# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scholastic Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore Scholastic Teaching Tools for teaching resources, printables, book lists, and more. Enhance your classroom experience with expert advice!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Retelling & Recounting Stories: Exploring ELA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find an extensive guide to cover Retelling & Recounting Stories for your primary students including books, activities, no-prep resources and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Traditional Literature: Folktales, Fairytales, and Fables

# data[].attributes.body
Diverse

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The 2nd grade standard RL.2.2 and 3rd grade standard RL.3.2 both require students to learn how to recount stories from diverse cultures and determine their central message or moral. This standard puts a focus on fables and folktales from diverse cultures. Teaching this standard can be a lot of fun. In this post, I share my strategies for teaching this dynamic standard along with a few resources that I like to use. My process uses various texts and engages the entire classroom. I hope you find it helpful to you and your students.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

So What is RL.2.2 & RL.3.2 All About?

This chart will help you unpack this standard. The key factor for this standard is for students to recall the events from the story and determine the message, moral, or lesson the reader is trying to convey. The standard is pretty dynamic because it requires a bit of explicit recall to recount the story and a bit of inferencing to determine the message, moral, or lesson in the story.

Week 1: Recount Folktales with Mentor Texts

During the lesson portion of this unit, I like to focus on folktales. There are so many wonderful folktales from other cultures that are available as picture books, and students really get engaged with these stories.

It's a good idea to begin by modeling with mentor texts. I recommend the following picture books, but you can use any of your favorites. I selected these because they represent folktales from a variety of cultures.

Lon PoPo from China

The Legend of the Bluebonnet a Comanche legend from Texas

Rumplestiltskin from Germany

Modeling the Standard:

Introduce the standard. Review the standard. Discuss the key vocabulary you will focus on during this unit.

Folktales: a story spread, usually by word of mouth, from generations in a particular culture

Recount: retell

Central message, lesson, or moral: what the author wants to teach the reader about life

Display the anchor chart. Show the anchor chart. Explain that when readers read any story, it is important to retell the story to ensure they understand the major events. Readers should then think about the message, lesson or moral that the author wanted to teach the reader.

1. What happens if I cannot retell the story? This tells me I am probably not comprehending the text, so I will reread the story or ask for help.

2. Model the Skill. Select a text to read aloud. Model retelling the story and determining the moral. Be sure to emphasize the culture that the story is coming from. It is helpful to show students the country location on a map or describe a little about the history of the culture.

If you would like the full lesson plans and sticky note questions for Lon PoPo by Ed Young, you can grab my Mentor Standards unit on recounting folktales here. While reading, be sure to model how you stop at various points to monitor comprehension and retell the story.

Guided Practice:

On day two, read a new folktale from a different culture.

1. Be diverse. It is important to expose students to many stories from different cultures while teaching this standard.

2. Partner Up. During the read-aloud, have partners practice turning and talking to each other to retell the story.

3. Open Discussion. In the end, have partner and class discussions about the lesson or moral of the story. If students are having difficulty determining the lesson, ask them some leading questions, like "What did the main character learn?" or "What do you think the author wants you to learn about life?"

On day three, read another folktale.

Work in Groups. Have partners or groups work together to do a writing activity to retell the story and determine the lesson or moral.

Independent Practice:

Once students have ample time to watch you model and practice in partners, have students practice retelling a story and determining the lesson or moral in their independent reading journals. They can use a graphic organizer to organize their thoughts, or sticky note forms I have in my unit
*Note: I recommend that independent reading is the largest block of time during reading workshop or centers. Students need this time to engage in literacy and work with text of their choice at their level. You can read more about why independent reading is so important in this .
Closing:

1. Each day after reader's workshop is over, have everyone gather in your meeting spot with their journals and bag of books. Select about two students to share their independent reading practice. For this skill, students should share the book they read and one of the key details they retold or the lesson or moral of their story. They can also share any problems they came across.

2. Towards the end of the week, when students have had ample time to practice retelling and determining the lesson, students rate how their independent reading work shows their mastery of the standard on a mini rubric in their journal. On the final day of the lesson, conduct very short conferences with each student to review their work and rubric and discuss next steps.

You can use the mini rubrics in my Mentor Standards unit on Folktales here, or if time allows, develop a rubric with your class.

Week 2: Passage Practice
During the second week of instruction, the focus of recounting stories becomes using text evidence in passages. If possible, I recommend you do passage and question practice immediately after week 2. It is important for students to see how the skills they learned the previous week transfer to passage reading; however, it is unrealistic to expect students to automatically translate the skills they learned without explicit instruction and guided practice.
Depending on your curriculum calendar, you can do these next lessons immediately after week 1, or you can revisit later in the year.

Model:

1. Review of Skills. Display the anchor chart about recounting folktales from the previous week. Review the description of a folktale or fable, keeping in mind the importance of cultural diversity. Discuss how recounting a story means to retell a story. Explain how to tell all of the important events from the beginning, middle, and end of the story. Then explain, to determine the lesson or moral, we ask ourselves, "What did the author want the reader to learn about life from this story?"

2. Model a Passage. Show students a one-page passage either blown up on chart paper or on a projector. For more details on how I make my passages into posters, check out this blog post.

3. Model Proper Reading Skills. Model how to close read the sample passage. Read it through one time, stopping to think aloud about the topic. Then model retelling the passage.

4. Model Proper Question Skills. Model how to read each question, then go back into the text to underline the text evidence directly in the passage. I like to model using different colored crayons, colored pencils, or markers and have students do the same. You can find more about using this method in my blog about 2nd& 3rdGrade Common Core Reading Passages.

Guided Practice: (Can be a different day)
Questions to Ask:
Have students help you answer the remainder of the questions. For some questions, use turn-and-talk or have students come up to underline text evidence on the poster.

"What key events happened in the beginning? In the middle? In the end?"

"What is the problem?"

"What is the solution?"

"Where is the text evidence for this question?"

If your students need more support before working independently, you can have partners work on passage and question sets together on the following day. During this time, I would also pull a small group with my students who are reading well below level and work with them on a text they can have success with. For many of my ESE, ESOL, or intervention students, I would use my first-grade passages.

Independent Practice:

1. Students work on fable and folktale passages independently. I recommend scaffolding the passage levels you use.

2. For more scaffolding and differentiation tips, see my Teaching Reading Passages blog post here.

3. Students continue to practice reading passages for RL.2.2/RL.3.2until most of the class is showing mastery.

Assessment:

1. On the final day (typically at the end of the week), I administer an assessment for answering questions RL.2.2/RL.3.2. You can find a certified Lexile leveled assessment to use in my Fables product here.

2. The day after administering the assessment, I go over it with students. For more tips on reviewing and correcting assessments, visit my Teaching Reading Passages blog post here.

Final Considerations:

After you have thoroughly taught recounting stories from diverse cultures, it is important to continue to model and expect students to apply their skills to all of their reading, including read-alouds, independent reading and guided reading. It is important that skills aren't only taught in isolation. We want students to apply these skills and strategies throughout their daily lives to become stronger readers and thinkers.

Looking for More??

I created a Folktales, Fables, and Fairytales sort to help students compare and contrast these literature styles - and it's free with email signup.

If you're looking for passages to use for these lessons, I have these units available in my store.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
RL.2.2 RL.3.2 | How to Teach Recounting Fables, Folktales & Tall Tales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 2nd grade standard RL.2.2 and 3rd grade standard RL.3.2 both require students to learn how to recount stories from diverse cultures and determine their central message or moral. This standard puts a focus on fables and folktales from diverse cultures. Teaching this standard can be a lot of fun.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Folktales included fairy tales, fables, and legends. They were traditionally passed down by word of mouth. Folktales are great windows into the culture and values of the the group of people telling them. Fables have a lesson the the reader is meant to learn. Fairy tales and legends have more subtle lessons about good and evil. Cultures around the world often have their own version of a common folk tale. Here are some ideas for teaching about folktales to ELLs:

Compare and Contrast Different Versions of a Folktale

Comparing and contrasting different versions of folktales is a great opportunity to include versions from countries around the world. Many ELLs will be excited to read a story that takes place in a country that they or their family are from or includes a language that the speak.

Little Roja Riding Hood- This retelling of Little Red Riding Hood takes place in New Mexico. The characters code switch between English and Spanish throughout the book. There is a glossary of Spanish words included but there are also strong context clues to determine their meaning.

The Ghanaian Goldilocks- This retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears takes place in Ghana. It tells the story of a mischievous young boy and his adventures around town.

Here is an audio version of the story.

Compare and Contrast Characters from Different Folktales

There are many similarities between characters in folktales. Fairy tales often have a hero, mischief maker, and trouble maker. Looking for similarities and differences in a well known story is another way to practice this skill.

Provide Word Banks

Word banks are a helpful scaffold for ELLs. When students are comparing and contrasting different fairy tales a word bank can help ELLs by reminding them of key vocabulary terms to use. When students are retelling a folktale a word bank is also helpful to help them use the characters and important vocabulary from the story.

Set up a Retelling Center

Folktales are a great topic for a retelling center. There are many premade props that you can add or you can have students create the materials themselves. In a retelling center students can reenact the story, practice their speaking skills, and have fun playing.

Finger puppets are easy to story props.

This set of Wooden Finger Puppets is made of wood and cloth. It has the characters already dressed up as those from common fairy tales. This set of Finger Puppets has more generic characters with people and animals.

Use Pictures of Story Events for Speaking and Writing

Simple pictures are a helpful way for students to teach about folktales to ELLs. They are great for students to speak and write about. I have sets of premade retelling cards, graphic organizers, and writing pages available.

This set includes images from fairy tales and fables. Student can use them to sequence and retell the story. The pictures will help them remember story events and provide support for ELLs with low language levels.

Students take pictures and sequence into the order of the story events. Then they use the provided space in the graphic organizer to write down what happened in the story. The graphic organizer helps students to only write down the important details from the story.

Pictures are a helpful reminder on this writing page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching About Folktales to ELLs - A World of Language Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Folktales included fairy tales, fables, and legends. They were traditionally passed down by word of mouth. Folktales are great windows into the culture and values of the the group of people telling them. Fables have a lesson the the reader is meant to learn. Fairy tales and legends have more subtle lessons about good and evil.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Reading Comprehension: IEP Goals & Strategies

7 Ways to improve Reading Comprehension:

Use Visuals.

Answer Questions.

Predicting.

Summarizing/Retelling.

Identifying parts of story/text.

Make a connection.

Active readers.

See below for further explanation, as well as links to assessments and other valuable information.

If you are here, please make sure that you also read the blog posts about Inference and Working Memory, as they go hand in hand with Reading Comprehension.

How to Improve a Reader's Comprehension

Each child is different and will respond to different strategies. The devil is in the details: taking the time to get to know the child and what works for them.

Additionally, teachers or aides may deliver these strategies in a variety of ways. There is direct teaching, self-exploration, guided practice and so on. Just make sure that your child's IEP is a reflection of what they need. An unmotivated and frustrated student will likely need more direct instruction and not self-exploration (would likely goof off or daydream).

These are some of the common Reading Comprehension Strategies that schools use.

1. Create Visuals: Studies have shown that students who visualize while reading have better recall than those who do not (Pressley, 1977). This comes in many formats, including but not limited to-

Graphic Organizers

Venn Diagrams

Story Map/Storyboard

Creating a visual in your mind

2. Answering Questions about what they just read: Asking and answering questions about a text is another strategy that helps students focus on the meaning of the text. Teachers can help by modeling both the process of asking good questions and strategies for finding the answers in the text. Questions can be effective because they:

Give students a purpose for reading.

Focus students' attention on what they are to learn.

Help students to think actively as they read.

Encourage students to monitor their comprehension.

Help students to review content.

Relate what they have learned to what they already know.

3. Predicting what will happen next: You can ask your reader to make a prediction about a story based on the title and any other clues that are available, such as illustrations. Later, ask him/her to find text that supports or contradicts their predictions.

4. Summarizing/Retell the Story: Summarizing requires students to determine what is important in what they are reading and to put it into their own words. Asking students to retell a story in their own words forces them to analyze the content to determine what is important. You can encourage your reader to go beyond recounting the story in literal language, to drawing their own conclusions about it.

5. Identify Main Idea, Characters, Story Line: This helps your reader understand the main parts of a text and its storyline. This can be done with words or visually.

6. Make a Connection/Past Experiences: When a reader previews text, he/she taps into what they already know that will help them to understand the text they are about to read. This provides a framework for any new information they read. Again, read the inference link above.

7. Active Reading: Consistent use of the above strategies combined with finding books and material that are of interest to the reader.

IEP Goals for Reading Comprehension

1. When given a grade-level text, STUDENT will read and demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate literary texts (e.g., stories, legends, poems). (Use objectives to make this specific and measurable.)

2. The Student will use total communication (AAC device, PECS, and verbalization) to read and demonstrate comprehension of at least 12 new functional vocabulary words and related short phrases through reading and then completing a variety of vocational activities given minimal gestural cues within the larger school environment (i.e. school building, campus) in 4/5 opportunities.

3. The student will demonstrate reading comprehension of print texts with minimum assistance given 4/5 recorded opportunities.

4. When presented with text on his instructional level, the student will use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in reading materials with 80% accuracy, as measured by written work samples, by the end of (IEP Date).

5. The Student will read and verbalize short phrases pertaining to vocational activities and complete functional vocational activities throughout the larger school environment (i.e. school building, campus) in 4/5 opportunities.

6. After reading or looking at a simple storybook, STUDENT will identify the main idea 80% of the time 4 of 5 trials.

7. When presented with a passage at the instructional level, STUDENT will read to confirm initial predictions with 80% accuracy 4 of 5 trials.

8. After reading a story, STUDENT will explain the sequence of events with 80% accuracy four of five trials.

9. Given minimum assistance, the student will read a short story (up to two paragraphs) and answer rotating who, what and where questions, why questions and how questions in 4/5 recorded opportunities.

10. After reading a story at the instructional level, STUDENT will identify the main idea and two supporting details with 80% accuracy four of five trials.

11. When presented with how, why, and what-if questions after reading a story silently, STUDENT will answer comprehension questions with 80% accuracy four of five trials.

12. By (date), after reading a grade-level story, the student will ask a peer (5) questions that demonstrate understanding (e.g. "Why do you think Susan decided to leave the party?"), then answer (5) questions about the text asked by a peer in 4 of 5 trials as measured by teacher-charted records.

13. When asked, STUDENT will identify homonyms, synonyms, and antonyms and use appropriately in sentences with 80% accuracy four of five trials.

14. After reading a story, STUDENT will identify the effect of a certain action with 80% accuracy 4 of 5 trials.

15. The Student will match pictures to words and words to pictures for a minimum of 20 new functional vocabulary words in 4/5 recorded opportunities, given visual support and minimum assistance.

16. After reading a short passage and answering comprehension questions, STUDENT will locate, in the text, information to support answers, 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

17. The student will match sentences to pictures and pictures to sentences for a minimum of 20 new functional vocabulary words in 4/5 recorded opportunities, given visual support and minimum assistance.

18. After reading a short passage, STUDENT will use implied meaning to answer comprehension questions, 4/5 times with 80% accuracy.

19. Provided with visual support (i.e. color coding, highlighting, etc.), the student will read short text and answer "where" structure questions with minimal gestural assistance given 4/5 opportunities.

20. After reading various statements, STUDENT will identify fiction and nonfiction statements, 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

21. Given minimum assistance, the student will demonstrate reading comprehension by completing two-step written directions, which encompasses reading two sentences and answering "who, what or where" questions in 4/5 recorded opportunities.

22. After reading various statements, STUDENT will distinguish fact from opinion, 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

23. Provided with a short text (maximum of five sentences), the student will read and answer structure questions to demonstrate comprehension with minimal gestural assistance given 4/5 opportunities.

24. After being given various information, STUDENT will use text organizers to locate and categorize information in printed material, 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

25. The student will answer inferential questions (i.e. "How does the main character feel after the event?") regarding print text with minimum assistance given 4/5 recorded opportunities.

26. After reading a passage, STUDENT will recognize the figurative use of language, 4/5 times with 80% accuracy.

27. IEP Student will increase comprehension of a variety of printed materials to ___________- as measured by
___________ (running records, IRI, anecdotal data, observation, performance assessment, etc.)

28. After reading a passage, STUDENT will identify the mood of the reading selection with 80% accuracy 4 of 5 trials.

29. Provided with visual support (i.e. color coding, highlighting, etc.), the student will read a short text (maximum of five sentences) and answer "what" structure questions with minimal gestural assistance given 4/5 opportunities.

30. After reading a story, STUDENT will identify details most important to the plot with 80%accuracy 4 of 5 trials.

31. Given visual support, the student will demonstrate comprehension of at least 12 new functional words, including vocational and safety vocabulary, as demonstrated by the following objectives with minimal gestural cues within the larger school environment (i.e. school building, campus) in 4/5 opportunities.

32. ________ will increase ability to understand and respond to literature from various genres and geo-cultural groups to __________ as measured by _______ (State Scoring Guide, teacher survey, performance assessment, etc.)

33. When given a reading passage, STUDENT will use questioning strategies to increase comprehension of what was read 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

34. After reading a passage, STUDENT will understand the passage's tone, character, point-of-view, and theme 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

35. After reading a passage, STUDENT will identify the author's purpose 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

36. After reading a passage, STUDENT will recognize the difference between fact and opinion 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

37. When given a passage, STUDENT will read and predict the outcome 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

38. After reading a passage, STUDENT will recognize the figurative use of language 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

39. After reading a passage, STUDENT will identify the cause of the situation 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

40. After reading a passage, STUDENT will predict the main problem 4/5 times with 90% accuracy.

As always, you can put any of the above goals into the IEP goal formula to make sure that it is relevant and measurable.

Please note, I also have: IEP Goals for Writing Skill s

Reading Comprehension: Websites for Kids and Parents

If you want to work with your child at home, here are some ideas. It might be as simple as having an evening reading discussion where you read a book/chapter to them, and discuss it afterward. Don't overthink it, but all parents should be encouraging their kids to read. Read a book together, then watch the movie.

Reading Websites for Parents

Strategies and suggestions to use at home in all areas of reading development. These include phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, comprehension and reading aloud.

Comprehension Websites for Readers

Tests that evaluate Reading Comprehension

Remember, for IEP evaluations, schools are required to evaluate a child in every area of suspected disability. If they do not suspect it, you need to bring it to their attention. Also, once you get your evaluation results back, look up the protocols online. Many times a test is given to a child that evaluates reading skills, but not necessarily comprehension.

There are other parts such as fluency and decoding. You want to make sure your child has been evaluated for the proper concern. Also, some test publishers only develop assessments for certain age groups or grades. These are just some of the evaluations to determine comprehension.

I've listed a few assessments below. You can visit their websites to see the protocols and criteria.

{this post was originally published in 2013 but was edited to check links}

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
40 IEP Goals for Reading Comprehension | Strategies | Evaluations * A Day In Our Shoes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
7 Ways to improve Reading Comprehension: Use Visuals. Answer Questions. Predicting. Summarizing/Retelling. Identifying parts of story/text. Make a connection. Active readers. See below for further explanation, as well as links to assessments and other valuable information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The key to teaching main idea & key details is scaffolded instruction. Here are the steps to achieve student mastery in your classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
© Copyright 1997 - 2023 Audible, Inc Conditions of Use…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Log in to i-Ready®, online assessment and instruction that helps teachers provide all students a path to proficiency and growth in reading and mathematics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The world is a diverse place and it's so important for children to read books that reflect their lives, families, communities, and cultures. This collection celebrates diversity and individuality and helps teach children how to embrace and accept what makes us different.

We also invite you to visit RIF's Race, Equity and Inclusion Center to find resources that will help you assess your current collection of books, identify diverse books to add to your evolving bookshelves, and incorporate practical suggestions for supporting students with positive reading experiences using diverse books.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Collection

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world is a diverse place and it's so important for children to read books that reflect their lives, families, communities, and cultures. This collection celebrates diversity and individuality and helps teach children how to embrace and accept what makes us different.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dyslexia Conference Recording | Teaching Inferencing (Strategies That Work!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Supporting ELA Instruction

Every News-O-Matic article is authentic and engaging and supports reading comprehension through research-based strategies for developing vocabulary, activating prior knowledge, and making connections to real-world examples.

News-O-Matic provides extensive content on languages of the world, including historic, endangered, and Indigenous tongues. Each feature helps students build their overall communication skills, and they are exposed to a diversity of voices and perspectives.

Language

News-O-Matic's Literature content provides students with engaging texts related to various literary works and authors. Students are able to understand, analyze, and discuss various literary themes, including those related to different cultures, languages, and countries.

Literature

Poetry

News-O-Matic allows students to delve into the world of poetic expression. Articles explain the poem, the motive behind writing poetry, and the elements that make each work unique. A collection of historic and contemporary poems also explains how they engage and ignite activism in the USA.

Media Literacy

News-O-Matic provides specific content highlighting Media Literacy, including a variety of multimedia resources to increase student awarenessof all aspects of media and information literacy.

Arts and Entertainment

News-O-Matic provides an immersive experience into various art forms, genres, movements, and events. It explores topics surrounding renowned artists, actors, and musicians, as well as throwbacks to Arts and Entertainment history. Features allow students to build cultural awareness and artistic appreciation.

Vocabulary

Each News-O-Matic article has c hallenging words built with read-aloud supports and s tudent-friendly definitions to improve vocabulary. The periodic Word of the Week series spotlights the history, usage, and significance of essential words.

Standards Alignment to Craft Your Lessons

Choose a Standard Type

Choose a Subject

Choose a Grade

Find articles using relevant ELA standards

ELA Units: Effortless Lesson Building

Using ELA Units, students have ample opportunities to practice the skills and strategies needed in order to increase comprehension.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers and literacy specialists use News-O-Matic as part of their ELA curriculum. Every news article features vocabulary words, reading comprehension questions, and multimedia content to reinforce learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The printable reading comprehension worksheets listed below were created specially for students at a 3rd grade reading level. Each file includes a fiction or non-fiction reading passage, followed by a page of comprehension questions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The printable reading comprehension worksheets listed below were created specially for students at a 3rd grade reading level. Each file includes a fiction or non-fiction reading passage, followed by a page of comprehension questions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Spread the loveReading has always been a foundational skill. Not only does it influence how we interact with the world but it is still the medium by which many students learn. And yet, statistics show that between 46 and 51% of American adults have an income well below the poverty level because of their inability to read.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How do I use the Picture Scenes and Wh Questions?

Use these FREE Picture Scenes and Wh Question Cards activity to strengthen observation, comprehension, and oral language skills. Students will look at the scene and answer the who, where, when, what, and why questions. Answer cards included for students to match with the questions, or students can say the answers aloud.

This resource addresses the following standards:

CCSS RL.K.1, RL.K.3, RL.1.1, RL.1.3.

TEKS ELAR K.3.C, K.6.B, K.6.C, K.6.E, K.7.A-D, 1.3.D, 1.8.A-D.

Languages / Countries

English (Australian), Romanian / Română

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
FREE Picture Scenes and Wh Question Cards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use these FREE Picture Scenes and Wh Question Cards activity to strengthen observation, comprehension, and oral language skills. Students will look at the scene and answer the who, where, when, what, and why questions. Answer cards included for students to match with the questions, or students can say the answers aloud.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PALS Reading Manuals | The Fuchs Research Group

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nos complace presentarle la primera adaptación y traducción al español del programa de Aprendiendo en Parejas (AP), lo cual se conoce en inglés como Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS). Este programa es un programa de lectura suplementario para el uso de docentes y estudiantes de segundo a sexto grado, según la clasificación educativa de los Estados Unidos (estudiantes de 7 a 12 años de edad).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
IRIS | PALS: A Reading Strategy for Grades K–1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This module outlines the benefits of implementing PALS for Grades K–1, a peer tutoring strategy in which students work in pairs to strengthen their reading skills. Also included are step-by-step instructions for each of the PALS activities as well as printable PALS materials (est. completion time: 1…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This module outlines the benefits of implementing PALS for Grades 2-6, a peer tutoring strategy in which students work in pairs to strengthen their reading skills. Also included are step-by-step instructions for each of the three PALS activities as well as printable PALS materials (est. completion time: 1 hour).

Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2022 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 37203 iris@vanderbilt.edu. The IRIS Center is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Grant #H325E170001. The contents of this Website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sarah Allen.

Copyright 2022 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

* For refund and privacy policy information visit our Help & Support page.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This module outlines the benefits of implementing PALS for Grades 2-6, a peer tutoring strategy in which students work in pairs to strengthen their reading skills. Also included are step-by-step instructions for each of the three PALS activities as well as printable PALS materials (est. completion time: 1 hour).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Initial Thoughts

Jot down your Initial Thoughts about the Challenge:

What characteristics might Mrs. Doris and Ms. Chandler look for in a reading approach?

What types of activities can Mrs. Doris and Ms. Chandler use to increase their students' reading skills?

How can Mrs. Doris and Ms. Chandler implement these activities?

When you are ready, proceed to the Perspectives & Resources section.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jot down your Initial Thoughts about the Challenge: What characteristics might Mrs. Doris and Ms. Chandler look for in a reading approach? What types of activities can Mrs. Doris and Ms. Chandler use to increase their students' reading skills? How can Mrs. Doris and Ms. Chandler implement these activities?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Challenge

View the movie below and then proceed to the Initial Thoughts section (time: 2:15).

Transcript: Challenge

A new school year begins in just one week, and as always Mrs. Nash is looking forward to teaching a new group of fifth-grade students. This year, she is especially excited because she has recently transferred to another school district. Mrs. Nash welcomes the challenges and the opportunities that go along with meeting and collaborating with a different group of school personnel. She is also eager to begin working with Miller Elementary's culturally and academically diverse student population and their families. During a recent inservice, the principal reported that the students' reading scores from the previous year were below proficient. The school was not making adequate yearly progress as outlined in the state guidelines developed under No Child Left Behind.

Given this new information, Mrs. Nash believes that she needs to find a research-validated approach that she can implement to improve her students' reading skills. Reviewing their files, she notes that her students have demonstrated a wide range of ability levels and that several of them are English Learners. A training on reading strategies is on the schedule for late September, but Mrs. Nash doesn't want to wait until then to get started. She wants to begin addressing her students' reading skills immediately, but she is not sure what to do.

Here is your Challenge:

What characteristics might Mrs. Nash look for in a reading approach?

What types of activities can Mrs. Nash use to increase her students' reading skills?

How can Mrs. Nash implement these activities?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
View the movie below and then proceed to the Initial Thoughts section (time: 2:15). Transcript: Challenge A new school year begins in just one week, and as always Mrs. Nash is looking forward to teaching a new group of fifth-grade students. This year, she is especially excited because she has recently transferred to another school district.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Page 5: Pair Students

The teachers at Washington Elementary have learned that PALS systematically pairs students so that each dyad consists of one higher-performing reader and one lower-performing reader. For both kindergarten and first grade, the teacher ranks his or her students based on reading performance. Because students in early grades have limited reading skills, many researchers and teachers use the Rapid Letter Naming (RLN) test, a measure of letter recognition and a fairly reliable measure of future reading performance. However, the method of pairing students for each of these two grade levels is somewhat different. See the examples below to learn more about each.
Pair Kindergarten Students
Step 1: Rank the students

Although there are several options available for determining students' prereading skills, Mrs. Doris ranks her students based on their performance on a Rapid Letter Naming (RLN) test.

Name

RLN Score

Laney

48

Gavin

46

Gabriel

45

Nathan

43

Jaden

43

Tristan

40

Aubrey

38

La-Ticia

37

Landon

37

Annalise

35

Luis

33

Maya

30

Shaunika

28

Damara

27

Tyree

25

Dominic

20

Presley

17

Paige

15

Connor

11

Jaxon

9

Step 2: Divide list

Divide the list of students in half.

Step 3: Move the halves next to each other

Rearrange the order of the students in the lowest performing column so that the lowest-performing student is at the top. Pair the highest-performing student with the lowest-performing student. Continue this process until all of the students have been paired.

(Close this panel) Pair First-Grade Students
Step 1: Rank the students

Although there are several options available for determining students' reading skills, Ms. Chandler ranks her students based on their performance on a Rapid Letter Naming (RLN) test.

Name

Reading Score

Isabelle

65

Jalyn

60

Dallas

58

Keagan

57

Grace

56

Tashaonda

55

Addison

53

Armoni

53

Carter

51

Arianna

49

Tachell

48

Kylie

46

Romeo

45

Yori

43

Dario

41

Jadyn

39

Elaina

37

Ian

34

Demonde

32

Brennon

20

Step 2: Divide list

Divide the list of students in half.

Step 3: Move the halves next to each other

Arrange the two halves side-by-side and pair the higher-performing student in the first column to the corresponding lower-performing student in the second. Continue this process until all of the students have been paired.

(Close this panel)
Students remain with the same partner for approximately four weeks. After that time, each of them is paired with another student based on performance as well as a number of other pertinent considerations, such as the students' social skills and their individual learning needs. Of course, student pairs may be changed at any time if a pairing proves unsuccessful. The table below outlines several reasons that student pairs might need to be altered, either temporarily or permanently.

Student academic needs

The discrepancy in the students' abilities is too large to accommodate learning.

Behavior issues

The student pair has difficulty following instructions and the PALS rules, creating a disruptive environment.

Student incompatibility

The stronger reader does not work well with the struggling one, showing disrespect or offering inappropriate feedback.

Absenteeism

One student is absent for the day. Click here to learn about ways to adjust pairs when students are absent.

Adjusting Pairs When Students Are Absent

Teachers should plan ahead for how student absenteeism will affect their PALS sessions. Below are several recommendations to ensure that all students can engage in a reading activity even in the event that one or more students are not present.

A high-performing student may be designated as a "rover" who will fill in for students who are absent.

An unpaired student might join another pair to form a triad.

The two higher-performing students serve as the Readers first while the lower-performing student acts as Coach.

Students with learning disabilities in reading and very low-performing students should not be grouped in a triad.

If the partners of two students are absent, those students can be paired for the session. The pair uses the lower-performing student's lesson (found in his or her folder), and the higher-performing student acts as Coach first.

Devin Kearns discusses considerations when pairing kindergarten students (time: 0:29).

Transcript: Devin Kearns, MA

The most important thing in kindergarten is behavior, and so pair up the students who you think will get along really well. In kindergarten, most of the kids come at the same level. They don't start to differentiate themselves in terms of ability for some weeks, and that's okay because at the beginning the activities are pretty simple and there's not a huge demand. You will start to notice very quickly which students are having more difficulty keeping up, and so, after the first few weeks, you can make some decisions about pairing.

For Your Information

It is often the case that a classroom contains an odd number of students, leaving one student without a partner. In such an instance, teachers may need to create a group of three students (a triad). When such a grouping becomes necessary, teachers might wish to keep the following considerations in mind:

Each student can serve as the Coach for one of the three activities and the Reader for the remaining two.

One student with average or above reading and social skills can be assigned to a triad but serve as a "floater," filling in for other students when they are absent.

It is better to place higher- or average-performing students in triads than it is to assign struggling readers to these groups because students in triads have fewer opportunities to practice their reading.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The teachers at Washington Elementary have learned that PALS systematically pairs students so that each dyad consists of one higher-performing reader and one lower-performing reader. For both kindergarten and first grade, the teacher ranks his or her students based on reading performance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The key to teaching main idea & key details is scaffolded instruction. Here are the steps to achieve student mastery in your classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
Character Trait

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This toolkit helps teachers and families understand what the alphabetic principle and phonics are and how to support a child's development of these important reading skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Auditory discrimination is the ability to recognize similarities and differences between sounds. Particularly, auditory discrimination allows people to distinguish between phonemes in words. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in any given language. Auditory discrimination allows a person to tell the difference between words and sounds that are similar as well as words and sounds that are different.

What Is Auditory Discrimination?

A child who has trouble with auditory discrimination may have difficulty telling the difference between words such as "sister" and "sitter" or "cat" and "cot." Overall, the children can't distinguish between the slight differences in the sounds of words.

This problem can sometimes make it hard for children to understand what people are saying. This goes double for children in noisy environments, as classrooms often are or even a child's home can be if they belong to a large family or loud music and televisions routinely blare.

If a child was reading a book about flowers that included a section about bees, for example, they would need to be able to notice that the word "bees" is made up of three sounds "b," "ee" and "zz."

Children with auditory discrimination challenges may have trouble remembering the sequences of words and may write words incorrectly as well.﻿﻿

Some children may have difficulties with auditory discrimination. If so, it is important to have the child evaluated. The evaluation and examinations from physicians may be able to pinpoint why the child is having problems in this area, which is widely known as an auditory processing disorder (APD).﻿﻿

Most people don't even have to think about the differences between sounds. It's something the brain automatically does. But in people with APD, there's a malfunction of sorts that occurs that prevents them from discriminating between phonemes.﻿﻿

APD is a relatively uncommon disorder, with around 5% of American school-age children (2.5 million) diagnosed. The disorder has been linked to low birth weight, lead poisoning, ongoing ear infections, and other health problems. Though some research indicates that more boys may have this disorder than girls, it has not been definitively proven.

An auditory discrimination problem may be found if the child has lasting problems with language and reading. Early intervention is key to getting these children back on track, so don't delay getting treatment. A diagnosis while the child is still young can prevent an auditory discrimination problem from derailing the youth's progress in and outside of school, given that auditory discrimination is necessary for all aspects of one's life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What It Means if Your Child Can't Distinguish Between Sounds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Auditory discrimination is the ability to recognize similarities and differences between sounds. Particularly, auditory discrimination allows people to distinguish between phonemes in words. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in any given language. Auditory discrimination allows a person to tell the difference between words and sounds that are similar as well as words and sounds that are different.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You are welcome to print copies for non-commercial use, or a limited number for educational purposes, as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact the author or publisher listed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Familiarity with Greek and Latin roots, as well as prefixes and suffixes, can help students understand the meaning of new words. This adapted article includes many of the most common examples.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Phonics blends or clusters, are groups of consonants whose sounds blend together. As children become more confident with the alphabet consonants, they start to blend these letters together. Consonant blends are so called, because you will notice that they do not have any vowels between them.

Each letter within the blend is prounounced individually, but quickly, so they 'blend' together.

Blends are usually composed of two or three consonants and can begin or end a syllable or word.

Consonant blends that appear at the beginning of a word, are referred to as Initial Consonant Blends or beginning blends, and those that appear at the end of a word are referred toas Final Consonant Blends or end blends.
Click here for blend printables Click here for blend printables
Print out the Blend Cube on the free printables page and play this In The Blender game to review Initial Consonant Blends for a fun phonics blends activity.

Mark each cube face with different phonics blends you are working on. After spending time reviewing the sounds of specific blends, form a circle.

Take turns to roll the cube in the middle of the circle and say out loud a word which starts with the blend the cube lands on, i.e. "tr - tree".

Each child attempts to say a word which begins with that blend. If they are unable to think of a word, then that child has to go In The Blender - ie, they have to weave in and out of everyone in the circle until they arrive back at their starting point and then roll the cube again to choose another blend and so on.

Continue until all the blends have been used or each child has made an attempt at saying some word blends. Print out more Blank Blend Cubes as you learn more blends, until you have a complete set!
Click here for free printable phonics blends
Flashcards, spelling word lists, blend games, vocabulary lists - everything you need to aid word learning in your child!
click here for articles and FAQ on teaching phonics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Phonics blends or clusters, are groups of consonants whose sounds blend together. As children become more confident with the alphabet consonants, they start to blend these letters together. Consonant blends are so called, because you will notice that they do not have any vowels between them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Closed and open syllables are the first two syllable types students should learn. Out of the six syllable types, these two are the easiest for students to master.

What Is a Closed Syllable?

In its simplest form, a closed syllable is a vowel followed by a consonant. Examples include , , and .

It's called a closed syllable because the vowel is "closed in" by a consonant. In closed syllables, the vowel usually says its short sound.

More than one consonant can be used to close in a syllable, as in and . And many multisyllable words contain closed syllables, as in , , and .

What Is an Open Syllable?

An open syllable has a vowel at the end of the syllable. Nothing comes after the vowel, as in , , and .

It's called an open syllable because the vowel is "open"-that is, nothing comes after it except open space. In open syllables, the vowel says its long sound.

There aren't many one-syllable words that contain open syllables, but there are many multisyllable words that do. For example, look at the first syllables in these words:

Why Is Knowing the Syllable Types So Beneficial?

Knowledge of syllable types is an important decoding tool for both reading and spelling.

Let's say a student is reading a story and she comes across the word . She doesn't instantly recognize the word because she has never read it before. Although the word is unfamiliar, she isn't flustered because she has a method for determining whether the letter A says its long or short sound. She sees that the A is followed by a consonant, which means that it is in a closed syllable, so the vowel most likely says its short sound. She is able to decode the word independently and continues reading the story.

Syllable type knowledge helps with spelling, too. In the scenario below, the child wants to spell the word . But she hasn't reached the stage of automaticity yet, so she can't remember whether there is one T or two in the middle of the word.

A child who doesn't have a visual picture of the word and doesn't know about syllable types might just write the word as . After all, we pronounce it "ki(t) ten," without enunciating the first T.

But our student can draw upon her knowledge of open and closed syllable types and easily come up with the correct spelling.

Our student realizes that if she leaves the first vowel open, it will say its long sound, resulting in /kī-těn/. (There are some exceptions such as where the vowel is left open yet still says its short sound, but these words are the exception rather than the rule. And in the All About Spelling program, we give kids tools to help them spell these exceptions.)

Teaching Open and Closed Syllables

In the All About Reading and All About Spelling programs, we use the letter tiles app (or the physical letter tiles) to demonstrate the differences between open and closed syllables (and all syllable types!). Syllable tags are placed above words, making this a concrete activity. An open door represents an open syllable, and a closed door represents a closed syllable.

In the All About Reading program, fun characters known as Party Monsters pitch in to give kids even more practice with open and closed syllables. Give it a try with this free download!

Knowing just these two types of syllables will enable your student to accurately spell hundreds of words!

For even more great samples, feel free to visit our Reading and Spelling Lesson Samples page. You'll find hundreds of pages of downloadable PDFs that are packed with information.

Do you have questions about open and closed syllable types? Ask in the comments below or get in touch! We're here to help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Programs that teach thoroughly, so your child can succeed amazingly

# data[].attributes.body
Spelling

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
People love to break rules; sadly and happily it's in our nature. Even more so, people love to discover and point out when rules aren't rules at all. The latter is often the case with regard to the i before e spelling rule. People love to challenge that rule. The editor of Reddit posted the following take-down of the most well-known English spelling rule:

...except in a zeitgeist of feisty counterfeit heifer protein freight heists reining in weird deified beige beings and their veiny and eidetic atheist foreign schlockmeister neighbors, either aweigh with feigned absenteeism, seized by heightened heirloom forfeitures (albeit deigned under a kaleidoscope ceiling weighted by seismic geisha keister sleighs) or leisurely reimbursing sovereign receipt or surveillance of eight veiled and neighing Rottweilers, herein referred to as their caffeinated sheik's Weimaraner poltergeist wieners from the Pleiades.

Christopher Ingram titled his recent Washington Post article: "The 'i before e, except after c' rule is a giant lie" and reported the findings of the University of Warwick statistician, Nathan Cunningham, who analyzed the data of 350,000 English words to test the rule. Cunningham's study found that in 75% of the "ie" or "ei" spellings, the "ie" spelling is used.

The balance of the article is used to debunk, the "cei" portion of the rule and to suggest that the "wei" pattern is worth memorizing. No mention is made of the long /a/ "ei" spelling. Ingram closes his article with a dancing word graphic: "lol nothing matters."

Now, I'm not above writing a provocative article to sell my curriculum to teachers. Taking a contrary viewpoint on a controversial or popular subject makes people think (and read an article). However, Ingram is playing out of his league on this one. The 143 comments (now closed) rip Ingram's assertions and Cunningham's study apart.

I would like to chime in with two comments not mentioned in response to the article. By the way, as an English teacher and reading specialist, who has authored nearly a dozen spelling books over the years (crass promo to follow article), this subject is in my league.

Comment #1: Conventional English spelling rules don't apply to foreign words, derivatives, plurals, and syllable divisions. The latter, not mentioned in any of the 143 comments, requires an example: Ingram mentions "being" as an exception to the rule. Any third grader, clapping out the syllables, knows that "be/ing" has two syllables. The conventional spelling rules apply to syllables, not words. Spellings are used to map sounds; a syllable has one vowel sound and, yes, vowels have different spellings. Reading teachers know this.

This is true even for the connecting spelling rules, such as the Consonant Doubling Rule. Cunningham's study and the Reddit posting don't apply the proper orthographic rules to analyze the utility of the rules. I recently played Settlers of Catan for the first time with my two nephews. I could tell within minutes that they were making up and changing the rules of the game to their advantages. No, they would not allow me to read the directions. Respectfully, Ingram, Cunningham, and the Reddit editor have not read or properly applied the directions to the spelling rules game.

Comment #2: My second comment refers to the presupposition behind the closing "lol nothing matter" comment. Obviously, it was meant to be humorous, but it is also counterproductive. Like it or not, proper use of our language does matter and spelling is a "high stakes" indicator of one's literacy. The rules of language, even with their exceptions, serve useful purposes. Knowing the rules, whether spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., provides tools for proper usage and a foundation upon which to append exceptions. Settlers of Catan is only fun when played by the rules.

One more point regarding spelling rules: If there are no conventional spelling rules, than every word must be memorized by sight and analogy. We've been down that road before. Reading and orthographic research have thoroughly debunked that practice. English is an alphabetic system: a code which is designed to be mapped out with sound-spellings. English does not use a logographic writing system, such as the Chinese symbols; let's not make it into one.

BOTTOM LINE: The Download the five FREE i before e rule has some exceptions, but not as many as people believe. It is well-worth memorizing and applying to one's spelling. One great way to practice the rule is with worksheets targeted to the results of the Diagnostic Spelling Assessment. i before e Spelling Pattern Worksheets at the end of this article to help you check out the quality of Our Pennington Publishing spelling programs. Each worksheet sound-spelling example words, a spelling sort, rhymes or book searches, word jumbles, a short writing application, and a brief formative dictations assessment.
Following is my wording of the i before e spelling rule:
Usually spell i before e (believe), but spell e before i after a c (receive) and when the letters are pronounced as a long /a/ sound (neighbor).

Exceptions to the rule: beige, caffeine, codeine, conscience, either, feign, feint, foreign, forfeit, freight, heifer, height, heinous, heir, heist, neither, protein, rein, science, seismic, seize, veil, vein, weird

Check out the song! The i-before-e Spelling Rule
i before e Song
(to the tune of "Rig 'a Jig Jig")
Rig-a-jig-jig and away we go, That we learned back in school. Away we go, away we go! Rig-a-jig-jig and away we go, and when you hear long /a/. Hey! Hi-ho, hi-ho, hi-ho.
The Pennington Publishing Goldmine of Spelling Program FREEBIES

Want a concise list of all eight conventional spelling rules with corresponding songs? Click HERE.

Want a list of the 10 English Accent Rules to help you teach the conventional spelling rules? Click HERE.

Want a list of the 20 Advanced Syllable Rules to help you teach the conventional spelling rules? Click HERE.

Want the 104-word Diagnostic Spelling Assessment with audio file and recording matrix? Click HERE and download at the end of the article.

One great way to practice the rule is with worksheets targeted to the results of the Diagnostic Spelling Assessment. Download the FREE i before e Spelling Pattern Worksheets at the end of this article to help you check out the quality of Our Pennington Publishing spelling programs. Each worksheet sound-spelling example words, a spelling sort, rhymes or book searches, word jumbles, a short writing application, and a brief formative dictations assessment.

Why waste your time downloading each of these? Buy the grades 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 Differentiated Spelling Instruction and get everything you need to have the best grade-level and remedial spelling program.

I'm Mark Pennington, author of the full-year Differentiated Spelling Instruction programs for grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. The grade-level programs include weekly tests, based upon conventional spelling rules and developmental spelling patterns, weekly spelling sorts, review games, and audio links to catchy spelling songs. Additionally, the comprehensive diagnostic spelling assessment (audio file included) tests spelling patterns from previous grade levels, and the corresponding worksheets allow you to pinpoint instruction according to individual needs. Each worksheet includes a formative assessment to help you determine whether students have mastered the spelling instruction. The program is simple to implement and doesn't take up too many valuable instructional minutes. You do have other subjects to teach!

Or why not get the value-priced Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling, and Vocabulary (Teaching the Language Strand) grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 BUNDLES? These grade-level programs include both teacher's guide and student workbooks and are designed to help you teach all the Common Core Anchor Standards for Language. In addition to the Teaching Grammar and Mechanics program, each BUNDLE provides weekly spelling pattern tests and accompanying spelling sort worksheets (L.2), 56 language application opener worksheets (L.3), and 56 vocabulary worksheets with multiple-meaning words, Greek and Latin word parts, figures of speech, word relationships with context clue practice, connotations, and four square academic language practice (L.4, 5, and 6). Comprehensive biweekly unit tests measure recognition, understanding, and application of the grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary components.

The program also has the resources to meet the needs of diverse learners. Diagnostic grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling assessments provide the data to enable teachers to individualize instruction with targeted worksheets. Each remedial worksheet (over 200 per program) includes independent practice and a brief formative assessment.

Check out the brief introductory video and enter DISCOUNT CODE 3716 at check-out for 10% off this value-priced program. We do sell print versions of the teacher's guide and student workbooks. Contact mark@penningtonpublishing.com for pricing. Read what teachers are saying about this comprehensive program:

The most comprehensive and easy to teach grammar, mechanics, spelling, and vocabulary program. I'm teaching all of the grade-level standards and remediating previous grade-level standards. The no-prep and minimal correction design of this program really respects a teacher's time. At last, I'm teaching an integrated program-not a hodge-podge collection of DOL grammar, spelling and vocabulary lists, and assorted worksheets. I see measurable progress with both my grade-level and intervention students. BTW... I love the scripted lessons!

Get the i before e Spelling Pattern Worksheets FREE Resource:

Grammar/Mechanics, conventional spelling rules, differentiated spelling instruction, i before e, Mark Pennington, sound-spellings, spelling, spelling programs, spelling rules, spelling sorts, spelling test Spelling/Vocabulary, Study Skills, Writing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People love to break rules; sadly and happily it's in our nature. Even more so, people love to discover and point out when rules aren't rules at all. The latter is often the case with regard to the i before e spelling rule. People love to challenge that rule.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American English Diphthongs: Improve your English Pronunciation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our little first graders will soon be introduced to the two sounds of "c" and "g". Those two consonants are a bit tricky as they make different sounds depending upon the letter that follows in the word. We typically teach students that the "hard" sounds of "c" and "g" occur most often, but they do need to know when these letters make the "soft" sound. We tell the students that when the letter "c" is followed by the letters i, e or y, the "c" makes the /s/ sound just like in the words "city", "cent" and "icy".

The letter "g" is similar. When the "g" is followed by an i, e or y it makes the /j/ sound as in "gem", "gist" or "gym". Visuals often help students to remember phonics rules. You may find these posters helpful when you are teaching this rule. When you click the link below, you'll be able to download 6 posters!

To download these posters, just click the following link or the picture below: FREE Hard and Soft C & G Poster Sets

We often reinforce and re-teach phonics rules during small group instruction/intervention. Tent cards often come in handy. If you'd like, download this file and just fold the card in half. It's perfect for your small group instruction table.

To download this tent card, just click the following link: Hard and Soft G and C Tent Card

I created this activity just for my first grade friends. The sorting activity is great for small group instruction when introducing the concept. It also has a self checking feature which makes it ideal for added practice in literacy centers. When you download this activity you will receive two sorting mats and 69 colorful cards containing words and pictures with the hard and soft "c" and "g".

The Make, Take & Teach Sort and Hard "C" and "G" Sorting Activities is available through my online Teachers Pay Teachers store or through the Make, Take & Teach website.

When teaching phonics and spelling rules, it's very important the student apply the rules right away in text. Unfortunately, there aren't too many books available that target this specific skill, but I did find a few. You may want to check out these books on Amazon.

Cindy, Cedric, and the Circus, Cat and Dog at the Circus and Giant Giraffes

Hope you find the freebies helpful.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching the Hard and Soft "C" and "G" - Make Take & Teach

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our little first graders will soon be introduced to the two sounds of "c" and "g". Those two consonants are a bit tricky as they make different sounds depending upon the letter that follows in the word. We typically teach students that the "hard" sounds of "c" and "g" occur most often, but they do [...]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Words with initial consonant blends bl-, cl-, fl-, gl-, pl-, sl-, br-, cr-, dr-, fr-, gr-, pr-, tr-, sc-, sk-, sm-, sn-, sp-, st-, sw-, tw-.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every year, we hope to have a new class of students that possesses a firm foundation in reading. Many times this is unlikely. One obstacle that gets in the way of struggling readers is learning sight words, sometimes known as high-frequency words. After doing some research, I've found ways to teach these sight words to struggling readers to help them stick.

Why sight words?

They are those words that are commonly found in texts of all kinds and can stump students who either struggle with letter sounds or rely heavily on letter sounds. Not all words that are considered sight words are equal. So, after a little research on how to teach sight words to struggling readers...here's what we know.

Struggling readers need focused teaching and constant review of sight words that are engaging and meaningful. Teach sight words with a multisensory approach and relatable images to activate the student's schema. Review with fun games at the small group or guided reading table and in centers. Let's look more closely at these teaching techniques to help sight word learning with your students.
Multisensory Sight Words

What is multisensory instruction? It's the strategy of teaching with at least 2 senses-typically auditory, visually, or kinesthetically.

As students write out the sight words, have them put their paper over a tactile surface. You can typically find such surfaces in your home, like sandpaper or plastic with a raised surface. To make it even more sensory, have sight word cards with pictures nearby so students may refer to them as they practice writing.

Finger-tapping works well with phonemic awareness activities or phonics, but arm tapping by spelling out the sight words can be very effective. Amber from First Grade Diva shows you how to do this with right-handed and left-handed learners.

After arm tapping with students weekly, the majority of my students improved greatly on reading and spelling sight words. And it wasn't just struggling readers utilizing the arm tap, but the students who were on or beyond track for reading and writing. Multisensory learning is perfect for all learners.

Sight Words with Pictures

Link a picture with a short sentence with a relatable subject for students. It's pretty easy to open up Google Slides and search for images on the web. Some of my favorite places for free images are here:

Here, you can see the sight word "would". All children eat and have strong likes and dislikes when it comes to food. How many of them have seen escargot? Using something that is unknown as a way to conjure a feeling or emotion that only strengthens the connection in the learning process.

When you ask students the following question with the sight word in it, "Would you eat escargot (snails)?", lots of ooohs and ohhhhs will echo throughout the classroom. Reviewing the sight word "would" in this way really gets students' emotions high and discussions going.

Plan out the sight words to be taught each week in your own Google Slides template. Just drop an image and a short sentence for each one. Create printed sight word cards with pictures for students to review when needed.

Sight Word Videos

There are so many videos available online to teach students phonics and sight words. In your search engine, type in "sight word video for ______". There is usually at least one video for most kindergarten and first grade sight words. Here is a kid-friendly video for the sight word "would".

In searching for that video, this one came up as a suggested related video.

Sight Word Activities

Teaching sight word games to students is easy at the small group or guided reading table. Having students read aloud each sight word lets you know if they are pronouncing the words correctly. Some games can be sent home to practice as homework with their parents or tutors. Eventually, students may work together in small groups to play the games together.

What are the best kinds of sight word games? Games that are low-cost, easy prep and simple to learn are typically best. Teachers are always looking for ways to engage students on a budget.

Also, teachers allot a certain amount of time for daily activities and core subjects. For this reason, simple to learn is best as there is a limited amount of time during centers and small group guided reading blocks.

Top 10 Sight Word Games

Sight word memory game

Write 2 matching cards for each of the sight words. Turn all the cards facing down on the table. Take turns flipping over two cards. Students will read the words aloud. If the words match, the students win those cards. Play until all the cards have been matched.

Picture-to-sentence memory game

Have 2 matching cards for each of the sight words-one with a short sentence with the sight word underlined and a picture illustrating the sentence. With these sight word cards with pictures, turn all of the cards face down on the table. Take turns flipping over two cards. Students will read any sentence cards aloud. If the card match, the students wins those cards. Play until all the cards have been matched.

Alphabet magnets

Spread out letter magnets across a table. First, ask students to put them in ABC order. Then, say one of the sight words. Students take turns pulling out the letters that spell that word.

Sight word phrases

Compile a stack of cards with sight word phrases. You can find some at the Florida Reading Research Center site here or make your own. Having these sight word cards with related pictures can help students make an extra connection to help with memory. Set the timer and challenge students to see how many cards they can collect in 30 seconds.

Playdough sight words

Give students a list or stack of cards with sight words to practice. With a fun playdough color, they can shape the dough into the letters to spell the word.

Sight word puzzles

Write or type a sight word on a regular piece of colored paper. Make it thick and bold with an easy to read letter font. Cut out the page into 6-10 shapes that can be put back together, just like a puzzle.

Picture book search

Give students a list of sight words and have them search for these words. Have a stack of picture books and show them how to go page-by-page and looking at every line to find each word. They can then make tally marks for each time they find the word.

Tic Tac Toe

Tell students to play tic tac toe, but instead of X's and O's they will write sight words. Have a list of sight words you are working on ready. For each game, they need to choose only one of the sight words to use as their own place marker in the tic tac toe grid.

Word search

Create a word search easily with an online word search generator like this one, Discovery Education's Puzzle Maker. You can also regenerate the Puzzle Maker to make many versions for morning work or centers throughout the week.

Sight word stacking

You can find cheap versions of the Jenga game blocks in dollar stores and discount sections at the store. Use a permanent marker to write a different sight word on each block. Students play the block after they read the word.

Struggling readers will need support learning words, and sight words are typically tricky for them to learn. By using multisensory teaching strategies, pictures, videos and games on a regular basis, you will teach those sight words to struggling readers more effectively.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teach sight words to struggling readers | First Grade Frame of Mind

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every year, we hope to have a new class of students that possesses a firm foundation in reading. Many times this is unlikely. One obstacle that gets in the way of struggling readers is learning sight words, sometimes known as high-frequency words.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Spelling Worksheets Maker | Free - Distance Learning, worksheets and more: CommonCoreSheets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free math worksheets for almost every subject. Create your own daily (spiral) reviews, test, worksheets and even flash cards. All for free! No signup or app to download.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Students will learn to write using alliteration. Students learn to create illustrations that support and reflect their writing.

Task

Alliteration is a powerful way to attract and entertain a reader. In this project, your class will use their writing skills to create their own Amazing Animal Alliteration book.

Engage

Read Marti and the Mango to set the stage for recognizing and utilizing alliteration as a tool to entertain readers. As you read, identify alliteration and how it is used in the story. This will prepare students for how to use alliteration when they create their own original sentence.

Tongue twisters often use alliteration. Share a few tongue twisters with your students. You might try nursery rhyme favorites like Betty Botter Bought Some Butter or Peter Piper:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Before students work on creating their own pages, write a sentence together to practice. Choose a letter from the alphabet. Select a hard or an easy letter depending on the ability level of your class. Begin by brainstorming with the class all the animals that begin with this letter. For example, if you choose B, students will brainstorm examples such as bear, beaver, bunny, bobcat, bird, buffalo.

As a class, write an original sentence using alliteration. A great place to start is by creating a short sentence in the noun-verb-noun format, starting with the animal. As students suggest new verbs and nouns, write them on the board and then choose the ones you want to use. An example might be, "Birds build bubbles."

Now, have the class brainstorm all of the adjectives and adverbs they can think of for this letter. For example, blue, bounce, bravely, build, break, big, and bubble. Then, see where you can add them into the sentence. For example, Blue birds build big bubbles.

Open Pixie and ask a student volunteer to draw a picture depicting the sentence. If you have an interactive whiteboard, work together as a class to take turns using the paint tools to illustrate the sentence. Have a strong reader read the sentence as you record it on the Pixie page.

Create

Have students draw a letter out of a bag or assign letters based on student academic ability. Each student should begin by brainstorming animals that begin with this letter. If students get stuck, head to http://wiki.answers.com/ and search for "What animal begins with the letter _?"

Then, have students brainstorm all of the verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs they can think of that begin with their letter. If students are struggling, have them ask their classmates for help. You might also want to assign this project for homework to involve the entire family.

Have students follow the noun-verb-noun model to begin writing their sentences. Then, add in additional adjectives and adverbs.

Once students have written their alliterative sentences, have them think about how they might create an illustration that supports their writing. Have them look at the adjectives to develop details they will include in their drawings.

Next, have students use Pixie to write their sentences, illustrate the page using the paint tools, and record themselves reading the sentences. Have each student save his or her page, naming it to indicate the letter and the author (e.g., "z_alicia").

Share

Have all students Share their project by clicking on the Projects button. Create a new Pixie project and make a title page. Import each student page by clicking on the Projects button and scrolling to Import Pages. Save the class book as an online storybook, or export it as a podcast or video. If students recorded their voices on each page, this will be included automatically. You can also use the Print features in Pixie to print the pages as a booklet, comic strip, or as trading cards.

Get your school together for a formal presentation of your class's Amazing Animal Alliterations book! You will also want to share electronic and print copies in your school's media center.

Assessment

Even if they are unfamiliar with the term alliteration, as you read Marti and the Mango and several tongue twisters, you can begin to assess whether students understand how it can be used to make writing interesting and enjoyable. As you write an alliterative sentence as a class, you will be able to assess the vocabulary skills of your students and assign letters that match their ability levels. Their final alliteration pages will allow you to assess their ability to write with alliteration, their current reading fluency, and their ability to represent words and ideas visually.

Resources

Moreton, Daniel. Marti and the Mango. ISBN: 1556702647.

Artell, Mike. Giggle Fit: Zany Tongue-Twisters. ISBN: 1402727747.
Wiki Answers: Ask "What animals begin with the letter _?"
Standards

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts - Grade 2
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4
Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.5
Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

ISTE NETS for Students 2016:

6. Creative Communicator
Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. Students:

a. choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.

b. create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.

d. publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

Lessons by Subject

Lessons by Grade

What can your students create?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Alliteration is a powerful way to attract and entertain a reader. In this project, your class will use their writing skills to create their own Amazing Animal Alliteration book. Read Marti and the Mango to set the stage for recognizing and utilizing alliteration as a tool to entertain readers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Based on the topic of strangers, this resource teaches your students how to identify strangers and stay safe. Explore our full range of special education communication activities here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Remember how we were taught to spell when we were students? Many of us were simply handed a list of words and told to write each word five times. We then had our Friday spelling test, after which we may have forgotten those very words.
Remember how we were taught to decipher new words we encountered when reading? I can still hear my teachers saying, "Just sound it out!"

Of course, we were also taught some reading and spelling rules such as, "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking." But did you know that this rule, like many others that we were taught, holds true less than fifty percent of the time? (Clymer, 1996) Not only do these precepts lack reliability, but the teaching of rules is not really the best way to help our students learn. We learn best by active involvement and practice with the task at hand, which allow us to see word and letter patterns for ourselves. Research suggests that the brain is a pattern detector, rather than an applier of rules (Cunningham, 2004). If our brains are indeed "pattern detectors," then we should provide our students with plenty of opportunity to investigate and organize those patterns.

Fortunately, we are now seeing dramatic and exciting changes in the teaching of spelling and word recognition. The field of "word study" provides students an opportunity to manipulate words (and parts of words) in meaningful and enjoyable activities and games. Reading ability can develop dramatically as word study lessons develop experience with:

Letters and their corresponding sounds.

Components of words, such as roots, prefixes, and suffixe

Patterns of how words are spelled, such as word families.

How parts of words often will give hints to the meaning of a word, as well as its spelling or pronunciation.

Word study activities call for active problem solving. Students are encouraged to look for spelling patterns, form hypotheses, predict outcomes, and test them. These activities require students to continually ask themselves, "What do I know about this new word, and how is it similar to words that I already know?"

My students love working with words, and frequently ask for more "word games." Fortunately, the Internet is a wonderful source of excellent activities that build skills in spelling, vocabulary, and word recognition.

See our Word Study Activities that will help your students have fun as they learn to read, write, and spell.

See our Articles on High-Frequency Sight Words

High-Frequency Sight Words: The Fry List, Instant Words, Dolch Words, and Word Wall Words
Practice with Abstract Sight Words
More on Practice with Sight Words
Betsy B. Lee on Teaching Dolch Words
Dolch's List of Basic Sight Words
Fry's 300 Instant Sight Words

See our Articles on Word Families

Introduction to Word Families
The 37 most common word families and how they can be used
For professionals: More thoughts on phonograms

Excellent Word Study References

I use and recommend all of these resources:

Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction
Donald R. Bear (Author), Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, Francine Johnston

Word Journeys
Kathy Ganske

Building Words: A Resource Manual for Teaching Word Analysis and Spelling Strategies
Thomas G. Gunning

Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom
Gay Su Pinnell, Irene C. Fountas, Mary Ellen Giacobbe, Arene C. Fountas

Teaching Phonics & Word Study in the Intermediate Grades: A Complete Sourcebook
Wiley Blevins

Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and Writing and
Systematic Sequential Phonics They Use
Patricia M. Cunningham
Making Words: Multilevel, Hands-On Developmentally Appropriate Spelling and Phonics Activities Making More Words: Multilevel, Hands-On Phonics and Spelling Activities Making Big Words: Multilevel, Hands-On Spelling and Phonics Activities Making More Big Words
For the Earliest and Most Challenged Readers
Patricia M. Cunningham and Dorothy P. Hall designed these popular activities that appeal to students of all ages. Your earliest and most challenged readers, however, may find them too difficult.

For those students, I recommend:

Easy Lessons for Teaching Word Families (Grades K-2) by Judy Lynch.
Month-By-Month Reading and Writing for Kindergarten
Month-By-Month Phonics for Upper Grades by Dorothy Hall and Patricia Cunningham

References

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Word Study: Working and Playing with Words

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Remember how we were taught to spell when we were students? Many of us were simply handed a list of words and told to write each word five times. We then had our Friday spelling test, after which we may have forgotten those very words.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many students find word study to be one of the most enjoyable components of balanced literacy instruction. Teachers find it to be one of the most powerful. That's because reading ability dramatically improves as students use meaningful games and activities to discover:

1. Letters and the sounds they make

2. How to pick out root words, and how suffixes and prefixes can change the meaning

3. Spelling involves finding patterns

4. How to get clues to word meaning and pronunciation by examining the parts of a word.

But word study isn't all fun and games. It actually involves problem solving in the form of developing hypotheses, searching for patterns, predicting outcomes, and experimenting to find out if they're right. Using word study activities, students compare new words to words they already know and look for similarities.

Why is Word Study Important?

In order to become fully literate, students must have the ability to accurately recognize words. They also have to adequately use written words to convey meaning. Because word study is based on phonics spelling and vocabulary, it's a way for students to manipulate and fully examine words.

At once they do, students realize that words are powerful things. When they learn how words work they're on their way to becoming fully literate individuals. Learning phonics, sight words, decoding, spelling patterns, and word meanings, means understanding the basics of written words. From there they can communicate and construct meaning. After all, that's what language is all about.

Fortunately, educators have come to realize that rote drill and practice isn't the most efficient way to master a reading or writing skill. Students need the opportunity to think critically and manipulate words and their concepts. That way they can generalize words based on spelling or other commonalities. Grasping spelling, word recognition, and vocabulary goes beyond memorizing a few rules. The best way to become proficient in words and their features is to have plenty of opportunities to examine them in different contexts.

The Purpose of Word Study

As a component of balanced literacy, word study achieves two goals; first to help students become fluent readers with a strong vocabulary, and secondly, to give students the opportunity to fully explore and manipulate words.

Word study isn't about memorizing spelling words but about understanding spelling patterns.

It isn't about manipulating a random group of words but can compare words that are phonetically similar.

It isn't just another fun activity but is a purposeful look at word analysis.

Word Study Activities

When planning word study lessons, teachers can choose from a variety of activities to improve spelling, word recognition and vocabulary. Students tend to enjoy working with words and are eager to get word "games." Here a just a few of them...
Word Study Activity 1: Word Searches
In word searches students take a group of word categories and "search" for examples of words in those categories by combing through magazines, newspapers, books, or textbooks. They write down the words they find.
Word Study Activity 2: Pattern Sorting
Pattern sorting is an activity that teaches students to categorize words. The categories can be based on the way particular sounds are expressed in a word. Pattern sorting is great for looking at vowel patterns, contractions, and silent letters.
Word Study Activity 3: Proofreading
Proofreading is one of those "must have" skills in order to be optimally successful in school. Word study lessons involving proofreading help students learn to develop an eye for how a written word should look. They learn to know if a word "looks right" when spelled out.

Using word study lessons to round out a balanced literacy program promises a much greater chance of retaining word meanings and making sense of spelling rules.

Thank goodness, literacy has moved beyond writing a list of words five times each to learn to spell. Or decoding words by simply "sounding them out." Now word study makes exploring the various aspects of the English language much more meaningful and enjoyable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Word Study | Word Study Makes Language Learning Fun

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many students find word study to be one of the most enjoyable components of balanced literacy instruction. Teachers will find word study to be a powerful tool in their arsenal. Word study can be fun and instructive at the same time.

# data[].attributes.body
Spelling Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Invented Spelling and Spelling Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Children progress through certain stages of spelling development. Knowing this progression allows teachers to compel development through their instruction. Find out strategies for doing so in this article, such as promoting the use of invented spelling in the early stages.