Sound Card Freebie

I've had a burst of energy the last couple weeks, so I've been putting it to good use.  Although my husband would probably disagree with me on that one.  He'd probably prefer I'd clean the house instead of creating more classroom stuff.  But, I 've been changing up some of the things that I use on a daily basis, and one of those things that needed an update were my sound cards.  I have my "go to" words that I like to use when I teach a sound, but the cards I currently have displayed use different words associated with each sound, and it totally throws me off.  I titled the cards sound swatters because I think of my students as sound swatters, because they are always looking reading around the room for words that contain these patterns.

You will notice that the h brothers have a weather theme.  I always tell my class that they are brothers and the sounds are written with their initials- sh/th/wh/ch.  Each brother has a favorite type of weather and their favorite weather starts with the sound they make.
sh-shine (I usually tell them sunshine )
th- thunder
wh-whirlwind
ch-chilly

You can get this freebie by clicking any picture below:

Phonics Candy Bar Charts

One of my favorite classroom activities would have to be these Candy Bar Charts.  I have been using these for the last 10 years and I really believe they have given my students a good grasp of letter/sound patterns.  I set them aside this year, so I could update the charts.  I had made them so long ago, they really needed some serious updating.  I missed them so much, that I finally committed myself to getting them done.  I'm going to start using them tomorrow in my own classroom.  We are covering the /oi/ spelled oi and oy, so it will be an Almond Joy week.

In this set, there are 25 charts that students can use to brainstorm words that follow specific spelling patterns or language skills.  The candy bar charts are a great way for students to connect sounds and patterns to candy bars that contain the same patterns.

The title page above could be used as a cover for a notebook or journal where students can keep all of their candy bar charts.  The pages are full size, but I changed the page scale so they would fit nicely on a composition book.  I like to keep all of the charts together in one journal, so students can refer back to them throughout the year.  My students often utilize them as word banks for Writers' Workshop. Below is a list of all the patterns included in the resource.

The candy bar images are all in black and white, so students can color the candy bars themselves.  I try to save on printer ink wherever I possibly can.   I introduce each new pattern on Monday, and we brainstorm words together.  Students highlight the pattern within each of the words they add to their candy bar chart.

There is a back provided, so students can add additional words.  If I am having students put the pages in the brads of a folder, then I usually print the back page.  When I use composition books, I usually only print the front side and they just write additional words directly on the lines of the next page in their composition book.  I have my students add additional words during stations or as they come up in classroom discussions.   I usually review the candy bar chart again on Friday before the spelling test.  This gives me an opportunity to make sure they have the correct spellings for the words they have added to the back of their charts.  These charts are also useful for teaching Word Study lessons during Guided Reading.

Another fun little thing I like to do is... buy a candy bar that goes along with my lesson for the week.  I laminate the wrapper and use it to remind my little ones of our spelling pattern.   Many of my students have never heard of some of these candy bars, so they enjoy seeing a real life example.   They also make a perfect manipulative for Guided Reading.

You can get these charts in my TPT store. Click HERE to check it out.
I hope you enjoy this sweet way to teach phonics!

Word Builder

I had intended to create this earlier in the school year, but didn't get around to it until just now.  I wanted an additional phonemic awareness activity for my station block, something that really encompassed a variety of skills in one.  This is what I came up with.   It reinforces chunking, syllables, word building, and spelling.  I'm hoping it will also help my struggling readers become better at chunking unfamiliar words.

Click the image below to get the FREEBIE.

 

Story Snapshot

I decided to create a Story Snapshot pocket chart as a visual reminder for students of the key elements of the stories we're reading in class.  I have incorporated the Ice-Cream Scoop Skills/Strategies that I posted a picture of earlier.  I ran off an extra set to use in my pocket chart. I think it's so important to make connections as much as possible.The genre signs are the same signs I have hanging from my genre tree in my Book Nook.  I LOVE them.  They are so bright and colorful.  I purchased them from Really Good Stuff.  The images on the Theme signs I found on-line a long time ago and I'm still trying to locate the site because her posters are great.  I will add a link if I happen to come across it. The themes included are- Be a Good Friend, Be Yourself, Kindness, Responsibility, Sharing, Teamwork, and Try New Things. At the bottom of the chart is my Making Words Station.  I try to choose a word that connects to the story of the week.  Each week I change out the letters and they use the form below.

 

 

 

Click the image above to get the FREEBIE.