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Prep Guided Phonics + Beyond Small Groups in 20 Minutes

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Prep Guided Phonics + Beyond Small Groups in 20 Minutes

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SOR Guided Phonics + Beyond QUICK Lesson Guides prep for small-group time in 20 MINUTES!

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A Bundled set of the nonfiction decodables:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Phonics-Beyond-Science-of-Reading-Nonfiction-Decodables-BUNDLE-Units1-6-7969493

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Guided Phonics Nonfiction Decodables PREVIEW IMAGE

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"Extra" Fiction SOR Decodables. They ARE different from the books in the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Guided-Phonics-Beyond-Science-of-Reading-Fiction-Decodables-BUNDLE-8028647

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Science of Reading Decodables PREVIEW IMAGE

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 3 Say It, Pop It, Write Cards FREEBIE.pdf

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Linda Farrell is well-known in the SOR field for her work in high frequency words (and much more). Linda discusses a phonics-focused approach to teaching high frequency words.

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A New Model for Teaching High-Frequency Words

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Integrating high-frequency words into phonics lessons allows students to make sense of spelling patterns for these words. To do this, high-frequency words need to be categorized according to whether they are spelled entirely regularly or not. This article describes how to “rethink” teaching of high-…

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 3 Say It, Pop to Spell, Write It Cards Freebie.pdf

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Pop it Bubble Sensory Fidget Toy, Spliced Stacking pop Building Blocks，Children and Adults Push Fidget Toys,Autism Special Needs Stress Reliever Silicone Squeeze. (Nine Color)

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Amazon.com: Pop it Bubble Sensory Fidget Toy, Spliced Stacking pop Building Blocks，Children and Adults Push Fidget Toys,Autism Special Needs Stress Reliever Silicone Squeeze. (Nine Color) : Toys & Games

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Download HERE.
Download an Editable version HERE. (You must download this to Adobe to edit.)

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Follow me on TPT HERE!

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Hi there and thanks so much for joining me to discuss more in-depth of my Guided Phonics and Beyond Curriculum. This past summer, I set out to write a completely comprehensive science of reading phonics program. The program evolved from "just" a phonics program, to a complete approach to teaching phonemic awareness, high frequency words, small-group reading, and of course whole-group phonics.

In its first academic year, Guided Phonics and Beyond is already making an impact for young readers. The program is also assisting teachers in tackling the Science of Reading approach in an easier and much more manageable approach. However, with anything new there will be kinks to work through and questions that will arise. Thankfully Guided Phonics and Beyond is created by ME so I am right here to answer those questions and offer support. I have a compiled a list of the most asked questions regarding Guided Phonics and Beyond. Today, I will be answering those questions.

Feel free to use the clickable table of contents directly below to skip to a Q/A that is needed at this time for your learners.

QUESTION: What is Science of Reading and where do I begin to learn more?

This response is is written by Lindsay Kemeny.

The term "science of reading" has become a buzzword recently and there is often confusion over what the term means. Sometimes teachers think this refers to a specific curriculum, program, or method, but the term actually refers to a large body of research on reading. It encompasses thousands of studies on reading.

Perhaps my favorite explanation of the science of reading comes from Louisa Moats who explains, "First, the body of work referred to as "the science of reading" is not an ideology, a philosophy, a political agenda, a one-size-fits-all approach, a program of instruction, or a specific component of instruction. It is the emerging consensus from many related disciplines, based on literally thousands of studies, supported by hundreds of millions of research dollars, conducted across the world in many languages. These studies have revealed a great deal about how we learn to read, what goes wrong when students don't learn, and what kind of instruction is most likely to work the best for the most students."

Recap part 1 if you missed it by clicking or on the image below. Guest writing, Lindsay Kemeny, takes us through the first steps to transitioning into Science of Reading. Lindsay also has a set of AMAZING and free PD on the Science of Reading which can be found .

QUESTION: What is Guided Phonics and Beyond and how do I start?

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is so much more than a phonics curriculum or even a small-group curriculum! This program has thought about all the best practices when it comes to a Science of Reading approach and carefully plugged them in. The program is SYSTEMATIC. A lot of people can get the word systematic swapped with boring. Sure, it might be boring to someone if they repeat the same routine each day. However, some can also say school is "boring" but it's still good for us, right ; )

Anytime you read about a Science of Reading approach you will be sure to see the word SYSTEMATIC attached to it. What does a systematic approach mean when it comes to the Guided Phonics + Beyond program? This program is carefully designed to include the most effective routines that are precise and timely. You do not need to flash through sound cards for 5 minutes or build words for 25 minutes. With the program being explicit, you know exactly how to run each routine to maximize its impact.

By having a systematic program, you get the opportunity to become REALLY great at teaching the routines. Compare this to making thirty new recipes in one month or repeating the same recipe thirty times. You will be really great at that one recipe with so much practice. You'll learn right away what works, what doesn't work, and how to differentiate it as well. The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is just that - -systematic and explicit! The program includes your phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program consists of 6 units. The best way to really immerse yourself in everything that Guided Phonics has to offer is by downloading and studying its scope and sequence. The scope will detail the phonemic awareness, focus skills, high frequency words, and the vocabulary as well. You can access the scope and sequence .

QUESTION: What are 5 ESSENTIAL components to the Guided Phonics program?

I get asked this question a lot! Naturally, teachers want to get to EVERYTHING in the Guided Phonics program. However, they find that they are limited on time. We will cover time allotment in the next question. For this question, let's focus on FIVE components from the Guided Phonics program that I feel are the most important. You can cover these 5 components in a whole-group format, small-group format, or a mix of both.

1. Phonemic awareness

2. New skill introduction

3. Orthographic mapping (high frequency words and skill-based words)

4. Dictation OR word chains

5. Decodable reader

Let's break down each of those 5 components below starting with phonemic awareness. We know that phonemic awareness and phonological awareness are a vital foundation to any phonics program. Guided Phonics and Beyond has embedded oral phonemic awareness drills in each lesson plan. These drills are quick and efficient. You will simply read from the lesson plans and have the students respond. This is the easiest of the 5 components to implement.

New skill introduction is also embedded into the lesson plan on day 1. This is where students will learn a new phonics skill/sound and new high frequency words. This is done orally with examples generally written for students on the board.

Let's move on to orthographic mapping. Orthographic mapping is extremely important to any program that is based upon science of reading best practices. My program embeds orthographic mapping into the lesson plans each and every day. This can be done whole-group or independently. If whole-group is your only option, try to provide students with a wipe-off surface so that they can join in mapping out words.

View a video of me going over the orthographic mapping below or .

Below is a video of Katy's students working on orthographic mapping in Unit 2 of Guided Phonics.

Dictation OR word chains would be component 4. Again, these two components could be completed whole-group with students having a writing surface or small-group. Both of these components are embedded within the lesson plans. You're able to read through the word lists/sound changes straight from the lesson plan. In dictation, you will state a sound or word aloud. The students will record the matching sound/word onto their dictation mat or a white board. In word chains, students will build a word and then you will state for them to manipulate sounds within the word to create new words. Again, all of this will be typed out for you in the lesson plans. They are both vital components. However, if in a crunch for time choosing one or the other will work. You can also rotate this component if needed every other lesson, choosing either dictation or word chains.

The final component of the essential 5 would be the decodable reader. In this component, students will put all of the new learning into action as they decode words using the new learning.

You can also continue to add in additional components once you get these 5 down solid and are in a routine.

QUESTION: How much time do I need for the essential 5 components?

We spoke about the essential 5 components to the Guided Phonics program. I also get asked a lot about how much time those essential 5 should be taking. I wanted to base this off a 25 minute phonics block. This would be for those only utilizing the program in a whole-group approach. If you are meeting with groups, you would have additional time dedicated to each group that you could use additional Guided Phonics components.

The best advice I have for you when it comes to time is a TIMER. It is very easy to get going on the lesson plans and then you realize that you only got to 1 component. Each and every component is important. However, it's hard to say that 1 has more value over than another. For that reason, I encourage you to use a timer so that you can make sure you're touching on all 5 components within your time slot.

I try hard not to put times to my work as each teacher will differ in their teaching style. For example, I am very quick and to the point so my pacing will be more brisk than some. Below is time breakdown. You will start with your oral phonemic awareness drills. Make sure you set a timer so that you can keep a quick pace and then move onto the near learning component. Again, this should be a brief introduction. The word mapping will give students an opportunity to apply the new skill. Dictation OR word chains gives additional time to apply that new sound. Finally, the most time will be dedicated to decoding that new skill within their decodable text.

QUESTION: What if I cannot meet with every group every day?

It is very possible that with limited time, you are unable to meet with every small-group each day. The great thing is the students are still getting a full lesson during whole-group phonics. As I pointed out in the two previous Q/As, the students will be getting the 5 essential components. All of those can be done whole-group. Also, keep in mind that each lesson is 2 days even for the whole-group group. Let's take a look at a sample week.

Let's say you have a class of 24 students. You have time for 2 15 minute groups each day and the 25 minute whole-group time as well. We will say that you have 4 reading groups with 6 students in each. You have 1 high group, 1 low group, and 2 on level groups. We shall name the on level groups on level 1 and on level 2.

Monday: All students take part in the whole-group phonics- Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 1 For small-group time, your low group receive the small-group portion of the lesson on top of the whole group. On level 1 also gets the small-group lesson.

Tuesday: All students take part in the whole-group phonics- Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 2. For small group time, you meet with your above readers and on level 2 group.

At this point, all students have received the whole-group learning for Unit 2, Lesson 1, Days 1-2. Each small-group has also received 1 day of learning from Unit 2, Lesson 1. (either day 1 or day 2.

On the following day, you would move on whole-group to the next lesson and repeat from above. During small-group you can keep with this same lesson 2 material, OR you can catch them up on their missed small-group lesson of day 1. Do not stress if you are not meeting with each group every day. There are ways to adapt, and thankfully you always have that strong whole-group lesson covering the essential 5 components.

QUESTION: Why are my students "choppy readers" in decodable books?

Teachers are worried. What is wrong with their students? Why are they reading so slooowww and choppy with decodables? Let's explore this. Below is typed book from Guided Phonics.

I am Pip. I sit. I sip.
I see Tim. Tim sits. Tim sips.
I see the map.
I am at the pit.
I like the pit.

Here is a typed leveled guided reading book.

I see the peanuts.
I see the squirrel.
I see the chipmunk.
I see the monkey.
I see the raccoon.
I see the crow.

You most likely don't need me to tell you why the first book will cause students to be more of a choppier read. The first book is completely decodable as students have been explicitly taught each of those sounds and high frequency words. However, the book does not follow a cutesy rhythm and flow. The book also doesn't give students clues with obvious pictures.

The second book is very bouncy and fun to read. It's cute and students will most certainly be successful at reading it if they use their picture clues and have a well developed vocabulary/understanding of images. My guess is you might get a few, " I see the bird" on the last page. This book will be easier to read no doubt. Honestly, a 2-3 year old can probably grab this book and read it after they hear you read it once. Are they reading? Yes. We do tell kids they are reading when they point to the McDonalds sign and state its name. However, this isn't the type of reading we are looking to accomplish. This fun, bouncy reading will not get them where they need to be and when we take away those pictures in the upper grades. Yikes.

Do NOT be scared if your students are reading choppier in decodable books. They will build up their fluency over time. It takes practice. As they get more fluent in their high frequency words, individual sounds, and of course blending of sounds they will get quicker. They are working hard for each and every sound. Unlike with the guided reading books, where the whole word was given to them via a repeated pattern or the picture.

Teaching students to keep their eyes on the words within the book will help their fluency and speed as well. Take a look at the next Q/A for more on that.

QUESTION: Do you offer reading strategy posters in Guided Phonics?

I am often asked if I include "reading strategy" posters, cards, or bookmarks within my Guided Phonics program. The answer is actually a no. I chose not to include any of those items within my program because there is only ONE strategy I want students to know, practice, and apply. That is to keep their eyes on the word/text/sound/book (have your choice). We have lived through the years of the beanie baby strategies and even though they were cute they really didn't have much of an impact on our students. For my students, any time I'd point to a poster, card, or bookmark... their eyes would LEAVE the text. After showing them or even verbally reminding them of the reading strategy they oftentimes lost their reading spot and had to start over again, only to get to that word again and still struggle.

Linda Farrell has an amazing article on why it is vitally important to pull away from stating "good job" and/or giving approval to students as they look up to you to make sure they are correct. She writes about having students practice keeping their eyes on the text. It does take a lot of practice and for some students it might be a hard habit to break. Read up on her article .

However, I do understand that oftentimes a visual for a strategy is sometimes helpful to students so I did create this free download poster for you to teach the skill with. I just ask that it's something you remove when it's time for reading. This way students do not allow their eyes to venture towards this poster. After all, we want their eyes on the TEXT.

QUESTION: What are heart words and do I need to use them?

Yes, it is true. Education is filled with all kinds of new buzz words and gadgets. Some teachers get a little eeeek if there is a lot of new information to take in. What is it? Why do I need to use it? Do I have to use it? Can I just use what I already have instead? In short, heart words is a METHOD of learning irregular high frequency words. Irregular meaning not all of the sounds in the word "follow the rules" as most students know them. However, heart words doesn't label the ENTIRE word as a rule breaker. Instead, we focus on just the individual sounds that need to be memorized by heart. For example, in said we hear the /s/ and /d/ just fine so those are not heart sounds. Only the ai making the /e/ sound must be memorized by heart.

I go on to explain in detail about heart words in blog post.

You can also download the above pictured set of heart word flashcards from UFLI while you're there. (Are you wondering what those color boxes mean and why you need them?) You actually do NOT need those, but they provide a visual for the sounds we DO hear in the word. My flashcards are pictured above and do not use color coded boxes as I wanted mine to be less stimulating to the eye.

QUESTION: What units should I be covering for my grade level?

This question can vary greatly so please don't think you MUST complete the suggested units below. This is a general overview.

Preschool (as students that are NOT going to K the next school year): Preschool students can take part in Unit 1 of Guided Phonics in a modified approach. You will be spending much longer per letter than the suggested 1 letter per day approach.

Pre-K (as students ARE going to K the next school year): This can vary according to your student body. However, it's possible the your pre-k students can get through the alphabet by winter/early spring and move into Unit 2 of Guided Phonics. These sounds would need a solid foundation in both phonemic awareness and their letter sounds.

Kindergarten: If following a school year of 170-180 days, your students will be able to complete units 1-4. That is 175 academic days.

First Grade: Students will complete units 2+. First grade can vary on the level of your students. Each unit is designed to be 50 academic days. However, in first grade you will need to work through the units at some points with 1 lesson per day making each units 25 days. Take your school calendar and determine how many days you can dedicate to phonics/small group. Work with that number to narrow down the units. You can eliminate lessons and/or swap to 1 day per lesson instead of 2.

Second Grade: Units 2+ and following similar to the above state. If your students start the year of needing a review in CVC words you would a very fast paced review in Unit 2. Possibly 2-3 weeks. Again, look at your district pacing of days and skills required to cover. Mark up my scope and sequence, eliminating lessons that you cannot fit in.

Do not feel scared to skip repeated lessons. For example, if we are learning th and I cover it for 2 lessons, that is 4 academic days. It's okay to skip that second day of th OR that second lesson. I have built in review days for spiraling skills as well so they will have multiple opportunities with those skills.

On the opposite end of that, do not feel scared to SLOW the units down. You will know your students the best. There are lessons that tend to be a bit more meaty and might need additional days spent on them. For example, Lesson 1 of Unit 2 is extremely meaty in order to give students a starting base in sounds and high frequency words. Extend lessons when needed and skip lessons when needed. You can always reach out to me and explain your situation so that I can offer tailored support as well.

QUESTION: Where do I find the resources in my download? What about the assessments?

I get this question a lot! I want to make sure that you know how to navigate the Guided Phonics Bundle. First off, until you are very knowledgeable in a particular unit, you want to stay OUT of it's folder. The folder is only to be used for quick printing. For example, you're making worksheets for an entire unit. You can go into the folder to print all of the worksheets in one click.

However, if you are only accessing the folder material, you are missing out on A LOT. When you first go to teach a unit, you want to be in the LARGE 600+ page PDF files. These are NOT found within the folders. These are the PDF files outside of the folders. Below you can see what this looks like on a PC and a MAC.

Please open those PDFs to get acquainted with each unit. You will find my visual overview, unit scope, all unit resources (sound cards, heart word cards), assessments, and any additional unit extras that are needed.

QUESTIONS: Do you have a Guided Phonics master book list?

Yes! You can download a Guided Phonics + Beyond master book list . This booklist will combine the Guided Phonics curriculum books, the nonfiction decodables, and the "extra" SOR decodables. All three of these contain different decodables. However, they all follow the same scope and sequence! This list will be updated as the nonfiction readers for unit 6 are released and the "extra" fiction readers for units 4-6.

QUESTION: How do I use the unit if I'm on limited printing?

This is a very valid question! First off, let's stay focused on those 5 essential components that we discussed above in the blog post. Sure, I have of awesome additional components in the unit like all-in-one decoding mats or home connection worksheets. However, those are supplemental to the lessons and will not impact your success of the units if you're unable to use them.

ESSENTIAL COMPONENT #1: Phonemic Awareness As we discussed, this component is done orally and does not require printing.

ESSENTIAL COMPONENT #2: New Skilled Learning This component is also completed orally. However, you most likely will want to have printed 1 set of sound cards. I offer multiple sized within the unit but you need only 1 set. You will also want 1 set of high frequency word cards printed or written onto index cards.

ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS #3-4: Orthographic Mapping and Dictation You do have options for this component to lower printing. First off, if you choose to print the map it mat from the unit, you will use the SAME mat all unit which makes the printing worth it. You can also print the map it mat double sided with the dictation mat to really extend the use of that printing. You can also choose to use a whiteboard which would require not printing.

ESSENTIAL COMPONENT #5: Decodable This will be the biggest impact of all the 5 components. However, if you are unable to print the decodables, you can choose to use the all-in-one decodable sheet. This will lower your printing impact significantly. These would also work laminated and reused for multiple groups/multiple school years.

QUESTION: Do you have DIGITAL books?

Yes! I am happy to share that all of my SOR units now contain digital books for both Seesaw and Google Slides. These books were added around 12/23/21. If you downloaded prior to then you will just need to redownload. You will access the main unit PDFs and scroll to page 4. See a preview of accessing the digital books below!

QUESTION: Do you offer single-sided books?

Yes! This was highly requested and I'm happy to say that I do now offer double-sided readers and single-sided readers. The single-sided readers can be printed, cut down the middle, and double stapled on the side. These new books are located in each unit's resource folder. See a preview of these books below!

QUESTION: Do you have detailed blog posts for each unit?

Yes! I have a blog post for each unit! You can find videos, detailed explanations, and even classroom set up examples like the image shown above. Below is a link to each blog post. Units 5-6 will be available soon.

QUESTION: Do you have detailed videos for each unit?

YES! Have you ever wondered what the sound cards look like or how to use the blending strips? I explain in detail, the lesson components, the lesson resources, and so much more in my detailed overview videos for each unit. It is vital to view these videos prior to starting each unit. View the videos linked below.

UNIT 1 DETAILED LESSON OVERVIEW VIDEO
UNIT 2 DETAILED LESSON OVERVIEW VIDEO
U NIT 3 DETAILED LESSON OVERVIEW VIDEO
UNIT 4 DETAILED LESSON OVERVIEW VIDEO

QUESTION: What unit do I start in the Guided Phonics program?

I get this question a lot and it's not quite cut and paste for each teacher. First off, we have to remember that Guided Phonics is a curriculum based off of a phonics skill focus. This is much different than when we would plop our students into a leveled reading group. We would do our best to group our students into groups based off of their phonics and phonemic awareness levels. However, that didn't always correlate to what they were "reading" per what we discussed earlier with the "crow vs bird" example.

In a classroom setting, all students will start in the same unit for whole-group. It is in small-group (or insert intervention/multi grade teachers) that it gets trickier. That when you'll want to utilized the included assessments. I discuss how to administer the assessments in the next question so we will focus on how to use the data from those assessments in placing our students. Each unit comes with a pre-assessment and post-assessment. If you are unsure where a certain student/group would land for small-group you can give them a pre-assessment.

Keep in mind that you aren't looking for 100% in order to start them in that unit. Think about students that know all of their sounds. They aren't going to be 100% on CVC words and that's okay. However, you want to make sure that the pre-assessment is not at a level that would be beyond frustration for the student(s). If the assessment is too hard, discontinue it and revert backwards by 1 unit.

You can always reach out to me with specifics and I'm happy to assist!

QUESTION: How do I give the assessment?

Each unit comes with an included pre-assessment and post-assessment. Prior to administering the assessments watch these overview videos for each unit. I walk you through how to administer the assessment.

UNIT 1 ASSESSMENT VIDEO and

QUESTION: Okay, now how do I actually start?

We will base this question off of Unit 2 but all units would be very similar. If you are ready to start Unit 2 follow these following steps.

Start with the lesson plan overview video to get a visual of the entire unit HERE.

Print the lesson plans. Read through them with a highlighter, post it notes, etc.

Print unit resource cards. This would be: high frequency cards, sound cards, and letter cards. This is shown in the video above.

Start with prepping the first 3-5 lessons. I would start with the Essential 5. These are discussed above in the post.

If you following the 4 steps above it will require very little printing and prep should be >20 minutes. You need only: your printed lesson plans, whiteboards, the book OR decodable sheet printed. That's it.

As teachers, we want to print and prep and entire unit. If you have the time to do it's an a-okay idea. However, if you are limited on time and resources, I suggest that you take it slower and prep a few lessons at a time. This will also help you to not print/prep too much or too little. You can adjust as you go and get more comfortable with the unit.

QUESTION: How can I organize the units?

I have several images below to show you how your fellow teachers have chosen to organize their Guided Phonics and Beyond Curriculum.

"For unit 2 the left side holds day 1 small group and the right side holds day 2. I like to keep the cards in baggies in my small group cart. For the word chain mats, I decided to print front to back and put them all in a sheet protector. Then I'll just flip the page over and have students take magnetic letters from a cookie sheet and place them on top. The map it mat and dictation mat are printed front to back." -Micheyla

I've been doing my reading groups on the carpet so we can distance a bit more. I love this cart to keep everything organized so I can grab what I need and keep each of my 3 groups organized. My first graders are working in units 2, 3 and 4. We have required curriculums for our tier 1 instruction, but I love how this program so easily compliments those programs and provides SO many opportunities for students to apply the skills in context through reading decodable books. -Kristen

-Corrie

QUESTION: What additional Science of Reading Freebies do you have?

You can access these three free Science of Reading downloads on THIS blog post.

QUESTION: How can I use the Guided Phonics Curriculum in a Virtual Setting?

Along with the newly added digital readers to Seesaw and Google Slides, you can also watch this very detailed how-to video. In THIS video I will walk you through how to take the PDF curriculum and add it into Seesaw and/or Google Slides. View the how-to video below.

Quick Tips: When using a PC you can use the snipping tool or use the keyboard shortcut SHIFT + WINDOWS KEY + S

On a MAC use SHIFT + COMMAND + 3 or SHIFT + COMMAND + 4

QUESTION: What if I have additional questions about Science of Reading or the Guided Phonics Curriculum?

If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to me via email: li ttlemindsatworkLLC@gmail.com

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Science of Reading Aligned Guided Phonics and Beyond Q & A

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Hi there and thanks so much for joining me to discuss more in-depth of my Guided Phonics and Beyond Curriculum . This past summer, I set out to write a completely comprehensive science of reading phonics program. The program evolved from "just" a phonics program, to a complete approach to teaching phonemic awareness, high frequency words, small-group reading, and of course whole-group phonics.

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This is the main curriculum. All other bundles/packets are supplemental to this curriculum. There is NO overlap with other bundles other than that they all follow the same scope and sequence. Shop it HERE. This curriculum is for whole-group and small-group.

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These centers align 100% to the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum. These centers are not included in the curriculum. Shop it HERE.

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Scope and Sequence

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Scope and Sequence

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Download the scope and sequence HERE.

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Printable Resource List

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Printable Resource List

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Download this comprehensive Tara West Guided Phonics + Beyond printable resource list. This list also links to videos, freebies, and more. Download it HERE.

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Master Book Lists

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Master Book Lists

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Download the master book lists HERE. *Note this file will be updated as additional books are added.

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Download the free orthographic mapping icons HERE.

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Listen as I take you through the Unit 1 teaching resources and a mock lesson.

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 1 Lesson Plans Overview

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Listen in as I take you through the Unit 2 teaching resources and a mock lesson (days 1 and 2).

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Listen in as I take you through the Unit 3 teaching resources and a mock lesson (days 1 and 2).

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Unit 3 Science of Reading Lesson Overview

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Listen in as I take you through the Unit 4 teaching resources and a mock lesson (days 1 and 2).

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DUOPI Push Bubble Fidget Blocks Puzzle Pop Toy,24Pcs Educational Building Pop Blocks for Kids,Silicone Fidget Toys for Adults,Special Needs Anti-Anxiety Tools Autism Stress Reliever Toy...

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Amazon.com: DUOPI Push Bubble Fidget Blocks Puzzle Pop Toy,24Pcs Educational Building Pop Blocks for Kids,Silicone Fidget Toys for Adults,Special Needs Anti-Anxiety Tools Autism Stress Reliever Toy... : Toys & Games

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How Many Sight Words Do You Have in Your Orthographic Lexicon or Sight Word Memory?

Did you know that literate adults have a library of 30,000 to 70,000 words they can read automatically, accurately, and effortlessly? These words are considered "sight words" because we instantly recognize them by sight. This library of sight words is called your "orthographic lexicon" or "sight word memory."

What does it take for a word to get anchored in our "orthographic lexicon" or "sight word memory?" Why is it easier for some students to recognize words instantly while other students struggle significantly more? Are there instructional methods that can have a greater impact than others? How many sight words should we teach our students?

Read our blog below and join us for our Science of Reading Virtual Workshop to learn all about the science behind how we anchor sight words into our orthographic lexicon. Additionally, learn how to access our free resource Heart Word Magic and help your students make tricky high-frequency words sticky.

How to Make Sight Words Sticky & Heart Word Magic!

You may have noticed we've used the term "sight word" differently than how it is used in many classrooms. Many educators use the terms "sight words" and "high-frequency words" interchangeably. In this series, we will be careful to differentiate between these two terms, so let's start with a few key definitions:

What Are Sight Words?

These are any words that we decode quickly and effortlessly. Sight words are not just words like to, from, the, and is; they can also be words like majestic, subtropical, and encyclopedia. We can typically read these familiar words in less than .20/second or 200 milliseconds without any conscious effort. This effortless retrieval of words allows literate adults to read 300 words a minute, faster than we can comprehend speech (Farrall, 2018).

What Is Sight Word Memory or Orthographic Lexicon?

This is the whole library of words that a person can read effortlessly. Everyone's sight word memory or orthographic lexicon is different. Many doctors can read words like paresthesia, fasciculation, and diaphragmatic effortlessly, while people not in the medical community cannot. Read the following paragraph below. Were you able to read paresthesia, fasciculation, and diaphragmatic effortlessly? Perhaps you can't, but doctors probably can. That's because doctors have decoded them successfully several times, thus anchoring them into their sight word memory. In fact, the primary goal of decoding is to build words into our sight word memoryor orthographic lexicon.

*Paresthesia is that tingling feeling you get when your hand or foot "falls asleep" and then starts to wake back up. Fasciculation is a tiny twitch you sometimes feel under your skin. Diaphragmatic describes something that relates to your diaphragm; a synchronous diaphragmatic flutter, for example, is a fancy word for a hiccup! (Okrent, 2017)

What Are High-Frequency Words?

These words are the most common words in print. The Dolch and Fry are commonly used high-frequency word lists. In education, there is a great deal of emphasis placed on getting students to recognize high-frequency words automatically and for good reason. In her book Uncovering the Logic of English, Denise Eide (2012) reports that "...according to some counts, the 100 most frequently used words make up 50% of all that we read and write." At Really Great Reading, we like to call these words Heart Words because we want students to know them "by heart."

Heart Words can be categorized into two groups - Regularly Spelled and Irregularly Spelled.

What Are Regularly Spelled Heart Words? Words that can be decoded using common phonics knowledge and letter-sound relationships (decodable words). These are words like and, it, in, and but. Notice that in each of these words, the consonant and vowel letters make the sounds that we expect. We can call these regularly spelled high-frequency words Simple Heart Words.

What Are Irregularly Spelled Heart Words? Words that deviate from common phonics patterns or familiar letter-sound relationships (non-decodable words). These are words like from, what, give, and do. Each of these words has at least one letter that spells a sound we do not typically expect it to spell. When words are irregularly spelled, research suggests that they are harder to anchor into our sight word memory. Let's call these Tricky Heart Words.

How Do Heart Words Become Sight Words in Our Orthographic Lexicon?

Getting students to instantly recognize Heart Words, whether regularly spelled or irregularly spelled, is a common focus in primary grades. How educators anchor these words into a child's memory varies. The most common technique is simply rote memorization through multiple exposures to the whole word, essentially practicing the word many times until it sticks. Research suggests, however, that there may be more productive techniques.

In his book Equipped for Reading Success (2016), Dr. David Kilpatrick describes how we permanently store words in our sight word memory. He calls this process Orthographic Mapping. When a word is sufficiently "mapped," it can be retrieved effortlessly. He explains, "To be good orthographic mappers, children need to develop three skills: 1) automatic letter-sound associations, 2) highly proficient phoneme awareness, and 3) word study" (p.41). In essence, word study is the unconscious or conscious process of connecting the phonemes (sounds) to the written form of the word (Kilpatrick, 2016). Kilpatrick continues, "The word-study aspect of mapping is the superglue that anchors words into permanent memory" (p. 41).

When trying to teach our kids to read and spell Heart Words by rote memorization, we often leave out word study! We forget about helping students see the connections between the letters and sounds, even though Kilpatrick (2015) tells us that "the vast majority of irregular words have only a single irregular letter-sound relationship" (p. 105), making the letter-sound relationships quite useful for learning a word. This makes word study a much more powerful tool than "flashcard rote memorization."

Rote memorization relies on a sufficient number (and "sufficient" can vary greatly from student to student) of pictorial imprints to trigger a word's phonological representation (the actual spoken word). This rote memorization approach is not much different from having a child look at the shape of a state and trying to remember if it is Missouri or Arkansas. But we know from Kilpatrick and others that storing words in our sight word memory should include phonics and phonemic awareness. Involving word study will help many of our students.

Fast Facts - From Literacy Experts

It may seem counterintuitive that word study and predictable phoneme-grapheme relationships should play a large role in how we help students remember irregular Heart Words. Take a moment to consider what Kilpatrick (2015) points out about most irregular words though: "The vast majority of irregular words have only a single irregular letter-sound relationship" (p. 105). Consider words like to, do, from, what, and want. Not only are all but one of the letter-sound relationships in these words predictable, knowledge of the unpredictable parts will help students later in their decoding careers. To say it another way, it's not like we look at the word from and say "glorb." Our phoneme-grapheme knowledge gets us most of the way there with these Tricky Heart Words-and Heart Word Magic can get us the rest of the way, helping us remember that the o in from spells short u, just like in the word of.

Words of the Week - Word Level Discovery

Orthographic Lexicon = The collection of words a person can read effortlessly. This is the term researchers use for our sight word memory.

We Love Educator Feedback & Questions

Contact us anytime. Our mission is to provide educators with the most efficient and effective tools for teaching phonemic awareness, phonics concepts, word attack skills, accurate reading, and fluency. Student outcomes are our number one goal. No one knows their students better than educators. Therefore, your thoughts, strategies, student successes, speed bumps, and feedback are held in high esteem! Send us your feedback and experiences>>

References

Eide, D. (2011). Uncovering the logic of English: A common-sense approach to reading, spelling, and literacy. Minneapolis: Pedia Learning.

Farrall, M. (2018, October). Understanding reading fluency: Research implications for assessment and instruction. Session presented at the Annual International Dyslexia Association's Reading, Learning, & Literacy Conference, Mashantucket, CT.

Kilpatrick, D. (2015). Essentials of assessing, preventing, and overcoming reading difficulties. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Kilpatrick, D. (2016). Equipped for reading success: A comprehensive step-by-step program for developing phonemic awareness and fluent word recognition. Syracuse, NY: Casey & Kirsch.

Okrent, A. (2017). 21 fancy medical terms for mundane problems. Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/58463/21-fancy-medical-terms-mundane-prob...

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Make Tricky Sight Words Sticky - Really Great Reading Blog

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Did you know that literate adults have a library of 30,000 to 70,000 words they can read automatically, accurately, and effortlessly? These words are considered "sight words" because we instantly recognize them by sight. This library of sight words is called your "orthographic lexicon" or "sight word memory."

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UFLI offers a great quick reference guide to heart words with their printable heart word flash cards.

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Welcome to the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI, pronounced "you fly"). UFLI is an ongoing effort by UF faculty, students, and staff to improve literacy outcomes for children learning to read.

The work of UFLI focuses on two main areas: teacher development and reader development. The place where those two overlap ... that is where the work of UFLI lives. Our programs and resources are designed to help teachers become more confident and more successful in their capacity to help kids learn to read. We do this through:

Academic programs for both pre-service and practicing educators to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be effective reading teachers

Professional learning opportunities to help classroom reading teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders expand their knowledge, enhance their teaching practices, and build capacity in their schools

Resources for teachers, parents, and teacher educators to use in their reading instruction

Much, much more!

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UF Literacy Institute | Where teacher development and reader development overlap

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Welcome to the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI, pronounced "you fly"). UFLI is an ongoing effort by UF faculty, students, and staff to improve literacy outcomes for children learning to read. The work of UFLI focuses on two main areas: teacher development and reader development. The place where those two overlap ...

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Lindsay Kemeny shares her HFW Instruction

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Lindsay Kemeny shares her HFW Instruction

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Sound walls are becoming more common in classrooms thanks to a clearer understanding of the science of reading.

A quick search on Teachers Pay Teachers shows there is a demand for materials for sound walls, but not all the information out there is accurate. While well-intentioned, we need to understand why a sound wall is set up differently than an A-Z alphabetical word wall and how to use a sound wall effectively. The goal is to elevate daily instruction during Tier 1 by reviewing the 44 speech sounds and the options for spelling each of the sounds. By doing this daily review, it becomes automatic for students to access sounds and know how to match spelling to each sound. A confusion between letters and sounds still exists on the part of the teacher in many situations. For example, the silent letter grapheme represents the /n/. (When you see the diagonal lines with a letter in between, this represents the sound.)

Our goal is to help you transform word walls into sound walls. Many practices are being used with word walls that we can adjust to use with sound walls. Following is some advice for teachers making the change from a word wall to sound wall. These tips can be used to guide the explanation of how to set up a sound wall.

Step 1:

We begin with the speech sounds and then add the print. Phonemes can be classified by articulatory features that have to do with placement in the mouth, airflow, and voicing. Begin by talking about how your lips come together when saying the /p/. Notice what happens with your tongue when you say /l/, it is lifted in the top of your mouth behind your teeth. There is also a vibration when saying /l/, and we call that voicing. During a two- to three-week period, introduce all of the 44 speech sounds by the articulatory features.

Don't confuse this with all of the spellings of the sounds. By introducing each phoneme, you are giving students an organizational structure to understand the foundation of our language. Even in kindergarten, you are asking children to blend and segment words with all of the speech sounds. Segment the sounds in book, /b/ /oo/ /k/. You wouldn't teach students to read with /oo/, but they use the sound in their speech all of the time. Why not teach the sound explicitly and discuss how we make that sound, what it looks like, and feels like? Once the sound is obvious, it will be much easier to attach the different graphemes for reading and spelling.

Step 2: Attach a keyword to help students remember the sound.

It is unnecessary to print words on different colored paper or outline the shape of a word. Please do not do those things that distract from learning about phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (print).

Once a sound is introduced, teach the most common letter or grapheme that represents the sound. For example, after introducing /p/ teach them that is the most common spelling for that sound. This is easy initially in kindergarten but becomes more complex in first grade because children have to learn about digraphs and vowel teams that are used to spell many sounds.

Step 3: Daily review and discuss all of the sounds that have been introduced.

What are the six stop sounds? /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/

What are our vowel sounds? Ask children to repeat each vowel sound as you point to either a picture of a mouth forming that sound or a keyword that represents the sound. Find the / ā/, and what are the spellings we know for this sound? Commons spellings for / ā/ ai, ay, a_e, and a. These will be the most common spellings used in first grade. Use this information to help students attend to sounds as you are segmenting and blending words during your phonemic awareness practice. As they focus on phonemes during their phonological awareness exercises, this connection between speech and print is enhanced and elevates the understanding of how the two work together.

Step 4: Engage in activities using the sound wall.

Identify the distinguishing features of voiced and voiceless consonant phonemes; orally produce individual consonant phonemes after correct teacher modeling of the voicing distinction: /p//b/; /k//g/; /t/ /d/; /f/ /v/; /sh/ /zh/; /th/ /th/; /ch//j/; /s/ /z/

Explore the way related groups of phonemes are pronounced: stops /p/, /b/, /t/,/d/,/k/, /g/; hissy sounds /f/, /v/, /th/, /th/, /s/, /z/,/sh/; nasals /m/, /n/,

/ng/; glides /h/, /w/, /wh/, /y/; and liquids/l/ and /r/.

Play the speech-sound guessing game. Students imitate the sounds and/or look in a mirror to answer questions such as, which sound is made with the lips-/p/ or /k/? Which sound is made with the mouth wide open-/ŏ/ or /w/? Which sound is made with the tongue between the teeth-/f/ or /th/?

Say /b/, /b/, /b/, and then try saying the same sound with your lips together and popping the air out with your voice on. Now, keep doing the same thing with your lips and your breath but turn your voice off. What sound? /p/ /p/ /p/.

Do a picture sort with /p/ and /b/. In this classroom, the teacher has the students working with the confusing sounds /p/ and /b/ which are only differentiated by voicing.

Step 5: Use the sound wall for independent learning by problem solving.

When a student asks how to spell " meet," ask them to find the /ē/ and look at the choices for spelling that sound. This is much more efficient than asking them if they can find a word that sounds like or rhymes with " meet." By using a sound wall and connecting directly to the graphemes, students have much quicker access to mapping speech to print.

If a student stumbles on the word like " night" while reading, point out the and direct them to the long card on the sound wall. What do we know about this spelling and the sound it represents?

Let's keep this conversation going. Please add your comments and questions below so we can add to the understanding of sound walls at work in a classroom.

Listen to Mary's podcast about the importance of Sound Walls here.

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Implementing a Sound Wall: Because We Need to Distinguish Between Sounds and Letters

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Sound walls are becoming more common in classrooms thanks to a clearer understanding of the science of reading. We need to understand why a sound wall is set up differently than an A-Z alphabetical word wall and how to use a sound wall effectively to elevate daily instruction during Tier 1 by reviewing the 44 speech sounds and the options for spelling each of the sounds.

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Science of Reading PD hosted by Lindsay Kemeny

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Science of Reading PD hosted by Lindsay Kemeny

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View the FREE SOR PD HERE.

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Virginia Berninger (Aa-Zz + Handwriting)

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Virginia Berninger (Aa-Zz + Handwriting)

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Listen as Virginia shares about brain research on the working memory for writing letter and retrieving letters from an Aa-Zz approach.

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Evidence-Based, Developmentally Appropriate Writing Skills K to 5: Teaching the Orthographic Loop of Working Memory to Write Letters, Spell Words, and Express Ideas

Virginia Berninger, Ph.D., presents the results of assessment, instructional, brain, and genetics research on writing instruction and describes an approach to instruction and standards that takes into account individual differences in teaching and learning handwriting for spelling, a morphophonemic orthography, and composing.

View researchers' biographies.

Download slides from this presentation.

View research abstract.

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Evidence-Based, Developmentally Appropriate Writing Skills K to 5: Teaching the Orthographic Loop of Working Memory to Write Letters, Spell Words, and Express Ideas

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Virginia Berninger, Ph.D., presents the results of assessment, instructional, brain, and genetics research on writing instruction and describes an approach to instruction and standards that takes into account individual differences in teaching and learning handwriting for spelling, a morphophonemic orthography, and composing. View researchers' biographies. Download slides from this presentation.

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Chart of Basic Phonograms identified by Logic of English

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Reading League Event - September 2018 - SOUND WALLS - Dawn Durham

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Helping students who struggle with blending.

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https://shop.thereadingleague.org/products/equipped-for-reading-success-by-dr-david-kilpatrick-2016-book

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by Dr. David Kilpatrick

This book is a game-changer for both parents and professionals. It is a must-have book for any parent helping their child overcome reading difficulties. A great companion book to Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties, this book is a practical guide to implementing a step-by-step program in phonemic awareness as part of a comprehensive literacy program. Full of amazing insight and resources that teachers can use immediately in the classroom.

Appropriate phonological awareness assessment for ages 5 to 105.
Includes: Part 1 (What needs to be done), Part II (How to do it), Part III (Training exercises), and Part IV (Appendices/resources)

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Equipped For Reading Success by David Kilpatrick is the complete guide to mastering essential reading skills. Discover the best ways to teach and practice reading comprehension, decoding, fluency, and more. Get your students equipped for success today!

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Follow me on Instagram HERE!

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First Rule of Reading: Keep Your Eyes on the Words

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All kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade teachers — as well as reading interventionists — should teach students to keep their eyes on the words on the page so that they do not have to later struggle with breaking a habit that hampers effective, efficient reading.

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As educators, we are always learning and growing in order to improve reading instruction. It can be challenging to sift through the many resources available, so we have created a list for you. The following includes a list of 30 resources for educators who wish to further their knowledge about the Science of Reading.

5 "Must See" Resources to Get Started
1. EAB Report: Narrowing the 3rd Grade Reading Gap (10 minute read)
A research brief for educators embracing the science of reading from the EAB District Leadership Forum. This is an accessible read for educators who want to learn more and implement classroom instruction that is aligned to the science of reading.

2. Of 'Hard Words' and Straw Men: Let's Understand What Reading Science is Really About by Louisa Moats (5 minute read)

An article about what the Science of Reading really entails and how important it is to really have an understanding of the components of foundational literacy instruction in order to implement them effectively into the classroom.

3. Hard Words: Why Aren't Kids Being Taught to Read? (45 minute listen)
Emily Hanford, educational journalist has researched reading instruction across the US. Her findings sparked conversations about The Science of Reading and how we can improve reading proficiency in the US. 4. Videos: Is My Kid Learning to Read? (Part 1 and Part 2; 26 minutes) How many students are being taught to read in the classroom can be eye-opening for parents. Watch this two-part video series to learn more about how students may be learning to read and how to best support them as they continue to learn to read. 5. Reading Rockets website
Okay, we kind of cheated with #5, but if you read nothing else on Reading Rockets, be sure to check out their articles on Phonological and Phonemic Awareness and Why Phonological Awareness is Important for Reading and Spelling .

Infographics

6. The Ladder of Reading by Nancy Young

7. Scarborough's Reading Rope

"The genesis of the Reading Rope dates back to Scarborough's lectures for parents on the complexities involved in learning to read. Originally, she spoke of skilled reading as resembling the 'strands' of a rope, using pipe cleaners to illustrate the interconnectedness and interdependence of all the components."

8. How Our Brains Learn to Read

Our brains are naturally set up to learn to speak, but learning to read does not happen on its own. Scientists have found that we must develop certain parts of our brains and build connections between brain areas that were not connected before. The picture (below) shows four different areas of our brains that we use when we read.

Podcasts

9. Educate by APM Reports

Stories about education, opportunity, and how people learn. Emily Hanford podcasts are recommended and two favorites are listed below:

At a Loss for Words (52 minutes; published Aug. 22, 2019)

National Assessment Shows More K-12 Students Struggling to Read (25 minutes; published Nov. 1, 2019)

10. Glean Education: Research to Practice

Dive into current research, hot topics, and success stories with our two podcast series for educators.

Why Phonological Awareness is Important to Reading? (23 minutes; published Jan. 3, 2019)

How to Make Sight Word Instruction and Reading Intervention More Effective ( 50 minutes published Oct. 1, 2020)

11. Science of Reading: The Podcast by Amplify Education

The latest insights from researchers and practitioners in early reading. Each episode takes a conversational approach and explores a timely topic related to the science of reading.

12. Teaching, Reading & Learning: The Podcast by The Reading League

Listen to speakers who have made important contributions to the educational community as they discuss reading and writing, but connect to other "literacies" that impact children's learning .

Websites, Blogs & Webinars

13. The Reading League

The Reading League is a non-profit organization focused on the mission to advance awareness, understanding, and use of evidence-based reading instruction.

14. Right to Read Project

A group of teachers, researchers, and activists committed to the pursuit of equity through literacy.

15. Louisa Moats

A website from Literacy Expert, Louisa Moats, includes webinars, blogs, and articles for educators committed to best practices in literacy instruction.

16. The Literacy Nest

Emily Gibbons, certified dyslexia practitioner and creator of The Literacy Nest shares resources for instruction for struggling readers.

17. CORE Learn

The Consortium on Reaching Excellence is Education (CORE) provides many excellent resources and free professional learning opportunities.

18. The Learning Spark

A kindergarten teacher who shares her experience along with many resources in the areas of literacy.

19. Education Week

A website sharing in-depth information and research serving K-12 education.

Articles & Research

20. Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel (2008)

21. Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read (2000)

22. Learning to Read: Center for Early Reading (

23. Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do, 2020 by Louisa Moats, published by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

Teacher Resources

24. Florida Center for Reading Research: FCRR

25. University of Florida Literacy Institute: UFLI

26. The Simple View of Reading

Professional Books

27. Speech to Print by Louisa Moats (2014)

28. Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties by David Kilpatrick (2015)

29. Phonics from A to Z by Wiley Blevins (2017)

30. Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print by Marilyn Adams (1994)

Did we miss a resource? Please leave a comment and let us know!

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30 Science of Reading Resources | Heggerty

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As educators, we are always learning and growing in order to improve reading instruction. It can be challenging to sift through the many resources available, so we have created a list for you. The following includes a list of 30 resources for educators who wish to further their knowledge about the Science of Reading.

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Science of Reading PD hosted by Lindsay Kemeny On 5/12/22

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Science of Reading PD hosted by Lindsay Kemeny On 5/12/22

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The Reading League's Live Events provides training to support educators in strengthening their practice using the Science of Reading.

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March is Women's History Month and today is International Women's Day (IWD)! This year's IWD theme is #BreaktheBias - an awesome opportunity to address and shed light on the implicit and explicit biases that [...]

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View the compiled articles HERE.

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Really Great Reading's Virtual Professional Development

The COVID crisis has caused unprecedented instructional loss for so many students. One place that has been greatly impacted is the instruction of foundational literacy skills (teaching children to read). To respond to this critical crisis and to help educators, Really Great Reading is offering a variety of virtual professional development options. If you have questions about any of our workshops or professional development opportunities, please contact us at workshops@reallygreatreading.com.
Learn About Heart Word Magic We are ESSA Level 2 Certified!

Register Now!
Cost: FREE to educators!

Join us for an insightful exploration of the transformative impact of oral language skills on academic and social success.

Dates:
Thursday, November 16, 11am-2pm EST

Friday, December 8, 11am-2pm EST

Led by renowned experts:
Professor Charles Hulme | Oxford University
Dr. Danielle "Nell" Thompson
Transformative Reading Teacher Group
Sarah Hearne | OxEd
A select group from the Really Great Reading Team

This webinar promises a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Register Now for FREE Workshop

Cost: FREE to educators!

No Really Great Reading offering would we be complete without professional learning! We're thrilled to announce our free Vocabulary Science of Reading Virtual Workshop, the newest addition to our Science of Reading workshop series. It is designed to build the one thing researchers agree is vital for reading success - teacher knowledge.

Teachers will learn the science behind vocabulary acquisition, research-based vocabulary, best practice instructional strategies, and the importance of vocabulary for overall reading comprehension and fluency.

Register for a LIVE Workshop
Cost: FREE to educators!

Learn to use the Science of Reading to teach the foundational literacy skills that lead to strong decoding and fluent reading. You'll leave with an understanding of how individuals learn to read and strategies to align research with classroom practices.

Six contact hours of professional development

The ability to upgrade to a paid seat

Educators have TWO OPTIONS:

Emerging Reader (PK-1st)

Developing Reader (1st-12th)

Watch Now!
Cost: FREE to Administrators!

What Are The Top Ten Things Administrators Need to Know About the Science of Reading?

What are the key elements of the Science of Reading?

What are the misconceptions surrounding the Science of Reading?

Why does the Science of Reading work?

Why are so many schools choosing to use it in their classrooms?

Learn More & Request a Quote
Cost: $79 per educator

Virtual Implementation Training Courses prepare teachers to teach. Educators learn on their own time and schedule and can access and reference the courses online for a full school year.

Nine contact hours of professional development

These self-paced, interactive courses are now available for:

Erasing the Misery of Reading and Spelling Multisyllabic Words

Continuing Instruction in Distance Learning Environments

Assessing Students Remotely

Bringing the Science of Reading to Life in the K-1 Classroom

Using the Science of Reading to Solidify Decoding Skills in Grades 1-12

Learn when it is convenient for you. Access our On-Demand Webinars any time, any place (with internet).

Learn More & Purchase
Cost: $249.00/seat or site licenses

Are your classrooms aligned with the Science of Reading? These courses explore the skills and knowledge it takes to teach students to become fluent, highly capable, decoders. They teach a practical, efficient, scientifically aligned, evidence-based, foundational skills approach.

Nine contact hours of professional development

Five weeks of instructional lessons

Emerging Reader (PK-1st)

Developing Reader (1st-12th)

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Really Great Reading's Virtual Professional DevelopmentThe COVID crisis has caused unprecedented instructional loss for so many students. One place that has been greatly impacted is the instruction of foundational literacy skills (teaching children to read).

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hand2mind 3D Sound and Phonics Cards, Phonemic Awareness, Letter Sounds, Phonics Flash Cards, Speech Therapy Materials, Phonics for Kindergarten, Speech Therapy Tools, ESL Teaching Materials

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Amazon.com: hand2mind 3D Sound and Phonics Cards, Phonemic Awareness, Letter Sounds, Phonics Flash Cards, Speech Therapy Materials, Phonics for Kindergarten, Speech Therapy Tools, ESL Teaching Materials : Office Products

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View more about Kristen's SOR Guided Phonics rolling cart HERE.

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Neatly arrange all your art and craft supplies in this three-tier rolling cart. This cart has ample space with removable pieces for you to keep art supplies organized the way you like! Store paints and crayons on the storage shelves, hang ribbons on the dowels, and store rolls of wrapping paper in the gift wrap/vinyl storage organizer. With attached wheels, this cart is perfect to conveniently move to any corner of the house. If you want to prevent from moving, it includes 2 lockable casters for safety.

Details:

Available in multiple colors

Maximum 20 lb. (9 kg) load limit per tray

Large mesh trays for variety of storage purpose

2 lockable casters for safety

10 additional accessories for customization

Metal

Size Information:

17.9" x 14.8" x 31.5" (45.4cm x 37.5cm x 80cm) assembled size without accessories

16" x 12" x 3.5" (40.6cm x 30.5cm x 8.89cm) tray size

24.33 x 7.87" x 1.28" (61.8cmcm x 20cm x 2.1cm) peg board

10" (25.4cm) clearance from each tray

Contents:

1 cart

1 gift wrap/ vinyl storage organizer (2 pc.)

2 ribbon dowels

1 metal peg board

4 peg board hooks

1 peg board bin

4 casters (2 locking)

1 assembly pack

Note: To prevent the cart from tipping over, place heavier items in bottom tray. Set cart on a level surface only. Packaging may vary.

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Neatly arrange all your art and craft supplies in this three-tier rolling cart. This cart has ample space with removable pieces for you to keep art supplies organized the way you like! Store paints and crayons on the storage shelves, hang ribbons on the dowels, and store rolls of wrapping paper in the gift wrap/vinyl storage organizer.

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All-in-one set helps develop explicit phonetic skills

Children can practice making 44 sounds of the English language with this easy-to-use set. They use the included booklet to see the correct mouth and tongue position for each sound while the mirror helps them see themselves as they make the sound. This one-of-a-kind set is the perfect solution for teaching phonetics to early readers.

Highlights

Use the mirror and booklet to practice making 44 different sounds in the English language.

Activity Guide provides step-by-step instructions for lessons written by a reading specialist.

Durable, conveniently sized case includes a built-in kickstand as well as comfortable side grips.

What's Included:

1 Mirror and Booklet in a Plastic Case

1 Activity Guide

Grade Level

PreK, K, 1, 2, 3

Item #

94475

Availability

Yes

Dimensions(L x W x H)

8.5" x 5.5" x 1.5"

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Read about Kristen's SOR Guided Phonics Cart

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Read about Kristen's SOR Guided Phonics Cart

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View the blogpost HERE.

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Read about the Guided Phonics MEGA bundle with visuals for each included packet.

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Today we will be chatting more about the topic of interest this school year- SCIENCE OF READING. I recently wrapped up my Science of Reading Curriculum - Guided Phonics and Beyond.

Now that the curriculum is wrapped up, I am able to turn my attention to additional SOR aligned resources. These resources will make supplements to the Guided Phonics and Beyond curriculum as they will be 100% aligned. These SOR supplemental packets will be used for additional support during small-groups, whole-group independent practice, centers, and/or homework practice.

Guided Phonics + Beyond ENDLESS MEGA Bundle

I thought it would be great to access ALL of my latest supplemental SOR resources in ONE easy accessible bundle. This latest Guided Phonics and Beyond ENDLESS MEGA bundle will house at least 25 packets. The MEGA currently already gives you access to 10 packets. Additional packets will be coming very soon. The great thing about the new ENDLESS MEGA is you simply redownload your bundle on TPT. The additional packets are at NO additional cost.

Let's take a quick look at the 10 included packets thus far and over 700+ pages included!

ACTIVITY #1: Encoding and Decoding Strips (UNITS 2-6): Students will say the word, encode the word, and decode the matching word under the flap.

ACTIVITY #2: Pull It, Read It, Cover It Center Mats (UNITS 2-6): Students will pull a card, decode the word, and cover the matching picture on the mat.

ACTIVITY #3: Say It, Tap It, Map It, Write It Mats (UNITS 2-6): Students will say the picture card name, tap the word, map the word, and write the word.

ACTIVITY #4: Build It, Write It Mats (UNITS 2-6): Students will use these all-in-one mats to say, tap, map, and write skill-based words.

ACTIVITY #5: Word Chain Printable Practice Sheets (UNITS 2-6): Students will manipulative the sounds within the word and write the new words.

Guided Phonics + Beyond ENDLESS MEGA Bundle (contd)

ACTIVITY #6: High Frequency Word Strips (UNITS 2-6): Students will use these fluency strips for practice or as bingo boards.

ACTIVITY #7: Dictation Printable Practice Sheets (UNITS 2-6): Students will spin the spinner and write the matching skill-based word.

ACTIVITY #8: Sentences Mix and Fix Printable Practice Sheets (UNITS 2-6): Students will decode the sentence, draw a matching picture, write the sentence, and build the sentence.

ACTIVITY #9: Say It, Tap It, Write Printable Practice Sheets (UNITS 2-6): Students will say the picture card name, tap the word, map the word, and write the word.

ACTIVITY #10: Build It, Read It, Write It NONFICTION Pocket Chart Sentences (UNIT 2): This is a nonfiction pocket chart sentences build. This packet also includes printable practice for the mix up sentences.

This activity also includes printable practice sheets for follow-up application.

11. Build It, Read It, Write It NONFICTION Pocket Chart Sentences (UNIT 3): This is a nonfiction pocket chart sentences build. This packet also includes printable practice for the mix up sentences.

12. Color Code Alphabet Practice Pages (UNIT 1): Students will follow the code to complete the picture.

13. All-in-One Rime Mats (UNITS 2-6): Students will use these all-in-one mats to say, build, and write the words.

14. Word Blender Strips (UNITS 2-6): Students will use these strips to practice blending words by onset and rime.

15. Science of Reading Aligned Phonics Poems (UNITS 2-6): Students will highlight focus skills, underline high frequency words, and reread for fluency.

16. Color Code Word Practice Pages (UNITS 2-6): Students will follow the code to complete the picture.

17. Build It, Read It, Write It NONFICTION Pocket Chart Sentences (UNIT 4): This is a nonfiction pocket chart sentences build. This packet also includes printable practice for the mix up sentences.

18. Alphabet Balloon Pop Center (UNIT 1): Students will search and cover the matching letters.

19. Alphabet Build a Pizza Center (UNIT 1): Students will sort the pepperoni pieces to each matching pizza alphabet slice.

20. Alphabet Pull and Cover Center (UNIT 1): Students will pull a picture card and place it on the corresponding letter.

21. Alphabet Magnet Cover Center (UNIT 1): Students match the corresponding letter magnet to the card.

22. Alphabet Link Ups Center (UNIT 1): Students match the corresponding alphabet letter cards to the corresponding picture cards.

23. Alphabet All-in-One Practice Sheets (UNIT 1): Students will read, trace, color, and sort the letters in these all-in-one practice sheets.

24. Sound Search Practice Sheets (UNITS 2-6): Students will read the word and color/cover the matching sound.

25. Nonsense Fluency Pages (UNITS 2-6): Students will roll and read the nonsense word(s)

26. High Frequency Words Trace, Search, Circle (UNITS 2-6): Students will trace the word, search the word, and circle the words

Again, you can snag these new packets AND additional upcoming SOR aligned packets in my Guided Phonics SOR ENDLESS MEGA. View it on TPT or by clicking below.

Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2 & 3 FREE Dominoes

Are you implementing my Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum? Snag this free download of CVC decodable dominoes .

NEW! Unit 3 digraph, double endings, and beginning blend dominoes now available! Download them HERE!

If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to me via email: littlemindsatworkLLC@gmail.com

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Guided Phonics an Beyond Science of Reading ENDLESS MEGA bundle

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Today we will be chatting more about the topic of interest this school year- SCIENCE OF READING. I recently wrapped up my Science of Reading Curriculum - Guided Phonics and Beyond . Now that the curriculum is wrapped up, I am able to turn my attention to additional SOR aligned resources.

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A detailed blog post for Unit 1.

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Today we continue our discussion on all things Science of Reading! You can catch up with the prior posts . In today's post, we will discuss getting started with the Guided Phonics and Beyond Curriculum. The Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum is truly a comprehensive and all-inclusive program for covering your Science of Reading needs within the classroom! The program includes all needed material for teaching your whole-group phonics block and your small-groups as well. Deciding to switch to instruction that embeds the best practices for Science of Reading is not an easy task. What about all of the material you've used in the past? Will it still have a role in your instruction going forward?

I set out to make this a much EASIER mission for teachers. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to completely wash out every task when it comes to implementing a Science of Reading approach, but I could lessen the burden. I reached out to my fabulous Facebook community and created what I call a "Think Tank" group. This is a group of 25 teachers. These teachers range in location, grade levels, and have varying training including LTRS and OG. These teachers have been your VOICE. The program I share below wouldn't be the same it is today if it wasn't for these amazing teachers. Why aren't teachers asked for their opinion more when it comes to curriculum? After all, YOU are the ones implementing it and YOU are the ones seeing the results (or lack of) each and every day!

Science of Reading Centered Guided Phonics + Beyond: An Introduction

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is so much more than a phonics curriculum or even a small-group curriculum! This program has thought about all the best practices when it comes to a Science of Reading approach and carefully plugged them in. The program is SYSTEMATIC. A lot of people can get the word systematic swapped with boring. Sure, it might be boring to someone if they repeat the same routine each day. However, some can also say school is "boring" but it's still good for us, right ; )

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program was written with special detail to every lesson and each included component. This program was designed to include the best practices for a Science of Reading approach.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program is designed to include all needed material to lead your whole-group phonics block and your small-group learning block. Each lesson plan has designated components and routines for both whole-group learning and small-group learning. The program includes a scope and sequence. This scope and sequence can be applied to any time frame. You can teach a new lesson every day, a new lesson every two days, and so on. Adjust the units to fit your students at that moment in time. In Unit 1 of the program you can also adjust the letter introduction to fit your needs.

Anytime you read about a Science of Reading approach you will be sure to see the word SYSTEMATIC attached to it. What does a systematic approach mean when it comes to the Guided Phonics + Beyond program? This program is carefully designed to include the most effective routines that are precise and timely. You do not need to flash through sound cards for 5 minutes or build words for 25 minutes. With the program being explicit, you know exactly how to run each routine to maximize its impact.

By having a systematic program, you get the opportunity to become REALLY great at teaching the routines. Compare this to making thirty new recipes in one month or repeating the same recipe thirty times. You will be really great at that one recipe with so much practice. You'll learn right away what works, what doesn't work, and how to differentiate it as well. The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is just that - -systematic and explicit! The program includes your phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program consists of 6 units. This particular post will focus on one of those units- - Unit 1: The Alphabet. You can read about Unit 2: CVC Words .

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Scope Introduction

In Unit 1: Alphabet of the Guided Phonics + Beyond program, students will progress through the alphabet in Aa-Zz order for the first 25 days of school. Students will also work on mouth placement for each letter, attach a sound icon to the letter, and exercise proper handwriting paths of motion for each letter. I get a lot of questions about using an Aa-Zz order for this unit. As noted above, you can swap the order of Unit 1 if mandated by your district.

However, I do have some personal thoughts on spending the first 25 days of school introducing the alphabet. Back in 2014 I released my phonics program called KinderPhonics. This program has been used around the country since fall 2014. Kinderphonics Unit 1 introduces letters Aa-Zz the first 25 days of school. Teachers have had immense success with this so it was the scope already at the top of my list. However, in my Science of Reading journey, I wanted to make sure that there wasn't an alternate scope out there that was better.

I spent a lot of time researching this. I could not find where ONE scope was regarded higher than another. All had good points. You have those that believe letters should be taught in an order based on how the look, taught in an order where letters that are more common in reading/the world around us, or a letter order that assists with reading/building words. In my opinion I think it's too big of a jump to go right into a letter order that is good for reading/building words. For those of us that have taught prek or kindergarten we know that these students can come in not even knowing what a line is let alone a letter... letter sound? No.

That is why I have always done the first 25 days to go through the alphabet in ABC order. I would never expect my students to read or write words in the first 25 days so I do not think they need to be taught in an order that aides that. Sometimes even writing their letters with a pencil can be developmentally inappropriate for some depending on their motor development. Those 25 days also give you a time to build a strong foundation in phonological awareness. Sing the abc song, build an abc strip day-by-day to increase student buy-in, learn the letters in a fun and inviting way. Then, day 26 go back through again in an order that lends itself to reading words, building words, and writing words! You can get down to more of an academic focus here because you provided them with a base!

A couple other notes. I was introduced to the brain work by Virginia Berninger. She has done several research studies and she states an alphabetical approach with specific systematic routines is best. She states it is key for helping with automaticity. My side note. The students see and hear the alphabet in abc order. Think abc chart or abc song. I know even for myself I will sometimes go back through in my head how the alphabet looks or sounds to grab the letter I need. Kids do this as well.)

I also think about how we teach numbers. I've never seen a teacher that goes 1, 7, 9 since they all have straight lines. It just doesn't make sense. So, we teach numbers in order to help with automaticity. That is just my personal opinion but hers is backed with research. Another group member also noted that she recently heard that going in abc order at first helps to give students "velcro" for future learning.

Above you can note the scope and sequence for Unit 1. Below we will dig into the included components for Unit 1 of the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 1 Overview

Let's take a look at an overview of the included components for Unit 1: The Alphabet.

detailed scope and sequence (editable)

25 lesson plans (editable)

26 sound cards

26 mouth articulation cards

26 instructional mats

26 sound pocket chart activities

26 "Yay or Nay" pocket chart activities

26 printables

52 letter path of motion posters

52 letter path of motion student mats

26 decodable readers

26 decodable fluency strips

26 decodable reader sheets

26 letter fluency mats

vocabulary printables

handwriting mats

alphabet charts

alphabet strips

alphabet flashcards

assessments and assessment trackers

writing strokes printable sheets

curriculum binder covers and spines

curriculum labels

multisensory connection

oral phonological awareness routines

lessons built-in teacher notes

Below is a visual overview of the Guided Phonics and Beyond Unit 1 set up in a classroom.

1. Alphabet Poster

2. All-in-One Instructional mat

3. Handwriting paths of motion posters

4. Letter review cards

5. Yay or Nay pocket chart letter sorts

6. Pocket chart sound picture sorts

7. Decodable reader

8. Fluency strips

9. Lesson Plans

10. Assessment

View an "in-action" video of the overview HERE.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 1 Components 1-10

Let's discuss all the components that are part of Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 1. This program really intends to give you all necessary material. There are a few minor supplies that you will need to add in. The following would be items you would need to have on hand to complete the lessons:

dry erase markers -STUDENT AND TEACHER USE

dry erase surface (laminated unit mats or unit mats placed inside dry-erase pouches) -STUDENT USE

sorting surface (pocket chart, chair rail, card holder) -TEACHER USE

visual writing surface (interactive whiteboard, chart paper, whiteboard) -TEACHER USE

Yes, that's it! The remaining material will all be included within your unit. Let's take a look at the included components within Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 1.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 1 Components 11-20

View a sample vocabulary lesson in THIS video.

Multisensory writing "in action" below.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 1 Assessments Overview

Lesson Quick Check-Ins
The unit contains quick check-ins to assess every five lessons/letters. The students will id and write the letters. Phonological awareness will also be assessed during the checks.

Pre and Post Assessment
The unit contains an assessment tracker. This tracker is used for pre and post assessing of the unit.

Let's discuss the assessment component in more detail. This unit includes lesson check-ins for every 5 letters. The unit also includes a pre-assessment and a post-assessments. The assessments cover phonological awareness, naming letters/or letter sounds. There is also a built-in handwriting component.

View an overview video of the assessments HERE.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 1 Assessment IN ACTION

Let's take a look at the pre-assessment for Unit 1 in action with video.

Norah is 5 years old and will enter kindergarten in the fall. She enjoys learning and has been in a part-time preschool program for 2 years. Norah has been exposed to the alphabet in a print-first method, but she does have a solid understanding in letter sounds.

Below you can see that Norah had full understanding for the phonological awareness skills being assessed. Norah is most likely not your average preschool student coming into K. She is not only able to answer correctly, but she is very quick in her answers. Norah has mastered all of her capital letter identifications. For lowercase, she was successful as well. Norah can at times swap her b/d which again is developmentally appropriate for her age. For letter sounds, Norah is able to successfully state her letter sounds. At times, Norah will state the letter name along with it or add in an action that she learned alongside KinderPhonics. Norah does need to fine-tune a few sounds and limit her "uh" addition to letters like b, d, j, and g. This will most likely come with proper mouth articulation work and voiced vs. unvoiced sounds.

If we take a look at Norah's pre-assessment handwriting we can tell she was fairly successful. I didn't specify a case in which I wanted her to write in. I wanted to gauge where she was. You can see that Norah overwhelmingly wrote in capital letters except the letters in her name. She is clearly comfortable writing those in lowercase and has an understanding that letters are lowercase in her name. She does have a backwards Z and S which isn't abnormal for her age.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 1 Lesson Plans

Let's turn our focus to the lesson plans after all these are the MEAT of the Guided Phonics + Beyond program. We have discussed prior the importance of a systematic approach. It is also vital that the lesson plans are followed as planned. I wanted to make sure that you are comfortable with the lesson plans and truly understand the careful thought process behind each part. In the detailed video below, I will walk you through EVERY section of the lesson plan for days one and two.

If you plan to implement this program, I urge you to watch this video as it will for sure help. As teachers, we are the best adapters so do feel free to adapt the lesson plans to fit your needs and your students. However, keep in mind that any changes will need to be consistent. You can use the editable lesson plans or sticky notes to remind yourself of these newly implemented routines. View the lesson plans overview video .

Guided Phonics + Beyond: The Complete Program

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program is designed to include all needed material to lead your whole-group phonics block and your small-group learning block in a Science of Reading focused approach. Each lesson plan has designated components and routines for both whole-group learning and small-group learning. The program includes a scope and sequence. This scope and sequence can be applied to any time frame. You can teach a new lesson every day, a new lesson every two days, and so on. Adjust the units to fit your students at that moment in time.

You can view the program's FULL scope and sequence in the TPT preview HERE. I am very transparent with exactly what skills will be taught and what high frequency words will be embedded. This will help you with planning.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program includes 6 units. View a short overview of each unit below. Keep in mind that the components you read above for Unit 2 will be carried across all remaining units. The largest of those components being the decodable readers. This program will include 125 decodables (25 additional decodables if you include the alphabet readers

UNIT 1: Pre-Readers Alphabet Aa-Zz

UNIT 2: CVC Words

UNIT 3: Digraphs, Double Endings, Blends

UNIT 4: CVCE Words + Silent C/G

UNIT 5: Ending Blends, R Controlled, Silent Sounds

UNIT 6: Vowel Teams + Diphthongs

This is a Science of Reading growing bundle and will wrap up by the end of first semester. You can view the release dates in the TPT preview HERE.

View this program on TPT. The Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum is on MAJOR DISCOUNT! * * * SAVE BIG, BIG, BIG WITH THE GUIDED PHONICS + BEYOND BUNDLE! THIS BUNDLE IS ON SALE FOR $100 OFF ($50, VALUE $150) * * *

Guided Phonics + Beyond Aligned Centers

With have discussed that the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum covers your whole-group phonics group and your small-group learning. However, you might be wanting aligned material to have your students use during independent literacy centers! Look no further because I have 100% aligned centers! These centers align to all 6 units of the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum! View these NEW aligned Guided Phonics + Beyond Centers .

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Centers bundle includes 120 centers! 20 centers per unit! The centers also include "I Can" cards for accountability. You can view the centers by clicking HERE. The centers are currently on MAJOR DISCOUNT! Snag them on sale !

Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 1 Organization Tips

Let's take a look and see how your fellow teacher besties are organizing the units!

"I decided to make a folder for each lesson to hold the small group materials. I bound the lesson plans and did half size for the letter path of motion to keep at my small group table." -Micheyla

Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 1 Helpful Links

I have shared some amazing information and videos links for the Guided Phonics and Beyond program! Use this one-stop for all of the important video links! If you need additional assistance of you course you can reach out to me at littlemindsatworkLLC@gmail.com

If you are wanting to see where I have purchased some of the material I used in the Guided Phonics + Beyond program you can check out my Amazon Shop.
Amazon Disclosure: This is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
Alphabet Tracing Sheets [a free download]

Download these freebie alphabet tracing sheets . These sheets embed the same color coded clip art founded within Unit 1 of Guided Phonics + Beyond!

Science of Reading: A Blog Series

Be sure to follow along with the Science of Reading blog series here on the site. You can catch up on all of the linked blog posts HERE.

Recap part 1 if you missed it by clicking or on the image below. Guest writing, Lindsay Kemeny, takes us through the first steps to transitioning into Science of Reading.

Review the detailed overview post like this one for Unit 2 .

CONTACT: TARA WEST - - LITTLEMINDSATWORKLLC@GMAIL.COM

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Science of Reading and the Guided Phonics + Beyond

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Today we continue our discussion on all things Science of Reading! You can catch up with the prior posts . In today's post, we will discuss getting started with the Guided Phonics and Beyond Curriculum . The Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum is truly a comprehensive and all-inclusive program for covering your Science of Reading needs within the classroom!

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A detailed blog post for Unit 2.

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In part 1, we learned to define Science of Reading as a framework. We know that the Science of Reading can offer incredible results but it can also cause immense challenges. How do we implement these amazing practices when we don't have a curriculum that encompasses all of the best practices? What do we do to make sure all of our learning material spirals and exposes our students to words in which all sounds have been explicitly taught, a program that embeds high frequency words, a program that embeds phonemic awareness, and how do you have time to be this meticulous with just one subject and still have time to dedicate to all the other learning throughout the school day? I had all of these same thoughts as I pondered about the many "big box" curriculum programs I was given/told to implement. I know that if I was to use those same "big box" programs for a Science of Reading approach, I would literally have to change EVERYTHING. The high frequency order would need changed, swapping "leveled" texts for decodables, adding in orthographic word mapping routines, and honestly completely gutting the scope and sequence.

I set out to make this a much EASIER mission for teachers. I wouldn't be able to completely wash out every task when it comes to implementing a Science of Reading approach, but I could lessen the burden. I reached out to my fabulous Facebook community and created what I call a "Think Tank" group. This is a group of 25 teachers. These teachers range in location, grade levels, and have varying training including LTRS and OG. These teachers have been your VOICE. The program I share below wouldn't be the same it is today if it wasn't for these amazing teachers. Why aren't teachers asked for their opinion more when it comes to curriculum? After all, YOU are the ones implementing it and YOU are the ones seeing the results (or lack of) each and every day!

Science of Reading Centered Guided Phonics + Beyond: An Introduction

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is so much more than a phonics curriculum or even a small-group curriculum! This program has thought about all the best practices when it comes to a Science of Reading approach and carefully plugged them in. The program is SYSTEMATIC. A lot of people can get the word systematic swapped with boring. Sure, it might be boring to someone if they repeat the same routine each day. However, some can also say school is "boring" but it's still good for us, right ; )

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program was written with special detail to every lesson and each included component. This program was designed to include the best practices for a Science of Reading approach.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program is designed to include all needed material to lead your whole-group phonics block and your small-group learning block. Each lesson plan has designated components and routines for both whole-group learning and small-group learning. The program includes a scope and sequence. This scope and sequence can be applied to any time frame. You can teach a new lesson every day, a new lesson every two days, and so on. Adjust the units to fit your students at that moment in time.

Anytime you read about a Science of Reading approach you will be sure to see the word SYSTEMATIC attached to it. What does a systematic approach mean when it comes to the Guided Phonics + Beyond program? This program is carefully designed to include the most effective routines that are precise and timely. You do not need to flash through sound cards for 5 minutes or build words for 25 minutes. With the program being explicit, you know exactly how to run each routine to maximize its impact. By having a systematic program, you get the opportunity to become REALLY great at teaching the routines. Compare this to making thirty new recipes in one month or repeating the same recipe thirty times. You will be really great at that one recipe with so much practice. You'll learn right away what works, what doesn't work, and how to differentiate it as well. The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is just that - -systematic and explicit! The program includes your phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program consists of 6 units. This particular post will focus on one of those units- - Unit 2: CVC words. In my opinion, Unit 2 offers all the heart eye emojis when it comes to implementing a Science of Reading approach. Unit 1 is amazing at constructing that solid base first needed with letter sounds and phonological awareness. Let's jump into learning more about Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Overview

In Unit 2: CVC Words of the Guided Phonics + Beyond program, students will progress through the alphabet a second time. Students will learn sounds the second time though in an order that lends itself to building and reading words right away. Students will build those words, write those words, read those words in isolation, and read those words in context.

UNIT 2 CVC WORDS: BULLET POINT COMPONENTS

detailed scope and sequence (editable)

50 lesson plans ( 2 lessons per skills - editable)

26 sound cards

high frequency cards (2 versions)

25 decodable review drill sheets

map it mats template

dictation mats template

25 decodable text drill sheets

25 decodable all-in-one decodable sheets

25 decodable readers

25 home connection sheets

25 printable practice sheets

25 nonsense word drill sheets

sound blending strips

25 word chain mats (2 versions)

25 word chain letter tile sets

25 lesson word/picture match-up cart sets

25 vocabulary practice sheets

rime cards

vowel stick cards

word building letter cards (multiple sizes)

Below is a visual overview of the Guided Phonics and Beyond Unit 2 set up in a classroom.

1. Lesson plans

2. Sound cards

3. Blending cards

4. Irregular and decodable high frequency word cards

5. Rime hunts display and flashcards

6. Unit characters poster

7. Decodables

8. Vowel sticks

9. Blending drills

10. Orthographic mapping drills

11. Word chains drill

12. All-in-one decodable text drill mat (printed full size as a poster)

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Components 1-10

Let's discuss all the components that are part of Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2. This program really intends to give you all necessary material. There are a few minor supplies that you will need to add in. The following would be items you would need to have on hand to complete the lessons:

dry erase markers -STUDENT AND TEACHER USE

dry erase surface (laminated unit mats or unit mats placed inside dry-erase pouches) -STUDENT USE

magnetic letters (or use the included unit paper tiles) -STUDENT USE

small manipulatives for pushing up sounds in words (plastic chips or circle magnets) -STUDENT AND TEACHER USE

visual word building surface (pocket chart, chair rail, card holder) -TEACHER USE

visual writing surface (interactive whiteboard, chart paper, whiteboard) -TEACHER USE

Yes, that's it! The remaining material will all be included within your unit. Let's take a look at the included components within Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2.

COMPONENT 2: Sound Card Drill
Each lesson contains a corresponding sound introduction. The sound card contains the sound icon and the matching letter. Varying styles and sizes are included.

COMPONENT 3: High Frequency Words
Each lesson contains decodable and/or irregular high frequency words. Students will map the high frequency words. Flashcards are including for high frequency word fluency drills.

COMPONENT 7: Dictation Practice
Dictation practice is embedded into the lesson. Students will listen and write the letter sounds, skill-based words, and skill-based sentences.

COMPONENT 8: Decodable Pre-Reading
Decodable pre-reading practice is embedded into the lesson using the all-in-one mat. Students will review letter sounds, high frequency words, and skill-based words.

COMPONENT 9: Decodable Reader
Decoding and reading fluency is embedded into the lesson using the printable decodable book. Option: Use the All-in-One Decodable Text Sheets in place of the decodable books.

This unit includes 25 custom written decodable books. Each decodable book contains ONLY skills that have been explicitly taught. There are no tricky/skill-based words that the students won't have been taught within their explicit phonics lessons. Each decodable contains a back cover that guides students through a skill-based review and includes comprehension questions for the teacher.

The decodable texts integrate SPEECH BUBBLES to offer a unique reading experience for students.

Each decodable text is also offered in an all-in-one sheet. This is perfect for giving the students a copy of the decodable without them taking the actual book. This is also great for easy set up. If you don't have time to print and prep books, simply print these sheets. These sheets are also a great alternative if you have a group that is still relying on the pictures. This sheet will remove any temptation to guess-read by using pictures.

Included within the unit is a characters overview poster. The students will enjoy getting to meet the characters in Unit 2. These characters will continue throughout future units along with new characters.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Components 11-20

COMPONENT 11: Printable Practice Sheet
Each skill contains a printable practice sheet. This sheet reviews decoding skills and high frequency words.

COMPONENT 12: Nonsense Word Drills
Nonsense word drills are embedded into the lesson. Students will be introduced to a nonsense word and follow-up with the nonsense word drill mat.

COMPONENT 14: Vocabulary Practice
Each lesson contains a vocabulary practice sheet. The students will review a vocabulary word from the day's lesson.

COMPONENT 15: Word Chains
The lessons contain word chain mats and letter tiles. Students will follow your oral cues to build and manipulate sounds in words.

COMPONENT 16: Word Match-Up Cards
The lessons contain word match-up cards for additional blending and fluency practice.

COMPONENT 17: Vowel Sticks
The unit vowel sticks are used for identifying the matching vowel sound in oral vowel fluency drills.

" I love the vowel sticks and feel like that activity has helped my students so much to distinguish those tricky middle sounds. Once we were using all 5 sticks the management became a little tricky, so I made vowel strips to use instead. They lay their strip in front of them and place a marker on the vowel they hear (polar bear mini erasers are a favorite!). Easy for me to look around the group and see who's got it correct." -Joscelin

Download the vowel sticks alternative- strips !

COMPONENT 18: Handwriting Mats
The unit contains a variety of styles and sizes for handwriting mats. The mats can be laminated or placed into a dry-erase pouch.

COMPONENT 19: Handwriting Practice
The unit contains writing handwriting practice sheets. The practice sheets follow the unit's scope and sequence of letters.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Assessments Overview

Let's discuss the assessment component in more detail. The program includes a pre and post assessment. Below you will have the chance to watch an assessment in action. However, it is important that I note all of the assessment opportunities that are already built into the unit. Each lesson has the decodable drill sheet, nonsense drill mat, all-in-one decodable text sheet, and the pre-reading text sheet. Each of these could be used to gather data on students throughout the unit. These types of assessments are also natural and do not disturb your systematic routine. (You are not having to stop learning for a day or more just to assess students.)

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Assessment IN ACTION

Let's take a look at the pre-assessment for Unit 2 in action with video.

Norah is 5 years old and will enter kindergarten in the fall. She enjoys learning and has been in a part-time preschool program for 2 years. Norah has been exposed to the alphabet in a print-first method, but she does have a solid understanding in letter sounds. You will note that when Norah answers in the phonemic awareness section she will do so with the letter name instead of the sound. If Norah had learned the majority of her letter sounds and letter names from Unit 1 of Guided Phonics + Beyond she would have most likely answered with the letter sound as Unit 1 is a sound-first program.

After watching the video you will hear that Norah has mastery in her phonemic awareness. However, you can still take into account what we discussed above. Norah has confusion with the letter sound /d/ in which she answered with /b/. However, she does self-correct this error. This is an age appropriate error. Norah also responds with /y/ in place of /u/ and /j/ in place of /g/. These are common errors for this age.

In the decoding section you will note that Norah will decode verbally and in her head. Norah does confuse her /b/ and /d/ sound once again in the word "pad". She is unable to self-correct this error. On the word "bug," Norah is unable to make her /u/ sound in order to stretch the word. She struggles with this sound again in the word "sun". This is also the letter sound that Norah struggled with in isolation. It is not of concern at this point in a pre-assessment that she was unable to identify that sound in isolation or context. U as in /u/ will be introduced in Lesson 11. Norah will have several lessons to master that sound in isolation and in context.

At the bottom of the assessment, I left it open-ended for Norah to identify any irregular words that she knew. I did not force the issue by going through each word one-by-one as I was worried this could cause frustration. This is a pre-assessment and I know that she will have 25 lessons to gain these irregular words. It is very possible that she did know some of these words and was just taken aback by the assessment. All in all, Norah did very well for a pre-assessment. Norah would have no issue proceeding into the start of Unit 2.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Lesson Plans

Let's turn our focus to the lesson plans after all these are the MEAT of the Guided Phonics + Beyond program. We have discussed prior the importance of a systematic approach. It is also vital that the lesson plans are followed as planned. I wanted to make sure that you are comfortable with the lesson plans and truly understand the careful thought process behind each part. In the detailed video below, I will walk you through EVERY section of the lesson plan for days one and two. If you plan to implement this program, I urge you to watch this video as it will for sure help. As teachers, we are the best adapters so do feel free to adapt the lesson plans to fit your needs and your students. However, keep in mind that any changes will need to be consistent. You can use the editable lesson plans or sticky notes to remind yourself of these newly implemented routines.

Keeping on the some page, let's discuss setting up your lesson plan book. You can print the lesson plans front/back and place them into a binder, bind them, or use them loose. Included in the unit, is a custom PDF that I have made for you. This PDF combines drill mats, printable practice sheets, and the decodable in a thumbnail format. This sheet can be printed and placed directly behind each lesson. This thumbnail sheet is an excellent visual for your lesson plan book.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: The Complete Program

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program is designed to include all needed material to lead your whole-group phonics block and your small-group learning block in a Science of Reading focused approach. Each lesson plan has designated components and routines for both whole-group learning and small-group learning. The program includes a scope and sequence. This scope and sequence can be applied to any time frame. You can teach a new lesson every day, a new lesson every two days, and so on. Adjust the units to fit your students at that moment in time.

You can view the program's FULL scope and sequence in the TPT preview HERE. I am very transparent with exactly what skills will be taught and what high frequency words will be embedded. This will help you with planning. Watch the video below to hear me explain in detail what went behind Unit 2's scope and sequence.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program includes 6 units. View a short overview of each unit below. Keep in mind that the components you read above for Unit 2 will be carried across all remaining units. The largest of those components being the decodable readers. This program will include 125 decodables (25 additional decodables if you include the alphabet readers).

UNIT 1: Pre-Readers Alphabet Aa-Zz

UNIT 2: CVC Words

UNIT 3: Digraphs, Double Endings, Blends

UNIT 4: CVCE Words + Silent C/G

UNIT 5: Ending Blends, R Controlled, Silent Sounds

UNIT 6: Vowel Teams + Diphthongs

This is a Science of Reading growing bundle and will wrap up by the end of first semester. You can view the release dates in the TPT preview .

View this program on TPT. The Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum is on MAJOR DISCOUNT! * * * SAVE BIG, BIG, BIG WITH THE GUIDED PHONICS + BEYOND BUNDLE! THIS BUNDLE IS ON SALE FOR $100 OFF ($50, VALUE $150) * * *

Heart Words a FREE Resource from UFLI

Embedded into each Guided Phonics Unit 2-6, you will find heart words. Heart words or irregular words are an integral part of my Science of Reading aligned units. Have you ever glanced over a Fry or Dolch "sight words" list and thought to yourself, "Wow! Why am I teaching the words in THIS order?" Yes, same thought here! With Science of Reading, one of the biggest impacts we can make actually comes from a small change! Simply swapping the order in which you teach your high frequency words can make a HUGE impact! Another big impact? Allowing students to DECODE their high frequency words. I was totally guilty of telling my students that they just needed to "know" these words and not give them the opportunity to stretch them out like we did with other words.

Are you new to the idea of teaching HEART words? Linda Farrell explains it in the most effective way in this super detailed article . Really Great Reading also has a great explanation and FREE instructional videos . Go directly to the videos .

Another fantastic and FREE resource I like for heart words comes from UFLI! They created these awesome flashcards which can be downloaded for free HERE.

Under the orange Irregular "Heart" Words banner, click the hyperlinked Heart Word Cards to download the cards. They also offer them in other formats besides just PDF!

I also have a set of the flashcards printed as a cheat sheet. After downloading the free set from the site, I opened it in Adobe. I chose "multiple" in my print window and chose the number of columns/rows I wanted. See a tutorial below.

View a tutorial on how to print the flashcards as an all-in-one cheat sheet below.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: The Sound Wall

Yes! The Guided Phonics + Beyond program contains all of the necessary components to create a sound wall in your classroom. The bundle includes the vowel valley and your consonants display as well! This included packet is designed to offer an engaging way to showcase your vowel valley and consonants displays. This packet includes 3 differentiated levels: Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginning. This download also includes sample displays, sound guide, labels/signage, and multiple color schemes.

Alison R

Option 1: Advanced This version displays all (most used) sounds. If students are not yet ready for that sound you can use the included cover cards or use post-it notes. This version is best used for first and/or second grade.

Option 2: Intermediate This version includes limited sounds. This version can be used second semester of Kindergarten and/or first semester of first grade.

Option 3: Beginning This version includes only vowels and basic consonants. This version can be used first semester of Kindergarten and/or preschool.

The sound wall packet also includes "cover up" cards so that you can hide future skills.

Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2 Helpful Links

I have shared some amazing information and videos links for the Guided Phonics and Beyond program! Use this one-stop for all of the important video links! If you need additional assistance of you course you can reach out to me at littlemindsatworkLLC@gmail.com

If you are wanting to see where I have purchased some of the material I used in the Guided Phonics + Beyond program you can check out my Amazon Shop.

Amazon Disclosure: This is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2 Organization Tips

Let's take a look and see how your fellow teacher besties are organizing the units!

"For unit 2 the left side holds day 1 small group and the right side holds day 2. I like to keep the cards in baggies in my small group cart. For the word chain mats, I decided to print front to back and put them all in a sheet protector. Then I'll just flip the page over and have students take magnetic letters from a cookie sheet and place them on top. The map it mat and dictation mat are printed front to back." -Micheyla

Melissa is organizing her unit 2 in a binder!

Guided Phonics Unit 2 FREE DOWNLOADS

I have several aligned free downloads for Unit 2. Snag those free downloads below!

Science of Reading: A Blog Series

Be sure to follow along with the Science of Reading blog series here on the site. You can catch up on all of the linked blog posts .

Recap part 1 if you missed it by clicking or on the image below. Guest writing, Lindsay Kemeny, takes us through the first steps to transitioning into Science of Reading.

CONTACT: TARA WEST - - LITTLEMINDSATWORKLLC@GMAIL.COM

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Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2 a Science of Reading Approach

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In part 1 , we learned to define Science of Reading as a framework. We know that the Science of Reading can offer incredible results but it can also cause immense challenges. How do we implement these amazing practices when we don't have a curriculum that encompasses all of the best practices?

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A detailed blog post for Unit 3.

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In part 1, we learned to define Science of Reading as a framework. We know that the Science of Reading can offer incredible results but it can also cause immense challenges. How do we implement these amazing practices when we don't have a curriculum that encompasses all of the best practices? What do we do to make sure all of our learning material spirals and exposes our students to words in which all sounds have been explicitly taught, a program that embeds high frequency words, a program that embeds phonemic awareness, and how do you have time to be this meticulous with just one subject and still have time to dedicate to all the other learning throughout the school day? I had all of these same thoughts as I pondered about the many "big box" curriculum programs I was given/told to implement. I know that if I was to use those same "big box" programs for a Science of Reading approach, I would literally have to change EVERYTHING. The high frequency order would need changed, swapping "leveled" texts for decodables, adding in orthographic word mapping routines, and honestly completely gutting the scope and sequence.

I set out to make this a much EASIER mission for teachers. I wouldn't be able to completely wash out every task when it comes to implementing a Science of Reading approach, but I could lessen the burden.

Science of Reading Centered Guided Phonics + Beyond: An Introduction

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program was written with special detail to every lesson and each included component. This program was designed to include the best practices for a Science of Reading approach.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program is designed to include all needed material to lead your whole-group phonics block and your small-group learning block. Each lesson plan has designated components and routines for both whole-group learning and small-group learning. The program includes a scope and sequence. This scope and sequence can be applied to any time frame. You can teach a new lesson every day, a new lesson every two days, and so on. Adjust the units to fit your students at that moment in time.

Anytime you read about a Science of Reading approach you will be sure to see the word SYSTEMATIC attached to it. What does a systematic approach mean when it comes to the Guided Phonics + Beyond program? This program is carefully designed to include the most effective routines that are precise and timely. You do not need to flash through sound cards for 5 minutes or build words for 25 minutes. With the program being explicit, you know exactly how to run each routine to maximize its impact. By having a systematic program, you get the opportunity to become REALLY great at teaching the routines. Compare this to making thirty new recipes in one month or repeating the same recipe thirty times. You will be really great at that one recipe with so much practice. You'll learn right away what works, what doesn't work, and how to differentiate it as well. The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is just that - -systematic and explicit! The program includes your phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program consists of 6 units. This particular post will focus on one of those units- - Unit 3: Digraphs, Blends, and Double Ending words. In my opinion, Unit 3 offers all the heart eye emojis when it comes to implementing a Science of Reading approach. Unit 1 is amazing at constructing that solid base first needed with letter sounds and phonological awareness. Then, Unit 2 really starts to allow the stars to align when it comes to reading. However, Unit 3 is when we get to challenge our students to really bring all of those sounds together! Let's jump into learning more about Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 3.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 3 Overview

In Unit 3: Digraphs, Blends, and Double Endings of the Guided Phonics + Beyond program, students will build upon the CVC words they learned in Unit 2. Students will learn to define, decode, write, and read digraph words, blend words, and double ending words. Students will also learn about multisyllable words and open syllable words.

Listen below as I go over in detail the scope and sequence of Unit 3.

UNIT 3 Digraphs, Blends, Double Endings: BULLET POINT COMPONENTS

detailed scope and sequence (editable)

50 lesson plans ( 2 lessons per skills - editable)

26 sound cards

high frequency cards (2 versions)

25 decodable review drill sheets

map it mats template

dictation mats template

25 decodable text drill sheets

25 decodable all-in-one decodable sheets

25 decodable readers

25 home connection sheets

25 printable practice sheets

25 multisyllabic drill practice sheets

25 comprehension practice sheets

sound blending strips

25 word chain mats (2 versions)

25 word chain letter tile sets

25 lesson word/picture match-up cart sets

25 vocabulary practice sheets

rime cards

vowel stick cards

word building letter cards (multiple sizes)

10 high frequency review practice sheets

pre and post assessment trackers

Below is a visual overview of the Guided Phonics and Beyond Unit 3 set up in a classroom.

1. Lesson plans

2. Sound cards

3. Blending cards

4. Irregular and decodable high frequency word cards

5. Rime hunts display and flashcards

6. Blending mat

7. Decodables

8. Vowel sticks

9. Blending drills

10. Orthographic mapping drills

11. Word chains drill

12. All-in-one decodable text drill mat (printed full size as a poster)

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 3 Components 1-10

Let's discuss all the components that are part of Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 3. This program really intends to give you all necessary material. There are a few minor supplies that you will need to add in. The following would be items you would need to have on hand to complete the lessons:

dry erase markers -STUDENT AND TEACHER USE

dry erase surface (laminated unit mats or unit mats placed inside dry-erase pouches) -STUDENT USE

magnetic letters (or use the included unit paper tiles) -STUDENT USE

small manipulatives for pushing up sounds in words (plastic chips or circle magnets) -STUDENT AND TEACHER USE

visual word building surface (pocket chart, chair rail, card holder) -TEACHER USE

visual writing surface (interactive whiteboard, chart paper, whiteboard) -TEACHER USE

Yes, that's it! The remaining material will all be included within your unit. Let's take a look at the included components within Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 3.

COMPONENT 1: Phonemic Awareness
Each lesson contains built-in phonemic awareness oral routines. The routines are set up as an I do, we do, you do. They are found in the whole-group and small-group learning.

COMPONENT 2: Sound Card Drill
Each lesson contains a corresponding sound introduction. The sound card contains the sound icon and the matching letter. Varying styles and sizes are included.

COMPONENT 3: High Frequency Words
Each lesson contains decodable and/or irregular high frequency words. Students will map the high frequency words. Flashcards are including for high frequency word fluency drills.

COMPONENT 4: Focus Skill Decodable Mat
Each lesson contains a decodable all-in-one review mat. This mat will cover only previously taught sound words.

COMPONENT 5: Blending Drills
Each lesson has built-in opportunities for students to practice blending words. Included letter cards and blending strips are used to practice and master the skill.

COMPONENT 6: Orthographic Word Mapping
Each lesson contains word mapping routines for decodable/irregular high frequency words and skill-based words. Students will map and write each word.

COMPONENT 7: Dictation Practice
Dictation practice is embedded into the lesson. Students will listen and write the letter sounds, skill-based words, and skill-based sentences.

COMPONENT 8: Decodable Pre-Reading
Decodable pre-reading practice is embedded into the lesson using the all-in-one mat. Students will review letter sounds, high frequency words, and skill-based words.

COMPONENT 9: Decodable Reader
Decoding and reading fluency is embedded into the lesson using the printable decodable book. Option: Use the All-in-One Decodable Text Sheets in place of the decodable books.

This unit includes 25 custom written decodable books. Each decodable book contains ONLY skills that have been explicitly taught. There are no tricky/skill-based words that the students won't have been taught within their explicit phonics lessons. Each decodable contains a back cover that guides students through a skill-based review and includes comprehension questions for the teacher.

Each decodable text is also offered in an all-in-one sheet. This is perfect for giving the students a copy of the decodable without them taking the actual book. This is also great for easy set up. If you don't have time to print and prep books, simply print these sheets. These sheets are also a great alternative if you have a group that is still relying on the pictures. This sheet will remove any temptation to guess-read by using pictures.

COMPONENT 10: Home Connection
Each lesson contains a home connection sheet. This sheet can be sent home with students to review skills from within the lesson. Home Connections also contain the typed texts.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 3 Components 11-20

COMPONENT 11: Printable Practice Sheet
Each skill contains a printable practice sheet. This sheet reviews decoding skills and high frequency words.

COMPONENT 12: Multisyllable Word Practice
Unit 3 introduces students to explicit multiple syllable word practice. Students will learn to code and read VCCV words and open syllable words as well. This is embedded into the lessons on day 2 and within a printable practice follow-up sheet as well.

COMPONENT 13: Word Patterns and Rimes
Word patterns and rime identification is embedded into the whole-group lessons and independent practice as well.

Each lesson contains a vocabulary practice sheet. The students will review a vocabulary word from the day's lesson.The lessons contain word chain mats and letter tiles. Students will follow your oral cues to build and manipulate sounds in words.he lessons contain word match-up cards for additional blending and fluency practice.

COMPONENT 17: Vowel Sticks
The unit vowel sticks are used for identifying the matching vowel sound in oral vowel fluency drills.

COMPONENT 18: Handwriting Mats
The unit contains a variety of styles and sizes for handwriting mats. The mats can be laminated or placed into a dry-erase pouch.

COMPONENT 19: High Frequency Word Practice
The unit contains writing high frequency words practice sheets. The practice sheets follow the unit's scope and sequence of high frequency words.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 3 Assessments Overview

COMPONENT 20: Pre and Post Assessment
The unit contains an assessment tracker. This tracker is used for pre and post assessing of the unit.

Let's discuss the assessment component in more detail. The program includes a pre and post assessment. Below you will hear me give an overview of the assessment. However, it is important that I note all of the assessment opportunities that are already built into the unit. Each lesson has the decodable drill sheet, all-in-one decodable text sheet, and the pre-reading text sheet. Each of these could be used to gather data on students throughout the unit. You can also use the day 1 dictation drills for data points. These types of assessments are also natural and do not disturb your systematic routine. (You are not having to stop learning for a day or more just to assess students.)

Click to watch the assessment overview if it does not load below.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 3 Lesson Plans

Let's turn our focus to the lesson plans after all these are the MEAT of the Guided Phonics + Beyond program. We have discussed prior the importance of a systematic approach. It is also vital that the lesson plans are followed as planned. I wanted to make sure that you are comfortable with the lesson plans and truly understand the careful thought process behind each part. In the detailed video below, I will walk you through EVERY section of the lesson plan for days one and two. If you plan to implement this program, I urge you to watch this video as it will for sure help. As teachers, we are the best adapters so do feel free to adapt the lesson plans to fit your needs and your students. However, keep in mind that any changes will need to be consistent. You can use the editable lesson plans or sticky notes to remind yourself of these newly implemented routines. View the detailed Unit 3 lesson overview if it does not load below.

Keeping on the some page, let's discuss setting up your lesson plan book. You can print the lesson plans front/back and place them into a binder, bind them, or use them loose. Included in the unit, is a custom PDF that I have made for you. This PDF combines drill mats, printable practice sheets, and the decodable in a thumbnail format. This sheet can be printed and placed directly behind each lesson. This thumbnail sheet is an excellent visual for your lesson plan book.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: The Complete Program

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program is designed to include all needed material to lead your whole-group phonics block and your small-group learning block in a Science of Reading focused approach. Each lesson plan has designated components and routines for both whole-group learning and small-group learning. The program includes a scope and sequence. This scope and sequence can be applied to any time frame. You can teach a new lesson every day, a new lesson every two days, and so on. Adjust the units to fit your students at that moment in time.

You can view the program's FULL scope and sequence in the TPT preview HERE. I am very transparent with exactly what skills will be taught and what high frequency words will be embedded. This will help you with planning.

UNIT 1: Pre-Readers Alphabet Aa-Zz

UNIT 2: CVC Words

UNIT 3: Digraphs, Double Endings, Blends

UNIT 4: CVCE Words + Silent C/G

UNIT 5: Ending Blends, R Controlled, Silent Sounds

UNIT 6: Vowel Teams + Diphthongs

This is a Science of Reading growing bundle and will wrap up by the end of first semester. You can view the release dates in the TPT preview .

View this program on TPT. The Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum is on MAJOR DISCOUNT! * * * SAVE BIG, BIG, BIG WITH THE GUIDED PHONICS + BEYOND BUNDLE! * * *

Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 3: Digraphs, Blends, Double Endings Centers

These centers are aligned to the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum. The Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum was written with special detail to every lesson and every included component. The curriculum was designed to include the best practices for the Science of Reading.

These aligned centers will offer teachers using the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum, an aligned component to use for independent workers during the small-group block. However, it should be noted that a teacher does not need to follow the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum with fidelity in order to use these centers.

Guided Phonics Aligned Centers [the bundle]

You can view the bundle of centers HERE. The bundle is currently discounted as it continues to grow!

Guided Phonics Unit 3 FREE DOWNLOADS

I have several aligned free downloads for Unit 3. Snag those free downloads below!

Science of Reading: A Blog Series

Be sure to follow along with the Science of Reading blog series here on the site. You can catch up on all of the linked blog posts .

Recap part 1 if you missed it by clicking or on the image below. Guest writing, Lindsay Kemeny, takes us through the first steps to transitioning into Science of Reading.

CONTACT: TARA WEST - - LITTLEMINDSATWORKLLC@GMAIL.COM

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Science of Reading Guided Phonics Unit 3

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In part 1 , we learned to define Science of Reading as a framework. We know that the Science of Reading can offer incredible results but it can also cause immense challenges. How do we implement these amazing practices when we don't have a curriculum that encompasses all of the best practices?

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A detailed blog post for Unit 4.

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Science of Reading Guided Phonics Unit 4

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Science of reading in the primary grades with Guided Phonics and Beyond Curriculum. CVCE words in a science of reading approach.

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Read about the SOR aligned centers.

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Today we continue our discussion on all things Science of Reading! You can catch up with the prior posts . In today's post, we will discuss getting started with the Guided Phonics + Beyond Aligned Centers and the Guided Phonics Nonfiction Decodables.

Guided Phonics Unit 1 Aligned Centers

These centers are aligned to the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum. The Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum was written with special detail to every lesson and every included component. The curriculum was designed to include the best practices for the Science of Reading.

These aligned centers will offer teachers using the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum, an aligned component to use for independent workers during the small-group block. However, it should be noted that a teacher does not need to follow the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum with fidelity in order to use these centers.

Let's take a closer look at each of the 20 centers below.

1. Letter Clip Strips

2. Letter Motor Development Strips
3. Letter Build ItLetter Trace It

5. Letter Spin and Cover

16. Code and Dab Sheets
17. Search and Color Sheets
18. Letter Maze Sheets
19. All-in-One Letter Sheets
20. Trace and Search Sheets

Each center also comes with a matching "I can" card.

You can view a full overview preview video of the centers HERE.

View the Guided Phonics Unit 1 centers HERE or by clicking the image below.

Guided Phonics Unit 2 Aligned Centers

Let's move into the Guided Phonics Unit 2 Aligned centers. This Unit works on CVC words! Each center aligns back lesson-by-lesson to the Guided Phonics Curriculum. This unit also has a special component which you can see below. These are small-group kits that are included for each lesson. These include material that you can directly use at your small-group table or individual centers.

Let's take a closer look at the 20 Unit 2 centers below.

11. CVC Lessons 1-5 Material
12. CVC Lessons 6-10 Material
13. CVC Lessons 11-15 Material
14. CVC Lessons 16-20 Material
15. CVC Lessons 21-25 Material

16. CVC All-in-One Sheets
17. HFW All-in-One Sheets
18. Say It, Tap It, Write It Sheets
19. Decode and Match Sheets
20. CVC Blend and Write Sheets

o comes with a matching "I can" card.

You can view a full overview preview video of the centers HERE.

View the Guided Phonics Unit 2 centers HERE or by clicking the image below.

Guided Phonics Aligned Centers [the bundle]

You can view the bundle of centers HERE. The bundle is currently discounted as it continues to grow!

Guided Phonics Aligned Centers Organization

You can see from above, that I chose to organize my Aligned Centers in matching color coded tubs! That of course is just an option. I purchased my organization bins and caddies from Lakeshore.

You can view the Lakeshore paper trays .

You can view the Lakeshore caddies HERE.

The Aligned Center units also contain correlating center labels for your organizing needs.

Guided Phonics Aligned Centers [supplies]

I have a lot of teachers request links to the supplies they see in my photos. You can view my Amazon list HERE. Use this is a visual guide, but be sure to look around for the best prices.

Amazon Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

Beginning Sounds Sandwich Match-Ups [a free download]

You can download this fun and engaging freebie beginning sounds center HERE. Students will make a PB & J sandwich using the letter and beginning sound icon cards.

Guided Phonics Aligned Nonfiction Decodables

I'm also excited to share that I now have a new set of aligned nonfiction decodables. The Guided Phonics + Beyond Nonfiction Decodables were written with special detail to every reader. These decodables were designed to include best practices for the Science of Reading.

The decodables do follow the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum. However, you can use these books alongside any small-group curriculum. View the scope and sequence to note decodable words, decodable high frequency words, and irregular high frequency words in each reader.

Each reader has an embedded review on the back cover. On the back cover, students will review letters/sounds found in the decodable, high frequency words, and decodable words. There are also embedded comprehension questions found on the back cover for quick check-ins with students.

Along with each decodable book, there is matching all-in-one decodable sheet. Choose between the readers or the all-in-one sheets.

What is included in the Guided Phonics CVC Nonfiction Decodables packet?

20 CVC nonfiction decodable books [REAL PHOTOS]

20 all-in-one decodable text sheets

You can view this packet of aligned nonfiction decodables HERE.

Have an amazing week! Reach out anytime with questions! Tara West - - LITTLEMINDSATWORKLLC@GMAIL.COM

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Science of Reading Aligned Literacy Centers - Kindergarten and 1st Grade

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Today we continue our discussion on all things Science of Reading! You can catch up with the prior posts . In today's post, we will discuss getting started with the Guided Phonics + Beyond Aligned Centers and the Guided Phonics Nonfiction Decodables . These centers are aligned to the Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum.

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This blog post is part of a Science of Reading series. This post is written by Lindsay Kemeny.

The term "science of reading" has become a buzzword recently and there is often confusion over what the term means. Sometimes teachers think this refers to a specific curriculum, program, or method, but the term actually refers to a large body of research on reading. It encompasses thousands of studies on reading. Perhaps my favorite explanation of the science of reading comes from Louisa Moats who explains, "First, the body of work referred to as "the science of reading" is not an ideology, a philosophy, a political agenda, a one-size-fits-all approach, a program of instruction, or a specific component of instruction. It is the emerging consensus from many related disciplines, based on literally thousands of studies, supported by hundreds of millions of research dollars, conducted across the world in many languages. These studies have revealed a great deal about how we learn to read, what goes wrong when students don't learn, and what kind of instruction is most likely to work the best for the most students."

What's devastating is that this information is not new. In fact, a pivotal report on reading called The National Reading Panel (2000) was published back in the year 2000. Instead of fully embracing the research, many professors, departments of education, publishers, and authors ignored it and continued to promote resources and methods that were not aligned with research. Even though there were many reading experts, cognitive scientists, researchers and more who were expressing the science behind reading acquisition, this information was not filtering down to those who needed it most: teachers.

The Science of Reading: Where it is Now

Perhaps a major contributor to why the science of reading is gaining so much traction recently is APM reports reporter: Emily Hanford. If you haven't listened to her podcasts on reading, I highly recommend them! Start with Hard to Read, then Hard Words, and then At a Loss for Words. I recommend the podcasts over reading the articles.

My journey to learn about the science of reading began about 3 years ago when my 7 year old son was diagnosed with severe dyslexia and depression (you can read more about it here). As I began to research what dyslexic students need in order to read, it led me to learn what everyone needs in order to read. I was shocked, angered, and disgusted! Why had I never been taught these things? Even worse, I had been taught ineffective methods for teaching reading. I felt guilt over the students I could have helped if I had been taught these things in college! I began to apply the things I was learning with my son and as his reading steadily improved, so did his self-esteem. I witnessed his wounds healing through the power of effective reading instruction. I know that sounds dramatic, but he had literally hit rock bottom and I learned first-hand how the ability to read has such a powerful impact on a child's life. Please read about his journey with depression and dyslexia here.

The Science of Reading: 8 Simple Steps You Can Take

It can be overwhelming to overhaul your reading instruction, but you don't need to do everything at once. Here are some simple steps you can take to begin your journey into the science of reading.

1. Learn

Begin to gradually learn all you can about the science of reading. You won't learn everything at once and that's okay. It's a process. I have been steadily studying for 3 years and I am still constantly learning new things! Read books, listen to podcasts, watch webinars, participate in professional development trainings. An easy place to start is with a PD training that I created for my master's program. I feel strongly that every student deserves a teacher knowledgeable about the science of reading, so I am offering these for free. You can go to this website and if you are on a mobile device, make sure to click the drop down menu in the top left corner to access all the different modules. Please know that this is only meant to be the beginning of your journey...there is so much more to learn! I highly recommend going to this page for a list of some of my favorite, well-respected resources for learning more about the science of reading.

2. Stop using the 3 cueing system

You may not be familiar with this term, but the cute and popular "beanie baby" reading strategies are based on the 3-cueing system. This is when you are asking students to figure out a word by looking at the picture, the first letter of the word, skipping the word and then figuring it out by using context, etc. These are guessing strategies not reading strategies. There is no research to support these. In fact, what the research tells us is that these are things that poor readers do, not good readers. So when we teach our students these strategies, we are literally teaching them to read like a struggling reader and we are inhibiting the process that is necessary for them to store these words in their memory. We want our students to keep their eyes on the words, to process each letter, and to decode from left to right. No guessing!

3. Replace predictable texts with decodable texts

The only way for a brand new reader to "read" a predictable text is by using the 3 cueing strategies described above. This creates ineffective habits that are hard to break and will ultimately lead to reading failure. What happens when there are no more pictures and the sentence structure and vocabulary are more complex? Some time around 3rd or 4th grade the strategies that held these students afloat will fail them.

Replace those repetitive, predictable texts with decodable books that are filled with sounds and words they have been taught and are able to decode. These generally include all the F&P levels A-D. Also, remember that decodable books are like training wheels...they are temporary and you want to get rid of them as soon as you can. Once students have a solid foundation in phonics, you can move to regular trade books.

4. Teach phonics explicitly and systematically

One of the big differences between balanced literacy and structured literacy (instruction aligned with the science of reading) is the approach to phonics instruction. Balanced literacy tends to sprinkle phonics here and there, mostly addressing certain concepts as they come up in the errors students make within the texts they are reading. But there is a lot of research to support a systematic and explicit phonics approach. We want to be proactive and move through a set scope and sequence that leaves nothing to chance. If you don't have a solid phonics curriculum, make finding or creating one a top priority. There is no one correct sequence of skills, but in general, look for a sequence that starts with simple concepts and moves to more complex ones. You can find a sample sequence here. Then make sure to plan your phonics lessons to follow an I do, we do, you do format.

University of Florida Literacy Institute

5. Encourage phonemic awareness
One of the most common sources of reading difficulties is poor phonemic awareness. Make sure to spend time on this concept in your classroom! You can embed this practice within your phonics lesson, and you can also spend a few minutes before your lesson on these skills. Research supports about 6 minutes a day on phonemic awareness activities.

6. Build vocabulary and background knowledge

Continue to surround your students with beautiful texts, conversations, and read-alouds. We never want to neglect the language comprehension side of reading instruction. Reading aloud to students is a wonderful way to expose them to grade level content and vocabulary. We can beef up this instruction by explicitly teaching vocabulary words and being intentional about the concepts and subjects we teach in connection with our books.

7. Create a support network

It's hard to do all these things alone! Reach out to others at your school or district for help and support. Take a quality training together, start a LETRS cohort, or create a science of reading book club. There is also a wonderful online community of educators at various stages of learning.

8. Have grace
It's easy to become discouraged, defensive, overwhelmed or guilty for the methods you have used in the past. I know because I have been there. But there is an important phrase that is often used in the science of reading community: When we know better, we do better. Try to show compassion for yourself and others! Don't dwell on past mistakes, but use these feelings to propel yourself forward and do the best you can for your current and future students! They need you.

In Conclusion
I wrote my first blog post on the science of reading over two years ago. I was so frustrated with what I had not been taught and wanted to shout what I was learning from the rooftops! I am so excited that the science of reading movement is FINALLY moving forward. Teaching our students to read is one of the most powerful gifts we can give them! Try not to be overwhelmed as you begin to dive into all the resources available. Just put one foot forward at a time and know that you are changing lives with each step you take!

Thank you so much Lindsay for helping us with an amazing kickoff to our Science of Reading series here on the Little Minds at Work site. Follow along with Lindsay's future endeavors on her website, The Learning Spark. Be sure to catch all future blog posts in the series by viewing tab. Thanks so much for joining in and see you again soon! - Tara West

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Science of Reading: 8 Simple First Steps to Get Started

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This blog post is part of a Science of Reading series. This post is written by Lindsay Kemeny. The term "science of reading" has become a buzzword recently and there is often confusion over what the term means.

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This blog post is part of a Science of Reading series. This post is written by Lindsay Kemeny.

The more I learn about literacy, the more important it is to me to listen to high quality science of reading podcasts that encourage and understand effective, evidence-based reading practices. Here is a list of my favorite science of reading podcasts.

This is one of my go-to sources for information on the science of reading. The host is extremely knowledgeable, asks pertinent questions, and has a constant stream of expert guests.

Check out this interview with Margaret Goldberg and Alanna Mednick from The Right to Read Project. They address the science of reading in an easy to understand manner.

This podcast also has a recent series where they deconstruct Scarborough's Reading Rope, with a podcast dedicated to each strand of the rope. It's a must listen! Listen to the first episode in the series here.

This has quickly become one of my top favorite podcasts. Melissa and Lori are both fun, energetic, and engaging. They are both teachers so I love that their episodes are relatable and applicable.

I absolutely love this interview of a kindergarten teacher and how she learned about the science of reading and began implementing it immediately. It's inspiring and entertaining to listen to. I hope they do a follow up interview!

I know I can completely trust any information shared here on the Reading League's podcast. Laura Stewart is an amazing host and my only complaint is that there are not new episodes recorded more frequently.

Perhaps my favorite podcast episode ALL summer is the interview with Linnea Ehri. It was riveting to listen to her as she describes an interaction she had with Ken Goodman (who is often referred to as the father of whole language). Linnea Ehri is a literacy legend and this is an episode I can't wait to listen to again.

I also have to add the interview with Anita Archer. Dr. Archer is a personal hero of mine and I could listen to her all day.

I just recently discovered this podcast by Anna Geiger and quickly fell in love! Anna shares her journey into the science of reading. It's fascinating listening to her reactions of being offended and put off by Emily Hanford's articles and then her complete turn around to join forces with those of us implementing the science of reading. Her podcast is full of simple strategies and tips for teaching. Most of her episodes are only around 15 minutes long, making it an easy podcast to listen to on your way to work.

It's hard to choose a favorite, but this one will be a great place to start!

I love this podcast and Laura Axtell is such a great host.

I have always admired and respected William Van Cleave and the fact that he recently passed away makes this episode even more special. He is your go-to resource for writing, syntax, and grammar.

Glean Research is another solid podcast.

Dr. Jan Hasbrouck is THE fluency guru and this is a great interview where she talks about some of her recent research.

This podcast is sponsored by Voyager Sopris Learning. It is another credible podcast with a knowledgeable host, Pam Austin.

I bet you can guess the guest from the title. It's Anita Archer and, I mean, basically any time she gives a presentation or interview, I am hooked.

In Conclusion

Thank you so much Lindsay for helping us connect with science of reading podcasts that help us expand our Science of Reading knowledge and journey. Follow along with Lindsay's future endeavors on her website, The Learning Spark. Be sure to catch all future blog posts in the series by viewing tab. Thanks so much for joining in and see you again soon! - Tara West

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THE SCIENCE OF READING: Literacy Podcasts Worth Listening To

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This blog post is part of a Science of Reading series. This post is written by Lindsay Kemeny. The more I learn about literacy, the more important it is to me to listen to high quality science of reading podcasts that encourage and understand effective, evidence-based reading practices.

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This blog post is part of a Science of Reading series. This post is written by Melinda Harris.
Pivotal moments in our careers, we all have them, and this one opened our school's doors to the Science of Reading. I remember it vividly... I was sitting in my principal's office explaining why phonological awareness was a crucial component of reading instruction that we had been missing. Unsure if I was making any sense, I asked, "Do you mind if I draw the brain to show how it learns to read?" She didn't mind. In fact, she found the science as fascinating as I did, and it was in that moment we unknowingly embarked on our journey to bring the SOR to the teachers, and most importantly, to all the students of our school.
Oxford Languages defines "journey" as "a long and often difficult process of personal change and development". To think of the Science of Reading as a journey is an accurate description. I naïvely began this adventure thinking it would be smooth sailing. Parts have been easy, but many parts have been difficult. I'm here to share what I've learned in hopes of making your school's transition a little easier.

Administration

My school is fortunate to have administrators who continue to have an interest in learning new concepts. Both my principal and vice-principal were not only interested but eager to learn about the science. They read articles and books, watched webinars, and attended PD which increased their knowledge of the Science of Reading. They also knew their limitations. Amongst all their daily duties, they were aware they couldn't be the experts on everything. So an important part of our school's transformation was developing a team of Science of Reading experts. Through our combined expertise, collaboration, and support from our superintendent, we began to develop our plan of transformation.

Our Plan

We knew moving from balanced literacy was a huge endeavor, one that would take a 3-5 year plan. The plan we developed is a living plan. This means that we make modifications as needed or if unexpected things happen (like covid!!). Here's what we developed:

Year One: Teachers are formally trained on how to teach phonics systematically and explicitly (Orton-Gillingham). Teachers begin to use explicit phonological/phonemic awareness instruction. Support staff begins benchmarking all students K-5 using DIBELS.

Year Two: Teachers continue to grow and understand how to implement explicit and systematic phonics and phonological awareness instruction through collaboration, PD, and book studies. They are trained to give DIBELS assessments with fidelity and are given time to learn what DIBELS results mean in relation to the reading brain. Teachers slowly take over testing responsibilities.

Year Three: Pilot and investigate curriculum to support the comprehension component of reading.

Year Four: Choose, train, and implement comprehension curriculum with year-long staff support.

(Years three and beyond: Teachers continue implementing explicit phonics and phonological awareness instruction. Teachers continue to monitor students' progress using DIBELS.)

We are currently on year two of our plan. We know that year three and four will evolve and become more detailed as this year unfolds. Our plan's evolution will be driven by a very important component of the SOR, data.

Data (DIBELS)

Data drives instruction. We've all heard it (and we've all rolled our eyes at the repeated phrase!!), but it's true. Our school has chosen to use DIBELS 8th edition to benchmark and progress monitor student growth. The subtests are very informative, in that each test gives insight into each student's reading brain. With this data, we can pinpoint a student's strengths or weaknesses in phonemic awareness, phonics (alphabetic principle), or even if further evaluations are necessary. Being trained to give normed assessments with fidelity has been crucial, but understanding these results in relation to how the brain learns to read has revolutionized our ability to teach reading effectively. Using data to be purposeful and prescriptive in our reading instruction has been a key element in our transition from balanced literacy to the Science of Reading.

Vulnerability

With the discussion of data, we have to talk about vulnerability. This journey hasn't been easy. As we've analyzed our data, we have felt very vulnerable both as individuals and as a school. Data not only showed us our students' strengths and weaknesses, but it also showed us the strengths and weaknesses of our own instruction. Upon reflecting, our hearts have hurt. They have hurt when our results aren't what we've been expecting, leading us to wonder, "What am I missing?"... "What didn't I do right?" Ironically, our hearts have also hurt when our results have been fabulous, "All the students I failed"..."Why didn't anyone teach me this in college?"

On a deeply personal level, bringing about change has sometimes been lonely. I had a naïve innocence when this journey began. I thought everyone would be as excited about the Science of Reading as I was, but there has been hesitancy. When I reflect on this, I understand. The Science of Reading requires teachers to give up strategies and materials that they have nurtured and loved. These changes are hard and uncomfortable. It's in these moments of professional and personal vulnerability that I have learned the importance of a support network.

Support

Sometimes our network of support has been in the building and sometimes not. It's been beneficial to have support of all expertise and levels. There have been times when the needed advice was instructional, and there have been times when the needed support was simply to hear, "I understand how you are feeling" or "Don't give up! You're making a difference". Having a support network has been a must, but being a support to others on their journey has been equally important.

Personal Growth

Being a voice of encouragement and change as our school transitions to the SOR is a role I haven't taken lightly. I feel a keen sense of responsibility to keep informed and well read in the Science of Reading and how the brain learns to read.

As you or your school embark on your journey into the Science of Reading, I will share with you the authors and researchers who have made the biggest impact on my learning: David Kilpatrick, author of " Equipped for Reading Success" and " Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties". Stanislas Dehaene, cognitive neuroscientist and author of, " Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read" and " How We Learn". David Sousa, author of " How the Brain Learns to Read". And Natalie Wexler, educational journalist and author of, " The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System and How to Fix I t ". I encourage you to not only read their books, but to also watch their lectures and interviews which can easily be found online.

And lastly, please know that my passion to bring the Science of Reading to teachers and students doesn't stop at the doors of my school! We are all on this adventure together, and if you find yourself or your school needing advice or support, my inbox is open! Together we can bring effective reading instruction to all students!

In Conclusion

Thank you so much Melinda for helping us tackle this BIG hurdle when it comes to implementing a Science of Reading approach. Reach out to Melinda at Melinda.Harris@cmfalcons.org. Be sure to catch all future blog posts in the series by viewing tab. Thanks so much for joining in and see you again soon! - Tara West

Amazon Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

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THE SCIENCE OF READING: Our School's Journey of Change

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This blog post is part of a Science of Reading series. This post is written by Melinda Harris. Pivotal moments in our careers, we all have them, and this one opened our school's doors to the Science of Reading. I remember it vividly...

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