading).

Model and explicitly teach the comprehension strategies listed above (making predictions, questioning, monitoring, and summarizing) along with other skills like sequencing, making connections, plot and story structure, and figurative language.

Work to improve students’ comprehension with spoken language first (if you see this as a deficit) before expecting to improve reading comprehension."

To summarize, it is important to help older students struggling with reading comprehension as it will only get more difficult to nail down as they get older. Graphic organizers, thinking strategies, modeling, and focusing on spoken language comprehension skills can all contribute towards bolstering a student's reading comprehension skills.

Johnes, S. (n.d.). These 13 Reading Comprehension Activities for Middle School Will Help Your Students Succeed. Science and Literacy. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://scienceandliteracy.org/reading-comprehension-activities-for-middle-school/

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Comprehension, much like the other reading basics, requires practice for students to develop the skill. These are some comprehension-focused activities that can help students develop those skills in the classroom:
- Think Aloud Prompts: To get students to think about what they are thinking, the teacher can ask themselves questions out loud while they are reading to their students. This is modeling for students to show them that they should be thinking while they are reading, not just reading.
- Graphic Organizers: These give students a visual and spatial method of processing reading material. There are many types of graphic organizers, from Venn diagrams to charts to spider-web graphs, and all of them help students make connections to and internalize what they are reading.
- K-W-L Charts: These charts help to get students thinking about the reading before they even read the first word of the text. The K in the chart is for students to share what they already know about the subject. The W is for students to share what they want to know about the subject. Finally, the L is for students to share what they have learned from the reading. This chart shows the progression of knowledge and comprehension in the simplest of terms.
- 3-2-1 Strategy: This is a strategy students engage in after they read the material, though you could prompt them by explaining the strategy beforehand. For this strategy, students write down three things they learned from the reading, two things they found interesting, and one question they have about the reading.
- Peer Groups and Discussions: This can be done with or without a writing component, but a writing component is recommended since it will help with information retention. Putting students in pairs or groups and having them discuss characters, illustrations, and the plot of the reading can help students hear other perspectives. Hearing from others can help fill in gaps in comprehension, and sharing with others can help reinforce what students learned independently from the reading.

Kelley, S. (2021, September 30). 18 Elementary Comprehension Activities. Education to the Core. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from https://educationtothecore.com/2021/09/18-elementary-comprehension-activities/

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Getting our students reading is no easy task! We have our choppy readers, fast readers, super slow readers, and even non-readers all bundled together in our classrooms with needs. Oh my, the needs! But teachers like yourselves do miracles daily! Then by the end of 2nd and 3rd Grade, these kiddos are becoming masters of reading. But are they always understanding? As texts become harder, do our students have the comprehension skills they need as they progress in school? These kiddos need Comprehension Activities!

We looked back at some of our old blogs for younger students, did some new research, and came up with 18 Comprehension Activities for 2nd and 3rd Grade that can make your jobs easier! These items require minimal prep work for you while providing tons of practice for your students! We also have included some digital activities for your remote learners so you can easily cover all areas! #9, #13, and #16 are so easy to implement; my class of 2nd graders is banging out their best comprehension ever! Check out these 18 Comprehension Activities!

Comprehension Activities for Whole Group!

1- Think Aloud Prompts for Metacognition Students repeat what they hear and see! Teach them how to think about what they are thinking! While reading out loud, ask yourself questions out loud as well. Hmm, I wonder what will happen next? Gosh, I wonder why he did that? Model, model, model how your kids should be thinking while they are reading!
2- Insects Unit
This unit includes Insects Close Reads with authentic photographs and academic language. Plus, we have included five open-ended, text-dependent questions for each insect. And graphic organizers to complete treemaps, organize facts, and do compare and contrast writing!

3- Graphic Organizers. Graphic organizers let students process information both visually and spatially, which encourages them to internalize the material. The very nature of graphic organizers enables students quite literally to see the connections in what they are reading.

Comprehension Activities to Guide Your Groups More!

4- K-W-L Charts I enjoy hearing from my students before a story. I show them the book, and we study the cover while discussing the title. Or, if I am introducing a topic, I will tell the kids what we will be learning about today. Then, the kids tell me what they know about the subject. I excite them about the book or topic, and the kids tell me many things they want to learn. After, we write down all of the things we learned! The kiddos love sharing!

5- Making Connections By making text-to-life connections and activating prior knowledge, students become invested in their reading. Students can comprehend better when they can relate to a text! Connections can be a powerful tool to keep them engaged and motivated when working on their reading skills. Furthermore, connecting what your students are reading to their lives and activating prior knowledge may help them retain more of their reading.

6- Scavenger Hunt I have increased my scavenger hunt game since distance learning occurred. And now that we can move around the building more, I love setting up scavenger hunts with clues requiring thinking and comprehension. The kids have a lot of fun, and usually, the result is something simple and cheap!

7- Mirrors and Windows Mirrors are books you can see yourself in, making personal connections. A book that is a window allows our students to look into someone else's life and gain perspective. Both types improve our understanding and comprehension! Choose books that will enable your students to see in the mirror but also look through the window! Click the link for a great blog on this topic by Lanesha Tabb and Education with an Apron!

Comprehension Activities for Small Group or Individual Work

8- Directed Draw & Write Kids enjoy drawing about things they read or hear, giving students paper, and drawing a picture from the story with an accompanying sentence. ETTC has some fabulous Directed Drawings where kids follow the directions to create their image and then complete comprehension activities around the picture.

9- 5 Finger Story Retells (CORE BINDER) Your thumb is the setting, the index finger is the characters, the middle finger is the problem (beginning), the ring finger is the events in the middle, and pinkie is the solution (ending). If you don't have our great resource, CORE Binder, which has several five-finger options, including the visual below, the students can trace their own hands and fill in all the information!

10- Literacy Centers 10 Literature Centers per month for the entire school year for 2nd Grade or 40 downloadable centers aligned with 3rd Grade standards! We have centers available in both 2nd and 3rd Grade! Comprehensive, meaningful centers to work on your class needs all year long!

11- 3-2-1 Strategy After students complete a passage, ask them to write down three things they learned, two interesting things, and 1 question. By using this simple strategy, you not only boost their engagement, but you allow them to improve their reading comprehension purposefully. You can find this in our CORE Binder as well!

12- Main Idea and Key Details Digital Lit Center Main Idea Activity for Google Classroom™/Slides™ features 10 Main Idea and Key Details Mats where the students will have to determine the main idea of all the objects and explain why by typing in the space below.

Keep Those Comprehension Activities Coming!

13- 2 Grade Digital Reading Comprehension Passages and Questions The passages with these ETTC 2nd Grade pages are fantastic! The purpose of having fluency is not fast reading. Instead, building up fluency helps comprehension, and these are leveled just perfectly for 2nd Grade!

14- 3rd Grade Reading Fluency and Comprehension Passages If you are not looking for digital or need additional grades for differentiation, we have you covered! From Practically First through 3rd Grade, boost that fluency and practice comprehension!

And Finally

15- Book Reports, Book Reviews, and Book Critiques The book reports that some of us did as kids were monotonous! Not today! Have students do a deep dive into the illustrations or authors' purpose. Allow them the freedom to write about or draw about their likes and dislikes of a book. What would they do differently? How would they change up characters or plots?

16- Peer Groups and Discussions Skip the writing and have students work together to discuss the illustrations, characters, and plot. Change it up and do before, during, or after the book is read. Hearing perspectives from others' can boost comprehension in new ways!

17- More than Books Allow your students time to explore nontraditional reading material that interests them. Other materials will motivate them and keep them excited about reading, but they will offer challenges that typical texts may not. Suggest material like newspapers, magazines, recipes, comic books, blogs, or song lyrics! Keep it fresh and fun, and your students will be dying to read more!

18- Technology Technology is the perfect way to not only get your kids excited about reading but offer them the opportunity to work on a variety of reading skills. If you don't have it yet, ask your school for Readingatoz.com.

Bonus Comprehension Activity

Bonus Activity: If starting with a shape or line and then having your students transform that into a picture that they will then write about sounds great, try Transformation Station. And what's a bonus without a freebie?

Well, did we deliver? I hope so! Hopefully, this list of 18 Comprehension Activities for 2nd and 3rd Grade gets your kiddos ready to move on to comprehend more complex texts with very prep work for you! Have some ideas of your own or some thoughts on ours? We love feedback and different ideas!

WRITTEN BY - SUZANNE KELLEY

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Getting our students reading is no easy task! We have our choppy readers, fast readers, super slow readers, and even non-readers all bundled together in

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Reading comprehension is important to social studies classes because social studies is all about taking in new ideas, making sense of them, connecting them with previous knowledge, and forming individual thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Critical thinking skills stem from baseline comprehension on a topic, so if we want students to analyze and think critically about the world around them, they need to be able to comprehend what they are reading first.

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Definition: Reading comprehension is the ability to process text, understand it, and connect it with previously established knowledge.

Extended Definition: "Comprehension is the reason for reading. If readers can read the words but do not understand or connect to what they are reading, they are not really reading. Good readers are both purposeful and active, and have the skills to absorb what they read, analyze it, make sense of it, and make it their own."

WETA. (n.d.). Reading Comprehension. Reading Rockets. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading-basics/comprehension

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For older ELLs and ESL students, the activities I mentioned in the Applications section can apply to them. It would be important to ensure the texts they are engaging with in those activities are appropriate and relevant to the interests of older students however. In the article "The Science of Reading: An Equity Issue, Part III," ESOL teacher Andrea Robinson uses complex texts to strengthen students' fluency. Here is some of what she talks about in her excerpt in the article:

"...I use explicit vocabulary instruction tied to complex texts to support academic language acquisition... To ensure students have the fluency necessary to support reading comprehension, I put routines in place for choral and partnered reading of text... This practice also helped foster a sense of community among my students. I further scaffold comprehension of complex text by grouping students heterogeneously in triads to promote oral discourse of text-dependent questions. These practices ensure that my students can access grade-level text."

Essentially, ELLs and ESL students need access to sufficiently challenging but readable texts. It is not enough to begin teaching fluency using books appropriate for young children because those books would not contain the content and vocabulary that older students would be engaging with in grade-level texts.

UnboundEd. (2021, July 23). The Science of Reading: An Equity Issue, Part III. UnboundEd Home. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.unbounded.org/blog/the-science-of-reading-an-equity-issue-part-3

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We've been excited to share some thoughts from our UnboundEd facilitator family on the science of reading and how it is an equity issue (see our posts here and here). We want to explore this issue a little more through the lens of secondary teaching and hope you enjoy reading!

Here are some thoughts from four of our Virtual Summit facilitators: Leandrea Taylor, Mariama Sesay-St. Paul, Andrea Robinson, and Cheryl Dobbertin.

1. How does what you know about the science of reading influence how you plan and deliver instruction at the secondary level?

Leandrea Taylor, Director of Literacy, Compass Community Schools, Tennessee: Most of the work I do with teachers involves attending to the language associated with Hollis Scarborough's "Reading Rope" work. This theoretical framework asserts that students become skilled readers by becoming increasingly automatic with word recognition and increasingly strategic. Because students in middle schools need support with analyzing and interpreting complex texts, intentional planning with the language strand of the theoretical frameworks provides teachers with valuable insight to plan for high impact instruction. Before teaching complex text, teachers plan for "just right" scaffolds that support students to access complex text. During weekly planning sessions, teachers engage in collaborative text-talks. This time is designed for supporting teachers with anticipating ways to give students windows and/or mirrors to access meaning in complex texts or determine places where students may struggle with complex text and plan how to respond. Teachers walk into lessons knowing the hotspots and are prepared to engage students in the thinking work of unlocking complex texts. Planning this way trains teachers to welcome student misconceptions as an opportunity to provide instruction.

Mariama Sesay-St. Paul, Vice Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, Newark Public Schools, New Jersey: I know that reading fluency is about accuracy, prosody, and speed. I also know that many high school teachers cringe at the idea of having to teach reading. I help high school teachers understand the importance of developing their knowledge and vocabulary around the science of reading so when they recognize that a high school student isn't demonstrating proficiency of the high school standards, they're able to use their vocabulary to ask for help. Instead of saying "she can't read," teachers are able to say things like "she can pronounce words properly but needs to be able to summarize what she read" or "she needs to pay attention to punctuation." I also help teachers understand the text complexity triangle so they come face to face with all the nuances of the English language that they take for granted as thriving readers. PD centered on qualitative measures helps teachers identify where students struggle and then discuss strategies to help the striving students become thriving students.

Andrea Robinson, @MsRobinson_ESOL, ESOL Teacher/Team Leader, Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland: My planning process begins with an analysis of the text I will be teaching. I use explicit vocabulary instruction tied to complex texts to support academic language acquisition. I also incorporate word study to develop knowledge of affixes. To ensure students have the fluency necessary to support reading comprehension, I put routines in place for choral and partnered reading of text. While at first students felt self-conscious about reading aloud, their reluctance quickly dissipated. Within a short time, I observed notable results. This practice also helped foster a sense of community among my students. I further scaffold comprehension of complex text by grouping students heterogeneously in triads to promote oral discourse of text-dependent questions. These practices ensure that my students can access grade-level text.

Cheryl Dobbertin, @CherylDobbertin, Director of Secondary Education, East Irondequoit Central School District, New York: I really like the visual of Hollis Scarborough's "Reading Rope." It shows how the strands of word recognition (like phonological awareness and decoding) intertwine with the strands of language comprehension (like knowledge of the world, syntax and vocabulary) to result in proficient reading. Secondary teachers who want to strengthen their students' reading ropes have to ensure that they are reading texts that offer opportunities to learn new syntactic structures, acquire vocabulary, unpack subtle inferences, and build knowledge of the world-in short, they need increasingly complex texts and they need instruction that helps them learn to tackle those texts. If we were really tuned in to the science of reading, we could give up the long-standing secondary argument, particularly amongst ELA teachers, that knowing what happens in certain books (i.e. "the canon") matters as much as ensuring that students climb an interesting, worthy, staircase of complexity. Understanding the science of reading, particularly in relation to what it takes to help students build their language comprehension, helps content area teachers shift their stance away from assigners of reading who expect full comprehension to teachers of reading who look for opportunities to strengthen their students' reading ropes.

2. How is applying the science of reading at the secondary level an equity issue?

Taylor: Oftentimes, students living in marginalized communities face blame for achievement disparities. Fortunately, the body of research around the science of reading has called attention to systemic inequities that can be traced back to institutions like schools and colleges of education ignoring the research around the science of reading. Refusing to acknowledge and act on current research around how students learn to read sets students up for failure. For far too long, Black students and students from other marginalized communities have languished in school environments that have accepted failure as an option. Schools have an ethical responsibility to understand the science of reading research and to demand educators develop the knowledge, skills, and expertise to apply it in the classroom.

Sesay-St. Paul:There are many students at the high school level who are striving to become thriving readers. If secondary teachers don't understand the science of reading, they won't understand the purpose of small group instruction and differentiation. They won't understand the need to pre-read a text with their teacher lens on and plan purposeful questions for students to answer. They won't understand the necessity for focusing on academic vocabulary or chunking texts. If the teachers don't truly understand these things then how can they create and facilitate standards-aligned lessons that help striving students succeed? A wise woman once said, "Literacy is freedom!" If one truly believes that, which I do, then how can applying the science of reading at the secondary level not be an equity issue?

Robinson: When I made the transition from elementary to middle school, I brought with me some misguided practices. This included using leveled texts with students and modifying grade-level text to reduce the level of rigor. I did this with the best of intentions, however, it should come as no surprise that my students' growth directly correlated to the level of instruction I provided. I quickly came to realize that using below grade-level text only further exacerbated disparities among my Black and Brown students. When you know better, you do better. I committed to using grade-level complex text from a standards-aligned curriculum, but then wrestled with the temptation to modify or overly scaffold the content. The truth is that as much as I wanted to help my students reach their full potential, my "helping" was actually hindering their growth. Only by applying the science of reading could I equip students with the necessary tools to access grade-level content, thus closing the opportunity gap. I am convinced this is the best way to support students, particularly those with unfinished learning.

Dobbertin: There is little research that shows that adolescent readers make gains, whether they enter the middle grades reading at grade level or if they are still developing. I would argue that this phenomenon is the result of adolescent reading programs and approaches that are not grounded in the science of reading. Students who are not skillful readers have unfinished learning in either the word recognition side of their reading ropes, the language comprehension side, or both - their ropes have broken or frayed strands. Over time, I hope we will shift the conversation from "this student can't read" to something along the lines of "this student has unfinished learning in the decoding and word knowledge strands, and that has prevented the student from learning enough grade level vocabulary and building enough background knowledge to be independently successful with grade level text. So, what's our plan?" Every student deserves us to relentlessly pursue an understanding of what each reader needs to continuously develop.

We also asked our facilitators to recommend freely available resources to support understanding and planning with the science of reading at the secondary level. Here's what they shared:

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The Science of Reading: An Equity Issue, Part III

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We've been excited to share some thoughts from our UnboundEd facilitator family on the science of reading and how it is an equity issue (see our posts here and here). We want to explore this issue a little more through the lens of secondary teaching and hope you enjoy reading!

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Fluency is important to social studies classes because social studies texts are information dense. Being able to read accurately and quickly makes reading through dense text with lots of new vocabulary much easier. Being able to read with expression breathes life into the texts, making them less boring and detached from the students' lives. It also helps with understanding the author's perspective and potential biases, which is especially important for history classes.

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Mastering fluency takes a lot of practice, and repetition is key to make it stick. Here are some activities that can help improve a student's fluency:
- Student-adult reading: This is a one-on-one activity between teacher and student. The teacher models fluency by reading the text aloud to the student. The student then reads the same text aloud to the teacher, and the teacher may provide assistance and encouragement where needed. The student will read the text aloud multiple times until they are fluent.
- Choral reading: This is a group variation on student-adult reading. The difference is the teacher will continue reading multiple times as students begin to recognize the words in the text and join the teacher in reading aloud. Eventually, all of the students should be able to read the text on their own.
- Tape-assisted reading: For this activity, the taped reader should be reading at a pace of 80-100 words per minute. First, the students will follow along, using their fingers to point at the words being read by the taped reader. Students will then try to read aloud with the tape recording, and this will continue until the student is able to read the text by themselves.
- Partner reading: Two students are paired up. This activity can be done with both students being equally fluent readers or one student being more fluent than the other. In the first scenario, the teacher reads the text aloud first, and the pair of students take turns rereading aloud until they can read the text independently. In the second scenario, the more fluent student reads the text aloud first, and the less fluent student rereads until they can read the text independently.
- Readers' theatre: Students practice and perform a play for their teacher and fellow students. The students would read scripts that are adapted from dialogue-rich books. Each student is given a role as a narrator or a character, and they will practice rereading their scripts until they are confident enough to perform them.

Texas Education Agency. (n.d.). Fluency: Instructional Guidelines and Student Activities. Reading Rockets. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/fluency-instructional-guidelines-and-student-activities

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Phonics, decoding, and print awareness are all very important to social studies classes. Reading and writing are essential foundational skills since social studies classes are text and vocabulary dense classes. Being able to break down words, pronounce them properly, and write them properly is important for helping students absorb and understand the content and how the content is communicated. Learning these skills in English will also be helpful for learning other languages in the future.

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There are many ways to teach early/young readers phonics, and the following are some activities that can be done in the classroom to teach phonics:
- Singing phonics songs: pre-made or original songs can be used to get children to actively listen to the teacher and repeat what they've learned in a fun way.
- Coloring in beginning sounds: Coloring in words that start with the matching sound will help students connect letters and sounds.
- Playing digital games, such as Duolingo ABC: Duolingo ABC has its own phonics program. It is a free and fun way for students, who have access to electronic devices, to learn the basics of phonics.
- Building words with beginning sound charts: Beginning sounds charts have the beginning sounds in big bold letters with illustrations of words corresponding to those sounds next to them. For example, "bl" would have an illustration of blocks next to it.
- Fill-in the blanks: This can be done in multiple ways. One way to do this would be to give students words with vowels missing and have students fill in the vowels. Another way would be to do a scavenger hunt version where the students hunt around the room for the vowels and use them to fill in a big chart with fill-in the blank words.
- Using letter tiles: Students can play around with the sounds of words by using letter tiles to create words and swap out letters to create new words.
- Using segmented flip books: Flip books with the pages cut in threes can be used similarly to the letter tiles activity. This one could be more hand-on in that the students could make their own.
- Making phonics cubes: Students use cubes with letters and words missing the beginning letter. They have to roll the cubes until the letter cube matches the word cube.
- Using paint stirrers to make word pull-outs: This is an alternative to the flip book activity that uses paint stirrer sticks and paper towel tubes. A series of letters are printed on the paint stirrer stick and a word ending is placed on the paper towel tube. The students can slide out the series of letters from the tube to form new words.
- Using pocket charts: Wall-mounted pocket charts can be used similarly to the phonics cube activity. There are multiple word ending headings and students have to place illustrations of words under those headings. For example, an "-at" word heading can have the word illustrations rat, cat, mat, etc. placed underneath them.

Staake, J. (2022, August 16). 26 Fun Phonics Activities and Games for Early Readers. We Are Teachers. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.weareteachers.com/phonics-activities/

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Phonics is one of the five essential components of the science of reading, along with phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Phonics activities help young learners break words into their constituent sounds so they build their literacy skills, bit by bit. Here are some of our favorite ways to teach these key skills.

1. Sing a phonics song

Singing songs is such a fun and effective way to learn! Kids will love to watch and sing along, and might not even realize they're learning along the way.

Learn more: 15 Phonics Songs for Kids at We Are Teachers

2. Color in the beginning sounds

Most kids start learning phonics by mastering the beginning sounds of words. Have kids color in the words that start with the matching sound on these cute and free worksheets.

Learn more: Beginning Sounds Coloring Pages at The Measured Mom

3. Use Google Slides

Google Slides has tons of fun phonics activities kids can use in the classroom or at home.

Learn more: 18 Interactive Google Slides for Teaching Phonics and Sight Words at We Are Teachers

4. Hang phonics anchor charts

When it comes to phonics, there's a lot to learn. Post anchor charts around the room to help kids remember important rules like silent E, vowel blends, and hard and soft C and G.

Learn more: 20 Perfect Anchor Charts for Teaching Phonics and Blends at We Are Teachers

5. Build words with a chart of beginning sounds

Grab this free printable chart and print out copies for your students to use with their phonics activities. There's a version for rimes too.

Learn more: Beginning Sounds Chart at This Reading Mama

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6. Learn digraphs with clip wheels

Combine fine motor skills practice with phonics work with these free beginning digraph wheels. Tip: Add small dots on the back to mark the right answers so kids can self-correct their work.

Learn more: Digraph Wheels at Playdough to Plato

7. Slap the letter sounds

Sounding out words letter by letter is a lot more fun when you slap each letter with a flyswatter! This is a great idea for active learners.

Learn more: Letter Sound Slap at Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

8. Walk the word

This one will also keep active learners moving and happy! Write words in sidewalk chalk, then walk (or hop or skip) along them, sounding the word out along the way. Simple but fun!

Learn more: Gross Motor Phonics Game: Walk the Word at Coffee Cups and Crayons

9. Fill in the missing letters

This active game combines a scavenger hunt with phonics! Hide sticky notes around the room with various vowels. Then, write CVC words with the vowels missing. Have kids hunt for the missing sounds and fill them in. Fun!

Learn more: Missing Sounds Reading Activity at Busy Toddler

10. Just swap one letter

As students move from box to box, they change one letter to make the new word represented by the picture. They might need to change the first, middle, or last letter, so it's a real challenge!

Learn more: Just Swap One at This Reading Mama

11. Make magic spoons

Pick up a pack of plastic spoons at the dollar store, then use them to practice building words by combining beginning sounds with word endings.

Learn more: Activities To Teach Phonics and Math at Education to the Core

12. Toss and blend with plastic cups

Grab a stack of plastic cups and some Ping-Pong balls for this fun phonics game. Label the cups with different letter blends and set them out (tape them down if they tend to fall over). Kids toss a ball into a cup, then come up with a word that uses that letter blend to earn a point.

Learn more: Toss and Blend at Education.com

13. Flip the pages

Divide the pages of a small notebook into thirds, then write letters on each page. Flip them to form new words.

Learn more: Phoneme Substitution Activities at Tickled Pink in Primary

14. Mix and match cups to make words

If you've still got some cups left over, label them with more letters or letter blends, then use them to mix and match words. This is an especially fun way to work on CVC and sight words.

Learn more: CVC Cups at Inspired Elementary

15. Hack pool noodles into phonics tools

This has got to be one of our favorite phonics activities. Cut a pool noodle into pieces and label it with letters. Then stack and spin for learning fun!

Learn more: Pool Noodle Phonics at We Are Teachers

16. Spin and rhyme

Here's a different spin (pun intended!) on Pool Noodle Phonics. All you need is a cardboard tube, a wire pants hanger, scissors, and a marker to make this fun DIY rhyming activity.

Learn more: Spin and Rhyme at No Time for Flash Cards

17. Make some phonics cubes

Slide the free printable inserts into a set of photo cubes, then roll until you get the correct combination of letter and word ending.

Learn more: Phonics Cubes at This Reading Mama

18. Use paint stirrers to make word pull-outs

These clever phonics tools are easy to make using paint stirrer sticks and paper towel tubes. Simply slide the stick in and out to make new words!

Learn more: Word Family Pull-Out Activity at I Can Teach My Child

19. Play a flip-top phonics game

If you go through packages of wipes like most parents do, you'll appreciate this idea. Save the flip tops and use them for DIY phonics activities.

Learn more: Flip Top Phonics Games for Kids at No Time for Flash Cards

20. Use a pocket chart for phonics activities

Here's another reason teachers love pocket charts: They're great for phonics centers. Sort and match cards to practice beginning sounds, blends, short and long vowels, and so much more.

Learn more: Short A Activities and Resources at Miss Giraffe's Class

21. Compete at Blends and Digraphs Bingo

Every kid loves a good game of bingo! Snag these free printable bingo cards and use them to practice blends and digraphs.

Learn more: Blends and Digraph Bingo at The Measured Mom

22. Toss some phonics water balloons

This one almost seems too fun to count as learning! Tape up beginning sounds, then toss water balloons to complete the words.

Learn more: Water Balloon Phonics at Mess for Less

23. Race to the Top with blends and digraphs

Play this free printable game to practice consonant blends. Toss a chip onto the board and say that word out loud. Then move the counter for the correct blend up one space. First to the top wins!

Learn more: Blends and Digraphs Games at This Reading Mama

24. Try locks and keys to learn phonics

This self-correcting phonics activity is also a good way to practice fine motor skills ... and a lot of fun to boot! Label keys with beginning sounds and locks with word endings, then match them up and try the key to see if you're right.

Learn more: Unlock and Learn Game at We Are Teachers

25. Play Phonogram Connect 4

Draw a word card and find an open phonogram slot on the board. Your goal is to get four in a row!

Learn more: Phonogram Connect Four at Mrs. T's First Grade Class

26. Teach them the Soft C & G Chant

Simple little chants like this will help kids remember some of those confusing language rules. Pair it with other favorites like " I before E, except after C."

Learn more: Soft C and G at This Reading Mama

27. Mix, color, and spell

We can't get enough of games that reinforce CVC words with short vowels-it's such an important early literacy skill! Practice identifying and distinguishing between vowels by coloring in the middle sound from pictures of CVC words.

Learn more: Teaching CVC Words at Susan Jones Teaching

28. Write the Room: Digraphs

Use this fun little letter scavenger hunt to move around the room to search for pictures with digraphs. First, mark the ones you find with a dot marker and then use another sheet to write the digraphs.

Learn more: Beginning Digraphs Write the Room at ABC's of Literacy

29. Use disappearing ink for letter formation

One of the first keys to early reading success is letter identification and formation. Keep it fresh by using "disappearing ink" (aka water) so students have to trace letters multiple times to prevent them from disappearing too fast. With so few materials and such high engagement, what's not to love?

Learn more: 3 Simple Play-Based Phonics Activities at Research and Play

30. Do word sorts

Word sorts are great for comparing word patterns that make the same sound, like vowel teams. They can also help reinforce so many different phonics skills, making them the perfect activity that can be easy differentiated for learners of all stages.

Learn more: Using Word Sorts for Phonics Instruction at Mrs. Winter's Bliss

31. Roll and Read

Roll a die and read the word from the corresponding column. Play with a partner or do it solo by coloring in the words as you read them.

Learn more: Lesson 79 Roll and Read at UFLI. While you're there, check out the UFLI free lesson resources, which include decodable passages and games for almost every phonics skill!

32. Roll letter dice

A perfect DIY idea for old blocks! Use three blocks and write consonants on two of them and vowels on the other. Have some fun rolling and blending CVC words.

Learn more: DIY Phonics Games at Early Impact Learning

33. Sort syllable types

If you are teaching the different syllable types, this word sort helps students practice their knowledge of the six types and shows you what they know.

Learn more: Six-Way Syllable Sort at Florida Center for Reading Research. Also, check out the many other phonics resources available by grade level: Kindergarten and First Grade or Second and Third Grades.

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33 Fun Phonics Activities and Games for Early Readers

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Help kids learn to read with phonics activities that break words into their basic sounds, like phonemes, digraphs, diphthongs, and more.

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It is important to remember that there are students who may either not have learned phonics when they were younger or are learning English as their second language. These English language learner's (ELLs), aka ESL students, require phonics instruction that is catered to their needs but does not make them feel embarrassed. While some of the early reader strategies could be used with middle and high school ELLs, the early reader activities are primarily geared towards young children, so it could be embarrassing and/or boring for middle and high school ELLs to engage with. Here are some age appropriate activities:
- Playing Scrabble: This is a more advanced form of the lettered tiles activity and turns forming words into a game. While the Scrabble tiles themselves can be used the same as the lettered tiles activity, it could be more engaging to play a full game of Scrabble.
- Singing songs: Music is useful to students of all ages. The teacher just has to make sure the music is more age-appropriate and in line with older students tastes. Examples of alphabet chants and other phonics-related songs can be found online.
- Listen and Write: The teacher says a short sentences, and the student writes down what they heard. This helps the student connect sounds with the letters and words.
- Make connections between languages: Helping students understand that sounding out words is something that can be done across languages. Some letters sound the same across multiple languages, so students with literacy skills in other languages can use that to bridge the gap to learning English.
- Poetry: Similar to singing, poetry can be used to help middle and high school ELLs learn phonics. The teacher can recite poems aloud and have students follow suit.
- High interest/low readability texts: These are texts written on lower reading levels but cover topics that would be of interest to middle and high school students.

It is also important to keep in mind that some ESL students may be coming from non-alphabetic languages, so teachers must help those students learn to read left to right and top to bottom. Said students may also need extra practice with matching letters and sounds.

Robertson, K. (n.d.). Phonics Instruction for Middle and High School ELLs. Colorín Colorado. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/phonics-instruction-middle-and-high-school-ells#h-basic-strategies-build-a-foundation

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I recently had the opportunity to teach summer school, and two of my sixth-grade students barely read at a first-grade level. This was very challenging for me, and I struggled to find the right way to address their need for phonics and comprehension instruction. Little by little, however, I began to find some simple strategies that worked for them, such as turning activities into a game. We began to make some progress, and I discovered some new ways to help older students build a stronger foundation of basic reading skills.

Before reviewing those strategies, however, it is helpful to understand why teaching phonics to older students is so important and what some challenges may be.

Phonics: Challenges for Older ELLs

Teaching phonics to middle and high school English language learners (ELLs) poses the following challenges:

Phonics becomes a minimal part of the Language Arts curriculum for students in intermediate grades and above - it is assumed that students have learned the sound/symbol correspondence necessary to read by the upper elementary grades.

For ELLs who start their education in the U.S. after 4th grade, this can be very problematic because the intensive phonetic instruction they need is unlikely to be a part of their daily curriculum.

Prior literacy experience

Many educators believe that students only need to learn to read once, and that's true for students whose first languages are alphabetic languages like English. Once the concept of matching a symbol with a sound has been learned, it can be applied to new languages.

Students who have not learned to read in their native language or whose native language does not use a phonetic alphabet may struggle to grasp the concept of phonetic relationships between sound and letters.

In addition, these students must master that concept while applying it to a new language.

Phonics instruction may also be tied to vocabulary words that are unfamiliar to ELLs, or it may focus on words presented out of context (e.g., in worksheets or drills), making it difficult for ELLs to decipher their meaning.

It may be difficult for ELLs to apply what they've learned in isolated phonics exercises to text if they don't see a connection from one exercise to the other.

Age-appropriate instructional materials and strategies

Phonics instruction materials and strategies are often targeted towards much younger children.

While some materials can be adapted for use by older students, most are unlikely to be engaging or appealing for middle and high school ELLs. They may feel embarrassed at using "childish" materials, and they will quickly get bored by the drill and repetition that younger students have a need for.

Older students want to engage in activities requiring the use of higher-order thinking skills, which early literacy materials don't usually offer.

There is good news, however. Despite these challenges, there are a number of strategies which can be effective for older ELLs. Give some of these a try! You can also find more research-based strategies and information for adolescents in Key Literacy Component: Decoding by the National Institute for Literacy (featured on our sister site, AdLit.org).

Basic Strategies: Build a Foundation

Enlist extra support: ELLs in 4th grade and above who need further instruction on phonics will be most helped by intensive intervention. Ideally, they should attend a reading remediation class or receive special support to continue phonics instruction from a reading specialist. If such support is unavailable for your students, ask your school's reading specialist for help designing an intervention plan for the student. Keep in mind that computer programs or off-the-shelf programs (which may have been designed for native speakers of English and/or younger students) may not provide the targeted instruction, feedback, and support that older students need.

Use hands-on activities to help teach letter-sound relationships: This can include using manipulatives such as counters, sound boxes, magnetic letters, or Scrabble tiles. Students may also be interested in creating their own materials on the computer or through an art project. Month-by-Month Phonics for Upper Grades: A Second Chance for Struggling Readers and Students Learning English also offers a number of ideas for incorporating phonics activities into the curriculum.

Provide targeted support for students whose native language is non-alphabetic: Language skills transfer from one language to another; students literate in their native language will already have background knowledge of how reading works.

If their native language is non-alphabetic, however, students may need extra practice in the following areas:

Direction: Students may not be accustomed to reading from left to right and top to bottom.

Letter-sound recognition: Students may need extra practice on matching sounds and letters, particularly if they are used to a system of characters that symbolize words rather than sounds.

Use an alphabet chant: If older students need to review their alphabetic skills, look for a jazz or hip-hop alphabet chant that students will find entertaining and engaging. There are many examples online and on YouTube.

Have students write for sound: Say a short sentence that includes one or more words that include the target phonics feature(s). Ask students to listen carefully and then write what they heard. This activity trains students to listen for the individual sounds in words and represent them phonetically in their writing.

Work in small groups: If students are past the age at which phonemic awareness and phonological skill-building have been addressed (typically kindergarten through first or second grade), attend to these skills one-on-one or in small groups with developmentally appropriate and engaging activities. Ask your school's reading specialist for help finding appropriate activities and materials.

Help students make a connection between their first language and English: For students with stronger native language literacy skills (especially in languages related to English like Spanish), help them understand that the process of sounding out words is the same across languages. Explain some letters may make the same or similar sounds in both languages. Knowing this can help Spanish-dominant students, for example, as they learn to decode words in English. Make sure they are aware of cognates as well!

Teach phonics in context: Use text with vocabulary that is familiar to the student to introduce and reinforce:

letter recognition

beginning and ending sounds

blends

rhyming words

silent letters

homonyms

Integrate phonics and content instruction: When possible, collaborate with the reading specialist and content-area teachers to integrate phonics instruction into content and classroom lessons and texts, as well as into academic vocabulary instruction.

Make it a game: Try activities as simple as looking for a particular sound on the page, or reciting words and having students hold up a sign with the correct sound on it after each word. You may also want to try short games of Scrabble, Hangman, and Memory. These are quick activities but they can effectively reinforce the targeted phonetic concept.

Look for appropriate materials: "High interest/low readability" texts are books that are written on a first to third grade reading level but treat themes and topics that are of interest to students of middle school or high school age. You can find a number of suggestions in the following resources; many of the books listed may be available in your school's library or in your local public library.

Use poetry, jazz chants, and songs: Find poems, chants, and songs that relate to students' interests, or ask them to bring some of their favorites in that can be included in the lesson. Recite the text aloud, and then give students time to practice reading aloud as well.

Integrate phonics instruction with word study: Teach students how to identify word parts, break words down into syllables, and use word families. Use content-area words for this exercise that students are likely to find in their academic work.

Final Thoughts

While it may seem to be the most expedient solution, it is not appropriate to put an older ELL student in a lower grade - for example, 1st grade - in order to get the appropriate reading instruction. This can be very humiliating for the student and cause behaviors that would be detrimental to learning.

By keeping activities age-appropriate and fun, and by tying instruction to the academic content that middle and high school students need to master, you will give your students the opportunity they need to start making progress as readers and writers. It will be challenging, but the extra effort it takes to engage them may be the key that unlocks the door to their future.

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Phonics Instruction for Middle and High School ELLs

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I recently had the opportunity to teach summer school, and two of my sixth-grade students barely read at a first-grade level. This was very challenging for me, and I struggled to find the right way to address their need for phonics and comprehension instruction.

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Definition: The ability to read text swiftly, precisely, and expressively. It connects awareness and understanding of words.

Extended Definition: "Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly, and with expression. Reading fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension."

WETA. (n.d.). Fluency. Reading Rockets. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading-basics/fluency

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Definitions:
- Phonics: An instruction method that teaches people the correlation between sounds and letters with being able to read being the goal.
- Decoding: Using phonics, decoding is the process of sounding out a new word.
- Print Awareness: The awareness that print means something and that books have words and letters inside them. It also includes an awareness of the purpose of books, how they work, and how they are formatted.

Extended Definitions:
- Phonics: "Phonics instruction teaches the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language. Children's reading development is dependent on their understanding of the alphabetic principle — the idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language."
- Decoding: "The act of sounding out words using phonics."
- Print Awareness: "The understanding that print carries meaning, that books contain letters and words. [It] also includes an understanding of what books are used for and how a book "works" — how to turn pages, how to find the top and bottom of a page, and how to identify the title and the front and back covers."

WETA. (n.d.). Phonics and Decoding. Reading Rockets. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading-basics/phonics

WETA. (n.d.). Print Awareness. Reading Rockets. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading-basics/printawareness

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It is important to note that laying the foundation for phonological awareness may assist students who may wish to learn other languages, including American Sign Language (ASL).

As previously mentioned in the Importance in Social Studies Classroom section, having phonological awareness in one language is likely to be useful in helping students understand, respect, and learn new languages. English is a melting pot of a language, and this can be seen in how we sometimes do not change the way words and names of other languages are pronounced. Tortilla is a good example as most English speakers who first encounter the word would likely want to pronounce the L's; however, we pronounce the two L's as a y sound, just like in Spanish.

In the Applications section, there is a list of strategies that teachers may use for young students to teach phonological awareness. The first example, learning motions for short vowel sounds, may be useful for students who may go on to learn ASL. Connecting motions with sounds and words is similar to how ASL is done, so it could be especially useful to teach young students ASL soon after they nail down this phonological awareness strategy.

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Additional Resource Related to Assisting Students with Dyslexia

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Additional Resource Related to Assisting Students with Dyslexia

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Vaughn, S., Gersten, R., Dimino, J., Taylor, M. J., Newman-Gonchar, R., Krowka, S., Kieffer, M. J., McKeown, M.,
Reed, D., Sanchez, M., St. Martin, K., Wexler, J., Morgan, S., Yañez, A., & Jayanthi, M. (2022). Providing Reading
Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9 (WWC 2022007). Washington, DC: National Center for Education
Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.
Retrieved from https://whatworks.ed.gov/.

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Phonological awareness is very important building up to social studies classes and within them. It is an essential foundation to lay early on so that students can become effective readers, writers, and communicators. Social studies students will consistently be learning new words and names, so it is important that they have the tools necessary to break down and properly pronounce them. Learning how to properly pronounce words and names in English will be useful in helping students understand and respect how words and names are pronounced in other languages.

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Though the examples provided for younger students could be modified, these are some additional applications that could be used in the classroom for older students:
"- Ask students to recognize whether words have been pronounced correctly.
- Ask students to watch you as you pronounce new words or new names.
- Ask students to say vocabulary words aloud and to pronounce them correctly.
- Highlight, describe, segment, and pronounce individual speech sounds if similar sounding words are confused.
- Use a guide word or gesture to remind students of a sound's identity, especially short vowels.
- Segment syllables and/or speech sounds before spelling words or to correct misspellings.
- Orally rehearse the repetition of phrases and sentences that are being written, to reduce the load on working memory.
- Write and talk when explanations are given; reduce the load on working memory.
- Provide written, pictorial, or graphic support when spoken language must be processed."

Moats, L., & Tolman, C. (n.d.). Phonological Instruction for Older Students. Reading Rockets. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/phonological-instruction-older-students

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Moats, L, & Tolman, C (2009). Excerpted from Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS): The Speech Sounds of English: Phonetics, Phonology, and Phoneme Awareness (Module 2). Boston: Sopris West.

For more information on Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) visit Voyager Sopris .

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Phonological Instruction for Older Students

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Additional and explicit instruction in phonological awareness is a critical component in helping fourth grade readers who struggle with phonological deficits. The exercises can be used as a warm-up prior to reading, spelling, or vocabulary instruction.

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When talking about oral language and phonological awareness, it is rather easy to forget about dyslexia. "Children with dyslexia most often have the following problems with the phonological component of language:

Phonological awareness (explicit awareness of the sounds of language)

Phonological memory (memory for the speech sounds in pronunciations of labels (e.g., letter names), parts of words, or entire words)

Phonological retrieval (word and name retrieval)

Phonological production (pronunciation of multisyllabic and phonologically complex words, e.g., aluminum, specific)"

To assist students with dyslexia, and other students who may struggle with oral language and phonological awareness, teachers may use strategies I referenced in the Applications pt. 2 section of this Padlet and/or the resource provided to the right this section.

International Dyslexia Association. (2020). Oral Language Impairments and Dyslexia. International Dyslexia Association. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://dyslexiaida.org/oral-language-impairments-and-dyslexia-2/

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Share This: `

Dyslexia is often defined as a language-based reading disability. What is the nature of this language disability and how is it related to other difficulties in language development? This fact sheet answers these questions as well as others related to oral language impairments and dyslexia.

What is oral language?

Oral language refers to the knowledge and skills that we use to produce and understand spoken language. Language knowledge and skills also serve as the foundation for learning to read and write. Oral language is composed of five main components:

Phonology (understanding and use of the speech sounds in words)

Morphology (understanding and use of meaningful word parts, e.g., pre, un, ion)

Vocabulary or Semantics (understanding and use of the meaning of words)

Syntax (understanding and use of the grammatical aspects of language)

Pragmatics (understanding and use of language in various contexts)

Although children acquire most aspects of oral language during early childhood, their language learning lasts well into adolescence and adulthood. Children continue to add to their vocabulary and to their repertoire of language usage in different contexts. Much of this latter language learning is influenced by children's academic and literacy experiences.

What are oral language impairments?

Children have a natural gift for language learning and most children acquire oral language with little difficulty. However, some children have problems in language development and demonstrate impairments in their use and/or understanding of spoken language. Children may have difficulties pronouncing words, acquiring vocabulary, and/or learning the grammatical rules of language. When these deficits are severe and unexpected, children may be diagnosed as having a specific language impairment (SLI; Leonard, 2014). Whereas the environment may play a role in language problems, these difficulties are the primary result of neurological and genetic factors.

What oral language impairments are associated with dyslexia?

Children with dyslexia most often have the following problems with the phonological component of language:

Phonological awareness (explicit awareness of the sounds of language)

Phonological memory (memory for the speech sounds in pronunciations of labels (e.g., letter names), parts of words, or entire words)

Phonological retrieval (word and name retrieval)

Phonological production (pronunciation of multisyllabic and phonologically complex words, e.g., aluminum, specific)

Individuals with dyslexia may also exhibit problems in language that extend to vocabulary and grammatical development. In fact, research shows that the inclusion of deficits in oral language beyond the phonological component may place children at a higher risk for dyslexia. This work indicates that children with a family history of dyslexia are more likely to develop dyslexia themselves if they have preschool problems in vocabulary and/or syntax in addition to difficulties in phonology (Moll, Loff, & Snowling, 2013; also see Catts, McIlraith, Nielsen, & Bridges, 2017).

How is dyslexia related to SLI?

Whereas dyslexia and SLI can co-occur, these conditions are separate developmental disabilities (Catts, Adlof, Hogan, & Weismer, 2005). As stated, children with dyslexia may have some difficulties in oral language (beyond phonology) but only when these difficulties are severe would children also be diagnosed with SLI. Similarly, children with SLI are only considered to have dyslexia when they demonstrate significant difficulties in word reading and spelling.

How are oral language impairments related to other reading disabilities?

Oral language impairments also place children at risk for difficulties in reading comprehension. Because oral language is the foundation for written language, a limited vocabulary and/or problems with morphology and syntax can cause difficulties in deriving meaning from written text. Children with a specific comprehension impairment (e.g., those with comprehension problems but normal word reading abilities) have often been shown to have a range of problems in oral language (Nation, Cocksey, Taylor, & Bishop, 2010).

Implications for early identification and intervention

Children who are late to talk or who show delays in oral language development (especially accompanied by a family history of dyslexia or SLI) are at heightened risk for reading disabilities (Lyytinen, Eklund, & Lyytinen, 2005). Early problems in the phonological aspects of language may also be indicative of risk for dyslexia. Children at risk can benefit from early intervention directed at emergent literacy and oral language. The latter oral language instruction may involve teaching vocabulary as well as the use of language in different contexts (e.g., story grammar). For additional information about oral language problems and SLI see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFFWh9y6Ck0. Certified speech-language pathologists can also provide information concerning oral language problems and their relationship to reading difficulties.

References

Catts, H. W., McIlraith, A., Bridges, M., & Nielsen, D. (2017). Viewing a phonological deficit within a multifactorial model of dyslexia. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 30, 613-629.

Catts, H., Adlof, S., Hogan, T., & Ellis Weismer, S. (2005). Are specific language impairment and dyslexia distinct disorders? Journal of Speech-Language-Hearing Research, 48, 378-1396.

Leonard, L. (2014). Children with specific language impairment, 2nd edition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Lyytinen, P., Eklund, K., & Lyytinen, H. (2005). Language development and literacy skills in late talking toddlers with and without familial risk for dyslexia. Annals of Dyslexia, 55, 166-192.

Moll, K., Loff, A., & Snowling, M. J. (2013). Cognitive endophenotypes of dyslexia. Scientific Studies of Reading, 17, 385-397.

Nation, K., Cocksey, J., Taylor, J. S., & Bishop, D. V. (2010). A longitudinal investigation of early reading and language skills in children with poor reading comprehension. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51, 1031-1039.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) thanks Hugh Catts, Ph.D., and Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D., CCC/SLP, CALT-QI, CDT, for their assistance in the preparation of this fact sheet.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA). IDA encourages the reproduction and distribution of this fact sheet.
If portions of the text are cited, appropriate reference must be made. Fact sheets may not be reprinted for the purpose of resale. © Copyright 2020. The International Dyslexia Association (IDA). For copyright information, pleaseclick here.

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Oral Language Impairments and Dyslexia - International Dyslexia Association

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Share This: ` Dyslexia is often defined as a language-based reading disability. What is the nature of this language disability and how is it related to other difficulties in language development? This fact sheet answers these questions as well as others related to oral language impairments and dyslexia. What is oral language?

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These are some examples of phonological awareness applications that could be used in the classroom, especially for younger students:
- Learning motions for short vowel sounds
- Sound chaining: blending and manipulating sounds
Using colored tiles, students can 1) break words down into individual sounds and 2) swap sounds in different parts of the word to make new words.
- Reading whole words
The students would start by reading short words down columns, and then they would move on to reading full sentences composed of short words.

Reading Rockets. (2019, August 19). Mastering Short Vowels and Reading Whole Words with Calista, First Grader [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJMsWoVeBjk&t=5s

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Mastering Short Vowels and Reading Whole Words with Calista, First Grader

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Definition: Phonological awareness is awareness of spoken language and the ability to work with, or manipulate, sounds.

Extended Definition: "Phonological awareness is a critical early literacy skill that helps kids recognize and work with the sounds of spoken language. Phonological awareness is made up of a group of skills. Examples include being able to identify words that rhyme, counting the number of syllables in a name, recognizing alliteration, segmenting a sentence into words, and identifying the syllables in a word. The most sophisticated — and last to develop — is called phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Manipulating the sounds in words includes blending, stretching, or otherwise changing words."

WETA. (n.d.). Phonological and Phonemic Awareness. Reading Rockets. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading-basics/phonemic

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In addition to ESL and DLD students, it is important to make sure oral language in the classroom is inclusive of LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, neurodivergent students, students of different ethnic backgrounds, etc. Respecting gender identities and pronouns is important for making LGBTQIA+ students feel comfortable and safe in the classroom. Using person-first and/or identity-first language is important for making students with disabilities and neurodivergent students feel comfortable and safe. Avoiding stereotypes and broad generalizations about groups of people as well as being mindful about the words we use is important for making students of different ethnic backgrounds feel seen and heard in the classroom. Asset-based language is important generally as it inspires hope in students, teachers, and other faculty members to accomplish virtually any goal.

American Psychological Association. (2022, March). Bias-Free Language. APA Style. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language

Simonsen, M., & Mruczek, C. (n.d.). Person-First vs. Identity-First Language. KU SOE. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://educationonline.ku.edu/community/person-first-vs-identity-first-language

The University of Kansas. (n.d.). Guidelines: How To Write About People with Disabilities (9th edition). Research & Training Center on Independent Living. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://rtcil.org/guidelines

The University of Memphis. (2019, August 7). Comparison Between Asset and Deficit Based Approaches. The University of Memphis. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.memphis.edu/ess/module4/page3.php

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Definition: Oral language is verbal, or spoken, communication that we use to share our thoughts and feelings. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking contribute to oral language, so developing skills in those areas develops one's overall oral language.

Extended Definition: "Oral language is the system through which we use spoken words to express knowledge, ideas, and feelings. Developing [English learners’] oral language, then, means developing the skills and knowledge that go into listening and speaking—all of which have a strong relationship to reading comprehension and to writing. Oral language is made up of at least five key components (Moats 2010): phonological skills, pragmatics, syntax, morphological skills, and vocabulary (also referred to as semantics). All of these components of oral language are necessary to communicate and learn through conversation and spoken interaction, but there are important distinctions among them that have implications for literacy instruction."

Audet, L. (n.d.). What Is Oral Language? Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://blog.heinemann.com/what-is-oral-language

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What Is Oral Language? Developing oral language means developing the skills and knowledge that go into listening and speaking-all of which have a strong relationship to reading comprehension and to writing.

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These are some examples of oral language applications that could be used in social studies classrooms:
- Readers' Theatre - "[S]tudents practice reading and rereading a script, either one that was prepared for them or one they developed collaboratively, based on an informational text they have studied (e.g., Young & Rasinski, 2009). Students are expected to present that text to the rest of the class while others listen. To ensure that students are listening, teachers often ask them to take notes, write down questions, or retell the information presented to a partner."
- Presentations - "[S]tudents research a topic and then share their findings with their peers, either in a small group or a large group (Fisher, McDonald, & Frey, 2013). Often, students are asked to provide their peers with feedback about their presentation skills."
- Reciprocal Teaching - "[S]tudents read chunks of a given text and then take turns with various comprehension strategies such as predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing (Palincsar & Brown, 1986). To ensure that students actually listen to one another, teachers create note-taking tools that require students to maintain a written record of the conversation."
Photo Narratives - "[S]tudents collect images and then record a narrative to accompany the images."

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (n.d.). Speaking and Listening in Content Area Learning. Reading Rockets. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/speaking-and-listening-content-area-learning

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There is no reading gene that is passed from one generation to the next. Each and every brain must be taught to read anew. Unlike hair or eye color, which are coded in DNA, reading is a complex, rule-based system that must be imposed on biological structures that were designed or evolved for other reasons (Wolf, 2007).

Although most children are born with the right structures, these structures don't inherently know how to read. They are hardwired to speak and listen; in other words, we were born to talk (Hulit, Howard, & Fahey, 2010). Reading and writing are optional accessories that are bolted onto a speaking and listening brain.

Listening and reading comprehension

Decades of research, not to mention personal experiences, confirm that listening comprehension outpaces reading comprehension from early childhood through at least middle school. Based on their review of research, Stricht and James (1984) analyzed the gap between listening and reading comprehension by age of learner (see Figure 1). What is obvious from this figure is the fact that access to complex ideas, for many years of the learner's life, requires oral rather than written input.

Simply stated, children can listen to and talk about much more complex ideas than they can read (and probably write) about. In addition to the research, anyone who has ever read a bedtime story to a preschooler knows that listening comprehension is more sophisticated than reading comprehension. The proof comes from nights when you're tired and you skip a page while reading a bedtime story. That 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old's eyes pop open. You are accused of skipping some of the story, and the punishment is that now you must start over. Yes, in fact, the child is listening, understanding, and comparing the text with his or her expectations.

What is less obvious from personal experience is the persistence of this gap. According to Stricht and James (1984), the gap extends well into middle school. This gap has implications for high-quality instruction across the learner's elementary and middle school experience, and oral language development should not be considered solely the role and responsibility of early childhood educators.

Figure 1. Listening and Reading Comprehension by Age (Stricht & James,1984)

Speaking and listening and text complexity

In this time of great interest of increasing text complexity, the data represented in Figure 1 raised several question for us. Is it possible that one way to ensure that students read at increasingly sophisticated levels is to focus on increasing students' listening comprehension? In other words, if we pushed listening comprehension higher than identified in the previous research, would reading comprehension follow? If we did so, would it take longer to close the gap, or would the gap size remain, although at a higher level?

If we want to ensure that students read increasingly complex informational texts, it seems logical that students should be talking during their content area learning (e.g., Nystrand & Gamoran, 1991). Although there is significant attention to the Common Core reading and writing standards, we believe that teachers should also attend to the increased demands of the Speaking and Listening domain, especially Anchor Standard 1, which states that students should

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010, p. 22)

There is a lot to focus on in this standard. First, students should come prepared for the discussion and not simply be expected to work collaboratively with no preparation. Second, students are expected to interact effectively with a wide range of people, not just their friends and others they choose to interact with. Third, students are expected to build on each other's ideas, maintaining the conversation and continually building on the ideas of others in the discussion. And finally, they need to be able to do all of this while they express their ideas clearly and persuasively.

Anchor Standard 1 in the Speaking and Listening domain of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represents increased expectations for students, especially students in the primary grades. Figure 2 contains grade-level expectations for this standard. We have bolded words and phrases that did not appear in the previous grade to highlight the instructional components of each grade. For example, students in third grade are expected to "stay on topic," which is not an expectation in second grade. Analyzing the differences by grade level, known as vertical alignment, is critical if teachers are going to develop teaching points aligned with the CCSS. In addition, teachers need to ensure that students have opportunities to engage in speaking and listening regularly, which may require changes to the instructional environment.

Figure 2. CCR Speaking & Listening Anchor Standard 1

8th Grade Students

SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Kindergarten Students
SL.K.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.K.1A
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).

SL.K.1B
Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.

Instructional ideas for speaking and listening

There are a number of ideas for ensuring that students across the grade span and in different content areas are able to practice their speaking and listening skills. Most importantly, teachers need to dedicate time every day for students to engage in collaborative conversations in which they use academic language with their peers. In fact, we recommend that about 50% of the instructional minutes devoted to content area learning be used for collaborative conversations with peers. This is based on the success that the students in Chula Vista, California, had when their teachers increased the amount of student-to-student interaction using academic language (Frey, Fisher, & Nelson, 2013). In addition to providing students an opportunity to expand their understanding of the content as they engage in peer-mediated instruction (e.g., Sperry, Neitzel, & Engelhardt-Wells, 2010), it provides teachers an excellent opportunity to work with small groups of students who need additional support to achieve their goals.

Some evidence-based speaking and listening instructional routines have been useful for students during content area instruction in the past:

Technology offers teachers new ways to engage students in speaking and listening tasks. Even very young children are learning to follow oral directions while using tablets. Some enhancing speaking and listening tasks can be used in elementary content area instruction:

Listening Gallery Walk in which students create a visual image, record themselves talking about the image, and then code it with a symbol that will allow others to access the digital file. One way to do this is with QR codes that can be printed and included in the image itself. Alternatively, students can use the Aurasma app. This is an augmented-reality application that allows users to create and post video to enhance a viewing experience. For example, some museums use Aurasma for their patrons to view additional content after pointing a smartphone or tablet at a display. In terms of classroom application, students can create their own videos and pair them with displayed work. For example, during their investigation of artists, students in Ms. Bledsoe's third-grade class narrated their original artwork that had been inspired by a specific artist. When a tablet enabled with Aurasma was pointed at one of the art pieces, the video that accompanied the art played. When students' parents visited for open house, they were able to see their children talking about their work and to learn more about the other students in the class.

Photo narratives in which students collect images and then record a narrative to accompany the images. For example, the first graders in Anthony Munoz's classroom planted seeds. Each day, they took a picture of the container in which their seed was planted. Mr. Munoz read aloud the text From Seed to Plant (Gibbons, 1993) several times as the plants grew. Mr. Munoz helped his students create a time lapse video using Quicktime, and the students recorded their narrative about the growth of the plant that accompanied the video.

Digital storytelling to create original narrative and informational pieces. The Storybird app provides access to thousands of illustrations and photographs to illustrate original pieces of writing. These are best when completed collaboratively in order to create lots of opportunities for students to engage in meaningful discussion with one another. The Voicethread website offers two-way communication between writers and readers. Like Storybird, students create a digital story using the Voicethread tools and their own illustrations. In addition, they dictate the text for each page. Subsequent listeners can either listen to the writer's own voice or read the dictated script. Importantly, readers can then pose questions and offer connections that are in turn viewed by other readers.

As part of their social studies curriculum, Davinia Thompson's second-grade students used Voicethread to develop a class digital book on people who make a difference in their community. Ms. Thompson compiled each student's contributions and uploaded them to the Voicethread website. Later in the centers, students viewed the class book and recorded their comments and questions. Ms. Thompson then had the entire class view the completed digital story, with their questions included, so the class could continue the conversation about the topic.

Talking in class

Regardless of the specific approach that a teacher takes, students simply must talk in class. We have to change the climate, expectations, and accountability for student-to-student interaction in classrooms everywhere. A day should not go by in which students silently try to learn content. Instead, there should be a hum of learning, with many voices engaged in discussions about the topics under investigation. Only then will we fully realize the literacy achievements of our students orally, digitally, and in print.

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Speaking and Listening in Content Area Learning

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Oral language development facilitates print literacy. In this article, we focus on the ways in which teachers can ensure students' speaking and listening skills are developed. We provide a review of effective classroom routines, including some that can be enhanced with technology.

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Oral language is very important in social studies classrooms, since verbal communication is how content is delivered to the students and how students interact with teachers and each other. The Applications section of this Padlet demonstrates how essential oral language is, as they all require verbal communication to and between students. This is not to say that social studies education cannot be done without oral language, as that would be dismissive of the Deaf community and people with other disabilities that may impact oral language skills.

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It is important to remember that oral language is not English exclusive. It can be useful to English as a Second Language (ESL) students to have audio-based resources in their native language. These resources should act as supplements, not alternatives, to make the learning process smoother for ESL students; after all, not all teachers will be able to speak all potential native languages present in their classrooms.

Another strategy that could be used is the S.M.A.R.T. strategy. Though this strategy, found on the linked page, is intended to be used with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) students, I believe it could be useful to a wide range of students who may require additional assistance. The acronym is broken down in the image above.

Bardell, T., & Archibald, L. (2020, July 17). Oral Language Skills and Learning Disabilities: A Review for Educators. LD@school. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.ldatschool.ca/oral-language-skills/