Word Recognition and Fluency

Word Recognition

and Fluency

Effective Upper-Elementary

Interventions for Students

With Reading Difficulties

by Jeanne Wanzek, Anita Harbor, and Sharon Vaughn

the University of Texas at Austin

Developed with funds from

The Meadows Foundation

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the following individuals and agencies for

their contributions to the studies and the manual.

The Meadows Foundation

Wilson Historic District

3003 Swiss Avenue

Dallas, TX 75204

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk

College of Education

The University of Texas at Austin

www.meadowscenter.org

Manuel J. Justiz, Dean

Sharon Vaughn, Executive Director

Research and Development Team

Deborah Boswell

Julie Graham

Anita Harbor

Anna K. Harris

Janine Langley

Rachel Lee

Heather Leonard

Sharon Vaughn

Jeanne Wanzek

Design and Editing

Matthew Slater

Carlos Treviño

Elana Wakeman

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Contents

LESSON PLANS .......................................................................................................................1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................................3

Irregular Words Lesson .............................................................................................................................................................7

Lesson 1: Short Vowels ..........................................................................................................................................................11

Lesson 2: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant Words .....................................................................................................27

Lesson 3: Consonant Digraphs .........................................................................................................................................43

Lesson 4: Consonant Blends ..............................................................................................................................................61

Lesson 5: r-Controlled Syllables .......................................................................................................................................77

Lesson 6: Vowel-Consonant-e Syllables ......................................................................................................................95

Lesson 7: Letter Combinations ......................................................................................................................................117

Lesson 8: Open Syllables ...................................................................................................................................................139

Lesson 9: Contractions ........................................................................................................................................................155

Lesson 10: Compound Words ........................................................................................................................................171

Lesson 11: Aﬃxes With Unchanging Base Words ..............................................................................................187

Lesson 12: ed Suﬃx With Unchanging Base Words ..........................................................................................203

Lesson 13: Multisyllabic Word Reading ....................................................................................................................221

Lesson 14: Consonant-le Syllables ...............................................................................................................................243

Lesson 15: Soft g and Soft c .............................................................................................................................................265

Lesson 16: Adding Vowel Suﬃxes to CVC and Silent e Base Words........................................................287

Lesson 17: Adding Suﬃxes That Change Base Words’ Final y to i .............................................................313

APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................... 335

Word Lists ...................................................................................................................................................................................335

Academic Word Lists............................................................................................................................................................377

Resources, Glossary, and References .........................................................................................................................395

Blackline masters of lesson materials are available on the accompanying CD.

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

WORD

RECOGNITION

AND FLUENCY

LESSON PLANS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Lesson Plans Introduction | 3

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Introduction

LESSON PROGRESSION

This resource book presents lessons that teach word recognition skills and strategies in a

systematic and cumulative way. Students build knowledge as lessons progress from easy to

diﬃcult skills. Previously learned skills are reviewed, linked to newly presented content, and

included in the new lesson’s practice activities. The example words in practice activities were

selected to be useful in students’ school and home lives. As lessons progress, students learn the

skills and strategies to read an increasing number and variety of words—thus allowing students

to read more sentences and longer texts. A lesson structure is also presented for teaching irregular

words. This lesson structure can be used daily from the beginning to teach new irregular words

for student reading.

Lessons 1–9 are for students who have not yet mastered basic sounds and using these sounds to

blend words. These lessons are structured around one-syllable words. The ﬁrst lesson template

begins with a review of consonant sounds and moves on to introducing short vowel sounds.

The lesson template can be used on diﬀerent days to introduce each of the short vowel sounds,

according to student needs. In subsequent lessons, students learn to blend sounds to form

consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words such as mat, sip, and let. Next are lessons that introduce

the more advanced sounds of consonant digraphs, consonant blends, and r-controlled sounds.

Long vowel sounds are introduced with the vowel-consonant-e (VCe) syllable. Then, two more

syllable types with long vowel sounds are introduced: letter combinations (key, grown, main)

and open syllables (hi, re-, ﬂu). In each of these lessons, students build on their understanding

of blending sounds in one-syllable words. Again, the lessons often provide a structure for

introducing multiple sounds that will be used over several days or weeks, according to the

number of sounds that need to be introduced and student needs.

Lessons 10–17 teach skills and strategies for reading multisyllabic words, beginning with

compound words, proceeding to words with aﬃxes, and then moving to a multisyllabic word

reading strategy for decoding long words. Advanced concepts are taught next, including the

consonant-le syllable (candle, table), soft g and c (gem, cent), and base words that change when a

suﬃx is added (plan-planning; happy-happiness, make-making).

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It is not necessary or realistic for every group of students to begin with Lesson 1 and proceed

through one lesson each day. You will ﬁnd that students move quickly through certain lessons

and that students will require more time and practice before mastering the material in other

lessons. Some lessons are used several times to introduce diﬀerent, related sounds. For example,

the lesson for letter combinations is used when introducing any of the 18 letter combinations.

When the same lesson is used more than once, multiple guided practice and independent

activities are provided to allow for varied practice. Use a pace that best meets your students’

needs. Finally, remember that the lessons are cumulative, building upon previous lessons, so it is

optimal to teach them in the order in which they are presented.

LESSONS OVERVIEW

The lessons teach skills explicitly and in a consistent format. Each lesson consists of lesson

objectives, a list of necessary materials, lesson tips, a review activity, activities that provide

scaﬀolded instruction, ideas for monitoring learning, and information about generalization.

• Objectives. What the student will be able to do as a result of instruction.

• Materials. A list of the materials necessary for each lesson. Blackline masters of many

materials, including student worksheets, letter cards, word cards, templates, and game

boards, are found on the accompanying CD.

• Tips. Ideas and information to enhance instruction.

• Daily Review. A quick review of the previous lesson.

• Opening. A brief description of what students will learn, why it is important, and how it

connects to, or is diﬀerent from, previously taught content.

• Lesson Activities. Introduce students to skills and strategies through three levels of

scaﬀolded instruction:

• Model and Teach. The teacher explicitly explains, teaches, demonstrates, and models

the new skill or strategy.

• Guided Practice. Once students are familiar with the skill or strategy, the teacher

provides guidance as students practice applying it to reading words.

• Independent Practice. As students gain proﬁciency, they apply the skill to reading

words and connected text independently while the teacher provides assistance.

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Within each level of instruction, teachers should monitor students’ understanding and be

prepared to reteach or provide additional modeling or practice before moving on to the

next level.

Decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) activities are included for each level of

instruction. When introducing a new sound, skill, or strategy, use all the decoding and

encoding activities in the model and teach level. When practicing the sound, skill, or

strategy, choose at least one decoding and one encoding activity from the guided

practice and independent practice levels. A variety of guided practice and independent

practice activities provide options when the same lesson structure is used to teach new

sounds or when reteaching is necessary. These activities incorporate hands-on worksheets,

games, and manipulatives that provide meaningful, relevant opportunities to practice

and apply the sound, skill, or strategy. Each activity begins with a description of the task,

followed by a sample dialogue. The dialogue is an example of the type of wording to use

while teaching, but it is not a script. It is important to teach the lessons using your unique

style.

Tips and adaptations follow certain activities, including ideas for error correction, common

trouble spots, scaﬀolding tips, and suggestions on diﬀerent ways to implement the

activity.

• Monitor Learning. Provides lesson-speciﬁc areas to check students’ understanding.

• Generalization. A description of how the knowledge learned applies to other areas at

school and at home.

• Lesson Materials. Thumbnail images of lesson materials follow each lesson. Electronic

ﬁles of these materials are found on the accompanying CD.

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Lesson Plans Irregular Words Lesson | 7

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Irregular Words

Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE

Students will read and spell words with irregular sound-spelling patterns.

RATIONALE

Irregular words do not ﬁt the typical letter-sound correspondence that students have learned.

Put another way, they are “rule-breakers”. Certain high-frequency words, such as said, was, do, to,

what, and they, are irregular. Words that include exceptions to syllable-type conventions are also

considered to be irregular. For example, the a in have makes its short vowel sound, rather than the

long vowel sound that is typical of vowel-consonant-e syllables.

Some irregular words should be memorized, becoming what is known as “sight words”—words

that are instantly recognized as a whole. Some words may be considered irregular because a

student has not yet learned the sound of a particular letter pattern. Little would be an irregular

word for students who have not yet learned about consonant-le syllables.

Choose irregular words that appear frequently in students’ reading and writing. Such words are

more useful to students. If a student can already read an irregular word, it is not necessary to

explicitly teach it.

TEACHING NEW WORDS

Make an index card for each word you introduce. These cards can be used for review, reteaching,

or a word wall. Present the ﬁrst card and say the word. Have students say the word, spell it, and

then say the word again.

Teacher: This word is where. What is the word?

Students: where

Teacher: Spell where.

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[Point to each letter as students spell the word.]

Students: w-h-e-r-e

Teacher: Say the word again.

Students: where

Introduce one to seven words at a time, depending on student mastery. Provide students with

multiple opportunities to read each word as it is introduced. Do not introduce a new word if

students have not mastered previously introduced words.

REVIEWING WORDS

After new words have been introduced, review ﬁve to seven previously learned words in random

order. Provide multiple opportunities for students to read previously taught words—particularly

those with which students struggle.

Present the word cards and have students say the words. Correct errors by saying the word and

then having the student say the word, spell the word, and say the word again. Put the cards for

words that students read incorrectly in a separate pile for reteaching during the next lesson.

Teacher: Let’s review some words. When I show you a word card, say the word.

[Show the ﬁrst word: earth.]

Students: earth

[Show the next word: chief.]

Students: /chīf/

Teacher: The word is chief. What word?

Students: chief

Teacher: Say it, spell it, say it.

Students: Chief, c-h-i-e-f, chief.

[Present the next words.]

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MONITOR LEARNING

Reteach words that were misread, providing additional opportunities for students to read the

words.

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Lesson Plans Lesson 1 | 11

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Short Vowels

Lesson 1

OBJECTIVES

• Students will say the short vowel sounds that correspond to speciﬁc vowels.

• Students will identify the vowels associated with speciﬁc short vowel sounds.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 1 letter cards (one set each for teacher and students)*

• Letter-sound practice worksheet*

• Colored pencils (blue, green, red)

• Picture worksheet*

• Timer

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

TIPS

• Use key words when introducing short vowel sounds—for example, e, egg, /e/. The

following key words are suggested: a–apple, e–egg, i–igloo, o–octopus, and u–up.

• Encourage students to refer back to the key word as a clue to the sound of the letter.

• Provide suﬃcient wait time for student responses. Establish a gesture or cue phrase (e.g.,

“Ready? Go.”) for choral responses.

• Include previously taught sounds in the daily review and lesson activities.

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• Include activities that provide students with practice discriminating among previously

taught vowel sounds.

• Do not teach all the short vowel sounds and key words in one lesson.

• The following is the suggested order of instruction: a, i, o, u, e.

• Do not include words that have not been previously taught.

• Provide direct feedback on student performance.

DAILY REVIEW

CONSONANT SOUNDS

Review by asking students to produce sounds for speciﬁc consonants. Ask for individual and

group responses, and randomize the order in which you point to the letters.

Teacher: Today, we will review consonant sounds. I will point to a letter, and you will tell

me the sound it makes. Be alert, because I will jump around in the alphabet.

Remember, the cue that it’s time for everyone to repeat is an open palm, like this.

[Demonstrate.]

When I say your name, answer aloud. Everyone else, answer silently. Let’s try it.

[Point to m and gesture with an open palm.]

Students: /m/

Teacher: That’s correct, /m/.

[Point to t and gesture.]

Students: /tuh/

Teacher: Some people said /tuh/. Remember, we have to clip the sound for t because it

can’t be extended. T makes the sound /t/.

[Point to t again and gesture.]

Students: /t/

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Teacher: Yes, /t/. Excellent clipping!

[Point to b.]

LaToya, what sound?

LaToya: /b/

Teacher: Correct, LaToya, and everyone else did a fabulous job answering silently. Now, we

will speed things up!

[Point to l.]

Eli, what sound?

Eli: /l/

[Point to k and gesture.]

Students: /k/

Teacher: Raise your hand if you can tell me another letter that makes the /k/ sound.

Carla: C makes the /k/ sound.

Teacher: That’s right. The letter c also says /k/.

[Point to n and gesture.]

Students: /n/

Continue until you have reviewed all the desired sounds.

OPENING

For the purposes of illustration, this lesson plan cover all of the vowel sounds. In practice, we

recommend introducing vowels one or two at a time, intermixed with consonant instruction. Be

sure to separate initial instruction in the sounds of e and i to avoid confusion.

Teacher: Let’s learn the short vowel sounds. Remember that the vowels are a, e, i, o, and u. It

is important to learn vowel sounds because, in English, every word has at least one

vowel. To become good readers, you need to know what sounds vowels make.

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

LETTERSOUND CORRESPONDENCE

PREPARATION FOR DECODING AND ENCODING

Teach students letter-sound correspondence, using the following general sequence:

1. Show students a letter and introduce its short vowel sound and key word.

2. Say several words that contain the short vowel sound and have students repeat the words.

3. Read a word and have students identify whether it has the target sound.

[Show the letter a or write it on the board.]

Teacher: The short vowel sound for the letter a is /aaa/...

[Stretch out the sound.]

...as in the word apple. We will use the word apple as the key word for /a/. We will

say, “a, apple, /a/” to remind us of the letter name, the key word, and the short

vowel sound: a, apple, /a/. Repeat, please.

Students: A, apple, /a/.

Teacher: Say it one more time.

Students: A, apple, /a/.

Teacher: The sound for a is /aaa/. Say the sound.

Students: /aaa/

Teacher: I will say some words with /a/. Please repeat after me.

[Present these words orally to help students focus on the /a/ sound. Stretch

out the /a/ into /aaa/ when presenting.]

Teacher: /aaafter/

[Gesture with an open palm now and after every word presented.]

Students: /aaafter/

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Teacher: /aaad/

Students: /aaad/

Teacher: /saaad/

Students: /saaad/

Teacher: What is the short vowel sound for a?

[Point to a on the board.]

Students: /a/

Teacher: A, apple, /a/.

Students: A, apple, /a/.

Teacher: Now, listen for /a/ in words that I say. Some will have /a/, and some will not. If the

word has /a/, show me a thumbs-up. If it does not have /a/, show me a thumbs-

down. Remember to wait for my hand sign. Hat.

[Gesture. Students show thumbs-up.]

Teacher: Good job. You all showed me a thumbs-up because hat has the /a/ sound. Admit.

[Gesture. Students show thumbs-up.]

Continue with other words; for example, mad, lip, happy, nap, stop, dad, etc. After each word,

gesture for students to show you a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

ERROR CORRECTION

Use guiding questions to correct students who make an error, such as in the following example

script.

Teacher: What sound are you listening for?

Student: /a/

Teacher: Do you hear /a/ in lip?

16 | Lesson 1 Lesson Plans

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TIPS

• Create a poster for each vowel, showing its key word and a picture of the key word (e.g.,

the word apple and a picture of an apple for a).

• When introducing vowel sounds, scaﬀold by stretching out the sounds.

• Keep a brisk pace.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

WHAT SOUND?

DECODING

Spread out letter cards in front of students. Point to a letter. Have students say its sound. Focus on

the sounds you are teaching, but include previously introduced sounds as well.

Teacher: I will point to a letter. When I give you the cue, everyone say the sound.

[Point to a and gesture with an open palm.]

Students: /a/

[Point to f and gesture.]

Students: /f/

[Point to b.]

Eli?

Eli: /b/

ERROR CORRECTION

Tell students who make an error the correct sound. Then point to the letter again and have

students say the sound.

TIPS

• Keep a brisk pace.

• Point to target sounds at least twice for extra practice.

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

FLASHCARD DRILL

DECODING

Display a letter card and, on your cue, have students say the sound. The cue is important because

it gives students time to think and prevents them from blurting out or guessing. Randomly elicit

group and individual responses.

Teacher: I will show one card at a time. Say the sound in your head, and when I give the

hand sign, say the sound aloud. Even if you know the sound right away, wait for

the sign. Let’s practice.

[Turn over the top card, m in this example, and gesture.]

Students: /m/

Nicely done! Pay close attention because sometimes, I might say a person’s name.

That person should say the sound aloud while everyone else reads silently. Ready?

[Turn over next card, p in this example.]

Eli?

Eli: /p/

Teacher: Great. Did everyone notice how Eli clipped the sound? He said /p/, not /puh/.

Good work, Eli. Let’s speed it up quite a bit now.

[Show next card, i, and gesture.]

Students: /i/

Continue turning over cards. As students gain proﬁciency, use a more rapid pace.

ERROR CORRECTION

Tell students who make an error the key word (e.g., o, octopus, /o/). Have the students repeat.

TIP

Use extra cards of target sounds, so students have multiple opportunities to practice the sounds.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

WHAT SAYS…

ENCODING

Spread out letter cards in front of students. Follow the steps below. Focus on the sounds being

taught, but include previously introduced sounds as well.

1. Dictate a sound.

2. Have a student repeat the sound (listen for accuracy).

3. Have the student point to the corresponding letter card.

Teacher: I will say a sound. You will then repeat the sound and point to the letter card that

makes the sound. What says /a/?

Students: /a/

[Students point to a.]

Teacher: What says /f/?

Students: /f/

[Students point to f.]

Teacher: Nice job. /b/?

[Students point to b.]

Continue dictating sounds. Give students plenty of opportunities with the target sound.

ERROR CORRECTION

Correct students who point to the incorrect card, such as in the following example script.

Teacher: F makes the /f/ sound. What says /f/?

[Point to the letter as you say /f/.]

ADAPTATION

Instead of letter cards, use a form with letters printed on it.

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

WHITEBOARD DICTATION

ENCODING

Dictate sounds and have students write the corresponding letters on a whiteboard. Dictate

sounds either in isolation (e.g., /o/), or as part of a word (e.g., “the middle sound in the word log”).

Focus on the target sounds and trouble spots, but include previously taught sounds.

Teacher: I will dictate a sound. You will repeat the sound and then write the letter that

makes the sound on your whiteboard. After you write the sound, hold your

whiteboard up so I can see it. /e/

[Gesture so that students repeat the sound.]

Students: /e/

[Students write on boards and hold them up.]

Teacher: Nice job, everyone. Next sound: the ﬁrst sound in the word hum. Say the word

hum.

Students: hum

Teacher: Write the letter that makes the ﬁrst sound in hum.

Continue, providing students with many opportunities to practice the target sounds.

ERROR CORRECTION

If students make an error with an individually dictated sound, model the correct response and

have the students repeat, such as in the following example script.

Teacher: N makes the /n/ sound. What says /n/?

Students: n

If the error is with a sound within a word, use language similar to the following example script.

Teacher: H makes the ﬁrst sound in hum. What letter?

Students: h

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

BEAT THE CLOCK: LETTER SOUNDS

DECODING

This activity increases automaticity in letter-sound correspondence. Students read the letter-

sound practice worksheet three times, with the goal of increasing speed and accuracy with each

reading. The three rounds are referred to as the cold round, warm round, and hot round. Each

round consists of the following sequence:

1. Student A is the Reader; Student B is the Listener.

2. The Reader says the sounds on the sheet (going from left to right, top to bottom) as

quickly and correctly as possible for 30 seconds.

3. The Listener monitors, marking incorrect responses on the sheet with a blue pencil for the

cold round, green pencil for the warm round, and red pencil for the hot round.

4. At the end of the 30 seconds, the Listener circles the last response and calculates the

number of correct responses.

5. The Listener gives the Reader positive and corrective feedback.

6. Switch roles: Student A becomes the Listener, and Student B becomes the Reader.

7. Follow steps 2–5 again.

Prior to giving directions, distribute the letter-sound practice worksheet, divide students into pairs

and designate a person in each pair as Student A or Student B.

Teacher: This activity will help you say sounds quickly and correctly. It’s fun because you

race against yourself. There are many steps; pay attention, so that we can go

quickly. Each of you has a letter-sound practice worksheet and colored pencils.

Write your name on the worksheet.

Exchange sheets with your partner. Yes, that means the paper in front of you will

have your partner’s name on it.

If you are Student A, raise your hand.

Student As, you are Readers, for now. You may put your hands down.

If you are Student B, raise your hand.

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Student Bs, you are Listeners, for now. Please put your hands down.

When I start the timer, Readers will say the sounds for the letters on the sheet as

quickly and correctly as possible. Read left to right, top to bottom, just like reading

a book. Use your ﬁnger to keep track of where you are. If you get to the bottom of

the page, go back to the beginning and start again. When the timer rings, I will say,

“Stop,” and the Reader will stop reading.

Let’s check your listening. Who can tell me what a Reader does? LaToya?

LaToya: When the timer starts, the Reader says the sounds as fast as she can until you say,

“Stop.”

Teacher: What do you do if you get to the bottom before I say stop? Andre?

Andre: You start again from the beginning.

Teacher: Excellent! Listeners, you will follow along with the Reader. If the Reader makes

a mistake, draw a line through that letter on the sheet in front of you. You also

should use your ﬁnger to keep track.

When I say, “Stop,” the Listener circles the last response, counts the total number of

correct responses, and writes it at the top of the sheet.

The Listener gives the Reader feedback, just like a teacher. The Listener gives

positive feedback, like, “You did a great job on the vowels” or “You were faster that

time.” Also like a teacher, the Listener gives corrective feedback on items the Reader

missed, like “This says /m/, but you said /n/” or “The vowel sound for i is /i/.”

Let’s practice. Andre, what might you say to encourage your partner after they

ﬁnish the letter sheet?

[Andre gives an example of his response.]

Eli, if your partner misses a sound, what might you say to help them?

[Eli gives an example of his response.]

OK, who can tell me two parts of the Listener’s job? Carla?

Carla: The Listener marks what the Reader got wrong and then adds up how many he

got right and writes it on the paper.

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Teacher: Very good. Those are important tasks. Eli, can you tell us more about what a

Listener does?

Eli: He tells the Reader, “Good job” and stuﬀ like that. And he says what the Reader did

wrong, but he has to be nice about it.

Teacher: Yes, those are the jobs of the Listener.

You will trade jobs back and forth with your partner, so each of you will be a Reader

and a Listener. I said earlier that you race against yourself. That’s because you will

read the same thing three times. The ﬁrst time is called the cold round because

you’re reading it “cold,” or without practice. The Listener uses the blue pencil for

marking during the cold round. The warm round is next because you have warmed

up a bit. Listeners use the green pencil for the warm round. The last round is the

hot round. You use the red pencil during the hot round. You’re trying to get better

with each round, so you’re racing against yourself. Which round do you think will

probably be your best round, when you are fastest and most accurate?

Students: The hot round because you get better from practice.

Teacher: I agree with you. Now that you know how it works, let’s play. Listeners, this is the

cold round, so what color pencil should you be using?

Students: Blue.

COLD ROUND

Teacher: Readers and Listeners, get ready. Begin!

[Start the timer.]

[Readers and Listeners do their respective tasks. After 30 seconds, say:]

Stop! Listeners, circle the last response, count the number of correct responses,

and write it at the top of the sheet. Take a moment to give your partner feedback.

[Listeners give feedback for no more than 30 seconds.]

Time to switch roles. Student A, now you are a Listener, so pick up the blue pencil.

Student B, you are now a Reader.

Readers and Listeners, get ready. Begin!

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[Start the timer.]

[Readers and Listeners do their respective tasks. After 30 seconds, say:]

Stop! Listeners, circle the last response, count the number of correct responses, and

write it at the top of the sheet. Give your partner positive and corrective feedback.

[Listeners give feedback for no more than 30 seconds.]

Great! That was the end of the cold round. Let’s move on to the warm round.

WARM ROUND

Teacher: Time to switch roles again. Student A, you’re a Reader. Student B, you’re a Listener.

Because it’s the warm round, Listeners will use the green pencil.

Readers and Listeners, get ready. Begin!

[Start the timer.]

[Readers and Listeners do their respective tasks. After 30 seconds, say:]

Stop! Listeners, circle the last response, count the number of correct responses, and

write it at the top of the sheet next to the blue number. Give your partner feedback.

[Listeners give feedback for no more than 30 seconds.]

Time to switch roles. Student A, now you are a Listener, so pick up the green pencil.

Student B, now you are a Reader.

Readers and Listeners, get ready. Begin!

[Start the timer.]

[Readers and Listeners do their respective tasks. After 30 seconds, say:]

Stop! Listeners, circle the last response, count the number of correct responses,

and write it at the top of the sheet. Give your feedback.

[Listeners give feedback for no more than 30 seconds.]

Great! Who was faster during the warm round? Now, let’s move on to the hot round.

24 | Lesson 1 Lesson Plans

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

HOT ROUND

Teacher: Switch roles again, please. Student A, you’re a Reader. Student B, you’re a Listener.

Because it’s the hot round, Listeners will use the red pencil.

Readers and Listeners, get ready. Begin!

[Start the timer.]

[Readers and Listeners do their respective tasks. After 30 seconds, say:]

Stop! Listeners, circle the last response, count the number of correct responses,

and write it at the top of the sheet. Give positive and corrective feedback.

[Listeners give feedback for no more than 30 seconds.]

Time to switch roles. Student A, now you are a Listener, so pick up the red pencil.

Student B, now you are a Reader.

Readers and Listeners, get ready. Begin!

[Start the timer.]

[Readers and Listeners do their respective tasks. After 30 seconds, say:]

Stop! Listeners, circle the last response, count the number of correct responses,

and write it at the top of the sheet. Give your partner feedback.

[Listeners give feedback for no more than 30 seconds.]

Great job, everyone!

ERROR CORRECTION

Most error correction is done during the peer-led feedback time. If you notice that a Listener

has not addressed an error, model the correct response and have the student repeat. When

appropriate, use the key word.

Lesson Plans Lesson 1 | 25

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

FILL IN THE BLANK

ENCODING

Distribute the picture worksheet. Have students identify a picture and write the missing letters.

Teacher: Look at the picture and segment its sounds. Write the missing letters in the blanks

beneath the picture. We will do the ﬁrst two together. LaToya, what is the picture?

LaToya: It’s an umbrella.

Teacher: Underneath I see a blank, then m-b-r-e-l-l-a. The ﬁrst letter is blank, so I need to ask

myself, “What is the ﬁrst sound in umbrella?” Carla, can you please tell me?

Carla: /u/

Teacher: Correct. What letter makes the /u/ sound?

Carla: u

Teacher: That’s right, so I will write u in the blank space. Let’s look at an example when the

blank is in the middle of the word. What is the next picture, Eli?

Eli: It’s a picture of a clock.

Teacher: Underneath, I see c-l, then a blank, then c-k. The middle letter is blank, so I ask

myself, “What is the middle sound in clock?”

Eli: /o/, so it is the letter o.

Teacher: Yes, o makes the /o/ sound, so I write o in the blank space.

MONITOR LEARNING

Monitor students’ vowel pronunciation, directing them to the key words. Check students’ work on

Beat the Clock, Whiteboard Dictation, and Fill in the Blank. Note trouble spots for future lessons.

GENERALIZATION

Explain to students that knowing how to read short vowel sounds, and recognizing vowel sounds

for spelling, is essential because all words have at least one vowel.

26 | Lesson 1 Lesson Plans

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

LETTER CARDS

CONSONANTS

b c d f

g

h

j

k

l m n

p

q

r s t

v w x y

z

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

e u c o y

t s p d i

a v h a x

g e i w o

b k e c r

h l b i m

n o v p a

d z u i s

o a q j b

r e g f e

LETTERSOUND PRACTICE

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

__mbrella cl__ck __pple

c__t c__p f__sh

b__x dr__m p__n

__gg __gloo m__p

__lbow __nt b__ll

PICTURE WORKSHEET

First of 2 pages:

Consonants, vowels and blank cards included

Lesson Plans Lesson 2 | 27

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Consonant-Vowel-Consonant

Words

Lesson 2

OBJECTIVES

• Students will read words that contain short vowels.

• Students will recognize and read consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words.

• Students will identify closed-syllable words.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 1 letter cards (one set each for teacher and students)*

• Lesson 2 word cards*

• Spinner divided into three to four sections**

• Blank bingo boards*

• Bingo tokens

• Pocket chart (optional)

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

**Assembly instructions available on CD.

28 | Lesson 2 Lesson Plans

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of CVC words.

• When introducing blending, choose words whose initial consonant sound is continuous

(e.g., /s/, /m/, /l/). These sounds are easier to blend into the vowel than stop consonant

sounds (e.g., /t/, /b/).

DAILY REVIEW

SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS

Teacher: Who can tell me the diﬀerent vowels that are in the alphabet?

[Students answer.]

Teacher: That’s correct: a, e, i, o, and u are the ﬁve vowels.

[Write the vowels on the board.]

Teacher: What is the short sound for the letter e?

[Students answer.]

Teacher: That’s right. The sound is /e/, as in egg. What is the short vowel sound for i?

[Students answer.]

Teacher: Yes, /i/, as in igloo. Which vowel makes the short sound /a/?

[Students answer.]

Teacher: Correct, the letter a says /a/. Tell me a word that begins with the sound /a/.

[Students answer.]

Teacher: Yes, apple, ant, and Adam all begin with the sound /a/. What vowel makes the

sound you hear at the beginning of the word up?

[Students answer.]

Lesson Plans Lesson 2 | 29

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Teacher: Right, the letter u. So, what is the short sound for u?

[Students answer.]

Teacher: Yes, it is /u/.

OPENING

Teacher: Today we will learn to read words with three letters and three sounds. Each of

these words has a syllable that begins with a consonant, has a vowel in the middle,

and ends with a consonant. These syllables are called consonant-vowel-consonant,

or CVC, syllables. The vowels in CVC syllables make their short vowel sounds. I will

show you how to blend consonant sounds and vowel sounds to make words.

In this lesson, you will also learn about closed syllables. CVC syllables are closed.

Words are made of syllables, so knowing about closed syllables and knowing how

to read CVC words will help you read more words.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

BLENDING SOUNDS

DECODING

Place the letters m, a, and t in a pocket chart, leaving some space between the letters. Point to

the letters and model blending the sounds by saying, for example, “/m/, /ma/, /mat/” to form the

word mat. Repeat the sequence with other words, gradually reducing your modeling and giving

students greater independence for the process. Use all the vowels and a variety of consonants.

Teacher: Here are some examples of CVC words with the /a/ sound. We will stretch and

blend each of the words so we can hear the diﬀerent sounds.

[Point to m and extend the sound /mmm/. Point to a and extend the sound

/aaa/. Then, slide your ﬁnger under each letter as you blend the sounds.]

Teacher: /mmm/ /aaa/. Now you try it. Blend the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under the

letters.

Students: /mmm/ /aaa/

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

[Model adding the ﬁnal /t/ sound: slide your ﬁnger under m and a, stretching

out the sounds until you point to t.]

Teacher: /mmm/ /aaa/ /t/. Now you try it. Blend the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under the

letters.

Students: /mmm/ /aaa/ /t/

[Move the cards next to each other. Slide your ﬁnger under the letters.]

Teacher: Mat—the whole word is mat. Now, I will slide my ﬁnger under the letters, and you

will read the word.

Students: mat

ERROR CORRECTION

Correct students who miss sounds by using prompts, such as, “What sound does this letter make?”

Then, have the student repeat the blending sequence.

Adapted from Beck, I. L. (2006). Making sense of phonics: The hows and whys. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

CLOSED SYLLABLES

DECODING

Explain that a syllable is a word or word part that has only one vowel sound. Tell students that one

type of syllable is a closed syllable and describe its characteristics:

• A closed syllable has only one vowel.

• A consonant “closes in” the vowel.

• The vowel makes its short sound.

Teacher: The CVC words you read in Activity 1 are also syllables. A syllable is a word, or a part

of a word, with one vowel sound. Listen as I demonstrate: sun.

[Clap once while saying sun.]

Lesson Plans Lesson 2 | 31

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Teacher: Sun is a syllable because it has one vowel sound, /u/.

[Form hit with letter cards.]

Teacher: Read this word.

Students: hit

Teacher: Is hit a syllable?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Yes, it is a syllable because it has one vowel sound.

CVC words are a type of syllable called a closed syllable. There are three things to

remember about closed syllables. First, a closed syllable has just one vowel.

[Point to the i in hit.]

Teacher: Second, a consonant must close in the vowel at the end.

[Point to the t.]

Teacher: Third, the vowel makes its short sound.

What is the short sound for i?

Students: /i/

Teacher: You can remember it this way: A consonant closes in the vowel, so it can take only

a short walk before it bumps into the consonant. So a vowel in a closed syllable

makes its short sound.

[Form hem with word cards.]

Teacher: Let’s see whether this is a closed syllable. Does it have just one vowel?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Does a consonant close in the vowel?

Students: Yes.

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Teacher: So that means it is a closed syllable. Because the vowel can go for only a short walk

before bumping into the consonant, what sound does e make?

Students: /e/

Teacher: Yes, a vowel in a closed syllable makes its short sound. Please read the word.

Students: hem

Teacher: Let’s look at another word and determine whether it is a closed syllable.

[Remove m from hem to form he.]

Teacher: Is there just one vowel?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Does a consonant close in the vowel at the end?

Students: No.

Teacher: That’s right. So this is not a closed syllable because a consonant does not close in

the vowel at the end.

[Form heat with letter cards.]

Is there just one vowel in this word?

Students: No.

Teacher: This is not a closed syllable because there are two vowels.

[Form at with letter cards.]

Is there just one vowel?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Does a consonant close in the vowel at the end?

Students: Yes.

Lesson Plans Lesson 2 | 33

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Teacher: This is a closed syllable. There must be a consonant after the vowel for it to be a

closed syllable, but there does not need to be a consonant in front of the vowel.

What sound does the vowel make?

Students: /a/

Teacher: Very nice work using what you have learned about closed syllables.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SEGMENTING SOUNDS

ENCODING

Have students encode CVC words with letter cards by using the following sequence:

1. Dictate a CVC word.

2. A student repeats the word (listen for correctness).

3. The student says each sound in the word and counts the sounds in the word.

4. The student says the letters.

5. The student says the letters again while collecting the corresponding letter cards.

6. The student checks by reading the word.

Teacher: I will show you the steps to follow when you spell words. Listen. The ﬁrst word is

fan. What is the word?

Students: fan

Teacher: Next I will count the sounds I hear in the word.

[Model the following steps as you complete them.]

Teacher: /f/ /a/ /n/. I hear three sounds.

Next, I think about what letters make those sounds: /f/–f, /a/–a, /n/–n.

Then, I say the letters while I get the letter cards: f, a, n.

Finally, I check the word by reading it: fan.

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually reducing your modeling.

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

ERROR CORRECTION

Correct students by using prompts, such as, “What letter says /b/?”

Adapted from Wilson, B. A. (2002). Wilson reading system: Instructor manual. Oxford, MA: Wilson Language Training.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

3,2,1 READ

DECODING

Place a pile of word cards facedown. As you turn over each card, students blend the sounds

silently. On your verbal cue “3, 2, 1,” students read the word aloud. The countdown gives students

time to think and prevents them from blurting out or guessing. Elicit group and individual

responses. To keep students engaged, mix up requests for group or individual responses. Question

all students, so they can demonstrate their knowledge.

Teacher: I will turn over one word at a time. You will read the word silently, using the

blending technique we practiced earlier. When I say, “3, 2, 1, everyone,” I want

everyone to say the word at the same time. Even if you know the word right away,

use the “3, 2, 1” as thinking time. Let’s practice.

[Turn over the top card, cup in this example, and lay it on the table.]

Teacher: 3, 2, 1, everyone.

Students: cup

Teacher: Great job! Stay on your toes because sometimes I might say, “3, 2, 1” and then say

someone’s name. If I say your name, you say the word aloud. Everyone else reads it

silently. Ready?

[Turn over the next card: sip.]

3, 2, 1, Angela.

Angela: sip

Teacher: Good reading, Angela. David, what is the vowel sound in that word?

Lesson Plans Lesson 2 | 35

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

David: /i/

Teacher: Gabe, what is the ﬁrst consonant sound?

Gabe: /s/

Continue displaying cards for students to decode.

ERROR CORRECTION

• Note which sound was incorrect, point to the letter, and give a prompt, such as, “What

sound?” Then have the student repeat the blending sequence.

• If a student uses a long vowel (e.g., /sīp/ for sip), use questioning to guide him or her to

the correct sound, such as in the following example script.

Teacher: Is this a closed syllable?

Student: Yes.

Teacher: What is the vowel sound in a closed syllable?

Student: Short vowel.

Teacher: Blend the sounds, using the short vowel sound.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

SPIN AND READ

DECODING

Choose a student to be Head Spinner. The Head Spinner spins to determine the number of word

cards each student will get. Students place their word cards faceup in front of them and read

the words silently. The Head Spinner chooses one of his words to read, turns it facedown after

reading it, and then points to a word belonging to the student to his left. That student reads the

designated word, turns it facedown, and points to a word belonging to the student on his left.

Continue in a clockwise direction until all words have been read. Choose a new Head Spinner and

continue as described above. Monitor student responses and provide corrective feedback.

36 | Lesson 2 Lesson Plans

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Teacher: We will use the spinner to determine how many word cards each person gets.

DeShawn, you will be the Head Spinner, for now. Everyone else will get a turn, too.

Please spin.

[DeShawn spins.]

Teacher: DeShawn spun a four, so each of you will get four word cards. As I give you the

cards, put them faceup in front of you and read them silently. If you ﬁnish, read

them silently again because soon, you will be asked to read the words aloud.

[Students read their words silently.]

Teacher: DeShawn, as Head Spinner, you go ﬁrst. Choose one word to read.

DeShawn: /l/ /o/ /t/: lot.

Teacher: Good job blending the sounds! Gabe, what is the ﬁnal sound in DeShawn’s word?

Gabe: /t/

Teacher: That’s right, /t/. DeShawn, point to one of David’s words for him to read.

[DeShawn points to bag.]

David: beg

Teacher: David, what is the vowel in the word?

David: a

Teacher: Right, the vowel is a. What is the sound of short a?

David: /a/

Teacher: Yes, the sound is /a/. Now, try the word again.

David: /b/ /a/ /g/, bag. I get it now.

Teacher: Point to the letter that makes the /g/ sound, DeShawn. Correct. OK, David, your

turn to point to one of Gabe’s words.

Continue moving clockwise. Provide corrective feedback as needed.

Lesson Plans Lesson 2 | 37

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

ERROR CORRECTION

• Note which sound was incorrect, point to the letter, and give a prompt, such as, “What

sound?” Then have the student repeat the blending sequence.

• If a student uses a long vowel (e.g., /sīp/ for sip), use questioning to guide him or her to

the correct sound, such as in the following example script.

Teacher: Is this a closed syllable?

Student: Yes.

Teacher: What is the vowel sound in a closed syllable?

Student: Short vowel.

Teacher: Blend the sounds, using the short vowel sound.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

CREATE A BINGO BOARD

ENCODING

Distribute a blank bingo form to each student. Dictate a CVC word and have students write the

word in any space on the form. When all the spaces are ﬁlled in, it can be used to play bingo in a

future activity.

Teacher: Here is a blank bingo board for each of you. I will dictate a word, and you will write

the word in one of the blank boxes. You may put only one word in a box, but you

can choose any box you wish. Some of the words might be nonsense words.

Remember to repeat the word after I say it.

Let’s do the ﬁrst word together. The ﬁrst word is tub. What is the word, everyone?

Students: tub

Teacher: How many sounds in tub?

Students: Three sounds.

38 | Lesson 2 Lesson Plans

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Teacher: Think of the letters for those sounds and write them in one of the blank spaces.

The ﬁrst sound is /t/. I know that t makes the /t/ sound, so I write t. What is the next

sound, Angela?

Angela: /u/

Teacher: What letter?

Angela: u

Teacher: Write u. What is the ﬁnal sound and letter, Gabe?

Gabe: /b/, b.

Teacher: Now, check your work by reading the word.

Students: tub

Teacher: Let’s move on to the next word. We will go a little faster. The word is him. Repeat,

please.

Students: him

Teacher: Think of how many sounds you hear in him and write the letters that make those

sounds. Remember to check your spelling by reading the word you wrote.

Continue dictating words until the bingo sheet is complete. Question students to monitor their

comprehension.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

BINGO

DECODING

Distribute bingo tokens and bingo sheets with words on them. Students may use bingo sheets

they previously completed. Designate one student to be the Caller. As the Caller reads each word,

students look for the word on their sheet. If students ﬁnd a word, they cover it with a token. When

a student has a complete row, column, or diagonal through the center covered with tokens, the

student shouts “bingo” and reads the words used to win. For subsequent games, use diﬀerent

bingo sheets and designate a diﬀerent student as the Caller.

Lesson Plans Lesson 2 | 39

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

CHANGE A LETTER

ENCODING

Dictate a CVC word and have students write the word at the top of a sheet of lined notebook

paper. Then, dictate a second word that is one letter diﬀerent from the previous word and have

students write the second word beneath the ﬁrst. Dictates a third word that diﬀers from the second

word by one letter and have students write it, and so on. Enunciate each word distinctly. Have

students repeat the dictated word before writing it. Give students ample time to write the words.

Teacher: I will dictate a word that you will repeat and write at the top of your paper. Then I

will give you another word that is just one letter diﬀerent from the word before it.

You will repeat and write that word also. We will do the same thing with several

words. Listen carefully. The ﬁrst word is sip. Repeat, please.

Students: sip

Teacher: Correct. Write sip at the top of your paper. Now, change one letter to make the

word sit. Repeat sit.

Students: sit

Teacher: Correct. Write sit.

The next word is ﬁt. Repeat ﬁt.

Students: ﬁt

Teacher: Write ﬁt.

The next word is fat. Repeat fat.

Students: fat

Teacher: Write fat.

The next word is hat. Repeat hat.

Students: hat

Teacher: Write hat.

40 | Lesson 2 Lesson Plans

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Continue dictating new words by changing one letter at a time. Incorporate a variety of vowels

and consonants.

TIP

Vary the position of the letter that changes—for example: hut to rut to rot to lot to let to led to bed.

ADAPTATION

Scaﬀold by having students circle the letter that changed to make each new word.

MONITOR LEARNING

When responding in unison, monitor to ensure that students correctly read CVC and short vowel

sounds. When you hear a mistake during a choral response, address the error to the whole group

by modeling the correct pronunciation and having students respond chorally again. If the error

persists and you are able to identify the student making the mistake, model the correct way to the

individual student.

Check students’ work on Change a Letter and Bingo.

GENERALIZATION

In future lessons, students will learn about other types of syllables and how to read bigger words

that are formed when syllables are put together. Learning about closed syllables and CVC words

helps students to read more words now and provides a foundation for reading more, and bigger,

words later.

Lesson Plans Lesson 2 | 41

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

feddot

digcod

butbam

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

FREE

BINGO

LESSON 2 WORD CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SPINNER INSTRUCTIONS

SPINANDREAD

MATERIALS

• Paper plate

• Brass brad

• Material for spinner pointer (e.g., coﬀ ee can lid, plastic drinking straw)

• Two spacers (e.g., washers, grommets, or eyelets from a hardware store)

• Scissors

PREPARATION

• Divide and label the paper plate with numbers.

• Cut an arrow out of the material for the pointer.

• With scissors, make a small hole in the center of the paper plate.

• Punch a small hole in the arrow.

ASSEMBLY

• Place a washer over the hole in the paper plate.

• Place the pointer over the washer.

• Place another washer over the pointer.

• Line up the holes in the paper plate, washers and pointers.

• Secure everything with the brass brad, pushing the brad through the spinner from top to bottom.

• Open the brad tabs on the underside of the paper plate to hold assembly in place.

• Check whether the pointer spins freely and adjust as necessary.

First of 6 pages

First of 2 pages: 5x5 grid included

42 | Lesson 2 Lesson Plans

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Lesson Plans Lesson 3 | 43

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Consonant Digraphs

Lesson 3

OBJECTIVE

Students will read and spell initial and ﬁnal consonant digraphs in closed-syllable words.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 1 letter cards*

• Lesson 3 letter cards*

• Lesson 3 word cards*

• Sentence reading worksheet*

• Cloze sentences worksheet*

• Pocket chart

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of consonant digraph words.

• A student should master one digraph before progressing to another. Depending on your

students, introduce multiple digraphs during a single lesson.

• Include examples and nonexamples of words containing digraphs.

• Decode and encode, using real words and nonsense words.

44 | Lesson 3 Lesson Plans

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

DAILY REVIEW

VOWELS, CVC WORDS

Review vowel sounds and CVC words. For vowels, students should say the letter name, key word,

and sound. Review blending and segmenting CVC words, and review that each letter makes its

own sound. Ask for individual and group responses, and keep a brisk pace.

Teacher: Let’s start by quickly reviewing vowels. I will point to a letter, and you will tell me

the name of the letter, its key word, and its sound. For example, if I point to e, your

response is, “e, egg, /e/.” Be alert, because I will go quickly! Remember that the cue I

give when it’s time for you to repeat is an open palm, like this.

[Gesture. Then, point to i and gesture.]

Students: i, itch, /i/.

Teacher: Excellent!

[Continue reviewing all short vowel sounds.]

Let’s review blending CVC words. Remember that each letter makes its own sound.

[Write bat on the board. Say the sounds as you slide your ﬁnger under each

letter.]

Teacher: /b/ /a/ /t/, bat.

Complete a quick review of CVC words by having students read word cards.

OPENING

Teacher: In the words we just reviewed, each letter made its own sound. /b/ /a/ /t/—

three letters, three sounds. Today, we will learn about digraphs. A digraph is two

consonants that combine to make one sound. Most of the time, that sound is

diﬀerent from the sound that each letter makes individually.

Digraphs are important to learn because if you did not know that the two letters in

a digraph make one sound, you would be unable to read many new words.

Lesson Plans Lesson 3 | 45

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

INTRODUCE DIGRAPHS

DECODING

Introduce one digraph, such as sh, by reviewing each letter’s sound separately. Teach students

that when these letters appear together, they make one sound. Point out that digraphs can

appear at the beginning or end of a word.

Teacher: We just reviewed that s says /s/ and h says /h/.

[Write s and h next to each other.]

Teacher: When s and h are together in a word, they make a new sound: /sh/. What sound

does sh make?

Students: /sh/

Teacher: We’ll use shop as the key word for /sh/. sh, shop, /sh/. Repeat please.

Students: sh, shop, /sh/.

[Write o and p after sh to form shop. Circle sh.]

Teacher: /sh/ can appear at the beginning of a word, like we just learned with shop.

[Write cash, circling sh.]

Teacher: It can also come at the end of a word, as in cash. What sound does sh make?

Students: /sh/

After teaching the digraph, use letter cards to model blending /sh/ with other sounds to make

words. Point to the letters as you blend the sounds. When counting the number of sounds in

a word, a digraph counts as only one sound. Repeat the sequence with other words, gradually

reducing your modeling to give students greater independence.

[Display sh, o, and p in a pocket chart or on the table, leaving some space

between the letters.]

Teacher: You blend digraphs with other sounds to make words, as we did with CVC words.

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[Point to sh and say /sh/. Point to o and say /o/. Then, slide your ﬁnger under

each sound as you blend them.]

/sh/ /o/; your turn. Blend the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under the letters.

Students: /sh/ /o/

[Model adding the ﬁnal /p/: Slide your ﬁnger under sh and o, stretching out

the sounds until you point to p.]

Teacher: /sh/ /o/ /p/; your turn.

Students: /sh/ /o/ /p/

[Move the cards next to each other. Slide your ﬁnger under the letters.]

Teacher: Shop—the whole word is shop. Now, I will slide my ﬁnger under the letters, and

you will read the word.

Students: shop

Teacher: Although there are four letters, there are just three sounds because s and h make

one sound, /sh/.

[Model counting with your ﬁngers: /sh/, /o/, /p/.]

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually reducing your modeling.

ERROR CORRECTION

If a student makes an error with a digraph sound, guide the student by using questions about the

key word. If necessary, have the student repeat the blending sequence to read the word.

TIPS

• Introduce new digraph sounds after your students master each sound. The following are

suggested key words: th–think, ph–phone, wh–whisper, ck–sock, and ch–cheer.

• th can make two diﬀerent sounds: unvoiced, as in think and Beth, and voiced, as in the and

that. Teach students that the unvoiced /th/ feels like air over the tongue and that making

the voiced /th/ causes the tongue to vibrate.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

SEGMENTING SOUNDS

ENCODING

Have students encode words containing digraphs by using the following sequence:

1. Dictate a word.

2. A student repeats the word (listen for correctness).

3. The student says each sound in the word and counts the sounds in the word.

4. The student says the letters that represent the sounds.

5. The student again says the letters while collecting the corresponding letter cards.

6. The student checks by reading the word.

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually decreasing your modeling.

Teacher: The ﬁrst word is rush. What is the word?

Students: rush

Teacher: Next, I will count the sounds I hear in the word.

[Model the following steps as you complete them.]

/r/ /u/ /sh/. I hear three sounds.

Next, I think about what letters make those sounds. /r/–r, /u/–u, /sh/–sh.

Now, I say the letters while I get the letter cards: r, u, s, h.

Finally, I check the word by reading it: rush.

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually decreasing your modeling.

TIPS

• Tell students that the digraph ck is never at the beginning of a word. /k/ at the beginning

of a word is usually spelled c or, less often, k.

• Tell students that the digraph wh is never the ﬁnal letters of a word.

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• Use blank letter cards (diﬀerent colors for vowels and consonants) as a visual clue to the

structure of words. Have students put the letter cards on top of corresponding blank cards.

ERROR CORRECTION

If a student makes an error, say the word and have the student repeat it, emphasizing enunciation.

Note which sound was incorrect, whether digraph or letter, and use a prompt similar to the

following examples: “What digraph says /wh/?” or “What letter says /l/?”

Adapted from Wilson, B. A. (2002). Wilson reading system: Instructor manual. Oxford, MA: Wilson Language Training.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

WHAT SOUND?

DECODING

Write on the board some digraphs and 10–12 other letters that have been taught. Point to a

digraph or letter and have students say its sound.

Teacher: I will point to a letter or digraph on the board. When I give you the cue, my open

palm, everyone will say its sound.

[Point to ch and gesture.]

Students: /ch/

[Point to wh and gesture.]

Students: /wh/

[Point to sh.]

Teacher: Sasha?

Sasha: /sh/

ERROR CORRECTION

If a student makes an error, dictate the sound, point to the letter again, and have the student say

the sound, such as in the following example script.

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Teacher: ch says /ch/.

[Point to ch.]

Teacher: What sound?

TIPS

• Keep a brisk pace.

• Choose additional consonants and vowels with which students struggle.

• Point to target sounds at least twice for extra practice.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

READ A WORD

DECODING

Gather word cards that contain digraphs and other sounds that the students have learned.

Display one word card at a time. Have students read the word silently and then say the word.

Randomly elicit group and individual responses. Maintain a rapid pace and question students, so

they can demonstrate their knowledge.

Teacher: I will show you one word card at a time. Read the word silently and then, when I

point to the word, everyone say it aloud. Even if you know the word right away,

wait for the cue before you say it. Let’s practice.

[Show ﬁrst card, whip; pause 2–3 seconds; and then point to the word.]

Students: whip

Teacher: Nicely done! Sometimes I might say someone’s name instead of pointing. That

person reads the word aloud, and everyone else reads it silently. Ready?

[Show the next card, rich.]

Kristen?

Kristen: rich

Teacher: Yes. Tony, what is the digraph in rich?

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Tony: ch, /ch/.

Continue showing words. Increase the pace as students gain proﬁciency.

ERROR CORRECTION

Ask questions to guide students to correct their errors, such as in the following example script.

[After a student reads shin as chin, point to the digraph.]

Teacher: What is the key word for sh?

[The student answers.]

Teacher: Read the word again, please.

TIPS

• Include words from previous lessons (e.g., CVC words).

• Include nonsense words to ensure that students grasp the sounds.

ADAPTATION

Use laminated word cards and have students circle the digraph in the word.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

SENTENCE READING

DECODING

Distribute the sentence reading worksheet. Have students read the sentences silently, circling the

digraphs. Then, call on students to read the sentences aloud. One way to structure the read-aloud

is modeled below; other variations are described in the Adaptations section. Weave in questions

to assess understanding and keep students engaged.

Teacher: You each have a worksheet with 15 sentences on it. Please read each sentence

silently. When you see a word with a digraph, circle the digraph. Read each

sentence three times because you will read them aloud later.

Let’s make sure everyone understands what to do. Tony, what is the ﬁrst step?

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Tony: We’re going to read the sentences and circle digraphs.

Teacher: Yes, you will circle digraphs. Will you read silently or aloud, Sasha?

Sasha: We will read silently, and we’re supposed to read each sentence three times.

Teacher: Exactly right. While you are reading, I might ask you to whisper-read, so I can listen.

Please begin, everyone.

[Circulate among students and listen to them read.]

Teacher: OK, now we will read aloud. I will call on someone and say a sentence number to

read. After that person reads, he or she will choose the next person and sentence

number. You don’t have to go in numerical order; you can choose any sentence

number. Stay alert, though, because I will ask questions between people reading.

Kristen, please read sentence 8.

[Kristen reads.]

Teacher: Sasha, what word in Kristen’s sentence had a digraph?

[Sasha responds.]

Kristen: Nick, read sentence 13.

[Nick reads.]

Teacher: Nick, what’s the digraph in that sentence?

[Nick responds.]

Students continue calling on each other and reading sentences. Continue to ask questions.

ADAPTATIONS

• Write sentences on sentence strips.

• Write sentences on a whiteboard or overhead and have students circle the digraphs.

• Have students choose 3–4 sentences to practice and read aloud, using their best prosody.

• Have students read sentences to a partner.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

WHAT SAYS…

ENCODING

Spread letter cards in front of students. Follow the steps below. Focus on digraphs, but also weave

in previously learned sounds.

1. Ask students which letters make a particular sound.

2. Have students repeat the sound (listen for correctness).

3. Have students point to the corresponding letter cards.

Teacher: I will ask you which letters make a certain sound. You will repeat the sound and

point to the letter cards that make the sound. If the sound is a digraph, you will

point to the two letters that make the sound.

What says /ch/?

Students: /ch/

[Students point to c and h.]

Teacher: What says /k/, like you hear at the end of sock?

Students: /k/

[Students point to c and k.]

Teacher: What says /i/?

Students: /i/

[Students point to i.]

Teacher: What says /k/, as in cat?

Students: /k/

[Students point to c.]

Teacher: How about /k/, as in kite?

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Students: /k/

[Students point to k.]

Teacher: /th/?

Students: /th/

[Students point to t and h.]

Continue dictating sounds, making sure to include many digraphs.

ERROR CORRECTION

Tell students who answer incorrectly the letter that makes the sound as you point to the correct

letter cards, as in the following example script.

Teacher: Sh says /sh/.

[Point to s and h.]

Teacher: What says /sh/?

If the error is with a sound that has multiple spellings, say something similar to the following.

[A student points to k when asked for the /k/ in cup.]

Teacher: K can make the /k/ sound, but in cup, it is spelled c.

[Point to c.]

Teacher: What says /k/ in cup?

ADAPTATION

Instead of letter cards, print targeted letters and digraphs on paper.

Adapted from Wilson, B. A. (2002). Wilson reading system: Instructor manual. Oxford, MA: Wilson Language Training.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 5

WORD DICTATION

ENCODING

Dictate digraph and CVC words. Have students write the words on notebook paper. Emphasize

that this activity is spelling practice and that you are there to help students. Monitor student

responses and ask questions that guide students toward correcting errors and demonstrating

knowledge.

Teacher: I will dictate a word. You’ll follow these steps to spell it. First, repeat the word. Next,

say each sound in the word. Last, write the word on your paper. Remember to

check by reading the word you wrote. If a word is diﬃcult to spell, I’ll help you get

to the correct spelling.

The ﬁrst word is hush.

[Gesture with an open palm for students to repeat.]

Students: hush

Teacher: Say each sound in hush.

[Circulate and listen. ]

Good. You each said /h/ /u/ /sh/. Now, write the word.

[Students write hush.]

Teacher: The next word is thick.

[Gesture.]

Students: Thick, /th/ /i/ /k/.

Teacher: Before you write, I will give you a rule to follow that is true most of the time: When

/k/ is at the end of words after a short vowel, spell it with the digraph ck. The word

you’re spelling is thick. In thick, /k/ is at the end after a short vowel, so that should

tell you how /k/ is spelled.

Continue dictating words and providing feedback to students.

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ERROR CORRECTION

If a student mispronounces a word (e.g., says hutch instead of hush), say the word and have the

student repeat the word, enunciating carefully. Note which sound was incorrect (e.g., vowel,

digraph) use a prompt similar to the following example: “What digraph says /wh/?” If a student

misspells a word, use a prompt similar to this example: “The word is Beth. You spelled bath. What

can you change to make it Beth?”

TIPS

• Include CVC words.

• Have students draw a circle around digraphs in words.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

POINT AND READ

DECODING

Arrange 15–20 word cards faceup on the table. Point to a word and call on individual students to

read the word. Use a quick pace. Occasionally include questions to assess understanding.

Teacher: When I point to a word and say your name, read the word aloud. Everyone else,

read silently. I will go quickly. Let’s try it.

[Point to chick.]

Nick?

Nick: chick

[Point to dash.]

Teacher: Sasha?

Sasha: dash

Teacher: Nice job, everyone. Now I will really pick up the speed!

Continue until all the words have been read.

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ADAPTATIONS

• Have students keep the cards they read correctly.

• Have students turn facedown cards that are read correctly.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

WAR OF WORDS READING

DECODING

This activity is similar to traditional War, played with a regular deck of cards. Deal a large stack

(30–40 words) of well-shuﬄed word cards between two players. Both students each play one

card faceup, saying the word on the card. The player with the card whose initial letter comes

ﬁrst alphabetically wins the round, adding both cards to his or her pile (e.g., chat beats dish). A

“war” ensues when both players’ words have the same initial letter (e.g., when and wet). Each

player plays another card faceup. Whoever has the new card whose initial letter comes ﬁrst

alphabetically wins the round and all of the cards played.

Teacher: Please raise your hand if you have ever played the card game War.

[Students raise their hands.]

Teacher: We will play War of Words, which is similar. Each pair gets a stack of word cards, just

like regular War. You split the deck and then each turn over a card. Then, you each

read the word on your card aloud. Whoever has the card whose ﬁrst letter comes

ﬁrst alphabetically wins the round and keeps both of the cards. If the ﬁrst letter

is the same, there is a war, and both players turn over another card. The winning

player takes all of the cards from the round.

Let’s say that Nick and Kristen are partners. Nick reads his word, kick. Kristen reads

her word, shot. Who gets the cards in this round?

Sasha: Nick gets the cards because k is earlier in the alphabet than s.

Teacher: Exactly. What about this: Sasha reads her word, bath, and Tony reads his word,

back. What would happen?

Nick: It’s a war because they both have words that start with the same letter.

Teacher: You’re right. So they each put a new card faceup and read it.

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Kristen: Then they do the alphabetical thing again!

Teacher: Yes, they check the ﬁrst letter of the new faceup cards, and the person who has the

word that comes earlier in the alphabet gets all of the cards from the war.

TIPS

• Students can create their own word cards.

• Be sure students remember to read their word each time a card is placed on the table.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

WAR OF WORDS SPELLING

ENCODING

Have students play war, as in the decoding activity, except instead of turning the cards faceup

and reading them, Student A dictates his or her word to Student B, who writes it. Student B then

dictates his or her word to Student A, who writes it. The student who has the word card that

comes ﬁrst alphabetically wins the round.

Teacher: We will play War of Words again, but this time you won’t just read words; you’ll spell

words, too. Instead of putting your cards faceup, you will read your word to your

partner. For example, Nick and Kristen are partners. Nick reads his word. Kristen

writes the word on notebook paper. Nick checks it against the card and helps

Kristen correct any errors. Then Kristen dictates her word to Nick, and so forth. The

person whose card has a word with an initial letter closer to the beginning of the

alphabet gets to keep the cards.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

CLOZE SENTENCES

DECODING AND ENCODING

Distribute the cloze sentences worksheet. Have students select the correct word to complete the

sentence and write it on the line. Have students take turns reading the completed sentences to a

partner.

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Teacher: I have given each of you a worksheet of ﬁll-in-the-blank sentences. Please read

each sentence silently, select the correct word from the word bank to complete

the sentence, and write it on the blank line. As a challenge, after you identify the

word from the word bank, cover it and write it without looking. Then check your

answer. In 3 minutes, you will read the sentences with a partner.

Have students complete the worksheet. As they ﬁnish, have them take turns reading the

sentences to a partner.

MONITOR LEARNING

Listen carefully for accurate reading of words, including blending and digraphs. Ensure that

students pronounce words correctly. Check written work (sentence-reading worksheet, word

dictation, and cloze activity) to determine whether students can identify digraphs by circling

them.

GENERALIZATION

Explain to the students that texts they will read in other subjects, like science, mathematics, and

social studies, contain many words with digraphs. Point out that /ph/ is a digraph seen most often

in mathematical and scientiﬁc words.

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LETTER CARDS

CONSONANT DIGRAPHS

ch ch ch ch

ck ck ck ck

ph ph ph ph

sh sh sh sh

th th th th

wh wh wh wh

chipchill

chickcheck

chapash

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

CLOZE SENTENCES

Select the correct word from the word bank to complete each

sentence. Write the word on the line. Read the completed

sentence.

WORD BANK

ﬁ sh chop thud whiz thin

lock hush wish pick when

dash rich bath chin which

1. Tim has no cash, so he is not ____________.

2. ____________! Sis is in bed for a nap.

3. Mom will ____________ the shed and then dash to the

shop.

4. ____________ did Chuck hop on the bus?

5. Beth got 10 ____________ in the net!

6. The ____________ was too hot for the tot.

7. I ____________ to be a whiz in math.

8. Rich did not ____________ the log for the shed.

9. ____________ job did Bev get?

10. Max got a bit of chip dip on his ____________.

LESSON 3 WORD CARDS

First of 2 pages:

Worksheet plus answer key

First of 6 pages

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SENTENCE READING

CONSONANT DIGRAPHS

1. Rick got cash from Beth for the bus.

2. The rock is on the path.

3. Rob cut his lip with the dish.

4. Jack had a chip with his dip.

5. The shed is in the back of the lot.

6. When will Pat chat with Mom?

7. This fog is thick!

8. It is bad to rush in math.

9. I wish to pack my red bag.

10. Which log will Ann chop?

11. Do not hit the dog with the whip!

12. Get a tux in that shop.

13. Meg has a red rash on her chin.

14. The sock is in the mesh bag.

15. The ship is not at the dock yet.

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Lesson Plans Lesson 4 | 61

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Consonant Blends

Lesson 4

OBJECTIVES

• Students will read initial and ﬁnal consonant blends in closed-syllable words.

• Students will spell initial and ﬁnal consonant blends in closed-syllable words.

MATERIALS

• Letter cards from previous lessons*

• Lesson 4 word cards*

• Word sort category cards*

• Word grid worksheet*

• Word sort graphic organizer*

• Pocket chart

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for list of beginning and ending consonant blends and consonant-

blend words.

• Enunciate words and listen carefully as students repeat to ensure they articulate the

consonant blend.

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• Discriminate:

• Introduce more than one consonant blend at a time, so students learn to use their

letter-sound knowledge to discriminate among diﬀerent blends.

• Introduce and discriminate between two-letter consonant blends and three-letter

consonant blends.

• Include digraph blends (a digraph that blends with a consonant, as in shrimp and

three), so students can discriminate between a digraph blend and consonant blend.

• Teach students that certain combinations of vowels and blends make unexpected sounds

in closed syllables. For example, the vowel in olt, ild, ind, ost, and old is sometimes long

(colt, wild, ﬁnd, most, cold).

• Decode and encode, using real words and nonsense words.

• Give direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

DIGRAPHS, CONSONANTS

Review by asking students to produce the sounds for speciﬁc consonants and digraphs. Ask for

individual and group responses, and randomize the order in which you point to the letters. Keep a

brisk pace.

Teacher: Let’s start by quickly reviewing some consonants. I will point to a letter, and you

will tell me its sound. Be alert because I will go quickly! Remember that the cue I

give when it’s time for you to repeat is an open palm.

[Point to d and gesture.]

Students: /d/

Teacher: Correct, /d/.

[Point to r and gesture.]

Students: /r/

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Teacher: Yes, /r/.

[Point to s.]

Hector, what sound?

Hector: /s/

[Continue reviewing desired consonant sounds.]

Teacher: Now, we will move on to digraphs. How many letters does a digraph have,

Jennifer?

Jennifer: Two.

Teacher: And how many sounds does a digraph make, Aaliyah?

Aaliyah: One.

Review the digraph sounds /sh/, /th/, /ck/, /ph/, /wh/, and /ch/ by pointing to digraph cards and

asking students to say the sounds.

OPENING

Teacher: Today’s lesson is about consonant blends. You will learn how to read words that

have two or three consonants right next to each other, but unlike digraphs, each

letter keeps its sound. This lesson is important because longer and more diﬃcult

words contain consonant blends, so you will be able to read and spell more words

when you learn this concept.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

BLENDING SOUNDS

DECODING

Using letter cards, have students read the word shop and say the number of letters (four) and

sounds (three). Compare students’ answers to the number of letters and sounds in stop. Explain

again that consonant blends are two or three consonants right next to each other and that each

letter makes its own sound. Point out that blends can appear at the beginning or end of words.

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[Using letter cards, display the word shop in the pocket chart.]

Teacher: Please read this word.

Students: shop

Teacher: Correct, the word is shop. Hector, how many letters in shop?

Hector: S-h-o-p: four letters.

Teacher: And how many sounds in shop, Jennifer?

Jennifer: /sh/ /o/ /p/: There are three sounds because the sh makes the one sound, /sh/.

Teacher: Perfect! Watch as I remove s and h and replace them with s and t. This is a word

you see frequently, so you probably already know it.

Students: stop

Teacher: That’s right. I’ll ask the same question as before. How many letters in stop?

Students: Four.

Teacher: Listen as I count the number of sounds.

[Use your ﬁngers to count.]

Teacher: /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/: There are four sounds because s and t each have their own sound. A

blend is when two consonants next to each other make two sounds, like s and t in

stop. You blend the sounds together, just as you do with CVC words. Watch how I

blend this word.

[Place the letters s, p, i, and n in the pocket chart, leaving space between the

letters. Point to s and say /s/. Point to p and say /p/.

Teacher: /sp/: That’s the blend. Say /sp/.

Students: /sp/

[Point to i and say /i/. Point to n and say /n/.]

Teacher: Your turn. Say the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under each sound.

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Students: /sp/ /i/ /n/

[Slide your ﬁnger under the whole word.]

Teacher: spin

Students: spin

Using this sequence, blend several more words with beginning consonant blends (e.g., ﬂag, skin,

crop, drum).

Teacher: Aaliyah, with your ﬁnger, draw a line under the blend in drum.

[Aaliyah underlines dr.]

That’s right. Does the blend appear before or after the vowel?

Aaliyah: Before.

[Using letter cards, display the word desk and have students blend it.]

Teacher: Where is the blend in desk, Kevin?

Kevin: At the end of the word.

Teacher: Right, it comes after the vowel. You can see that consonant blends can be at the

beginning or the end of a word.

Using letter cards, blend several more four-sound words with beginning or ending consonant

blends (e.g., ﬂag, sent, crop, dump).

ERROR CORRECTION

Through questioning, guide students who make an error with a blend to identify the location and

number of letters in the blend. Remind students that each consonant in a blend makes a sound

(with the exception of digraph blends). Have students repeat the blending sequence to read the

word.

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ADAPTATION

Using the same instructional sequence, extend the lesson to demonstrate closed-syllable words

with additional blends. Include examples from earlier consonant-blend concepts. Make sure that

students master one type of blend before moving on to the next.

• Digraph blends: These blends consist of a digraph and a consonant (e.g., lunch, shred).

Note the diﬀerence between the number of letters and sounds in these words.

• Words with two-letter initial and ﬁnal blends: After mastering words containing four

sounds, introduce closed syllables containing ﬁve sounds, with blends at the beginning

and end of a word (e.g., plant, blend, clump, shrimp).

• Words with three-letter blends: Introduce words containing three-letter blends (e.g.,

splash, scrap, script, tempt).

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

SEGMENTING SOUNDS

ENCODING

Have students use letter cards to encode words containing consonant blends by following this

sequence:

1. Dictate a word.

2. Have a student repeat the word (listen for correctness).

3. Have the student say each sound in the word and count the sounds in the word.

4. Have the student say the letters in the word.

5. Have the student say the letters again as he or she collects the corresponding letter cards.

6. Have the student check by reading the word.

Teacher: I will show you some steps to follow when you spell words. Listen.

The ﬁrst word is ﬂop. What is the word?

Students: ﬂop

Next, I count the sounds I hear in the word.

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[Model counting with your ﬁngers.]

/f/ /l/ /o/ /p/: I hear four sounds.

Next, I think about what letters make those sounds. /f/–f, /l/–l, /o/–o, /p/–p.

I say the letters again while I collect the letter cards: f, l, o, p.

Now, I check the word by reading it: ﬂop.

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually reducing your modeling.

ERROR CORRECTION

When a student makes an error, say the word and have the student repeat it, emphasizing

enunciation. Note which sound was incorrect (vowel, digraph, etc.) and prompt the student

with something similar to the following examples: “What letter says /l/?” or “The word is crisp. You

spelled crist. What do you need to change to make it crisp?”

TIPS

• To introduce two-letter initial and ﬁnal blends, start by having students spell three-sound

words, and then add a consonant for an additional onset or ﬁnal blend (e.g., raft–draft,

slum–slump).

• Use blank letter cards (diﬀerent colors for vowels and consonants) as a visual clue to the

structure of words. Have students put the letter cards on top of corresponding blank cards.

Adapted from Wilson, B. A. (2002). Wilson reading system: Instructor manual. Oxford, MA: Wilson Language Training.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

WORD SORT READING

DECODING

Compile cards for consonant blend words, CVC words, and words with digraphs. Divide the

students into pairs. Provide each pair with word cards and two category cards labeled “blend”

and “no blend.” Have students in each pair take turns reading a word aloud and categorizing it,

according to whether it contains a blend.

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Teacher: Each pair has word cards to sort into categories of blend or no blend. After you

read the word aloud, your team decides which category that word belongs in.

Let’s do some examples on the board.

[Write ﬂat on the board.]

Hector, read this word, please.

Hector: ﬂat

Teacher: Yes, ﬂat. Does ﬂat contain a blend?

Hector: Yes, /ﬂ/.

Teacher: Students, look at the categories. Which do you think ﬂat belongs in?

Aaliyah: It would go in the blend category.

[Write pat on the board.]

Teacher: Jennifer, please read the word and tell us which category.

Jennifer: Pat; it goes in the no blend category.

Have pairs read and sort word cards. It is important that students read the words aloud, so they do

not sort based on visual clues.

ERROR CORRECTION

Note which sound was incorrect (vowel, digraph, etc.) and ask questions to correct it. For example,

if a student read smack as snack, point to the blend and say something similar to the following:

“What letters are in the blend? What sounds are in the blend? Read the word again, please.”

TIPS

• Give diﬀerent pairs diﬀerent sets of words. After a pair has sorted one word set, switch sets

with another pair.

• Circulate among the pairs and weave in questions, so that students can demonstrate their

knowledge. For example, ask: “Where is the digraph in this word?”, “What vowel sound?”, or

“How many sounds in the word?”

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ADAPTATIONS

• Have students subcategorize words with blends into beginning and ending blends, three-

letter blends, etc.

• Have students deﬁne the families into which words can be sorted—for example,

st blends or ing ending blends.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

BUILD A WORD CARDS

ENCODING

Make consonant blend cards with shr, st, cr, pr, sl, thr, spl, cl, sp, tw, lp, nd, mp, and nt. Divide letter

cards into groups: consonant blends, vowels, and consonants. Display the letter cards faceup and

dictate a word. Have students encode the word by picking the cards that spell the word.

[Display the consonant blend cards in one group, and display letter cards for

a, e, i, o, u, d, t, p, n, and m in another group.]

Teacher: I will dictate a word. Repeat the word and then spell it, using the cards I have

displayed. One group of cards is consonant blends, and the other group is vowels

and consonants.

Let’s do the ﬁrst one together. First, you segment, or say the sounds in the word.

Kevin, please say the sounds in prod.

Kevin: /p/ /r/ /o/ /d/: prod.

Teacher: Thanks, Kevin. Next, ask yourself, “What letters make those sounds?” or “Are there

any consonant blends?”

Aaliyah: At the beginning is /pr/.

Teacher: Do you see a card with the letters that say /pr/?

Aaliyah: Yes, it’s right there.

[Aaliyah picks up the pr card.]

Hector: The next sound is /o/, so I need the o card.

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[Hector picks up the o card.]

Teacher: I see that you have spelled /p/ /r/ /o/. What word are we spelling, Jennifer?

Jennifer: Prod, so d goes here at the end.

[Jennifer picks up the d card.]

Teacher: The last step is to check the word by reading it. Everyone read the word.

Students: prod

Teacher: Very nice work! I’ll dictate a word to each one of you now, so listen for your name

and the word. To be sure you heard the word correctly, repeat it back to me.

Kevin, your word is shred.

Kevin: shred

Teacher: Aaliyah, your word is must.

Aaliyah: must

Teacher: Jennifer, crisp.

Jennifer: crisp

Teacher: Hector, clamp.

Hector: clamp

Continue dictating words, asking questions throughout for error correction and demonstration of

knowledge.

ADAPTATIONS

• As students become more proﬁcient, dictate nonsense words as well.

• Have students work in pairs.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

WORD GRID

ENCODING

Dictate words and have students write the words on the word grid worksheet. The worksheet will

be used in a future independent practice activity. Focus on consonant blends and trouble spots,

but also include previously taught concepts. Emphasize that this activity is not a spelling test; it

is spelling practice. Monitor students’ responses and ask questions that guide students toward

correcting errors and demonstrating knowledge.

Teacher: I will dictate a word. You will repeat the word and then segment the sounds. You’ll

then write the letters that match the sounds in one of the numbered boxes.

The ﬁrst word is brush. You should brush your teeth before you go to bed. Brush.

[Gesture for students to repeat.]

Students: brush

Teacher: Now, segment the sounds in brush.

Students: /b/ /r/ /u/ /sh/

Teacher: Think about the letters that match those sounds and write the word on your

worksheet.

Continue dictating words and providing feedback to students.

ERROR CORRECTION

When a student makes an error, say the word and have the student repeat it, emphasizing

enunciation. Note which sound was incorrect (vowel, digraph, etc.) and prompt the student with

something similar to the following examples: “What letter says /p/?” or “The word is crisp. You

spelled crist. What do you need to change to make it crisp?”

TIP

It may take more than one session to completely ﬁll in the word grid worksheet.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

CROSS OUT

DECODING

Have students circle any three words on the completed word grid worksheet that students

created in the guided practice activity. Then, have students take turns reading word cards picked

randomly from a bag. All students try to locate each read word on their worksheet and cross it

out. The ﬁrst student to cross out all three of his or her circled words wins.

Teacher: First, circle any three words on your grid.

[Wait for students to circle their words.]

Next, we will pass around a bag with word cards in it. When the bag gets to you,

pick a card out of the bag and read it to the group. Don’t show anyone the word;

just read it. Then, everyone will look for that word on their grid and cross it out if

they ﬁnd it. Then the bag is passed to the next person, and we do the same thing.

The ﬁrst person who crosses out all three of his or her circled words is the winner.

TIPS

• Include words in the bag that are not on the grid to give students the opportunity to read

more words.

• Include words in the bag from previously taught concepts.

• Check in with students by asking questions to assess their understanding.

ERROR CORRECTION

Note which sound was incorrect (vowel, digraph, etc.) and ask questions to guide the student to

correct it.

Adapted from Archer, A., Flood, J., Lapp, D., & Lungren, L. (2002). Phonics for reading, ﬁrst level (Teachers’ guide). North

Billerica, MA: Curriculum Associates.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

CONCENTRATION MATCHING

DECODING

This activity uses matched pairs of word cards (10–15 pairs of words, 20–30 cards). After

thoroughly shuﬄing the cards, lay them facedown in a grid pattern. Have students take turns

turning over two cards at a time and reading the words aloud. If the cards match, the student

keeps those cards and takes another turn. If not, the student turns the cards facedown and play

continues with the next player. When all the cards have been matched, the student with the most

cards wins.

Teacher: This is a matching activity that requires you to read words and concentrate on

where they are on the table. When it is your turn, turn over any two cards and

read the words aloud. That is a very important part: You must say the words! If the

words match, you keep the cards and take another turn. If they don’t match, turn

the cards back over in the same place on the table. Then, the next person takes a

turn. If it isn’t your turn to read, what do you think you should do?

Kevin: I should probably pay attention, so I remember where the cards are.

Teacher: Great idea, because when it’s your turn, you will have a better chance of matching

words if you remember where the cards are.

ERROR CORRECTION

Note which sound was incorrect and ask questions to guide the student to correct it. Have the

student repeat the blending sequence to read the word.

TIP

Make sure that students read the words aloud, so students do not match words solely by sight.

ADAPTATION

Have students match cards based on a diﬀerent criterion. For example, have students match

words with the same digraph blend, vowel sound, or consonant blend.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

WORD SORT

ENCODING

Have students write dictated blends and words under the appropriate category heading. Begin by

distributing the blank word sort graphic organizer.

WORD SORT GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

Teacher: First I will dictate some blends to you, which you will write on the UFOs. Then I will

dictate words to you. You will repeat the word after me and decide which blend

category it belongs to. Write the word in the space under that blend.

MONITOR LEARNING

Check students’ work on the worksheet. Make sure that students pronounce blends correctly.

GENERALIZATION

Explain to the students that texts they will read in other subjects, like science, mathematics, and

social studies, contain many words with consonant blends.

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WORD SORT

BLEND

NO BLEND

creptcloth

clashbrand

bluntblast

LESSON 4 WORD CARDS

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

WORD SORT GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

blend:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

5. ______

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24

WORD GRID

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Lesson Plans Lesson 5 | 77

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

R-Controlled Syllables

Lesson 5

OBJECTIVES

• Students will identify the sounds for ar, or, er, ir, and ur.

• Students will read words that have vowel-r teams.

• Students will spell words that have r-controlled syllables.

MATERIALS

• Letter cards from previous lessons*

• Lesson 5 letter cards*

• Lesson 5 word cards*

• Word sort category cards*

• Word dominoes*

• Spelling support card (to be laminated)*

• Pocket chart

• Word web worksheets*

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of words with r-controlled syllables.

• Scaﬀold and teach one or two sounds at a time, depending on student proﬁciency.

• Include a variety of words with the diﬀerent r-controlled sounds students are learning.

• Include words with r-controlled vowels and words without r-controlled vowels, so

students can practice discriminating the r-controlled sounds (e.g., chart, chat).

• Decode and encode, using real words and nonsense words.

• Give direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS

Review short vowel sounds.

Teacher: Let’s start by quickly reviewing short vowels. I will point to a letter, and you will

tell me its sound. Be alert because I will go quickly! Remember that the cue I give

when it’s time for you to repeat is an open palm.

[Point to i and gesture.]

Students : /i/

Continue reviewing vowel sounds.

OPENING

Teacher: Today we will learn about a type of syllable that changes the way a vowel sounds.

It’s called an r-controlled syllable because the r controls the vowel sound.

It is important to learn about r-controlled syllables because many words contain

these sounds. Being able to recognize and read r-controlled syllables will allow you

to read many more words. It will also help you in other classes and allow you to

read connected text more easily.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

INTRODUCE RCONTROLLED SYLLABLES

DECODING

Using the ar, or, er, ir, and ur cards, teach students that r controls the vowel sound. In closed

syllables (at least one consonant “closing in” one vowel), if the vowel is followed by r, the vowel

does not make its expected sound. R changes the vowel sound. These syllables are called

r-controlled syllables. R-controlled syllables are blended with other sounds in a word. When

counting the number of sounds in a word, the r-controlled syllable counts as just one sound.

[Display the word cards her, turn, bird, star, and corn.]

Teacher: Look at these words and tell me something they have in common.

Rodolfo: They all have the letter r.

Katie: The r is always the third letter, and it’s after the vowel.

Teacher: Yes, all of the words have r, and the r follows the vowel in each of the words. Here

it is the third letter, but it won’t always be the third letter. Because r follows the

vowel, the vowel does not make its short sound. The r “controls” the vowel sound,

which is why they are called r-controlled syllables.

Let’s start with the letters ar. When you see the letters a and r together in a word,

they usually say /ar/, as in star. What sound does ar usually make?

Students: /ar/

Introduce other r-controlled sounds, as appropriate for your students. Then, begin to demonstrate

how r-controlled sounds work in words.

[Display the letter cards p, ar, and k.]

Teacher: R-controlled sounds blend with other sounds to make words.

[Point to p and say /p/. Point to ar and say /ar/. Slide your ﬁnger under each

letter as you blend the sounds.]

Now, it’s your turn. Blend the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under the letters.

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Students : /p/ /ar/

[Model adding the ﬁnal /k/. Slide your ﬁnger under p and ar, stretching out

the sound until you point to k.]

Teacher: Your turn. Say the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under the letters.

Students : /p/ /arrr/ /k/

[Move the cards next to each other. Slide your ﬁnger under the letters.]

Teacher: Park: The whole word is park. Now, I will slide my ﬁnger under the letters, and you

will read the word.

[Slide your ﬁnger under the letters.]

Students : park

Teacher: Although park has four letters, it has just three sounds because a and r make one

sound, /ar/.

[Model counting with your ﬁngers.]

Teacher: /p/ /ar/ /k/: three sounds.

Repeat the sequence with other words, gradually reducing your modeling.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

VOWELR TEAMS

DECODING

When students have learned all of the r-controlled sounds, teach students to notice whether a

word has a vowel-r team. Teach students to automatically treat a vowel-r team as one sound unit.

Write several words with r-controlled sounds on the board (e.g., marsh, chart, scorn, church, skirt).

Encourage students to see the vowel-r team as a unit, in much the same way digraphs are seen as

a unit. Scaﬀold by having students circle the vowel-r team and then read the word. Remove the

scaﬀold as students gain proﬁciency.

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Teacher: A faster way to read r-controlled syllables is to be on the lookout for vowel-r teams.

When you see one, use that sound when you read the word.

[Circle ar in marsh.]

Teacher: I drew a circle around the vowel-r team because it helps me to remember that the

team makes only one sound: /ar/. /m/ /ar/ /sh/; marsh.

[Point to the next word, chart in this example.]

Teacher: Jasmine, please circle the vowel-r team.

[Jasmine circles ar.]

Teacher: Perfect. What sound?

Jasmine: /ar/

Teacher: Excellent. And the word is?

Jasmine: /ch/ /ar/ /t/: chart.

Teacher: Nicely done. Andre, please do the next word. After you circle the vowel-r team,

blend the word in your head and then say it fast, like a whole word.

[Andre circles or.]

Andre: scorn

Repeat the sequence with other words.

ERROR CORRECTION

If an error is with an r-controlled sound, guide the student to the correct sound with questions

about the key word. Use the sound to read the word.

TIPS

• When introducing ir, er, and ur, teach that these vowel-r teams make the same sound, /er/.

Point out that students have learned other sounds that are spelled in more than one way

(e.g., /k/: c, k, or ck; /f/: f or ph).

• Vowel-r letter cards teach students to see the two letters as a unit that makes one sound.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SEGMENTING SOUNDS

ENCODING

Have students use letter cards to encode dictated words containing r-controlled sounds by

following this sequence:

1. Dictate a word.

2. Have a student repeat the word (listen for correctness).

3. Have the student say each sound in the word and count the sounds in the word.

4. Have the student say the letters that represent the sounds.

5. Have the student say the letters again while collecting the corresponding letter cards.

6. Have the student check by reading the word.

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually reducing your modeling.

Teacher: The ﬁrst word is porch. What is the word?

Students: porch

Teacher: Next, I count the sounds I hear in the word.

[Count with your ﬁngers.]

Teacher: /p/ /or/ /ch/: I hear three sounds.

Next, I think about what letters make those sounds: /p/–p, /or/–or, /ch/–ch.

Then, I say the letters while I collect the letter cards: p-or-ch.

Now, I check the word by reading it: porch.

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually reducing your modeling.

ERROR CORRECTION

If a student makes an error, say the word and have student repeat it, emphasizing enunciation.

Note which sound was incorrect and prompt the student with something similar to the following

example: “What says /ar/?”

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TIPS

• For sounds with multiple spelling options (e.g., /er/ spelled er or ur), tell students that they

cannot know which option is correct just from the sound. Students must practice spelling

the words and memorizing which option goes with which words. Students can check

their answers in a dictionary or spell-checker.

• Students can start a “spelling options” notebook.

Adapted from Wilson, B. A. (2002). Wilson reading system: Instructor manual. Oxford, MA: Wilson Language Training.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

WORD SORT: READING

DECODING

Divide students into pairs. Give each pair a stack of facedown word cards and some “category”

cards (i.e., ar, or, er, ir, and ur). Have students take turns saying a word and categorizing it

according to its r-controlled sound and spelling.

Teacher: Each pair has word cards that you will sort into categories, based on the word’s

r-controlled sound and spelling. The categories are on the category cards you

received. They are ar–/ar/, or–/or/, er–/er/, ir–/er/, and ur–/er/.

Andre and Rodolfo, you will be partners, so I’ll use you as examples as I explain the

steps. Andre, pick up the top card and read it aloud without showing it to Rodolfo.

Andre: slurp

Teacher: Rodolfo, repeat the word and say the r-controlled sound.

Rodolfo: slurp, /er/.

Teacher: Now identify the correct spelling pattern and which category it belongs to.

Rodolfo: The ir–/er/ family?

Teacher: If you’re right, you can put that word card under the correct category pile. Andre, is

he right?

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Andre: No. It’s ur.

Teacher: So, because he was wrong, Rodolfo does a say-spell-say: Say the word, spell the

word, and then say it again. Rodolfo, what will you do?

Rodolfo: I say the word, spell the word, and then say it again: slurp, s-l-u-r-p, slurp.

Teacher: That’s right. And that card goes to the bottom of Andre’s pile, so Rodolfo will get

another chance to try it. Everyone, please begin. I will come around to help you.

Have pairs continue reading and sorting words. It is important that students read the words aloud,

so they do not sort based solely on visual clues.

ERROR CORRECTION

• For a decoding error, note which sound was incorrect and ask questions to guide the

student to correct it. For example, if a student pronounces harp as hard, say something

similar to the following: “What is the last letter in the word? What sound does it make?

Read the word again, please.”

• For a sorting error, say the word again, emphasizing its r-controlled sound, such as in the

following example: “Thorns: What r-controlled sound do you hear? Which category has

/or/?”

• For a spelling option error, say something similar to the following example: “Yes, ir does

makes the /er/ sound, but in hurt, it is spelled ur. What letters say /er/ in hurt?”

TIP

Give diﬀerent pairs diﬀerent sets of words. After a pair has sorted one word set, switch sets with

another pair.

ADAPTATION

After sorting words, have students say the words in each category, use them in a sentence, or say

their meaning.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

READ MY MIND

DECODING

Arrange 15–20 word cards faceup in a grid pattern. Choose a word (without telling students) as “it,”

and have students try to “read your mind” by guessing which word you have chosen. If a student

succeeds, he or she keeps the card, and you choose another word. When a student unsuccessfully

guesses, turn the card he or she guessed facedown and have the next student take a turn.

Teacher: I have chosen one of these cards as “it,” but I’m not going to tell you which one. You

must read my mind. When it is your turn, say the word you think I chose and point

to the card with that word on it. If you guess correctly, you get to keep the card. If

not, the next person has a turn. You must be ready to say your word when it is your

turn, so read the words silently before it’s your turn.

TIPS

• Include words from previous lessons (e.g., CVC words).

• Make sure that students read the words and point to the correct word cards.

• Students must be ready to say their word when it’s their turn or the pacing will be too

slow. If necessary, establish a time limit of a few seconds.

• As students win cards, reﬁll the holes in the word grid with new cards.

• To narrow students’ choices, tell them the row or column in which the word appears.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

WHAT SAYS…

ENCODING

Spread letter cards in front of students. Follow the steps below. Focus on r-controlled sounds, but

include previously introduced sounds as well.

1. Dictate a sound.

2. Have a student repeat the sound (listen for correctness).

3. Have the student point to the corresponding letter card.

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Teacher: I will ask you what letter or letters make a certain sound. You will repeat the sound

and point to the letter card that says the sound.

Let’s begin. What says /a/?

Students: /a/

[Students point to a.]

Teacher: What says /or/?

Students: /or/

[Students point to or.]

Teacher: Nice job. What says /er/, as in turn?

Students: /er/

[Students point to ur.]

Teacher: /er/, as in her?

Students: /er/

[Students point to er.]

Teacher: How about /er/, as in bird?

Students: /er/

[Students point to ir.]

Continue dictating sounds, giving students multiple opportunities with r-controlled sounds.

ERROR CORRECTION

If an error is with a sound that has multiple spelling options, such as /er/, say something similar to

the following example: “Yes, ir does makes the /er/ sound, but in hurt, it is spelled ur. What says

/er/ in hurt?” If an error does not involve a sound with multiple spelling options, tell the student

the letter that makes the sound, such as in the following example: “Or says /or/. What says /or/?”

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TIPS

• An alternative method for introducing a sound with multiple spelling options is telling

students something similar to the following example: “There are three ways to spell /er/.

What is one way to spell /er/? What is another way? What is the third way?”

• Include only the r-controlled sounds that students have learned.

Adapted from Wilson, B. A. (2002). Wilson reading system: Instructor manual. Oxford, MA: Wilson Language Training.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

SUPPORTED SPELLING

ENCODING

Give each student a laminated spelling support card with vowel-r teams on it. Dictate a word.

Have students spell the word by writing its initial and ﬁnal letters with a dry-erase marker on

either side of the correct vowel-r team.

ar

or

er

ir

ur

SPELLING SUPPORT

Teacher: Each of you has a spelling support card with the vowel-r teams on it. I will dictate a

word. You will repeat the word and ﬁgure out which vowel-r team is used to spell

it. Then, you will write the word on the card. Because the vowel-r is already on the

card, you will add only the beginning and end of the word. Then, you will read

the word to yourself to double-check your answer. Because the card can be easily

erased, you can change your answer if you need to. When your answer is ready,

hold it up and show me.

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I will show you an example, and then we’ll work through one together.

The ﬁrst word is thorn. The r-controlled sound I hear is /or/, so I write on the or line.

/th/ is the ﬁrst sound, so I write it at the beginning. The next sound is /or/, which is

already on the card. The last sound is /n/, so I write it at the end.

ar

or

er

ir

ur

SPELLING SUPPORT

Vocabulary and Comprehension: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Teacher: I read the word to check myself. Th-or-n, thorn. Now, let’s do a word together. The

word is harsh.

Students: harsh

Teacher: Katie, what r-controlled sound do you hear in harsh?

Katie: I hear /ar/.

Teacher: That’s right. Everyone, to point to the vowel-r team that says /ar/ on your card.

[Students point to ar.]

Teacher: What is the ﬁrst sound in harsh, Andre?

Andre: /h/

Teacher: Correct, so write the letter that says /h/ at the beginning of the word.

[Students write h before ar.]

ar

or

er

SPELLING SUPPORT

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Teacher: Andre, what is the next sound in harsh?

Andre: /ar/, but we don’t write that because it’s already there.

Teacher: Good. Katie, what is the last sound in harsh?

Katie: /sh/

Teacher: Write the letters that say /sh/ at the end of the word.

[Students write sh.]

ar

or

er

SPELLING SUPPORT

Check your work by reading the word. When you are ﬁnished, hold it up for me.

Once complete, have students erase their marks on the card and prepare for the next dictated

word. Continue dictating words and providing feedback to students.

ERROR CORRECTION

If a student makes an error, say the word and have the student repeat it, emphasizing enunciation.

Notice the location of the error and use questioning to guide the student to the correct spelling,

such as in the following example: “The word is thorn. Do you hear a digraph?” For an error with

a sound with multiple spelling options, such as /er/, say something similar to the following

example: “Yes, ir does makes the /er/ sound, but in hurt, it is spelled ur. Please make the correction

on your card.”

Adapted from Florida Center for Reading Research. (2007). 2-3 student center activities: Phonics. Retrieved from http://

www.fcrr.org/scasearch/PDFs/2-3P_017.pdf

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

WORD DOMINOES

DECODING

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1. Deal each student six “dominoes,” each with two words on it. Place a starter domino faceup

on the table and the remaining dominoes facedown in a pile.

worn

turn

2. The ﬁrst player says the words on the starter domino and checks his or her dominoes for a

word with the same r-controlled sound.

3. If the student has a domino with the same r-controlled sound, he or she connects it to the

domino on the table and says the connecting words.

4. If the student does not have any words that connect, he or she takes one from the pile. It

is then the next student’s turn.

5. Continue until a player uses all of his or her dominoes.

Teacher: Let’s play Word Dominoes, which is similar to regular dominoes. A domino is a

card with two words on it. I’ll deal six dominoes to each of you, and I’ll put the

starter domino on the table. When it is your turn, take a domino from your hand

with the same r-controlled sound as a domino on the table. You say both words

as you connect the dominoes. That is the only way to earn points: You must say

the words. If you don’t have a match, draw a domino from the pile. Then, the

next person has a turn. We’ll talk ourselves through this ﬁrst domino to make sure

everyone understands how the game works, and then you can play on your own.

[Distribute the dominoes and place the starter domino on the table.]

Teacher: Rodolfo, read the words on the starter domino, please.

Rodolfo: Turn and worn.

Teacher: Think about the r-controlled sound in those words. Each of you read the words on

your dominoes to see whether any of them match the r-controlled sound. What

r-controlled sound is in turn, and how is it spelled, Andre?

Andre: /er/, and it’s spelled u-r.

Teacher: That’s right. We know that /er/ can be spelled other ways, too. Remember that you

are matching the sound, not the way it’s spelled.

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Katie, what is the r-controlled sound in the other word?

Katie: /or/

Teacher: Andre, because it’s your turn to play a domino, do you have a domino with a

matching r-controlled sound?

Andre: I think so. I have a domino that has girl and part. Girl has the same sound as turn,

so I can connect them

[Andre connects the dominoes.]

part

girl

worn

turn

Teacher: Nice job. Remember to say the words as you connect them.

Andre: Girl, part.

Continue the game until one student depletes his or her stock of dominoes.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

WORD WEBS

ENCODING

Have students complete a word web for a speciﬁc r-controlled sound. First, write an r-controlled

sound in the middle bubble. Then, have students complete the web by writing a word in each

of the ﬁve smaller bubbles that include that sound. When the webs are complete, have students

read the words to a partner.

Teacher: Let’s complete a word web for r-controlled sounds. The middle bubble shows your

r-controlled sound. The smaller bubbles around the page are blank. Write a word in

each small bubble that contains your r-controlled sound. For example, my sound is

/ar/. Marsh has /ar/, so I write marsh in one of the small bubbles.

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Now, it is your turn. Look at the r-controlled sound on your word web sheet. Think

of ﬁve words with that sound and write the words in the smaller bubbles. When

you are done, read the words to your partner.

ADAPTATION

After students read their words to a partner, have students exchange word webs and read another

student’s words.

MONITOR LEARNING

Listen carefully for accurate reading of r-controlled sounds while also checking on previously

taught sounds and concepts. Check written work to gauge students’ understanding of vowel-r

teams as representations of speciﬁc r-controlled sounds.

GENERALIZATION

Remind students of the prevalence of r-controlled syllables in language. Tell students to look for

words with vowel-r teams while reading in their classes. Tell student that understanding how the r

controls the vowel sound makes reading those words easier.

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LETTER CARDS

RCONTROLLED VOWELS

ar ar ar ar

er er er er

ir ir ir ir

or or or or

ur ur ur ur

charmcart

burnbirth

barn ark

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

ar

WORD SORT

RCONTROLLED SYLLABLE CATEGORY CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

ar

or

er

ir

ur

SPELLING SUPPORT

Vocabulary and Comprehension: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

ar

or

er

ir

ur

SPELLING SUPPORT

LESSON 5 WORD CARDS

First of 3 pages:

All vowel-r combinations included

First of 6 pages

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WORD DOMINOES

shirt

bar

sport

start

hard

ﬁ rm

scorch

form

term

third

corn

shark

girl

start

port

thorn

perch

burnt

clerk

squirt

turf

torch

arm

verb

worn

turn

smirk

spark

thirst

whirl

stir

fort

farm

sir

yarn

term

burn

spur

birch

stork

church

snort

irk

bird

harsh

smart

art

card

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

WORD WEBS

First of 3 pages:

Blank dominoes included

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Vowel-Consonant-e

Syllables

Lesson 6

OBJECTIVES

• Students will read and spell words with vowel-consonant-e (VCe) syllables.

• Students will discriminate between VCe syllables and closed syllables.

MATERIALS

• Letter cards from previous lessons (one set each for teacher and students)*

• Lesson 6 word cards*

• Word sort category cards*

• Dice

• Roll and Read game board*

• Round robin spelling worksheet*

• Picture ID worksheet*

• VCe ID worksheet*

• Pentagon spelling worksheet*

• Pocket chart (optional)

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for list of VCe words.

• The VCe pattern is familiar to many students. It is essential, therefore, to include closed,

CVC syllables to ensure that students can discriminate between the two syllable types.

• Give direct feedback on student performance.

DAILY REVIEW

CLOSED SYLLABLES; SHORT AND LONG VOWEL SOUNDS

Write ret, cranch, trug, and slith on the board. Review how to read closed syllables by blending

sounds. Review that vowel sounds are short in closed syllables. Review and practice the short and

long sounds of all the vowels.

Teacher: Let’s read each of these nonsense words as I point to it.

[Point to the words.]

Students: Ret, cranch, trug, slith.

Teacher: Nicely done. Those are nonsense words, but you could read them anyway. How did

you know how to do that?

Christopher: You know the sounds the letters make and you blend them. Like slith is just /s/ /l/

/i/ /th/.

Teacher: How did you know the vowel would be short?

Christopher: Because it’s a closed syllable and vowels are short in closed syllables.

Teacher: What else do we know about closed syllables, Marcus?

Marcus: They have just one vowel, and the vowel is closed in with a consonant.

Teacher: Yes, and you can remember it this way, too: A consonant closes in the vowel, so it

can take only a short walk before it bumps into the consonant. The vowel takes a

short walk and says its short sound.

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We know that vowels have a long sound, too. We’ll review all the vowel sounds

today. What are the diﬀerent vowels in the alphabet?

[Students answer.]

Teacher: That’s correct: A, e, i, o, and u are the ﬁve vowels.

[Write the vowels on the board.]

Teacher: We know that the long sound of a vowel is simply its name. For example, the long

sound of e is /ē/.

I’ll point to a vowel and say “long sound” or “short sound,” and you will tell me the

answer.

[Point to e.]

Teacher: Short sound?

[Pause for 1–3 seconds before gesturing for students to answer.]

Students: /e/

That’s right. The sound is /e/, as in egg.

[Point to i.]

Long sound?

Students: /ē/

Continue until all short and long vowel sounds are reviewed.

OPENING

Teacher: Today I will introduce you to a new syllable, in which the vowel sound is long. We

will learn how to read words with long vowels. I’ll also teach you a strategy for

ﬁguring out whether a vowel is long or short.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

VCE CONCEPT VOWEL IS LONG

DECODING

Show students how adding e to a CVC word makes the vowel long. Use word pairs to

demonstrate this concept (e.g., mad–made, tap–tape, tub–tube, rid–ride, pet–Pete). Using letter

cards, display mad and have students read it. Tell students mad is a closed syllable and, therefore,

the vowel is short. Have students count the number of sounds. Add the e letter card, making

made. Read the word and count the sounds in made. Tell students that although the number of

sounds has not changed, the vowel sound changed from /a/ to /ā /. Adding e caused the vowel

sound to change from short to long.

Teacher: Dae, please read this word and tell me how many sounds it has.

Dae: Mad, /m/ /a/ /d/: It has three sounds.

Teacher: What sound does the vowel make?

Dae: /a/

Teacher: Perfect.

[Add e to the end of the word.]

Teacher: This is a word you have seen many times, made.

[Count with your ﬁngers.]

Teacher: /m/ /ā/ /d/: It also has three sounds, but the vowel sound is long, /ā/. The vowel

sound is long because of the e at the end. The e doesn’t make its own sound,

though. It is only there to tell us that the previous vowel is long. Made is an

example of a new type of syllable: vowel-consonant-e, or VCe. In a VCe syllable,

there is a vowel...

[Point to the a in made.]

Teacher: ...a consonant...

[Point to the d.]

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Teacher: ...and an e at the end.

[Point to the e.]

Teacher: Here is another example:

[Write dim.]

Teacher: What word?

Students: dim

Teacher: I can make it a VCe word by adding e to the end. The e makes the vowel long. So,

what sound will i make?

Students: /ī/

Teacher: So the word is…

Students: dime

Teacher: Great! Let’s read more words.

Continue with the other words. Ask questions to check students’ understanding, such as the

following:

• What does the e do to the vowel sound in a VCe syllable? (It makes the vowel sound long.)

• What sound does the e make in a VCe syllable? (The e is silent.)

TIP

See the Appendix for more closed-syllable and VCe words.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

VCE STRATEGY IDENTIFY AND READ

DECODING

Teach students how to identify and read VCe syllables by following this sequence:

1. Determine whether the syllable ends in the VCe pattern.

2. Determine whether the vowel sound is short or long.

3. Read the word, using the appropriate vowel sound.

Teacher: Let’s read some more words. It’s important for you to recognize diﬀerent types of

syllables. Some of the syllables you will read will be VCe, and some will be closed.

Here is a three-step strategy to determine whether a syllable is VCe.

[Using letter cards or writing on the board, display prime.]

Teacher: Step 1: Ask yourself whether the syllable ends in the VCe pattern. I see a vowel...

[Point to the i in prime.]

Teacher: ...a consonant...

[Point to the m and then the e.]

Teacher: ...and an e at the end of the syllable. Yes, this syllable ends in the VCe pattern.

Step 2: Determine the vowel sound. We just learned that vowels in VCe syllables

are long, so this vowel’s sound is /ī/.

Step 3: Read the word, using the vowel sound. I will blend the sounds: /p/ /r/ /ī/

/m/: prime. That worked. Let’s try another one.

[Display the word mop.]

Teacher: Let’s follow the three steps with this word. Step 1: Does the syllable end in the VCe

pattern? I see a vowel...

[Point to the o.]

Teacher: ...and a consonant...

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[Point to the p.]

Teacher: ...but there is no e. This syllable does not end in VCe. It is a closed syllable.

Step 2: What is the vowel sound? We have learned that vowels in closed syllables

are short, so this vowel’s sound is /o/.

Step 3: Blend the sounds and read the word: /m/ /o/ /p/: mop.

[Display slope.]

Teacher: Let’s read some more words and practice this strategy. Tariq, does this word end in

the VCe pattern?

Tariq: There’s the o, the p, and then e at the end, so yes, it’s a VCe syllable.

Teacher: Excellent job. What does that tell us about the vowel sound, Maribel?

Maribel: The vowel will be long. It will say /ō/.

Teacher: Dae, because we know it is a VCe syllable and the vowel is long, blend the sounds.

Dae: /s/ /l/ /ō/ /p/: slope.

Teacher: Good. Let’s look at the next word and use the strategy to help us read it.

[Display drench.]

Teacher: Christopher, does this word end in the VCe pattern?

Christopher: Well, it has an e in the middle, but not at the end, so I don’t think it’s a VCe word.

Teacher: Good, Christopher, that was a bit tricky. Even though there is an e in the word, it’s

not at the end, as part of the VCe pattern. That tells us it is not a VCe syllable. In fact,

it’s a closed syllable, so what is the vowel sound?

Students: /e/

Teacher: Correct. What is the word?

Students: drench

Continue using the strategy to read closed-syllable and VCe words. Gradually reduce modeling.

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ERROR CORRECTION

Redirect students who make an error to the strategy by asking whether there is an e at the end of

the word. Ask students what the presence (or absence) of e says about the vowel sound. Have the

students read the word again.

TIPS

• To illustrate that in VCe syllables, the initial vowel and consonant can change, but the e is

constant, use blank letter cards as placeholders for the initial vowel and consonant and

an e letter card as you spell words. Put actual vowel and consonant cards on the blanks to

reinforce the concept of this syllable type.

e

a

o o

e

c

d

q

r

• Words with a vowel-re pattern at the end are considered to be VCe syllables, rather than

r-controlled syllables. Tell students that the e is stronger than the r, so the e jumps over the

r to make the vowel long—for example: star–stare, car–care, ﬁr–ﬁre.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

VCE SPELLING STRATEGY

ENCODING

Teach the following strategy to spell VCe words:

1. Listen to the word and repeat it orally or silently.

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2. Segment the sounds in the word.

3. Determine whether the vowel is long or short.

4. If the vowel is long, spell the word, using the VCe pattern.

5. Check the spelling by reading the word.

Teacher: I will show you some steps to follow when you spell words.

The ﬁrst word is fame. What is the word?

Students: fame

Teacher: Next, I segment the sounds in the word: /f/ /ā/ /m/.

Then, I determine whether the vowel is long or short. I hear a long vowel, /ā/.

Because the vowel is long, I spell it with the VCe pattern:

[Write fame as you work out the spelling.]

/f/–f, /ā/–a, /m/–m, and then I add the silent e to make the a long.

Now, I check the word by reading it: fame.

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually decreasing your modeling. Dictate VCe and

closed-syllable words in random order, so that students learn to listen for the long or short vowel

sound.

ERROR CORRECTION

• If a student does not put e at the end of a VCe syllable (in this example, spelling fam

instead of fame), say something similar to the following: “You spelled fam. The word is

fame. What do you need to do to make the vowel sound /ā/?”

• If a student incorrectly adds an e to the end of a word (in this example, spelling drume

instead of drum), ask questions to guide the student to the correct spelling, such as the

following: “The word is drum. What vowel sound do you hear in drum?” or, “You spelled it

drume with a long u. What should you change to make the /u/ sound?”

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

WORD SORT

DECODING

Compile a variety of word cards consisting of known syllable types (VCe, closed, r-controlled) and

category cards for each syllable type. Have students read the words and sort them into categories,

based on the syllable type.

Teacher: I have a stack of word cards that you will sort into categories. The categories cards

are VCe syllable words, r-controlled syllable words, and closed-syllable words.

[Show the word card for cape.]

Teacher: Read the word silently ﬁrst. Wait for my cue to say the word.

[Gesture with an open palm.]

Students: cape

Teacher: What category does that word belong in? Be sure to tell me why it goes there, too.

Maribel: Put it with VCe. There’s the a, the p, and then e at the end. The e makes the other

vowel long.

Teacher: That’s correct, Maribel.

[Show star.]

Teacher: Read silently and wait for my cue.

[Gesture.]

[Some students say stare; others say star.]

Teacher: Some of you think the word is stare, and some of you think it’s star. First, check

whether it follows the VCe pattern.

Dae: No. It has a, then r, but it doesn’t have e at the end. It’s not VCe.

Tariq: It has a vowel and then r.

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Dae: Yeah, and that says /ar/. So the word is star.

Teacher: Yes, it’s star. Everyone repeat: star.

Students: star

Teacher: Which category?

Christopher: It’s r-controlled because ar is like a team that makes one sound, /ar/.

Teacher: Nicely done.

[Show prom.]

Students: prom

Teacher: Good reading. Which word family?

Tariq: There is just one vowel and it’s closed in. It’s a closed syllable.

Have students continue reading words and sorting them into categories.

TIP

Scaﬀold by using word cards that are marked to emphasize the syllable type. For example, the

vowel-r in a word could be printed in a diﬀerent color than the other letters.

ADAPTATION

After words have been sorted, have students read words in each category.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

ROLL AND READ BOARD GAME

DECODING

Use this board game as a framework for students to read words. Have students roll a die to

determine the number of words to read and the number of spaces to move. To keep students

engaged, even when it is not their turn, weave in questions directed at all students. Include words

from previous lessons and nonsense words.

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Teacher: Let’s play a board game. You roll the die to determine how many words to read. For

each word that you read correctly, move one space on the board.

Tariq, please roll ﬁrst.

[Tariq rolls a four, draws four word cards from the pile, and reads the

following.]

Tariq: north, strike, swell, frope.

Teacher: Good reading. Christopher, look at this word Tariq read.

[Point to strike.]

Is that a closed syllable or VCe syllable? Be sure to tell me how you decided.

Christopher: It’s a VCe word because of the i and the k and the e at the end.

Teacher: Thank you for explaining that to everyone. Who can tell me the long vowel in

Tariq’s nonsense word? Dae?

[Dae points to o.]

Teacher: Yes, but I also want you to tell me the sound it makes in that word.

Dae: /ō/

Teacher: Tariq, you read four words correctly, so move four spaces.

Play continues around the table until a player reaches the end.

TIPS

Because rolling a high number (ﬁve or six) might slow the pace for others, consider these

adaptations:

• Students who roll a ﬁve or six pick another student to read two of the words.

• Instead of one pile of cards from which to draw, have six piles, labeled one to six. Have

students take one or two cards from the pile that corresponds to the number on the die.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

ROUND ROBIN SPELLING

ENCODING

1. Prepare a worksheet with two column headings: VCe Syllable and Closed Syllable.

2. Dictate a word.

3. Have students write the word in the appropriate column.

4. Students spell the word aloud chorally.

5. Ask whether the word has a VCe or closed syllable.

6. Have students pass their papers to the person to their left. At this point, each student has a

diﬀerent classmate’s worksheet.

7. Repeat steps 2 though 6 until the worksheets return to their original owners.

Teacher: Let’s do some round robin spelling. I will say a word. Your job is to decide whether

the word has a VCe or closed syllable. If it’s VCe, write it in the VCe column. If it’s

closed syllable, write it in the Closed Syllable column. I’ll walk around to help you.

When everyone has written the word, we all spell it aloud at the same time. Then,

you’ll give your paper to the person to your left, and we will do it all over again

with a diﬀerent word.

Before we begin, let’s quickly review vowel sounds in VCe and closed syllables. Are

vowel sounds in VCe words long or short?

Students: Long.

Teacher: Correct. A long vowel tells you to spell it following the VCe pattern. What if the

word is hand. Is that a long or short a?

Students: Short.

Teacher: When the vowel is short, it is a closed syllable. In which column would I write

hand?

Students: In the Closed Syllable column.

Teacher: Where would I write take?

Students: In the VCe column.

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Teacher: Let’s begin by working together. The ﬁrst word is prize. Before you write it, decide

whether it is a VCe or closed-syllable word. What vowel sound is in prize, Maribel?

Maribel: long i: /ī/.

Teacher: That is correct. Because it has a long vowel, which column does it belong in?

Maribel: It’s a VCe word.

Teacher: Right, it follows the VCe spelling pattern. Please write prize in the VCe column.

[Circulate to monitor students’ work.]

Teacher: Now that everyone has written it, let’s all spell prize aloud.

Students: p-r-i-z-e

Teacher: Remind me of how to tell whether prize is a VCe syllable.

Christopher: Because the vowel is long.

Teacher: Excellent. Now, everyone pass your paper to the person to your left.

[Students pass their worksheets.]

Teacher: Here is the next word: grab. What is the vowel sound in grab?

Dae: /a/

Teacher: Right. Use that vowel sound to help you decide whether it is a VCe word or a

closed-syllable word. Write the word in the appropriate column.

[Circulate to monitor students’ work.]

Teacher: Now that everyone has written it, let’s all spell grab aloud.

Students: g-r -a-b

Teacher: Dae, tell the group which column you chose for grab and why it belongs there.

Dae: The vowel makes the short sound. That means it’s not VCe. It is a closed syllable.

Continue to dictate words for students.

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TIPS

• Provide heavy modeling initially to teach students how to use the vowel sound to

determine whether a syllable is VCe or closed.

• If a student ﬁnishes writing his or her word correctly before the other students, quietly

dictate another word to that student to keep all students engaged.

ADAPTATION

• Include r-controlled syllables by a adding a third column on the worksheet.

• When all worksheets are back to their original owners, ask diﬀerent students to read the

words in a particular column or ask diﬀerent students to read one word from each column.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

PICTURE ID

DECODING

Distribute the picture ID worksheets.

Teacher: The picture ID sheet has pictures with some words under each picture. Read the

words and circle the one that matches the picture.

What is the picture for number 1?

Students: It’s a mop.

Teacher: Read the words under it and circle the word that corresponds to the picture.

Students: Mope, mast, mop, smoke.

[Students circle mop.]

Teacher: On your own, continue with the other pictures and words.

TIP

Circulate to check whether students read all of the words under each picture, instead of stopping

after they have circled one of the words.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

VCE ID

DECODING

Distribute the VCe ID worksheet, which lists 30 words. Have students circle the VCe words and put

a macron over the long vowel. Then, have students read as many words as possible in 30 seconds.

Teacher: I have given each of you a sheet with lots of words on it. They are all words that

you have learned how to read. Some are words with VCe syllables, some have

closed syllables, and some have r-controlled syllables. First, circle the VCe words

and mark the long vowel. Then, I will set the timer for 30 seconds. When I say,

“Begin,” you will read the words as quickly and accurately as you can. Read the

words from left to right, just like in a book. When I say, “Stop,” draw a line under the

last word you read and count how many words you read. I will be moving around

to listen to each of you, so read in a whisper voice.

TIPS

• Distribute the diﬀerent versions of the sheet, so that even though the words are the same

for each student, they are ordered diﬀerently.

• Have students use their ﬁnger to keep track of where they are. This also makes it easier for

you to follow along.

• Students can read the same VCe ID worksheet up to three times per lesson. Have students

mark their total words in a diﬀerent color or in a diﬀerent place each time they read the

same sheet.

• Listen to each student read to monitor accuracy and proﬁciency.

ADAPTATION

Have students do this activity as a repeated reading game with partners (see Short Vowels,

Independent Practice Activity 1).

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

PENTAGON SPELLING

ENCODING

Distribute a Pentagon Spelling worksheet. Each side of the pentagon is associated with a vowel.

Dictates VCe and closed-syllable words. Have students write each word on the side of the

pentagon that corresponds to the vowel.

a

e

i

o

u

______________

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

CHANGE A LETTER

ENCODING

Dictate a word and have students write it at the top of a blank sheet of paper. Then, dictate a

second word that is one letter diﬀerent from the previous word. Have students write the second

word beneath the ﬁrst, and so on. Enunciate each word distinctly and have the students repeat it

before writing.

Teacher: I will dictate a word, which you will repeat and write at the top of your paper. Then,

I will give you another word that is just one letter diﬀerent from the word before it.

Some of these words will be nonsense words, so listen carefully.

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The ﬁrst word is plan. Repeat, please.

Students: plan

[Students write the word.]

Teacher: Now, change one letter to make the word plane.

[Students repeat and write the word.]

The next word is lane.

[Students repeat and write the word.]

The next word is line.

[Students repeat and write the word.]

The next word is pine.

[Students repeat and write the word.]

The next word is pin.

[Students repeat and write the word.]

Continue dictating new words by changing one letter at a time. Incorporate varying syllable

types, vowels, and consonants—for example, pin, pen, pet, Pete, pate, pat, vat, vate, vake, fake,

ﬂake, lake, lack.

TIP

Prepare your word sequence in advance and use it as answer sheet to monitor students’ work.

MONITOR LEARNING

Check students’ work on the picture ID, VCe ID, and pentagon spelling worksheets. Ensure that

students can discriminate between VCe and closed-syllable words in reading and spelling.

Students must associate long and short vowels with their respective syllable types.

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GENERALIZATION

Words following the VCe pattern are usually familiar to upper-elementary students, but students

with reading diﬃculties may not understand the silent-e rule to help them read or spell the words

accurately and consistently. Many longer words are made of VCe syllables combined with other

syllables. Learning the VCe pattern increases the number of words students can read in school

and at home.

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chosechase

carebrave

blazeblade

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

VCe syllable

WORD SORT

SYLLABLE TYPE CATEGORY CARDS

First of 6 pages First of 3 pages:

All reviewed syllable types included

LESSON 6 WORD CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

ROLL AND READ GAME

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

1. _________________

2. _________________

3. _________________

4. _________________

5. _________________

6. _________________

7. _________________

8. _________________

9. _________________

10. _________________

ROUND ROBIN SPELLING

VCe syllable

1. _________________

2. _________________

3. _________________

4. _________________

5. _________________

6. _________________

7. _________________

8. _________________

9. _________________

10. _________________

closed syllable

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PENTAGON SPELLING

a

e

i

o

u

______________

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

win

bane

ban

van

tiny

twin

wine

twine

 

glam

globe

glom

gal

dive

dime

dim

mid

 

cup

cub

chum

cube

shame

spin

spine

same

 

plane

plan

cape

cap

mop

smoke

mope

mast

 

grad

drag

grade

ride

stripe

ripe

strip

print

 

PICTURE I.D.

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

VCe I.D.

Circle the VCe words and put a macron over the long vowel.

Then read the words.

stamp

bat

smile

sock

stake

stale

crane

jab

stag

chose

bird

home

tote

stag

lobe

lard

mime

spot

mop

mope

ban

stroke

cute

prime

tin

prize

fan

dad

ape

up

version A

First of 4 pages:

3 rearrangements of the same list included

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Lesson Plans Lesson 7 | 117

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Letter Combinations

Lesson 7

OBJECTIVES

• Students will read words that have speciﬁc letter combinations.

• Students will identify the sound of speciﬁc letter combinations.

• Students will spell words that have speciﬁc letter combinations.

MATERIALS

• Letter cards from previous lessons*

• Lesson 7 letter cards*

• Lesson 7 word cards (two sets)*

• Spinner with letter combination sections**

• Spinner words worksheet*

• Supported spelling cards for each student*

• Sentence reading worksheet*

• Pocket chart

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

**Assembly instructions available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of letter-combination words.

• Teach one or two letter combinations at a time, depending on student proﬁciency.

• The following is a suggested order of instruction:

• Letter combinations that make one sound (e.g., ai and ay make the long a sound; ee

and ey make the long e sound)

• Letter combinations that make more than one sound (e.g., ow in snow and plow; ou in

out and soup)

• Emphasize that a letter combination should be treated as a unit. Teach students to see the

letters as a combination, or team, that makes a particular sound.

• Include a variety of words that use previously learned sounds.

• Include words containing letter combinations and words without letter combinations, so

students can practice recognizing the diﬀerent ways vowel sounds are spelled (e.g., hose,

boat, toe).

• Sounds with multiple spelling options:

• Tell students that it can be diﬃcult to know which option is correct, just from hearing

the sound. Have students start a “spelling options” notebook to practice spelling words

and memorizing which option goes with which words.

• Provide multiple opportunities for students to interact with high-utility words in

decoding and encoding activities.

• When a strategy for choosing a spelling option exists, teach it (e.g., ay is more likely at

the end of a word; ai more likely in the middle).

• Decode and encode, using real and nonsense words.

• Give direct feedback to students.

This lesson plan can be used to teach all letter combinations. For the purpose of demonstration,

however, many of the activities in this lesson focus on long a letter combinations and spelling

options.

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DAILY REVIEW

LONG AND SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS

Teacher: Today we will review vowel sounds. Everyone, tell me the long sound for the letter

o.

Students: /ō/

Teacher: Yes, that’s right, the long sound for the letter o is /ō/. What vowel do you hear in

the word brake?

Students: /ā/

[Write brake on the board.]

Teacher: Raise your hand if you can explain why a is long in brake.

Bri: Because it has e at the end. The e makes the vowel say /ā/.

Teacher: What is the short sound for e?

Students: /e/

Teacher: What is the short sound for i?

Students: /i/

Teacher: Can anyone think of a word with /e/ or /i/?

Anthony: Pickle has short i.

Teacher: Correct.

OPENING

Teacher: Today, we will learn about sounds that vowels make when they are combined

with other letters. We call these letter combinations because when vowels are

combined with certain letters, they work together to make one sound. This is

important because your reading for other classes will include many syllables with

letter combinations. So understanding letter combinations will help you to read

many more words.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

INTRODUCE LETTERCOMBINATION SOUNDS

DECODING

Teach students that the letter combination ai makes the sound /ā/ and that a letter-combination

sound counts as just one sound.

[Write the letters ai on the board.]

Teacher: When a and i are next to each other in a word, they are a team, and they make the

sound /ā/, as in train.

[Write train, circling ai.]

Teacher: When ai are next to each other, although there are two letters, they make just one

sound, /ā/. What sound does ai make?

Students: /ā/

After teaching the letter combination, demonstrate how to use letter cards to read the new

sound.

[Display m, ai, and n in a pocket chart or on the table, leaving some space

between the letters.]

Teacher: You blend letter combinations with other sounds to make words, as we did with

digraph and closed-syllable words.

[Point to m and say /m/. Point to ai and say /ā/. Slide your ﬁnger under each

letter as you blend the sounds.]

/m/ /ā/. Your turn. Blend the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under the letters.

Students: /m/ /ā/

[Add the ﬁnal /n/ sound: Slide your ﬁnger under the letters, stretching out the

sound.]

Teacher: /mmm/ /āāā/ /nnn/. Now, you say the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under the letters.

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Students: /mmm/ /āāā/ /nnn/

[Move the cards next to each other. Slide your ﬁnger under the letters.]

Teacher: Main: The whole word is main. Now, I will slide my ﬁnger under the letters, and you

will read the word.

Students: main

Teacher: Although there are four letters, there are just three sounds because a and i make

one sound, /ā/.

[Model counting with you ﬁngers.]

Teacher: /m/ /ā/ /n/: three sounds.

Repeat the sequence with other words, gradually reducing your modeling.

TIPS

• Introduce additional letter combinations as your students master each sound.

• Some letter combinations represent more than one sound (e.g., the diﬀerent sounds for

oo in book and school). Explicitly teach these diﬀerences and associate them with key

words.

ERROR CORRECTION

Guide students who make an error to the correct sound by using questions about the key word. If

necessary, have students repeat the blending sequence to read the word.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

IDENTIFYING LETTER COMBINATIONS IN WORDS

DECODING

This activity teaches students to identify letter combinations and treat them as a single unit of

sound.

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Write several words with letter combinations students already have learned on the board (e.g.,

toast, pail, each, found, and snoop). During the course of the lesson, scaﬀold by circling the letter

combinations and then reading the word. Remove the scaﬀold as students gain proﬁciency.

Teacher: When you read a word, look for a letter combination. Use that sound when you

read the word.

[Circle oa in toast.]

Teacher: I circled the letter combination oa because it helps me notice it and remember

that it says /ō/. /t/ /ō/ /s/ /t/, toast. What did I circle?

Students: oa

Teacher: And what does oa say?

Students: /ō/

Teacher: Yes! Let’s sound it out together as I slide my ﬁnger under the word. Then say the

word quickly.

Students: /t/ /ō/ /s/ /t/: toast.

Teacher: Very nice job!

[Point to pail.]

Teacher: Bri, do you see a letter combination?

Bri: The ai is a combination.

Teacher: Please circle the ai letter combination and tell me its sound.

[Bri circles ai.]

Bri: It says /ā/.

Teacher: Everyone, sound it out together and then say it quickly.

Students: /p/ /ā/ /l/: pail.

Teacher: Laura, please circle the letter combination in the next word.

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[Laura circles ea.]

Teacher: You circled ea. What sound does it make?

Laura: /ē/

Teacher: Please read the word for us.

Laura: each

Teacher: Excellent. Danzel, it’s your turn to circle the letter combination in the next word.

[Danzel circles ou.]

Teacher: What is the most common sound for ou?

Students: Ou says /ow/, like in out.

Teacher: Perfect. Read the word for us, please.

Danzel: found

Repeat the sequence with other words.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

WHAT SAYS…

ENCODING

Spread letter cards in front of students. Follow these directions:

1. Dictate a sound.

2. Have a student repeat the sound (listen for correctness).

3. Have the student point to the corresponding letter cards.

Focus on new letter-combination sounds, but also include previously introduced letter

combinations and letter sounds. In some cases, more than one letter card will represent the same

sound. In that instance, have the student show each of the spelling options he or she has learned

(e.g., /ā/ can be represented by a-consonant-e, ai, or ay.)

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Teacher: I will ask you what makes a certain sound. You will repeat the sound and point to

the letter card or cards that make the sound.

What letter combination says /ā/?

[Students say /ā/ and point to ai.]

Teacher: Good. Show me another letter combination that says /ā/.

[Students say /ā/ and point to ay.]

Continue dictating sounds.

TIPS

• An alternative method for sounds with multiple spelling options is using questioning

similar to the following example: “There are three ways of spelling /ā/ in words. What is

one way to spell /ā/? What is another way? What is the third way?”

• Introduce new letter combinations as a new spelling option for a sound. For example,

when introducing ea, tell students that ea is one spelling option for long e; other options

are ee and e-consonant-e. Remind students that they have learned other sounds that are

spelled in more than one way (e.g., /k/ can be spelled c, k, or ck; /f/ can be spelled f or ph).

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 4

SEGMENTING SOUNDS

ENCODING

Use letter combinations that students have learned while following the sequence below:

1. Dictate a word.

2. Have a student repeat the word (listen for accuracy).

3. Have the student say each sound in the word and count the sounds in the word.

4. Have the student say the letters again as he or she collects the corresponding letter cards.

5. Have the student check by reading the word and receiving feedback or using a dictionary

or spell-checker.

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Example 1: Segmenting With a Letter Combination That Makes Just One Sound

In this example, students have learned the letter combination oa for /ō/.

Teacher: The steps for spelling words with letter combinations are similar to the steps we

used to spell other words. We segment the sounds and ﬁnd the letters for each

sound.

The word is goat. Repeat, please.

Students: goat

Teacher: I count the sounds in goat.

[Model counting with your ﬁngers.]

Teacher: /g/ /ō/ /t/: I hear three sounds. Now I think about the letters that make those

sounds, and I get the letter cards.

/g/–g; /ō/–the letter combination oa says /ō/; and /t/–t.

I check the word by reading it: /g/ /ō/ /t/, goat.

Teacher: Now I will help you spell a word. I’ll remind you of each step.

First you repeat the dictated word. The word is ﬂoat.

Students: ﬂoat

Teacher: Next, count the sounds in ﬂoat.

Students: /f/ /l/ /ō/ /t/: There are four sounds.

Teacher: Think about the letters that make the sounds and get the letter cards.

[Students sound out the word and pick their letters.]

Teacher: Finally, check the word by reading it.

Students: ﬂoat

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually decreasing your modeling.

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Example 2: Segmenting With Multiple Spelling Options Learned

In this example, students have learned about spelling options: diﬀerent ways to spell the same

sound. Think aloud to model how to choose the correct spelling option.

Teacher: When spelling words, we segment the sounds and ﬁnd the letters for each. Some

sounds have spelling options, which are diﬀerent ways to spell the same sound. I’ll

show you how to spell a word with spelling options. I’ll think aloud to demonstrate

how I ﬁgure out which spelling option to use for a letter-combination sound.

The word is chain.

Students: chain

Teacher: I count the sounds I hear in the word.

[Model counting with your ﬁngers.]

Teacher: /ch/ /ā/ /n/: I hear three sounds. Next, I think about what letters make those

sounds, and I get the letter cards.

[Choose the letter cards as you say them.]

Teacher: /ch/–ch; /ā/–I know that /ā/ can be spelled ai or ay. It was one of the words we

read on a word card. I’m trying to remember. When long a is in the middle of the

word, it’s usually ai, so I’m pretty sure it is spelled ai. And then /n/–n.

I check the word by reading it and looking at the word card or dictionary: chain.

TIPS

• Remind students that it can be diﬃcult to tell which option is correct just from the

sound. Have students start a “spelling options” notebook to practice spelling words and

memorizing which option goes with which words.

• Provide multiple opportunities for students to interact with high-utility words in decoding

and encoding activities.

• When a strategy for choosing an option exists, teach it (e.g., ay is more likely at the end of

a word; ai more likely in the middle).

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ERROR CORRECTION

Tell the student the correct letter combination.

Adapted from Wilson, B. A. (2002). Wilson reading system: Instructor manual. Oxford, MA: Wilson Language Training.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

SPINNER WORDS

DECODING

Students identify and read words that contain a letter combination they have been taught. A

letter combination is selected from a spinner that has been divided into 4–6 spaces, each space

containing a letter combination the students have learned. Students ﬁnd a word with the letter

combination from the spinner words worksheet.

Teacher: We will read lots of words that contain letter combinations. First, you spin to

ﬁnd out the letter combination. Then ﬁnd a word on the word list with the letter

combination and say the word.

Anthony, please spin and tell us your letter combination.

Anthony: I landed on ee.

Teacher: What does ee say?

Anthony: /ē/

Teacher: So, now you’ll look on the word list and ﬁnd a word with ee and say the word.

Anthony: bleed

Teacher: Right. Everyone, what does ee say?

Students: /ē/

Teacher: Laura, please spin and tell us your letter combination.

Laura: ow

Teacher: ow can make two sounds. Who can tell me one of the sounds ow makes...Danzel?

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Danzel: It says /ō/ like slow.

Laura: It also says /ow/ like in owl.

Teacher: Good job! Laura, now ﬁnd a word in the list with ow and read it. You might have to

try both sounds to determine which is correct.

[Laura’s word is crown.]

Laura: /c/ /r/ /ō/ n/: /crōn/. That doesn’t sound right. /c/ /r/ /ow/ /n/: crown.

Teacher: Very nicely done! Everyone, what sound does ow make in crown?

Students: /ow/

Continue building and reading words.

TIPS

• The spinner could specify a sound option for letter combinations with more than one

sound. For example, ea could be in three diﬀerent spinner spaces for its three sounds: /ē/,

/e/, and /ā/.

• For more independent work, do the activity in pairs.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

GO FISH FOR WORDS

DECODING

This activity uses a deck of cards containing pairs of words with previously taught letter sounds

and newly introduced letter combinations. Two or more students play a Go Fish card game

following typical Go Fish rules, with a few exceptions.

1. Each player is dealt ﬁve cards. The remaining cards are placed facedown to form a stack

(the “ﬁsh pond”).

2. Player A asks a speciﬁc player (Player B) for a match with a speciﬁc word that Player A holds

in his hand (e.g., “Monica, do you have plain?”).

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a. If Player A cannot pronounce the word on the card, provide assistance. Player A will

put the card at the bottom of the ﬁsh pond and select a replacement card. The turn

passes to the next player.

b. If Player B has the requested card, he or she gives it to Player A. Player A then gets

another turn.

c. If Player B does not have the requested card, he or she says, “Go ﬁsh,” and Player A

draws the top card from the ﬁsh pond. If the drawn card is the requested word, Player

A keeps it and gets another turn. If the drawn card is not the requested word, Player A

keeps it and the turn passes to the next player.

3. As soon as a player has a pair of words, they are placed faceup on the table.

4. The game continues until someone has no cards left or the ﬁsh pond runs out.

5. The student who has the most word pairs wins the game.

Include questions to reinforce students’ understanding of letter sounds.

Teacher: We will play a card game called Go Fish for Words. It’s just like regular Go Fish,

except it is played with word cards. There are a few diﬀerences: You ask another

player if he or she has speciﬁc word that matches a word in your hand.

If you have trouble reading a word, I will help you ﬁgure out how to read it. Then

you’ll have to put it back in the ﬁsh pond and select another card.

When you have a pair of matching words, lay them faceup on the table in front of

you. The person who has the most pairs wins.

[Deal cards and determine who goes ﬁrst.]

Laura: Bri, do you have the word ﬂat?

Bri: Go ﬁsh.

[Laura draws a card that is not a match.]

Bri: Anthony, do you have the word w…w…/wast/?

Teacher: Bri, point to the letter combination in that word and tell me its sound.

Bri: Ai says /ā/.

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Teacher: Great. I can tell you know all the sounds in your word. Now, blend the sounds

together to read the word.

Bri: /w/ /ā/ /s/ /t/: waist.

Teacher: Good job, Bri. Put the card at the bottom of the ﬁsh pond and pick a new card to

add to your hand.

Danzel, it’s your turn.

Play continues around the circle until a player matches all the cards in his or her hand or the ﬁsh

pond runs out.

TIPS

• After cards are dealt, have students sort the words in their hand into categories, such as

syllable type, vowel sound, letter combination, etc.

• If your group is small, consider letting players take one turn at a time, regardless of

whether a player gets a match.

Adapted from Rasinski, T. V., & Padak, N. D. (2001). From phonics to ﬂuency: Eﬀective teaching of decoding and reading

ﬂuency in the elementary school. New York, NY: Addison Wesley Longman.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

SUPPORTED SPELLING

ENCODING

Choose a vowel sound to target—for example, /ā/. Distribute a laminated spelling support card

to each student that lists the various spelling patterns for /ā/ (see the following graphic). Dictate a

word that contains the target sound. Students then determine its correct long a spelling pattern

and spell it by writing it on the support card with a dry-erase marker.

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/ā/ SPELLING PATTERNS

a__e

ai

ay

SUPPORTED SPELLING

Vocabulary and Comprehension: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Write lake, play, and train on the board. Refer to these words as you introduce the activity.

Teacher: Let’s practice spelling words that have the long a sound. So far, we’ve learned

three spelling options for /ā/. On the board you can see words using the diﬀerent

spellings. Who can tell me about one of the words and its /ā/ sound?

Laura: Lake has a silent e at the end, so the a is long.

Teacher: Excellent! One option is the VCe pattern, as in lake. Danzel, will you tell me another

spelling option for /ā/?

Danzel: Ai says /ā/ in train.

Teacher: Yes, the letter combination ai, which is in train, makes the long a sound. And the

third option we have learned is…Bri?

Bri: Play has ay at the end. It says /ā/.

Teacher: Yes, another letter combination, ay, also says /ā/. I’m very impressed. Remember,

when you hear /ā/ at the end of a word, it is usually spelled ay. When you are

spelling words, it is important to know which option goes with which word. It

takes a lot of practice and memorization. We’re going to practice right now.

Each of you has a spelling support card for long a that has the diﬀerent spelling

options we reviewed. I will dictate a word. Your job is to spell the word, using

the correct long a spelling pattern. The spelling support card gives you a way to

practice with diﬀerent options before you determine the correct spelling. When

your answer is ready, hold it up and show me. I will demonstrate.

The ﬁrst word is paint.

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Next, I determine the spelling option. Let’s see…I will try ay.

[Write paynt on the ay line of the spelling support card.]

That’s not right because ay comes at the end of a syllable, so I will erase and try ai.

[Write paint on the ai line.]

Yes, paint is spelled ai.

Let’s spell another word: spray.

Students: spray

Teacher: Spraaaay. What is the last sound you hear?

Students: /ā/

Teacher: Right, the last sound is the long a, /ā/. Which sample word also ends with a long a

sound?

Students: play

Teacher: Notice the spelling option when the last sound is a long vowel. Now, write the

word with the spelling option you chose. Hold up your answer when you’re done.

Anthony, please show your card and explain how you got your answer.

Anthony: I spelled it with ay, just like play is spelled with ay.

Teacher: Yes, when the last sound is /ā/, often it is spelled ay, so try that option ﬁrst.

Continue dictating and spelling more word cards.

TIPS

• Scaﬀold by dictating words with the same spelling pattern (e.g., ai and then ay words).

• If students have not been taught all of the spelling options for a speciﬁed vowel, cover

that option on the spelling support card with a sticky note.

Adapted from The Florida Center for Reading Research. (2007). 2-3 student center activities: Phonics. Retrieved from

http://www.fcrr.org/scasearch/PDFs/2-3P_017.pdf

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

SENTENCE READING

DECODING

Give students 10–15 decodable sentences containing letter-combination words. Have students

read the sentences silently, circling the letter combinations. After the silent reading, call on

students to read sentences aloud. One way to structure the read-aloud is modeled below; other

variations are described in the Adaptations section.

Prepare a bag or box with numbers inside corresponding to the number of sentences.

Teacher: You have a worksheet with 15 sentences on it. Read each sentence silently. When

you see a word with a letter combination, circle the letter combination. Read each

sentence three times because you will be reading them aloud a little later. While

you are reading, I might come up and ask you to whisper read so I can listen.

Please begin, everyone.

[Circulate among students and listen to them read.]

Teacher: Now we will read aloud. When it is your turn to read, pick a number from this bag

and read that sentence. I’ll be asking questions about the sentences, so you all

must read the sentences silently if it isn’t your turn.

[Laura picks a number and reads the corresponding sentence.]

Teacher: Excellent reading, Laura! Danzel, what word in Laura’s sentence had a letter

combination, and what sound does it make?

[Danzel responds.]

Students continue reading sentences.

ADAPTATIONS

• Write the sentences on sentence strips.

• Write the sentences on a whiteboard or overhead.

• Have students choose 3–4 sentences to practice and then read, using their best reading.

• Have students read the sentences to a partner.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

WRITE AND SORT

ENCODING

Focusing on one vowel sound at a time, have students write the spelling options for that sound

across the top of a blank sheet of paper, creating column headings. Assist students as necessary.

Dictate words that contain the sound. Have students spell the words in the column that

corresponds to the spelling option.

Teacher: We’re going to practice spelling words with the long a sound. First let’s make

columns for each spelling option for /ā/. At the top of one column, write the

spelling option for the long a in play. Write play next to it.

[Circulate among students to check for accuracy.]

Teacher: In the next column, write the spelling option for long a in train. Write train.

[Circulate to check for accuracy.]

Teacher: In the last column, write the spelling option for long a in lake. Write lake.

[Circulate and check for accuracy.]

Teacher: Which spelling options are letter combinations?

Bri: Two of them, ay and ai.

Teacher: Which spelling option usually is used when the last sound in the word is long a?

Laura: ay

Teacher: Very good. How about if the last sound is a consonant? How do you know which

option to use?

Anthony: You just have to know it. You have to practice and remember.

Teacher: Exactly. You must memorize the spelling. I’m going to dictate words that you have

been practicing. Write the word in the correct column.

Dictate words.

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TIPS

• Use the same sample words for each spelling option, so students have a consistent frame

of reference for spelling.

• Dictate words that are high utility and that have been modeled or practiced during prior

activities.

GENERALIZATION

To reinforce the concept of the great number of letter-combination words, have each student

open to a randomly selected page in diﬀerent content area textbooks and scan the page for

letter-combination words. Have students share their ﬁndings with one another.

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LETTER CARDS

LETTER COMBINATIONS

ai

ay

ee ea

ie

igh

oa ow

oe ue ew oo

ui eu

oy

oi

ou aw au

coalclue

cleanclaim

broombay

First of 6 pages

LESSON 7 WORD CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SPINNER INSTRUCTIONS

SPINNER WORDS

MATERIALS

• Paper plate

• Brass brad

• Material for spinner pointer (e.g., coﬀ ee can lid, plastic drinking straw, etc.)

• 2 spacers (e.g., washers, grommets or eyelets from the hardware store)

• Scissors

PREPARATION

• Divide and label the paper plate with letter combinations.

• Cut an arrow out of the material for the pointer.

• With scissors, make a small hole in the center of the paper plate.

• Punch a small hole in the arrow.

ASSEMBLY

• Place a washer over the hole in the paper plate.

• Place the pointer over the washer.

• Place another washer over the pointer.

• Line up the holes in the paper plate, washers and pointers.

• Secure everything with the brass brad, pushing the brad through the spinner from top to bottom.

• Open the brad tabs on the underside of the paper plate to hold assembly in place.

• Check to see that the pointer spins freely and adjust as necessary.

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SPINNER WORDS WORKSHEET

true

plow

foot

lead

claim

high

treat

threw

dawn

south

sway

knew

glue

queen

town

plead

ﬂ ight

tool

ﬂ own

tie

stream

own

greet

wheel

pound

point

joint

seep

grow

coast

faith

found

brain

spread

mound

grain

train

claw

steam

might

throat

toad

sprawl

draw

haunt

coin

suit

greed

free

troop

break

weak

launch

boast

low

reach

goal

fruit

sight

fault

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/ā/ SPELLING PATTERNS

a__e

ai

ay

SUPPORTED SPELLING

Vocabulary and Comprehension: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

/ā/ SPELLING PATTERNS

a__e

ai

ay

SUPPORTED SPELLING

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SENTENCE READING

LETTER COMBINATIONS

1. The paint on the wall is still wet.

2. It is hard to grow plants in this soil.

3. Will Gail go south for her road trip?

4. Mr. Drake gave a speech to the high school class.

5. This is the last night of the show.

6. Turn the sound on the TV down!

7. Gran will see that Jake has grown and can reach the lock.

8. Jenn had to tie the back of her gown.

9. Greg will haul his new toy all over town.

10. How did he get on top of the roof?

11. Ann chose blue paint for her room.

12. Joe went to sleep soon after his big yawn.

13. That coin was found in Spain.

14. It will be hard to beat the best team.

15. Mrs. Kern went to claim her tray in lost and found.

First of 6 pages:

All reviewed spelling patterns included

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Lesson Plans Lesson 8 | 139

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Open Syllables

Lesson 8

OBJECTIVE

Students will decode and encode words with open syllables.

MATERIALS

• Letter cards

• Lesson 8 word cards*

• ID Me worksheet*

• Sticky notes

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of words with open syllables.

• Many one-syllable open syllables are sight words (e.g., so, go, hi, he, she). Include nonsense

words in activities, so students practice applying the open-syllable rule in unknown words.

• Explain that y can be a vowel in open syllables and that in short words, it usually makes

the /ī/ sound, as in cry.

• Provide direct feedback to students.

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DAILY REVIEW

SYLLABLE TYPES: CLOSED, VOWELCONSONANTE, RCONTROLLED,

LETTER COMBINATION

Write the following headings on index cards: “Closed,” “r-Controlled,” “Vowel-Consonant-e,” and

“Letter Combination.” Under each heading, write a sample word of that syllable type (the example

below uses the words hid, hurt, hide, and heat). Review the diﬀerences among the syllable types

and vowel sounds. Read example words of known syllable types.

Teacher: Let’s review the types of syllables we have learned so far. We will start by reading

the words on the index cards.

[Point to hid.]

Teacher: Say the word and tell me its vowel sound, Ana.

Ana: Hid. The vowel is /i/.

Teacher: That is correct. Hid is on the closed-syllable card. Raise your hand to explain why

it’s a closed syllable. Davis?

Davis: It has just one vowel, and a consonant closes in the vowel.

Teacher: Does the vowel make its long or short sound?

Davis: Vowels are short in closed syllables.

Teacher: Beautiful job! Look at the next word.

[Point to hurt.]

Teacher: Tran, say the word and tell me why it’s an r-controlled word.

Tran: The word is hurt. The r changes how the u sounds: Ur says /er/.

Teacher: Very nice job! In an r-controlled syllable, the r controls the sound of the vowel, so

the vowel doesn’t make its regular short sound. Let’s read and analyze the word

that is on the VCe card.

[Point to hide.]

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Teacher: Cynthia?

Cynthia: It’s hide. It’s VCe list because it ends with e.

Teacher: Great, Cynthia. By looking to see whether the word ends in the VCe pattern, you

are using a strategy we learned. What is the vowel sound in a VCe syllable?

Cynthia: Long vowel: /ī/ in hide.

Teacher: Excellent. Ana, please read and analyze the last word, which is on the Letter

Combinations card.

[Point to heat.]

Ana: Heat: Ea is a letter combination that says /ē/.

Teacher: Now we’ll read word cards and put them in the correct category.

Read a variety of known syllable types and sort them into categories. Include some questions to

ensure that students understand the diﬀerences among the syllable types.

OPENING

Teacher: Today we will learn about another syllable type: open syllables. You are familiar

with many of the open-syllable words in this lesson. Although these words are

short and might seem easy, it’s important to learn them because later, you will

combine open syllables with other syllables to read and spell many words.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

OPENSYLLABLE CONCEPT

DECODING

Using letter cards, display the word got. Remove the t and describe the new word, go, as an

example of an open syllable. Explain that open syllables have only one vowel and that the vowel

is open—a consonant does not close in the vowel. Vowels in open syllables make their long

sound. Teach students that the strategy for reading open syllables is the same as for other syllables

students have learned: Blend the sounds of the letters. Model reading open syllables in real and

nonsense words (e.g., no, by, pre, he, stu, shy, cra).

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[Point to got.]

Teacher: Students, what is this word?

Students: got

Teacher: Correct. We know that got is a closed syllable because there is just one vowel and

it is closed in by a consonant. What vowel sound do you hear in got?

Students: /o/

[Remove the t letter card.]

Teacher: This new word, go, is an open syllable. It has just one vowel, but the vowel is open,

which means it is not closed in by a consonant. Listen while I say the word: go.

What vowel sound did you hear?

Students: /ō/

Teacher: Very good! It makes the long o sound. In an open syllable, the vowel can take a

long walk—and make its long sound—because no consonant closes in the vowel.

It is wide open.

So, there are three things to remember about open syllables:

1. They have just one vowel.

2. The vowel is open: It can take a long walk because a consonant does not close

in the vowel.

3. The vowel is long.

Reading open syllables is similar to reading other syllables we’ve learned. You

blend the letter sounds.

[Display p, r, and e with letter cards, leaving space between the letters. Point

to p and say /p/. Point to r and say /r/. Point to e and say /ē/. Slide your ﬁnger under

each sound as you blend them.]

Teacher: /p/ /r/ /ē/. Now, you try it. Blend the sounds as I slide my ﬁnger under the letters.

Students: /p/ /r/ /ē/

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[Move the cards next to each other. Slide your ﬁnger under the letters.]

Teacher: /prē/: The whole syllable is pre. Now, I will slide my ﬁnger under the letters and you

will read the syllable.

Students: /prē/

Continue reading other open syllables, gradually reducing your modeling.

TIP

Because students might know many one-word open syllables as sight words, include open

syllables that are not real words.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

OPENSYLLABLE STRATEGY IDENTIFY AND READ

DECODING

Teach the following steps of a strategy for identifying and reading open syllables:

1. Is there just one vowel?

2. Is the vowel open?

3. If the answer to both questions is yes, the syllable is open.

4. Read the word, using the long vowel sound.

Teacher: Let’s read some more words and syllables. Some will be open syllables, and some

will not. Here’s a strategy to ﬁgure out whether a syllable is an open syllable.

[Using letter cards or writing on the board, display cra.]

Teacher: Ask yourself two questions. First: Does the syllable have just one vowel? Yes, there

is just one vowel.

[Point to a.]

Teacher: Second, is the vowel open? Yes, the vowel is open because there is not a

consonant closing in the vowel.

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Because the answer to both questions was yes, I know it is an open syllable.

And because vowels in open syllables are long, I’ll read the word, using the long

vowel sound. I blend the sounds: /c/ /r/ /ā/, /crā/.

I’ll demonstrate the strategy again with the next word.

[Display slug.]

Teacher: Is there just one vowel? Yes, there is just one vowel.

[Point to u.]

Teacher: Is the vowel open? No, a consonant, g, closes in the vowel. It is a closed syllable, so

the vowel is short. I blend the sounds: /s/ /l/ /u/ /g/, slug.

Let’s use the strategy to determine whether other syllables are open syllables.

[Display pri.]

Teacher: Is there just one vowel?

Students: Yes, i.

Teacher: Is the vowel open?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Is it an open syllable?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Correct, so what vowel sound is in an open syllable?

Students: Long.

Teacher: Please read the word using the vowel sound.

Students: /p/ /r/ /ī/, /prī/.

[Display op.]

Teacher: Tran, is there just one vowel?

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Tran: Yes.

[Tran points to o.]

Teacher: Is the vowel open?

Tran: I don’t think so. The p comes after the o.

Teacher: Excellent! That was a bit tricky. Even if the vowel is the ﬁrst letter in the word, the

vowel isn’t open if there is a consonant after it. Tran, please blend the sounds.

Tran: /o/ /p/, /op/.

Continue using the strategy. Use knowledge of known syllable types to read the words.

ERROR CORRECTION

Redirect students who make an error to the strategy. Have the students read the word again.

TIPS

• Include one-letter open syllables. These syllables will be important when students read

multisyllabic words in future lessons (e.g., u-nite, a-corn, e-vict, o-pen, i-tem).

• Most of the syllables and words in this activity should be open syllables. Include other

learned syllable types to ensure that students can discriminate among them.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SEGMENTING SOUNDS IN OPEN SYLLABLES

ENCODING

Dictate open syllables. Have students use letter cards to encode each syllable, using the sequence

from previous lessons:

1. Dictate a syllable.

2. Have a student repeat the syllable.

3. Have the student say and count each sound in the syllable.

4. Have the student collect the letter cards for each sound.

5. Have the student check his or her work by reading the syllable.

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Teacher: We use the same steps for spelling open syllables that we used to spell other

words and syllables. We segment the sounds and ﬁnd the letters for each sound.

The ﬁrst open syllable we’ll look at is be.

Students: be

Teacher: I will count the sounds in be.

[Model counting with your ﬁngers.]

/b/ /ē/: I hear two sounds. I think about the letters that make those sounds, and I

get the letter cards: /b/–b, /ē/–e.

I check the word by reading it: /b/ /ē/, be.

Now, I will help you spell an open syllable. I’ll remind you of each step.

First, you repeat the dictated syllable. The syllable is pro.

Students: pro

Teacher: Next, count the sounds in pro. Cynthia?

Cynthia: /p/ /r/ /ō/: There are three sounds.

Teacher: Think about the letters that make the sounds and get the letter cards.

Cynthia: /p/–p, /r/–r, /ō/–o.

Teacher: Finally, check the word by reading it.

Cynthia: pro

Repeat the sequence with new words, gradually reducing your modeling.

TIP

Some open syllables are homophones for real words (e.g., be–bee, se–sea, lo–low, la–lay). If a

student spells la as lay, tell the student to spell the open syllable /lā/.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

POINT AND READ

DECODING

Compile a stack of word cards that include known syllable types, mostly open syllables. Include

real and nonsense words. Arrange about 20 cards faceup on a table. Point to a word and call

on a student to read it. If the student reads the word correctly, he or she keeps the card for the

duration of the activity. Include questions to monitor students’ understanding.

Teacher: I have 20 word cards on the table. Some of them have open syllables, and some

do not. Some of them are real words, and some are not. When I point to a word

and say your name, say the sounds in the word and then read the whole word. For

example, to read this word...

[Point to pho.]

Teacher: ...you would say, “/f/ /ō/, /fō/.”

[Point to cre.]

Teacher: Ana?

Ana: /k/ /r/ /ē/, cre

Teacher: Is cre an example of an open syllable? Tell me why or why not.

Ana: It’s an open syllable because it has one vowel and the vowel is open.

Teacher: And what does the vowel say in this open syllable?

Ana: It’s long. It says /ē/.

[Point to aid.]

Teacher: Cynthia?

Cynthia: /ā/ /d/, aid

Teacher: Good reading. Is it an open syllable?

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Cynthia: No, because there is a consonant after the vowel. Besides, there are two vowels, so

it can’t be an open syllable.

Teacher: So if it is not an open syllable, why does aid have a long vowel sound, Davis?

Davis: The ai together says /ā/.

Continue pointing to words for students to decode. Increase the pace as the activity progresses

and students gain proﬁciency.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

LETTER DROPPING

DECODING

Write 15 to 20 decodable words on the board that do not have open syllables. Some of the words

may be nonsense words. Have a student read a word. Then, change the word to an open syllable

by erasing letters. Have the student read the open syllable.

Teacher: I will point to a word on the board and ask you to read it. Then, I’ll erase some

letters to create a diﬀerent word or syllable for you to read. Let’s do the ﬁrst one

together.

[Point to sock.]

Teacher: What word and what vowel sound?

Students: sock, /o/

Teacher: Now, I will erase the last two letters. What is the new word?

[Erase ck and point to remaining word, so.]

Students: so

Teacher: Cynthia, did the vowel sound change? Why or why not?

Cynthia: It says /ō/ because the consonants aren’t closing it in anymore.

Teacher: That’s right. The vowel is open, so it’s an open syllable, which has a long vowel

sound.

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[Point to the next word, load.]

Teacher: What word and vowel sound, Tran?

Tran: load, /ō/

[Erase ad and point to remaining word part.]

Teacher: Say the new word part.

Tran: /lō/

[Point to pinch.]

Teacher: What is the word, everyone?

Students: pinch

[Erase p and nch, leaving i.]

Teacher: What is this word, Davis?

Davis: Is it i?

Teacher: Let’s use the strategy: Is there just one vowel?

Davis: Yes.

Teacher: Is the vowel open?

Davis: Yes.

Teacher: Because the answer to both questions is yes, it is an open syllable, which makes

the vowel long. Remember that open syllables sometimes consist of just one letter.

We’ll have to know that when we start reading longer words.

ADAPTATION

On the board, write decodable words that do not have open syllables and words that do. Add or

erase letters to make diﬀerent syllable types and have students read the new words.

Adapted from Wilson, B. A. (1996). Wilson reading system: Student workbook 5A. Millbury, MA: Wilson Language

Training.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

STICKY SPELLING

ENCODING

Dictate a variety of learned syllable types, focusing on open syllables. Have students write the

words on sticky notes.

Teacher: I’ll dictate a word or syllable, which you will write on a sticky note. Before we begin,

who can remind the group of the steps you follow to spell a word—Ana?

Ana: You say the word and count how many sounds there are.

Tran: You ﬁgure out the letters that match the sounds and you write it.

Teacher: And what’s the last thing you do after you write the word?

Cynthia: You read the word that you wrote to make sure you did it right.

Teacher: Very good job remembering the steps! The ﬁrst word is ﬂa. Repeat please.

Students: ﬂa

Teacher: Think of the sounds you hear in ﬂa. How many sounds, Tran?

Tran: /f/ /l/ /ā/: three sounds.

Teacher: That’s right. Before you write, think about the letters that make the sounds. When

you’re ready, write the word on the sticky note.

[Students write the word.]

Teacher: Davis, please tell us the sounds and the letters for ﬂa.

Davis: /f/ /l/ /ā/, f-l-a, ﬂa.

Teacher: Nicely done!

Continue dictating words.

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TIPS

• Scaﬀold by dictating words in syllable types (e.g., dictate several open syllables in a row,

then closed syllables).

• Have students mark vowels with a macron (short, straight line) over long vowels and breve

(half circle) over short vowels (e.g., nō, ﬂăt).

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

I.D. ME

DECODING

Distribute an I.D. Me worksheet to each student. The worksheet contains a mix of words with

syllable types that students have learned. Have students identify open syllables and mark the

vowel as long. Then, have students read the words to a partner.

Teacher: This worksheet contains diﬀerent types of words, but they are all syllable types

you have learned so far. Some of the words are real, and some aren’t. Your task is to

identify open-syllable words and mark the vowel in those words with a long vowel

marker, or macron...

[Demonstrate on the board.]

Teacher: ...to remind you that the vowel sound is long. Then you will read all the words to a

partner. We’ll do a few together. Look at the ﬁrst word. Is it an open syllable, Tran?

[The word is de.]

Tran: Yes.

Teacher: Correct, so we will mark the vowel with a macron.

[Demonstrate.]

Teacher: Please read the word.

Tran: de

Teacher: Look at the word under de. Will we mark the vowel?

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[The word is crane.]

Ana: It’s not an open syllable. It has two vowels. So we don’t mark it.

Teacher: That right. We are marking only open syllables. Please read the word.

Ana: crane

Teacher: Identify the rest of the open syllables on your page and mark their vowels. I’ll

come around to see how you are doing. When you are ﬁnished, read all the words

silently. When everyone is ﬁnished, you’ll read all the words to your partner.

TIP

Be sure that students read all of the words and do not just identify open syllables visually.

ADAPTATION

Have students mark long and short vowels in all words, not just open syllables.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

SPEEDY SPELLING

ENCODING

Have students number a sheet of notebook paper from 1 to 20. Time students for 1 minute as

they spell dictated words of four or fewer letters. Use a mix of syllable types that students have

learned. Complete several 1-minute rounds with diﬀerent sets of words. After each round, review

the correct spellings and have students self-correct.

Teacher: I will dictate words for you to spell in 1-minute rounds. We’ll see how many words

you can spell correctly in each round. The words will all have four or fewer letters

and will be syllable types you have learned. If you don’t ﬁnish spelling a word by

the time I dictate the next word, move on to the next word. At the end of the 1

minute, I will stop dictating, and we will go over the spelling. You will correct your

own paper and count the number correct. Then, we’ll do another round. I might

give you some of the same words in the next round.

Ready? Number 1: up.

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[Establish a pace by counting to three silently between words.]

Teacher: Number 2: open syllable re.

[Count to three.]

Teacher: Number 3: cash.

[Count to three.]

Teacher: Number 4: bike.

Continue dictating at an even pace until the 1 minute is up. Review the spelling with students

and make note of trouble areas, so you can include those words in subsequent rounds.

TIPS

• Use a timer to keep track of rounds.

• Select words purposefully by monitoring students throughout the lesson and choosing

words that target students’ areas of need.

ADAPTATION

Adjust the pacing of your dictation and the length of time for rounds, according to your students’

needs.

MONITOR LEARNING

Include many words with previously learned syllable types in word reading to ensure that

students can discriminate between open syllables and other syllable types.

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I.D. ME

Circle the open syllables and put a macron over the long vowel.

Then read the syllables.

de

crane

he

help

shine

sleep

if

I

be

chi

go

bright

play

pro

so

pre

re

cow

ﬁ sh

the

win

ho

home

hop

ﬂ u

make

shelf

ground

oak

on

we

mom

reach

own

toe

sight

treat

ye

time

lo

cre

in

true

hi

tide

tree

tie

spark

wheel

se

bi

dide

cryco

bybe

First of 6 pages

LESSON 8 WORD CARDS

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Contractions

Lesson 9

OBJECTIVE

• Students will read contractions.

• Students will comprehend contractions.

• Students will form contractions.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 9 word cards*

• Contraction ﬂashcard list*

• Contraction sight word cards*

• Apostrophe cards*

• Bingo cards*

• Bingo tokens

• Sentence ﬁx-ups worksheet and answer key*

• Sentences containing words that can form contractions

• Kids’ magazines or newspapers

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of words with contractions.

• Introduce contractions in families, such as not contractions (e.g., don’t, isn’t, doesn’t), will

contractions (e.g., I’ll, they’ll, you’ll), etc.

• If students struggle with a speciﬁc contraction, reteach the meaning of the contraction

and the words that form the contraction.

• Make sure students that can read the sight words that are used in contractions. Review the

sight words as necessary.

• Explicitly teach won’t as an exception that means “will not.”

• Give direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

OPEN SYLLABLES

Write 15 to 20 open-syllable and closed-syllable words on the board (mostly open syllables).

Review the vowel sounds and structure of open syllables (an open syllable ends in a vowel; the

vowel sound is long). Read the words on the board.

Teacher: Today we will review open syllables. Can someone give me an example of an open

syllable?

Students: she

Teacher: That’s correct; the word she is an open syllable. Why is she is an open syllable?

Rigo: Because it has one vowel and the vowel doesn’t have a letter after it. The vowel is

open.

Teacher: Correct. As Rigo said, the vowel is open. What sound does the vowel make in the

open syllable she?

Danielle: /ē/

Teacher: Yes, vowels go for a long walk in an open syllable, so they make their long sound.

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We learned that y is a vowel in an open syllable. Leticia, can you give me an

example of an open syllable in which y is the vowel? Also, tell me the sound y

makes.

Leticia: In sky, the y says /ī/.

Teacher: Correct. Let’s read the words on the board.

Continue the review by pointing to the words and having students say the words.

TIPS

Include words with previously taught sounds, so students can discriminate between the vowels in

open syllables and closed syllables.

OPENING

Teacher: Today we will learn about contractions. I bet that everyone here has used the word

don’t. For example, you might say something like, “I don’t want to do my chores

today.” Don’t is a contraction. It is made up of the words do not. If you said, “I do not

want to do my chores today,” you are saying the same thing as, “I don’t want to do

my chores today.”

[Write “do not = don’t” on the board.]

Teacher: It’s shorter and quicker to use a contraction. We will learn about many contractions.

You’ll see contractions in your reading, and you may want to use them in your

writing, too.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

FORMING CONTRACTIONS

DECODING AND ENCODING

Display words do and not in a pocket chart. Explain that contractions are formed by combining

two words into one word. The apostrophe takes the place of one or more letters, so the

contraction is quicker to read. Demonstrate by sliding the cards next to each other and covering

the o with an apostrophe card.

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Teacher: In the sentence, I don’t like watermelon, the word don’t is a contraction for do not.

A contraction puts two words together and replaces letters with an apostrophe.

[Slide the do and not cards next to each other.]

Teacher: The o in not is replaced with an apostrophe.

[Cover o with an apostrophe card.]

Teacher: The word is now don’t. What’s the word, everyone?

Students: don’t

Teacher: Good. What two words form the contraction don’t, Danielle?

Danielle: Do and not.

Teacher: Let’s form another contraction.

[Put had and not in the pocket chart.]

Teacher: Michael, read the words please.

Michael: had, not

[Slide the had and not cards next to each other.]

Teacher: The o in not is replaced with an apostrophe.

[Demonstrate with an apostrophe card.]

Teacher: Had, not: hadn’t. Repeat, please.

Students: Had, not: hadn’t.

Continue to demonstrate how to form contractions. Students should read the contraction and say

the words that form the contraction.

TIPS

Introduce contractions in families (e.g., introduce not contractions together). Depending on your

students, introduce one to two contraction families per a lesson.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

READING CONTRACTIONS

DECODING

Follow these steps:

1. Read a sentence that does not contain a contraction (e.g., I did not understand.).

2. Write the two words from the sentence that can be made into a contraction (did, not).

3. Have students read the words.

4. Repeat the sentence, this time with the contraction (I didn’t understand.).

5. Have students identify the contraction in the sentence (didn’t).

6. Write and read the contraction.

7. Have students read the contraction and identify the letter(s) the apostrophe replaced.

Teacher: Listen to this sentence: We have not had rain in a long time.

[Write have not on the board.]

Teacher: Read these words please.

Students: have not

Teacher: We haven’t had rain in a long time. Michael, what is the contraction in that

sentence?

Michael: haven’t

[Write haven’t on the board and point to it.]

Teacher: Haven’t. What word?

Students: haven’t

Teacher: What letter did the apostrophe replace, Leticia?

Leticia: o

Continue with more sentences.

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TIPS

• Prepare the sentences before the lesson.

• Scaﬀold instruction by limiting the number of contraction families introduced in a lesson.

ERROR CORRECTION

If a student makes an error, explain the contraction and demonstrate. Have the student repeat the

contraction and the two words that make up the contraction.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SPELLING CONTRACTIONS

ENCODING

Think aloud to model how to spell wouldn’t and isn’t.

Teacher: You have learned that contractions are formed from two words. You have learned

to read a contraction. The next step is learning to spell contractions. I’ll use the

word wouldn’t to demonstrate how to spell contractions. Here is the word in a

sentence: She wouldn’t get out of bed. What words form wouldn’t?

Students: Would and not.

Teacher: That’s right! As I spell wouldn’t on the board, I will model what I’m thinking as I

spell. Because I know wouldn’t is made up of would and not, ﬁrst I write would.

[Write would on the board.]

Teacher: Contractions form one word from two words, so there is not a space between

would and the next letter, which is the n in not.

[Write n next.]

Teacher: An apostrophe replaces the o in not, so I write an apostrophe and t.

[ Write an apostrophe and t to form the contraction wouldn’t.]

Teacher: Would not, wouldn’t: Repeat, please.

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Students: would not, wouldn’t

Teacher: Let’s spell isn’t. Here’s the contraction in a sentence: She isn’t going to school. What

words form isn’t?

Students: is and not

Teacher: First, I write is.

[Write is on the board.]

Teacher: What do I put after is?

Leticia: The next part is not, but instead of o, put an apostrophe.

Teacher: Exactly! Instead of writing not, I write n, an apostrophe, and t.

[Write n, apostrophe, t to form isn’t.]

Teacher: What’s the contraction?

Students: isn’t

Continue spelling more contractions, providing less modeling each time.

ADAPTATION

Scaﬀold by having students write both words, cross out the replaced letters, and add the

apostrophe.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

SORTING CONTRACTIONS

DECODING

Divide the board into two sections. Label one section “ ___ not” and write the example word don’t

beneath it. Label the other section “___ will” and write the example word I’ll beneath it. Display

contraction word cards and have students read the contraction. Write each contraction under the

appropriate section. As you write the contraction, explain what two words are put together and

what letters are replaced.

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Teacher: I will show you cards containing contractions. We will read each contraction,

decide which contraction family it belongs to, and write it on the board.

[Display it’ll.]

Teacher: What word, everyone?

Students: it’ll

Teacher: Correct. The word it’ll belongs in the will family because it is formed from the

words it and will. The apostrophe replaced the w and i in will.

[Write it’ll on the board. Display the next word, can’t.]

Teacher: Michael, what word?

Michael: can’t

Teacher: Everyone say can’t.

Students: can’t

Teacher: Great. This word belongs in the not family because it is can and not. For words

in the not contraction family, the apostrophe usually replaces the o in not. Can’t,

however, is a little diﬀerent. The apostrophe replaces the n and o.

[Write can’t on the board. Display the next word, they’ll.]

Teacher: What word?

Students: they’ll

Teacher: Yes. Who can tell me what family they’ll belongs to and why?

Leticia: It’s they will, so it belongs under will.

Teacher: Very nicely done. What does the apostrophe replace?

Rigo: It replaces the w and i in will.

Teacher: Perfect.

Repeat the sequence with other contractions.

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TIP

Leave the contraction families displayed and add sections as more contractions are introduced.

Adapted from Honig, B., Diamond, L., Gutlohn, L., & Mahler, J. (2000). CORE teaching reading sourcebook: For

kindergarten through eighth grade. Ann Arbor, MI: Academic Therapy.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

CONTRACTION RACING

DECODING

Make ﬂashcards with a contraction on one side and the two words forming the contraction on

the other side. Have two students stand at the front of the room. Show these students the side of

a ﬂashcard with the two words. Have the students say the corresponding contraction as quickly as

they can. Then, ﬂip over the ﬂashcard to show the contraction. The student who answers correctly

ﬁrst remains at the front of the room while another student joins him or her to race. Question

students, so they can demonstrate their knowledge.

Teacher: We’re going to race to form contractions. Two of you will come to the front of the

room. I’ll show you a card with two words that form a contraction. Whoever says

the correct contraction ﬁrst remains up front, and another classmate comes up

to race. If neither gets the answer, I will put the card at the bottom of the pile and

show another card. I’ll ask you questions, even if you aren’t at the front of the room,

so pay close attention.

Rigo and Danielle, please come up front.

[Display would not.]

Danielle: wouldn’t

[Display the contraction side of the card.]

Teacher: That is correct, Danielle. Michael, what letter does the apostrophe replace?

Michael: The o in not.

Teacher: Leticia, it is your turn up front with Danielle.

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[Display who will.]

Leticia: who’ll

[Display the answer.]

Teacher: That’s right. Who can use who’ll in a sentence?

Rigo: Who will be at the game?

Teacher: It’s a good sentence, but you used the two words instead of the contraction. Try it

with the contraction.

Rigo: Who’ll be at the game?

Continue reading words with more two-sided cards.

ADAPTATION

The activity can be done in reverse by showing the contraction side of the card. Have students

say the two words that form the contraction. At the end of the activity, have students read the

contraction side of all the cards.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

CONTRACTION MATCHING

DECODING

Place the contraction cards wouldn’t, hasn’t, they’ll, it’ll, isn’t, you’ll, that’ll, and can’t in a vertical

column in a pocket chart. Randomly arrange the word cards that form the contractions in a

diﬀerent pocket chart. Keep an apostrophe card close by. Have one student at a time select a

contraction from the chart, say the contraction, and match it with the words that form it. While

one student takes a turn, have the other students write the words that form the contraction on

their whiteboards. Have students then read the contractions and their matching words aloud.

Teacher: Let’s match contractions with the words that make up the contractions. In pocket

chart 1 is a column of contractions. As I point to each contraction, read it aloud.

Students: wouldn’t, hasn’t, they’ll, it’ll, isn’t, you’ll, that’ll, can’t

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Teacher: In pocket chart 2 are words that form the contractions. Notice that the words in

the second chart aren’t in order. Your task is to match the words from chart 2 to the

contractions in chart 1. Each of you will have a turn. When it’s not your turn, write

the words that make up the contraction on your whiteboard.

Michael, you’re ﬁrst, so come up and tell us which contraction you will match.

Michael: I choose isn’t.

Teacher: Find the words that form isn’t and put them next to the isn’t card.

Everyone else, write the words that form isn’t on your whiteboards. Hold up the

boards when you are ﬁnished.

[Michael ﬁnds is and not and puts them next to isn’t.]

Michael: Isn’t: is not.

Teacher: Great. By looking at the whiteboards, I see that everyone was correct.

Michael, using this apostrophe card, cover up the letter that it replaces.

[Michael covers up the o.]

Teacher: That’s correct. Everyone, erase your boards. Michael, please sit down. Leticia come

up and pick a contraction to match.

Continue the activity until all of the contractions are matched with their words. Correct any

students who write an incorrect answer on their whiteboard.

ADAPTATIONS

• Increase or decrease the number of cards, depending on the level of your students.

• Include some distractor words on chart 2 that do not match any of the contractions.

• Do the activity on a table, instead of in pocket charts.

• Select the contractions to be matched.

• Have students select grouped word pairs and ﬁnd the matching contractions.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

CONTRACTION BINGO

DECODING

Distribute bingo cards with two words that make a contraction in each box. Show a contraction

card. Have students read the contraction silently, ﬁnd the two words that make the contraction on

their card, and mark the box with a token. For example, if the contraction shown is don’t, students

should cover the box containing do not. Then, have students say the contraction and the two

words that form the contraction. Repeat with the next contraction card. The ﬁrst student to form a

line on their board, using the tokens, wins the game.

TIPS

Be sure to have students say each contraction and its two words. This procedure ensures that

students read the words, rather than just guessing or matching initial letters.

ADAPTATIONS

• Do the activity in reverse by showing two words that form a contraction and having

students ﬁnd the matching contraction on the bingo card.

• Assign diﬀerent students to read each contraction card to the group, instead of showing it.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 5

CONTRACTION WRITING

ENCODING

Say two words and have students work with a partner to write the corresponding contraction.

Have one pair of students share the contraction they wrote. Then, write the two words and the

contraction on the board. Have all students chorally say the two words and the contraction.

Teacher: I will say two words that form a contraction. Work with your partner to write the

contraction. One of the teams will then tell me their contraction, and I will write it

on the board. Then, everyone will read the two words and the contraction.

Ready? The ﬁrst words are have not. Here are the words in a sentence: Lisa and her

brothers have not played video games all week.

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[Write have not on the board.]

Rigo and Danielle, what is your contraction?

Danielle: haven’t

Teacher: Correct. How did you spell haven’t?

Rigo: First we wrote have: h-a-v-e.

[Write have on the board.]

Danielle: Then, we wrote n, apostrophe, t next to have.

[Write n, an apostrophe, and t to complete haven’t.]

Teacher: Nicely done! Michael, what letter did the apostrophe replace?

Michael: The o.

Teacher: Let’s all read the two words and the contraction together.

Students: have not, haven’t

Continue the activity, gradually reducing your modeling.

ADAPTATIONS

• Give the two words orally only, without writing them on the board.

• Have students take turns writing the words and contractions on the board.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

FINDING CONTRACTIONS

DECODING

Pass out sections of a kids’ magazine or school newspaper. Have students circle any areas where a

contraction could have been used and underline contractions. Have students share their ﬁndings,

what contractions could have been formed from the circled words, and what two words form

each of the underlined contractions.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

WRITING SENTENCES THAT USE CONTRACTIONS

ENCODING

Dictate a contraction and have students write two sentences, one that uses the contraction

correctly and another that uses the two words that make up the contraction.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

SENTENCE FIXUPS

ENCODING

Give students 10 to 15 decodable sentences containing words that form contractions. Have

students write each set of two words and the contraction they form. Call on students to read the

sentences. Ask questions throughout to assess understanding (e.g., “Why did you select those 2

words?” or “What contraction do those words make?”).

MONITOR LEARNING

During the guided practice activities, listen to determine whether students put words together

correctly. Also, check whether students use the correct contractions when writing sentences and

participating in the activities. During independent practice, review any contractions with which

students struggle, writing the contraction and the two words that make up the contraction.

Some contractions have homophones. Write the word whose on the board and contrast it with

who’s. Explain the diﬀerence between the homophones and ask the students for sentences that

contain the correct homophone. Do the same with the words its and it’s.

GENERALIZATION

Have students reread one of their past papers to ﬁnd areas where they could have used a

contraction. However, explain that formal writing should avoid contractions. Compare diﬀerent

types of texts and notice where more contractions are used (e.g., compare dialogue in a literature

text with expository science text). Read some of the passages, substituting the words that form

contractions or vice versa. Ask students what diﬀerences they notice in the tone of the passages.

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don’tdoesn’t

didn’tcould’ve

can’taren’t

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

CONTRACTION FLASHCARD LIST

Prepare 3 x 5 index cards with a contraction on one side and the contracted words on the other.

SIDE 1 SIDE 2

I’m I am

you’re you are

we’re we are

he’s he is

she’s she is

it’s it is

what’s what is

that’s that is

who’s who is

here’s here is

I’d I had

I’d I would

you’d you had

you’d you would

he’d he would

he’d he had

she’d she would

she’d she had

won’t will not

I’ve I have

you’ve you have

SIDE 1 SIDE 2

we’ve we have

they’ve they have

I’ll I will

you’ll you will

she’ll she will

they’ll they will

he’ll he will

it’ll it will

can’t can not

don’t do not

isn’t is not

shouldn’t should not

couldn’t could not

wouldn’t would not

aren’t are not

doesn’t does not

wasn’t was not

weren’t were not

didn’t did not

let’s let us

First of 6 pages

LESSON 9 WORD CARDS

shouldare

sheam

notI

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

FREE

BINGO

CONTRACTION SIGHT WORD

CARDS

First of 5 pages:

Sight word and apostrophe cards included

First of 2 pages: 5x5 grid included

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SENTENCE FIXUPS

In each sentence, circle the words that could form a contraction.

1. Trent did not like the paint his dad chose for his room.

2. We are a strong team, but I do not think we will win the game.

3. After class, we are going to the mall to get Ma a new shirt.

4. He will be at camp for at least 6 weeks.

5. She would like to read the book about life forms on Mars.

6. Mark will not play catch if it is too hot in the yard.

7. Gran could not reach the jar on the top shelf.

8. Fred does not have the cash for a new game.

9. That is the last time you can watch the ﬁ fth-grade play.

10. Ralph can not see the launch of the new ship.

11. We have seen the owl hunt for its food in the dark.

12. I would like to go to the East Coast this fall to see the trees.

13. What is the best way to learn math facts?

14. Coach Welsh said he would pick me for a spot on the team.

15. I am glad to see that the dog found a safe way to get back home.

First of 2 pages:

Worksheet plus answer key

Lesson Plans Lesson 10 | 171

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Compound Words

Lesson 10

OBJECTIVE

Students will read and form compound words.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 10 word cards*

• Pictures illustrating compound words and their smaller words (e.g., dog, house, cook, book,

doghouse, cookbook)

• Inﬂatable ball, such as a beach ball or soccer ball

• Sentence reading worksheet*

• Compound word math worksheet*

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of compound words.

• Make sure that students have learned the words, or the concepts they represent, that form

compound words. For example, if a student had not learned the soft c and the word space

as a sight word, the compound word spacecraft would not be appropriate for a lesson.

• When error correction is necessary, separate the compound word into smaller words.

• Provide direct feedback to students.

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DAILY REVIEW

CONTRACTIONS

Teacher: Let’s review contractions. Can someone give me an example of a contraction?

Patrick: isn’t

Teacher: Good, isn’t is a contraction. What two words form the contraction isn’t?

Patrick: Is and not.

Teacher: Remember that an apostrophe replaces letters. Let’s spell the contraction isn’t.

[Write the contraction on the board as students spell.]

Teacher: What letter does the apostrophe replace?

Selena: It replaces the o in not.

Repeat with several contractions.

OPENING

Teacher: In today’s lesson, we will begin learning about multisyllabic words. These are words

with more than one syllable. We’ll begin with compound words.

Compound words are made up of two smaller words. So, you can use the small

words you know to read big words! Most of the time, you can even ﬁgure out the

meaning of a compound word by looking at the smaller words that form it.

You already use compound words in your everyday speech. For example,

homework is a compound word. It is made up of the words home and work. We

know that homework is school work that is done at home.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

LEARNING ABOUT COMPOUND WORDS

DECODING

Write dog and house on the board and have students read the words. Tell students that when the

two words are put together, they form a compound word, doghouse, which means “a house for a

dog.” Show pictures of a dog and a house. Show a picture of a doghouse.

[Point to dog and house on the board.]

Teacher: What are these words?

Students: Dog and house.

Teacher: Now, if we put the words together...

[Write doghouse on the board.]

Teacher: ...we get doghouse. Doghouse is a compound word that means “a house for a dog.”

[Show a picture of a doghouse.]

Teacher: The word doghouse is made of two smaller words, dog...

[Underline dog.]

Teacher: ...and house.

[Underline house.]

[Write cook and book and show pictures of a cook and a book.]

Teacher: Read the words, please.

Tony: cook, book

Teacher: Let’s put the words together to form the compound word...

[Write cookbook.]

Teacher: ...cookbook: cook...

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[Underline cook.]

Teacher: ...book.

[Underline book.]

Cookbook: Who can tell me what a cookbook is?

Selena: It’s a book with recipes you can cook.

Teacher: Exactly.

[Show a picture of a cookbook or an actual cookbook.]

Teacher: So, you can see that many times, you can ﬁgure out what a compound word

means by looking at the smaller words that form it.

TIP

In a compound word, each smaller word must be a real word, not an aﬃx or partial word. For

instance, reptile is not a compound word because rep does not stand on its own as a word.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

READING COMPOUND WORDS

DECODING

Model how to read compound words by looking for the smaller words that form compound

words. Write several compound words on the board (e.g., backbone, football, homesick).

Underline the two smaller words that form each compound word. Read each smaller word as you

point to it. Then read the whole word.

[Point to backbone.]

Teacher: This word is longer than the words we have learned in previous lessons, but you

can read it by looking at the smaller words that you know within it. I see back at

the beginning of the word.

[Underline back.]

Teacher: Back is a closed syllable. Then I see bone.

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[Underline bone.]

Bone is a VCe syllable. Back and bone make backbone. Repeat, please.

Students: Back and bone make backbone.

[Point to football.]

Teacher: Tony, what is the ﬁrst small word?

[Point to the word foot.]

Tony: foot

[Underline foot.]

Teacher: What is the second word, Eva?

[Point to ball.]

Eva: ball

[Underline ball.]

Teacher: Patrick, what is the compound word?

Patrick: football

Teacher: Right, the word football is formed from the words foot and ball. Everyone, say,

“foot, ball, football.”

Students: foot, ball, football

Teacher: Let’s read some other compound words in the same way.

Continue segmenting compound words into their smaller words.

TIPS

• Scaﬀold instruction by reading compound words from the same family (e.g., ﬁreman,

ﬁreﬂy, ﬁrewood, ﬁreworks).

• Make sure that students have learned the smaller words that form compound words.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SPELLING COMPOUND WORDS

ENCODING

Explain that spelling compound words consists of writing the two individual words without a

space between them. Refer back to spelling doghouse in Activity 1. Model spelling compound

words by using the following steps:

1. Say the compound word.

2. Say the small words that form the compound word.

3. Spell and write the ﬁrst word.

4. Spell and write the second word, without a space between the two individual words.

5. Check your word by reading it.

Teacher: You have learned that dog and house can be combined to form one word,

doghouse. To spell doghouse, I follow these steps:

I say the whole word, doghouse.

I say each small word: dog, house.

[Write doghouse as you say the letters.]

Teacher: I spell and write each word without a space between them: dog: d-o-g; house: h-o-

u-s-e; doghouse.

If you can spell the smaller words, you can spell the compound word. Let’s follow

the steps to spell a word together. Repeat after me: sandbox.

Students: sandbox

Teacher: sand, box

Students: sand, box

[Write sandbox as you spell it.]

Teacher: sand: s-a-n-d; box: b-o-x; sandbox

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[Students write sandbox as they say the letters.]

Students: sand: s-a-n-d; box: b-o-x; sandbox

Continue dictating compound words for students to spell.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

VOLLEYBALL COMPOUND GAME

DECODING

On each section of an inﬂatable ball, write a word that forms the beginning of a compound word

(e.g., bed, back, hair, book, snow, home, out, sun). On the board, list words that form the second

part of the compound words (e.g., room, spread, ground, pack, brush, cut, mark, case, plow,

ﬂake, work, side, shine). Have a student toss the ball to another student. After the second student

catches the ball, he or she says a word that is under one of his or her thumbs on the ball. He or

she then chooses a word from the board that makes a compound word with the ﬁrst word and

says the two words quickly as a compound word. Write the compound word on the board and

have students read it. The student then tosses the ball to another student.

Teacher: This ball has words on it that are the beginning of compound words. The words

on the board are the ending of compound words. When you catch the ball, say

the word that is under one of your thumbs. Then, say a word from the board that

makes a compound word with your word. Finally, say the two words quickly to

form a compound word. Make sure your compound word is a real word.

I’ll demonstrate the ﬁrst one. My word from the ball is snow; the word I choose

from the board is ﬂake. Snow, ﬂake make snowﬂake. Repeat, please.

Students: Snow, ﬂake make snowﬂake.

Teacher: Is snowﬂake a real word?

Students: Yes.

[Toss the ball to Tony.]

Teacher: Read the word under one of your thumbs, read a word from the board that makes

a compound word with your word, and then put the words together to read the

compound word.

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Tony: Bed, room make bedroom.

Teacher: Everyone, please repeat.

Students: Bed, room make bedroom.

Teacher: That’s right.

[Tony tosses the ball to Patrick.]

Patrick: Book, pack make bookpack.

Teacher: Does bookpack sound like a real word?

Patrick: No, I guess not.

Teacher: Choose another word from the board to make a real word.

Patrick: Book, case make bookcase.

Continue tossing the ball and forming compound words.

ADAPTATIONS

This activity can be done without the ball:

• On the board or on a worksheet, write two lists of words: one of the beginnings of

compound words and the other of the endings of compound words. Have students select

words from each list that form compounds and read the words.

• Write words that form compound words on index cards. Distribute the cards to students

and have them put the cards together to form compound words.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

RECOGNIZING COMPOUND WORDS

DECODING

Write 10 to 15 compound words on the board. Have students go to the board individually and

underline the two small words that form each compound word and then read the compound

word. Then have all the students read the compound word.

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Teacher: Several compound words are on the board. Each of you will underline the two

small words that make up a compound word and then read the compound word.

The rest of the class will then read the compound word together.

Let’s do this one together.

[Point to handshake.]

Teacher: Hmm, I see hand, so I underline it.

[Underline hand.]

Teacher: Do you see the other small word, Eva?

Eva: Yes, it’s the other half of the word: shake.

[Underline shake.]

Teacher: Now I can read the compound word: handshake. Repeat, please.

Students: handshake

Teacher: Selena, choose a word. Find the two small words and underline them.

[Selena points to barnyard.]

Selena: There’s barn, and then there’s yard.

Teacher: That’s exactly right. Underline the small words and then read the compound word.

[Selena underlines barn and yard.]

Selena: barnyard

Teacher: Everyone, repeat, please.

Students: barnyard

Continue calling students to the board to take a turn.

ADAPTATION

Have students read several of the words again, this time saying the word as a complete unit.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

WHICH COMPOUND WORD IS REAL?

DECODING

On the board, write the beginning of three to ﬁve compound words in a row (e.g., door, back,

down, bath, home). Under each word, write two endings: one that forms a compound word with

the beginning word and one that does not. Have students determine which ending forms a real

compound word, read the word, and write the word.

Teacher: The ﬁve words on the board are the beginning of compound words. Underneath

each word are two choices of endings, but only one of them forms a real

compound word with the beginning word. Your task is to ﬁgure out which

compound word is real.

Let’s do the ﬁrst one together. Eva, please read the ﬁrst word and the choices

under it.

door_____

line bell

Eva: The word is door. The choices for the ending are line and bell.

Teacher: I’ll try forming compound words with both endings to ﬁgure out which is the real

compound word: doorline or doorbell. Which one is a real word?

Students: doorbell

Teacher: Correct. Everyone, repeat doorbell and then write it on your whiteboard.

Students: doorbell

[Students write doorbell on their whiteboards.]

Teacher: Tony, please read the next beginning word and its choices.

Tony: Bath: The endings are stack and robe.

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Teacher: Excellent. Now, form compound words with both endings. Then, tell me which is a

real word.

Tony: Bathstack, bathrobe: The real word is bathrobe.

Teacher: Correct. Repeat the word and write it on your whiteboard.

Continue forming compound words and determining which is real.

TIPS

Discuss compound words’ meaning and note whether it has a relationship to the smaller words.

ADAPTATION

Make the activity more diﬃcult by increasing the number of choices for each beginning word.

Adapted from MacDonald, L. (2001). The teachers’ mouse pad. Retrieved from http://www.teachersmousepad.com/

LA/COMPOUND%20WORD%20FUN.htm

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

WHITEBOARD DICTATION

ENCODING

Have students use the spelling process described earlier to write dictated compound words. In a

whisper voice, have students repeat the compound word. Then, have students whisper and spell

each smaller word on their whiteboards and hold them up when ﬁnished.

Teacher: I will dictate a compound word. In a whisper voice, repeat the word, and say and

spell each small word that forms it. After you write the compound word, hold the

whiteboard up so I can see it.

The ﬁrst word is birthday. Say the whole word, and say and spell each part. Then

say the compound word again.

Students: Birthday: birth, b-i-r-t-h; day, d-a-y. Birthday.

[Students hold up their whiteboards.]

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Teacher: Here is a question from a previous lesson: Where is the r-controlled syllable?

Tony: It’s in birth because of ir.

Teacher: Excellent job!

Continue dictating compound words; monitor by listening to students.

TIP

As students gain proﬁciency and automaticity in recognizing and spelling the smaller words in a

compound word, students can follow the encoding steps silently.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

READING COMPOUND WORDS IN SENTENCES

DECODING

Distribute a worksheet with 10 to 15 sentences containing compound words. Have students read

the sentences silently and underline the two words that make up each compound word. Then

have students read the sentences aloud.

Teacher: Read each sentence silently. When you see a compound word, underline the two

words that form it. You will read the sentences aloud later. While you are reading, I

might ask you to whisper-read, so I can listen. Please begin.

[Circulate among students and ask some students to whisper-read.]

Teacher: Now, we will read aloud. When I call on you, read the sentence, tell me the

compound word, and tell me the words that make up the compound word.

ADAPTATIONS

• Write the sentences on sentence strips.

• Write the sentences on a whiteboard or overhead.

• Have students choose three to four sentences to practice and then read with expression.

• Have students read sentences to a partner.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

3MINUTE COMPOUND

DECODING AND ENCODING

Partner students and have each pair write as many compound words as they can in 3 minutes.

Provide guidance to student pairs as you circulate and monitor their work. After the 3 minutes,

have each pair read one of their compound words while you write the word on the board. Have

the other students mark oﬀ the word, if they have it on their list. After students have shared each

word, select several of the words written on the board and have students read the words.

Teacher: With your partner, write as many compound words as you can. Make sure they are

real words. You will have 3 minutes. At the end of the 3 minutes, each pair will take

turns telling me a word. I’ll write them on the board. If another team says a word

that you have on your list, mark it oﬀ, so we don’t repeat words. At the end, we’ll

read the list and see which group came up with the most words.

TIPS

• As students read compound words, ask students to identify the two words that form the

compounds.

• For some compound words, brieﬂy discuss whether the meaning can be derived from the

smaller words that form the compounds.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

COMPOUND WORD MATH

ENCODING

Tell students that another way to think about compound words is a math equation: ﬁrst small

word + second small word = compound word. Distribute the compound word math worksheet

to students and dictate compound words. Have students complete both sides of the equation.

Teacher: Compound words are similar to an equation in math: Instead of 1 + 2 = 3, we’ll use

words. For example, The home plus sick equals the compound word homesick.

[Write “home + sick = homesick” on the board.]

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Teacher: How would you write the equation for the compound word outside?

[Write on the board as the student dictates.]

Selena: It would be out + side = outside.

Teacher: Correct. That is what you will do on this worksheet. I’ll dictate a compound word,

and you will write the two smaller words in the spaces on the left side of the equal

sign and the compound word on the right side of the equal sign, just like it is on

the board.

ADAPTATION

As an alternative to dictating the compound word, show students a picture of a compound word

(such as a bathtub) and have students identify the picture and write the word as an equation.

MONITOR LEARNING

• During the guided practice stage, listen to make sure that students create real words.

• If students are not sure whether a word they formed is a compound word, direct the

students to identify the two smaller words.

• Listen closely when students repeat words to ensure that students say the correct word

and pronounce it accurately.

GENERALIZATION

• When identifying syllables, compound words are divided between the two smaller words.

• Looking for smaller words and considering the context can be an eﬀective strategy for

ﬁguring out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. For example, in the following sentence,

the meaning of the compound word lightweight can be determined by recognizing the

smaller words that form it, along with its context: The truck was lightweight, yet could

carry extremely heavy rocks!

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cowboycoastline

campfirebookcase

blacksmithbackground

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SENTENCE READING

COMPOUND WORDS

1. A plain is a landform that can be found in Texas.

2. The tribe ate shellﬁ sh, roots, and nuts.

3. The tent kept the men dry in the rainstorm.

4. The ﬂ ame from the campﬁ re could be seen for miles.

5. The group will take the railroad from east to west.

6. Rick slept late on the day of his airplane ride.

7. The South has a long coastline.

8. Ms. Brown gave us the rules and then let us brainstorm.

9. I like the soft, brown chair at the bookstore.

10. Redwood trees grow on the West Coast.

11. The brim of his cowboy hat will block the harsh rays of the sun.

12. Rose wakes up at 7:00 each weekday.

13. Liz gave me a ﬁ rm handshake when I met her for the ﬁ rst time.

14. A starﬁ sh has ﬁ ve arms!

15. Greg will put each key word in his notebook.

First of 6 pages

LESSON 10 WORD CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

COMPOUND WORD MATH

1

+ =

2

+ =

3

+ =

4

+ =

5

+ =

6

+ =

7

+ =

8

+ =

9

+ =

10

+ =

11

+ =

12

+ =

13

+ =

14

+ =

15

+ =

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Affixes With

Unchanging Base Words

Lesson 11

OBJECTIVES

• Students will read words with aﬃxes.

• Students will form words with aﬃxes.

NOTE: This lesson focuses on base words whose spelling does not change when an aﬃx is added.

Base words whose spelling changes when adding a suﬃx (e.g., plan–planned, funny–funnier,

make–making) are taught in a later lesson.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 11 letter cards*

• Word cards from previous lesson (featuring base words that do not change when an aﬃx

is added)

• Lesson 11 word cards*

• Manila folders

• Decodable text containing aﬃxes that students have learned, such as a class newspaper,

textbook, or chapter book

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for list of aﬃxes.

• Refer to the Appendix for list of whole words (unchanging base words with aﬃxes).

• Teach one aﬃx at a time. Introduce more as students become proﬁcient.

• Choose base words that are decodable.

• The goal of the lesson is for students to understand that aﬃxes are word parts at the

beginning and end of words that are pronounced in a predictable way. Although aﬃxes

aﬀect the meaning of words, initially, focus on simply reading the words. Any discussion

about word meaning should be brief and take place after students can read the word.

• Provide direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

COMPOUND WORDS

Teacher: Does anyone remember what a compound word is?

Ruby: A compound word is two smaller words put together to make one big word.

Teacher: Please give me an example.

Ruby: Football is from the small words foot and ball.

[Write runway, weekend, and something on the board.]

Teacher: Read these words and tell me the smaller words that form them.

John: Run, way make runway.

[Students read the rest of the words on the board.]

Teacher: We have learned that compound words are made of two words. Today we’re going

to talk about words made of word parts.

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OPENING

Teacher: Today, we will learn about aﬃxes. An aﬃx is a word part added to the beginning

or end of a base word to create a new word. Some words have only an aﬃx at the

beginning of a word, which is called a preﬁx. Some words have an aﬃx at the end

of a word, which is called a suﬃx. Sometimes, words have both a preﬁx and a suﬃx.

Sometimes, aﬃxes change the meaning of words. Knowing about aﬃxes can help

us read large words and discover their meaning.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

READING WORDS WITH PREFIXES

DECODING

Write re on the board. Explain that re is a preﬁx that appears in many words. It is an open syllable,

so it is pronounced /rē/. Write some examples of words containing the preﬁx re (e.g., redo, reread,

return, reﬁll, rewind, renew). Show students how to read the words by identifying the preﬁx and

base word and putting them together as a whole word. Explain what the preﬁx re usually means

and tell students how this knowledge helps them understand words’ meanings.

[Point to re on the board.]

Teacher: This is a preﬁx, so it is a word part that is added to the beginning of a word.

Because it’s an open syllable, it is pronounced /rē/. Everyone, repeat, please.

Students: /rē/

Teacher: To read this word...

[Point to redo.]

Teacher: ...I ﬁnd the word parts and put them together.

[Circle re while saying /rē/.]

Teacher: This word has the preﬁx re.

Then I look at the base word and read it.

[Underline do while saying do.]

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Teacher: The base word is do.

I put the preﬁx and the base word together to form the whole word: re, do, redo.

Let’s read it together. Read each part as I point to it and then say the whole word.

[Point to re and do, and then slide your hand under the whole word.]

Students: re, do, redo

Teacher: Let’s read some more words with preﬁxes.

[Point to reread and circle the preﬁx.]

Teacher: Cherelle, what is the sound of this preﬁx?

Cherelle: /rē/

[Underline read.]

Teacher: John, what is the base word?

John: read

Teacher: I put the preﬁx and the base word together to form the whole word: re, read,

reread. Repeat, everyone.

Students: re, read, reread

Teacher: Now read each part as I point and then say the whole word.

[Point to re.]

Students: re

[Point to turn.]

Students: turn

[Slide you hand under the whole word.]

Students: return

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Teacher: Earlier, I said that some aﬃxes change the meaning of base words. For example,

when you reread a book, you read it again. When you return a video, you bring it

back to the store. So, re can mean “again” or “back.”

Continue reading words. Gradually reduce your modeling—for example, have students circle the

preﬁx and underline the base word themselves.

TIP

Students may ask about a word that is an exception—for example, refuse meaning “to decline to

accept,” rather than “to fuse again.” In this case, say that in this particular use of the word, re does

not mean “back” or “again,” and provide students with a quick deﬁnition of the word.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

READING WORDS WITH SUFFIXES

DECODING

Write ing and some words containing ing on the board (e.g., jumping, hunting, teaching,

splashing). Explain that ing is a suﬃx that it is pronounced /ing/. Show students how to read the

words by identifying the base word and suﬃx and putting them together.

[Point to ing on the board.]

Teacher: This is a suﬃx, so it is a word part that is added to the end of a word. It is

pronounced /ing/. Everyone, repeat, please.

Students: /ing/

Teacher: Reading words with suﬃxes is similar to reading words with preﬁxes. To read this

word...

[Point to jumping.]

Teacher: ...I ﬁnd the word parts and put them together.

[Circle ing while saying it.]

Teacher: This word has the suﬃx ing.

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Then, I look at the base word and read it.

[Underline jump while saying it.]

Teacher: The base word is jump.

Then, I put the base word and the suﬃx together to form the whole word: jump,

ing, jumping. Let’s read it together. Read each part as I point to it and then say the

whole word.

[Point to jump.]

Students: jump

[Point to ing.]

Students: ing

[Slide your hand under the whole word.]

Students: jumping

Teacher: Let’s read some more words with suﬃxes.

[Point to hunting and circle the suﬃx.]

Teacher: What is the sound of this suﬃx?

Gilbert: /ing/

[Underline hunt.]

Teacher: What is the base word?

Ruby: hunt

Teacher: I put the word parts together to form the whole word: hunt, ing, hunting. Repeat.

Students: hunt, ing, hunting

Continue reading words. Gradually reduce your modeling—for example, have students circle the

preﬁx or underline the base word themselves.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

READING WORDS WITH MORE THAN ONE AFFIX

DECODING

Model this activity after students have learned several preﬁxes and suﬃxes.

Use word cards and aﬃx cards to demonstrate that some words contain more than one aﬃx.

Display the like word card. Form unlikely by adding the aﬃx cards un and ly. Explain that the

strategy for reading these words is the same as for words with just one aﬃx: Identify the base

word and the aﬃxes, and then put them together as a whole word.

Teacher: Some words have more than one aﬃx.

[Display the word card like. Form likely by moving the ly card next to like.]

Teacher: When I add the suﬃx ly to the base word, what is the new word?

Students: likely

[Add the un card to beginning of likely.]

Teacher: Now I’ve added a preﬁx, un. This word has a preﬁx and a suﬃx. I use the same

strategy to read it that we learned before. I identify the base word, like...

[Point to like.]

Teacher: ...and the aﬃxes un and ly.

[Point to un and ly.]

Teacher: I read the word by putting them all together: un, like, ly, unlikely. Read each part as

I point to it, and then say the whole word.

[Point to un.]

Students: un

[Point to like.]

Students: like

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[Point to ly.]

Students: ly

[Slide your hand under the whole word.]

Students: unlikely

Teacher: Let’s read some more words with aﬃxes.

[Display the word card fresh and add the preﬁx card re and suﬃx card ment.

Point to re.]

John, what is the preﬁx?

John: re

[Point to fresh.]

Teacher: What is the base word?

John: fresh

[Point to ment.]

Teacher: What is the suﬃx?

John: ment

Teacher: Put the word parts together to form the whole word.

John: re, fresh, ment, refreshment

Teacher: Excellent reading! Sometimes, two suﬃxes can be added to a base word.

[Display carelessly, using the word card care and the suﬃx cards less and ly.]

Teacher: Everyone, read each part of the word as I point to it, and then say the whole word.

[Point to care.]

Students: care

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[Point to less.]

Students: less

[Point to ly.]

Students: ly

[Slide your hand under the whole word.]

Students: carelessly

Teacher: What is the base word in carelessly?

Gilbert: care

Teacher: What suﬃxes were added?

Gilbert: less, ly

Read other words with multiple aﬃxes.

TIPS

• Scaﬀold by grouping words with the same combination of aﬃxes. For example, read

carelessly, thanklessly, and hopelessly. Then read skillfully, thankfully, and hopefully.

• Model using some of the words in a sentence. Ask students whether they can determine

the words’ meanings by looking at the aﬃxes. For example, use the following sentence

for the word carelessly: Rita did her homework so carelessly, the teacher couldn’t read her

handwriting.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 4

SPELLING WORDS WITH AFFIXES

ENCODING

Model, using the following steps:

1. Say the word.

2. Say the word parts that form it.

3. Spell and write the ﬁrst word part.

4. Spell and write the second word part.

5. Check your spelling by reading the word you wrote.

Teacher: When spelling words with aﬃxes, ﬁrst, identify the aﬃx and the base word. Then,

spell each word part, without putting a space between them.

For example, repaint consists of the preﬁx re and the base word paint. Listen as I

go through the steps to spell repaint.

I say the whole word: repaint.

I say each word part: re, paint.

[Write repaint as you say the letters.]

Teacher: I spell each word part without a space between them: re, r-e; paint, p-a-i-n-t.

I can say the sounds in the base word if I’m not sure how to spell it: /p/ /ai/ /n/ /t/.

I read the word: repaint.

Now, we’ll follow the same steps to spell a word with a suﬃx. Repeat each step

after me. The word is twisting.

Students: twisting

Teacher: twist, ing

Students: twist, ing

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[Write twisting as you spell it.]

Teacher: twist, t-w-i-s-t; ing, i-n-g

[Students write twisting as they spell it.]

Students: twist, t-w-i-s-t; ing, i-n-g

Continue dictating words for students to spell.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

IDENTIFYING AFFIXES

DECODING

Write on the board columns of words that contain aﬃxes that have been taught—one column

per student and an additional column to use for demonstration. Have students mark the aﬃx and

base for each word in their column and then say the words. (The demonstration words in the

example below are repaid, catcher, ﬂoating, and distrust.)

Teacher: The words on the board contain aﬃxes we have learned. Each of you will be

assigned a column. For each word, draw a circle around the aﬃx and underline the

base word. Then, read the word. We’ll do the ﬁrst column together as a group.

[The ﬁrst word is repaid.]

Teacher: First, I see the preﬁx re, so I circle it. The other part of the word is paid. I underline

paid because it’s the base word. Then I say the word: repaid.

Ruby, do you see an aﬃx in the next word?

[The next word is catcher.]

Ruby: Yes, er is at the end.

Teacher: Correct. Because er is added to the end of the word, is it a preﬁx or suﬃx?

Ruby: It’s a suﬃx. You put a circle around it.

[Circle er.]

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Teacher: What do I do with the other part of the word, John?

John: You underline it because it’s the base word.

[Underline catch.]

Teacher: Gilbert, read the word, please.

Gilbert: catcher

Teacher: That’s right. Cherelle, which part is the base word?

Cherelle: catch

Teacher: Which part is the suﬃx?

Cherelle: er

Teacher: Everyone, say the word.

Students: catcher

Continue in the demonstration column. Have students then mark and read the words in their

assigned column. Guide students by asking questions and listen as students read their words.

ADAPTATION

After students have completed their column, have them read a diﬀerent student’s words.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

SPELL FOLDERFLAP WORDS

ENCODING

Cut the front ﬂap of manila folders into three vertical strips. Label the strips “Preﬁx,” “Base Word,”

and “Suﬃx.” Distribute the folders and tell students that they will spell a dictated word by writing

each segment on the corresponding strip.

Teacher: The folders I have given you have three strips. At the top of each strip is a label: the

strip on the left is labeled “Preﬁx,” the one in the middle is labeled “Base Word,” and

the strip on the right is labeled “Suﬃx.”

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I will dictate a word to you. As we did in an earlier activity, you will repeat the word

and then say the word parts. You’ll write each word part on the folder strip where it

belongs. Then check your spelling by reading the word.

Watch and listen as I demonstrate what you will do. The ﬁrst word is dislike. Repeat.

Students: dislike

[Write the word parts in corresponding columns on the board as you model.]

Teacher: I say the word parts: dis, like. Dis is added to the beginning of the base word, so it’s

a preﬁx. I write it on the preﬁx strip.

The next part, like, is the base word, so I write it on the base word strip.

There isn’t a suﬃx, so I leave that strip blank.

The ﬁnal step is to read the word: dislike.

Let’s do the next word together: speaker. Repeat.

Students: speaker

Teacher: Say the word parts.

Students: speak, er

Teacher: Ruby, what is the ﬁrst word part in speaker?

Ruby: speak

Teacher: On which strip will you write it?

Ruby: It’s a base word, so it goes on the middle strip. Er is added to the end of the word,

so it goes on the suﬃx strip.

Teacher: Excellent. Write the word parts in the correct columns.

Cherelle, please check my work by reading the word.

Cherelle: speaker

Continue dictating words for students to segment and spell.

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TIPS

Scaﬀolding ideas:

• Dictate words with preﬁxes and focus on a few speciﬁc preﬁxes.

• Dictate words with suﬃxes and focus on a few speciﬁc suﬃxes.

• As students gain proﬁciency, dictate words with a variety of word parts, so students learn

to discriminate among the word parts.

ADAPTATION

Have students write the word parts on sticky notes and place the notes in the appropriate strip of

the folder. This method allows folders to be reused.

Adapted from Honig, B., Diamond, L., Gutlohn, L., & Mahler, J. (2000). CORE teaching reading sourcebook: For

kindergarten through eighth grade. Ann Arbor, MI: Academic Therapy.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

FINDING WORDS WITH AFFIXES

DECODING

Distribute a decodable text and assign diﬀerent sections to students. Have students read their

assigned sections, writing the words with aﬃxes on sticky notes. Have students then take turns

reading to a partner the words they have written.

TIPS

• Preview the text to ensure it has many words that contain aﬃxes.

• Some texts will contain words with aﬃxes that do not ﬁt the concepts of this lesson. For

example, some words’ spelling changes when aﬃxes are added (run–running, happy–

happiness, hope–hoped). If a student includes such a word on his or her list, read the

word for the group and tell students that sometimes, base words change when aﬃxes are

added and that a future lesson will focus on that type of word.

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ADAPTATIONS

1. Have students write the words on a whiteboard or notebook paper.

2. Have students exchange texts with a partner and look for aﬃx words that were missed.

3. Tell students how many words should be found in a section.

4. Have students circle the aﬃxes and underline the base words they write.

5. Generate a cumulative list of all the words that students have written and read them as a

group.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

LISTING WORDS WITH AFFIXES

ENCODING

On a sheet of paper, have students write the preﬁx re. Then, have students write as many words

with the preﬁx re as they can (consider setting a time limit). After students have ﬁnished, have

them share two or three of their words with the group and spell the words while you write them

on the board. When appropriate, have students tell the meaning of the word, based on the preﬁx.

Repeat the activity with other aﬃxes students have learned.

MONITOR LEARNING

Listen to students to make sure they pronounce aﬃxes correctly. Watch to make sure that

students spell the base words correctly. If necessary, reteach sounds to ensure that students can

read base words.

GENERALIZATION

Learning these skills will allow students to read longer words in complex text that are made of

base words and aﬃxes.

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LETTER CARDS

AFFIXES

un re dis

im in mis

pre

sub non

inter

de over

s ed es

ing ly

er

dethronedeadly

costlychains

carefulbravely

First of 2 pages:

25 aﬃxes and blank cards included

LESSON 11 WORD CARDS

First of 6 pages

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ed Suffix With

Unchanging Base Words

Lesson 12

OBJECTIVE

• Students will read words with the ed suﬃx.

• Students will spell words with the ed suﬃx.

NOTE: This lesson focuses on base words whose spelling does not change when adding the ed

suﬃx. Base words whose spelling changes when adding the ed suﬃx (e.g., plan–planned, spy–

spied, please–pleased) will be taught in a future lesson.

MATERIALS

• Sticky notes

• Lesson 12 word cards*

• Sentence reading worksheet*

• Word grid template*

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for list of base words that do not change when the ed suﬃx is added.

• For this lesson, choose decodable base words.

• Model and Teach Activity 1 is an oral activity in which students become familiar with the

past tense form of high-utility verbs that end with ed. This activity can be repeated with

additional words throughout the lesson or used as a quick warm-up for other activities.

• The suﬃx ed can be pronounced three ways: /ed/, as in rented; /d/, as in ﬁlled; and /t/, as

in jumped. Include words with all three pronunciations for students to practice.

• Provide direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

ADDING AFFIXES TO UNCHANGING BASE WORDS

Write several words with aﬃxes on the board (e.g., jumping, reﬁll, careless, refresh, unlikely,

thanklessly) on the board. Review what an aﬃx is and the diﬀerence between a preﬁx and suﬃx.

Read words with aﬃxes. Have students say the base word, aﬃx, and whole word.

Teacher: Let’s review what we’ve learned about aﬃxes. Please read the ﬁrst word.

Students: jumping

Teacher: Rita, what is the base word and aﬃx in jumping?

Sandra: jump, ing

Teacher: Correct. We’ve learned that an aﬃx is a word part that is added to the beginning or

end of a word. Has the aﬃx been added to the beginning or end of jumping?

Sandra: It has been added to the end.

Teacher: An aﬃx added to the end is called a suﬃx. An aﬃx added to the beginning of a

word is a preﬁx. We’ll read the rest of the words on the board. Say each word part

and then say the whole word.

[Point to reﬁll.]

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Students: re, ﬁll, reﬁll

Teacher: Aﬃxes can change the meaning of a base word. In reﬁll, how does the aﬃx change

the meaning of the base word?

Marco: A reﬁll on my soda means I can get more soda.

Teacher: Right, it means your cup of soda gets ﬁlled again. Let’s read the rest of the words.

Continue reading words containing aﬃxes.

OPENING

[Write ed on the board.]

Teacher: Today, we will learn about a speciﬁc aﬃx, the ed suﬃx. The ed suﬃx is added to

action words, or verbs. It shows the past tense of the verb. Past tense is when

something already happened.

[Write play and played on the board and point to each as it is discussed.]

Teacher: This word is play. Sasha likes to play video games after school. Adding the ed suﬃx,

we get played. Sasha played video games for 1 hour last night. Played means

that it is in the past. The ed suﬃx is one of the most commonly used suﬃxes, so

learning about it will help you understand more of what you read.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

SAYING WORDS WITH THE ED SUFFIX

Use the following sequence to familiarize students with the past tense of words:

1. Tell students the word.

2. Say a sentence, using the present tense of the word.

3. Have students complete a sentence by supplying the past tense of the word.

4. Say the present and past tense of the word.

5. Have students repeat the present and past tense of the word.

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Use high-utility words with each type of ed pronunciation. The goal is for students to recognize

the sound of the past tense of words before seeing the words. Because this activity does not

involve decoding, include words that are familiar to your students, even if the words contain

syllable types students have not yet learned (e.g., remind, belong, happen, punish, exercise).

Teacher: Let’s learn how words with the ed suﬃx sound. I will tell you a word and a sentence

that uses the word. Then I’ll say a sentence with a form of the word missing. You

say the missing word when I give you this cue.

[Open your palm.]

Teacher: The ﬁrst word is jump. I jump on a trampoline. Yesterday, I _____ higher than ever.

[Gesture.]

Students: jumped

Teacher: Jump, jumped: Repeat, please.

Students: jump, jumped

Teacher: Spell: My little brother can spell his name. When I was 5, I ____ my name backward.

[Gesture.]

Students: spelled

Teacher: Spell, spelled: Repeat, please.

Students: spell, spelled

Teacher: Decide: Sometimes, Joe can’t decide what to eat for breakfast. So, last week, Joe

______ to have breakfast tacos every morning.

[Gesture.]

Students: decided

Teacher: Decide, decided: Repeat, please.

Students: decide, decided

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Continue with other words.

ERROR CORRECTION

Tell students who make an error the past tense of the word. Then, have these students complete a

sentence with the past tense of the word.

TIPS

• Choose only words whose past tense is formed by adding ed. For example, do not use

words such as run (ran), eat (ate), or speak (spoke).

• Your past tense sentences do not need to be complex, but they should clearly show that

something took place in the past. For example, for the word plant, the sentence Last week

I ____ ﬂowers in the garden is clearer than I ____ ﬂowers in the garden.

• Include words with all three pronunciations of ed, so students can practice.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

READING WORDS WITH THE ED SUFFIX

DECODING

Write ed on the board and some words containing all three pronunciations of the ed suﬃx (e.g.,

jumped, twisted, spelled, locked, ﬁlled, peeked, hunted, tricked, tilted). Show students how to read

the words by identifying the base word then saying its past tense.

Teacher: When you see that a word has an ed suﬃx, identify the base word and then say the

past tense of it. In this way, you put the base word and suﬃx together to form the

whole word.

For example, to read this word...

[Point to jumped.]

Teacher: ...ﬁrst, I notice the ed suﬃx, which tells me that it’s a past tense word. I see the base

word, jump.

[Underline jump.]

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Teacher: I say the past tense of jump: jumped. The whole word is jumped. Let’s read it

together. Read the base word then the whole word.

Students: jump, jumped

Teacher: Let’s read some more words with the ed suﬃx.

[Point to twisted and underline twist.]

Teacher: What is the base word?

Students: twist

Teacher: What is the past tense of twist?

Students: twisted

Teacher: Great! Now say the base word then the whole word.

Students: twist, twisted

[Point to ﬁlled and underline ﬁll.]

Teacher: Read the base word and then the whole word.

Students: ﬁll, ﬁlled

Continue reading the other words.

TIP

Because ed has three diﬀerent pronunciations, do not have students circle the ed suﬃx and

identify its sound, as you would with other aﬃxes. This activity provides a foundation for

recognizing the sound of ed in various words.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SPELLING WORDS WITH THE ED SUFFIX

ENCODING

Explain to students that the ﬁrst step in spelling words in this lesson is listening to determine

whether they are past tense. If they are, the suﬃx is ed. Then, have students combine the base

word and the ed suﬃx to form the whole word.

Model, using the following steps:

1. Say the word.

2. Determine whether it is a past tense word.

3. Say and spell the base word.

4. Add the suﬃx.

5. Check your spelling by reading the word you wrote.

Teacher: When spelling a word in this lesson, ﬁrst, you must determine whether the word is

a past tense word. If it is, that’s a clue that the suﬃx is ed. Then, spell the base word

and add the ed suﬃx.

Listen as I go through the steps to spell jumped. Here’s the word in a sentence: Her

dog jumped in a huge puddle on the sidewalk.

First, I determine whether the word is past tense. Yes, jumped is the past tense of

jump. Also, it makes sense in the sentence. Therefore, the suﬃx must be ed.

[Write as you spell the following.]

Teacher: I say and spell the base word: jump, j-u-m-p.

I add the suﬃx to the end of the word and spell it: e-d.

Finally, I read the word to check myself: jumped. That sounds right.

Now, we’ll go through the same steps together to spell another word. The word is

ﬁlled. Here it is in a sentence: Denise ﬁlled the bucket with water. First, say the word.

Students: ﬁlled

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Teacher: Is ﬁlled a past tense word?

John: Yes. It’s past tense for ﬁll.

Teacher: Does the sentence Denise ﬁlled the bucket with water help you determine whether

ﬁlled is a past tense word?

Marco: Yes, it sounds like it already happened, that she already ﬁlled up the bucket.

Teacher: Correct. The next step is to say and spell the base word. Craig?

Craig: ﬁll, f-i-l-l

[Write ﬁll on the board.]

Teacher: Now, I’ll add suﬃx ed to the base word.

[Add ed to complete the word ﬁlled.]

Teacher: The last step is to check the word by reading it. Everyone, read the word, please.

Students: ﬁlled

Teacher: The next word is painted. Here is the word in a sentence: The classrooms were

cleaned and painted over the summer. First, say the word.

Students: painted

Teacher: Is painted past tense?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: So, what is the suﬃx?

Students: ed

Teacher: Rita, say and spell the base word, please.

Rita: paint, p-a-i-n-t

[Write paint on the board.]

Teacher: Sandra, what suﬃx is added?

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Sandra: ed

[Add ed to complete painted.]

Teacher: Everyone, read the word, please.

Students: painted

Continue dictating words for students to spell.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

HIDDEN STICKY WORDS

DECODING

Before students arrive, write 15 to 20 words on the board, most with the ed suﬃx. Then write each

of the words on multiple sticky notes (depending on the number of students in your class) and

place ﬁve sticky notes on the underside of each student’s chair. When students arrive, have them

retrieve the sticky notes under their chair and take turns reading their words. Have students go to

the board and underline the base of their words. Then, have all the students read the words.

Teacher: Reach under your chair and get the sticky notes placed there. You should each

have ﬁve sticky notes. You will take turns reading the words that are on your notes

by saying the base word then the whole word. Then, you’ll ﬁnd the word on the

board and underline the base word. Then, everyone will read the word. When a

word has an ed suﬃx, what clue does that give you about the word?

Sandra: It means it happened already.

Teacher: Correct. It’s the past tense of the word. Marco, please read your ﬁrst word.

Remember to say the base word and the whole word.

Marco: rain, rained

Teacher: Nice job. Find your word on the board and underline the base word.

[Marco underlines rain.]

Teacher: Say the base word and the whole word, everyone.

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Students: rain, rained

Teacher: Rita, please read the base and whole word for one of your words.

Rita: return, /return/ /ed/

Teacher: Hmm, I’m not sure that sounds right. Listen to these sentences: I return home every

day at 4 p.m. But I missed the bus yesterday, so I ______ home late. What word is

missing, Rita?

Rita: returned

Teacher: Great. Now, please say the base word and the whole word again.

Rita: return, returned

Teacher: Find returned on the board and underline the base word. Everyone say the base

word and the whole word.

Students: return, returned

ADAPTATIONS

• Scaﬀold the activity by underlining the base words on the sticky notes.

• Have students use the words in a sentence.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

SENTENCE READING

DECODING

Give students 10 to 15 decodable sentences containing words with suﬃxes, mostly ed suﬃxes.

Have students read the sentences in a whisper voice and underline the base word in the words

with a suﬃx. Then, have students take turns reading the words with suﬃxes and reading the

sentences aloud. Ask questions throughout to assess understanding and keep students engaged.

Teacher: Please read each sentence on the worksheet in a whisper voice. When you see a

word with a suﬃx, underline its base word. Read each sentence carefully because

you will read them aloud a little later.

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I might ask you to read a bit louder, so I can listen. Please begin.

[Circulate among students and listen to them read.]

Now, we will read aloud. Craig, what word with a suﬃx did you ﬁnd in sentence 1?

Craig: hunted

Teacher: Craig, what’s the base word?

Craig: hunt

Teacher: Say the past tense of hunt.

Craig: hunted

[Write hunted on the board, underlining hunt.]

Teacher: Everyone, say the base word.

Students: hunt

Teacher: Say the whole word.

Students: hunted

Teacher: Did anyone ﬁnd any other word with a suﬃx in number 1? Marco?

Marco: I found helped.

Teacher: Marco, what is the base word?

Marco: help

Teacher: Say the past tense of help.

Marco: helped

Teacher: Correct.

[Write helped on the board, underlining help.]

Teacher: Everyone, say the base word.

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Students: help

Teacher: Say the whole word.

Students: helped

Teacher: Everyone, read sentence number 1.

Students: When the cat hunted, the dark of night helped him.

Continue identifying words with suﬃxes and reading sentences.

ADAPTATIONS

• Write the sentences on the board or on an overhead transparency.

• Have students read sentences to a partner.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

WORD GRID

ENCODING

Dictate words to students. Have students write the words on the word grid worksheet, which will

be used in a future independent practice activity. Focus on words with the ed suﬃx, but include a

few other words that students have learned.

Teacher: I will dictate a word. You will repeat the word and write it in one of the numbered

boxes. When the word is past tense, what does that tell you about the suﬃx?

Sandra: It’s ed.

Teacher: Good! We are ready to begin. The ﬁrst word is ended. Repeat, please.

Students: ended

Teacher: Say the base word.

Students: end

Teacher: Write the base word in one of the boxes on your worksheet.

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[Students write end on their worksheet.]

Teacher: Does ended have a suﬃx?

Carlo: Yes, it’s ed because ended means that it already happened.

Teacher: That’s right, ended is a past tense word. OK, now add the suﬃx to the base word on

your worksheet.

[Students add ed to spell ended.]

Teacher: Excellent spelling, everyone. The next word is reaching. Repeat, please.

Students: reaching

Teacher: Say the base word.

Students: reach

Teacher: Write the base word in one of the boxes on the worksheet.

[Students write reach on their worksheet.]

Teacher: Does reaching have a suﬃx?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Is reaching a past tense word?

Students: No.

Teacher: Add the suﬃx to the base word on your worksheet.

[Students add ing to spell reaching.]

Continue dictating words and providing feedback to students.

TIP

It may take more than one session to completely ﬁll in the worksheet.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

CROSSOUT

DECODING

This activity uses the word grid worksheet created in the previous guided practice activity.

Place in a bag cards of words that were dictated in the previous guided practice activity and

other words that students have learned. Have students circle any three words on their word grid

worksheet. Then, have students take turns reading a word card picked randomly from the bag.

Have students locate the word on their worksheet and cross it out. The ﬁrst student to cross out all

three of his or her circled words wins.

Teacher: Please circle any three words on your worksheet.

[Wait for students to circle their words.]

Teacher: Next, we will pass around a bag with word cards in it. When the bag gets to you,

pick a card out of the bag and read it to the group. Don’t show the word, just read

it. Everyone will look for that word on their grid and cross it out if they ﬁnd it. Then

pass the bag to the next person, and we will do the same thing. The ﬁrst person

who crosses out all three of his circled words is the winner.

Adapted from Archer, A. (2002). Phonics for reading, ﬁrst level (Teacher’s guide). North Billerica, MA: Curriculum Associates.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

READ MY MIND

DECODING

Place 15 to 20 word cards faceup in a grid pattern. Choose a word as “it,” and have students try to

“read your mind” by guessing the word. When students guess, have them say the base word and

whole word. If a student guesses correctly, he or she keeps the card. Then, choose another word as

“it.” If a student guesses incorrectly, turn the card facedown and have the next student take a turn.

Teacher: I chose one card as “it,” but I’m not going to tell you which one. You must try to read

my mind. When it is your turn, point to the card you think I chose and say the base

word and whole word. If you guess correctly, you keep the card. If not, the next

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person has a turn. You must be ready to say your word when it is your turn, so read

the words silently before it’s your turn.

TIPS

• Students must be ready to say their word when it’s their turn or the pacing will be too

slow. If necessary, establish a time limit of a few seconds.

• Scaﬀold the activity by underlining the base words.

• Use your judgment as to whether to change the “it” word to extend or shorten a round,

give all students a chance to win a round, etc.

• As students win cards, reﬁll the holes in the word grid with new cards.

• To narrow students’ choices, tell them the row or column that contains the word.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

SPELLING SORT

ENCODING

Have students divide a piece of notebook paper into two columns and label one column “ed

Suﬃx” and the other “No ed Suﬃx.” Dictate words and have students write the words under the

appropriate column.

Teacher: Please fold your paper in half lengthwise and label the columns “ed Suﬃx” and “No

ed Suﬃx.” As I dictate words, you will write them in the appropriate column. What is

one clue that a word belongs in the “ed Suﬃx” column?

Students: If it is past tense.

Teacher: That is correct. When we’re done spelling all the words, we will read them.

Your ﬁrst word is smelled. Repeat, please, and then write the word in the correct

column.

Students: smelled

[Students write the word in the ed column.]

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Continue dictating words. Read the words when ﬁnished.

MONITOR LEARNING

Ensure that students recognize the past tense of a verb when they hear it and that students

correctly identify the base of words with the ed suﬃx.

GENERALIZATION

The ed suﬃx occurs more frequently than all suﬃxes other than s and es. The ability to understand

the past tense meaning of ed, as well as to hear, read, and spell it, helps students to comprehend

a wide variety of text at school and at home.

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bumpedbounded

belongedasked

aimedacted

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SENTENCE READING

ed SUFFIX WITH UNCHANGING BASE WORDS

1. When the cat hunted, the dark of night helped him.

2. Brad should have defrosted the hot dogs last night.

3. The ﬂ eet of ships sailed from Spain in 1588.

4. The troops were trained to act quickly.

5. Some men in the army camped out in the snow.

6. The cool drink refreshed the runners.

7. Clouds are formed when air cools to its dew point.

8. Half of the Moon is lighted by sunlight.

9. Farmers planted seeds to grow crops.

10. When his lunch fell in the creek, Gabe ﬁ shed it out.

11. Jose recalled the time when he took a subway in New York.

12. Each step creaked as she went downstairs.

13. Mr. Jones shouted for help when he saw the cars crash.

14. Meg threw her trash on the ground, and it ended up in the stream.

15. My passport got stamped when I crossed into Mexico.

First of 6 pages

LESSON 12 WORD CARDS

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1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24

WORD GRID

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Multisyllabic Word Reading

Lesson 13

OBJECTIVE

Students will read and spell multisyllabic words.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 13 word cards*

• Syllable cards*

• Syllable squares worksheet*

• Syllable squares template*

• Syllable squares tokens*

• Syllable football game board*

• Syllable football token*

• Spinner with syllable type sections**

• Syllable type word spelling worksheet*

• Beginning with... tokens*

• Decodable text, such as a kids’ magazine or newspaper

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

**Assembly instructions available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of multisyllabic words.

• Make sure that students already have mastered previously learned syllable types.

• Use words that contain only learned syllable types.

• The letter y, at the end of a multisyllabic word, usually is pronounced /ē/.

• Correct students’ pronunciation of syllables and word parts:

• If a student stresses the wrong syllable—for example, stressing the ﬁrst syllable

in prohibit—use the correct pronunciation when saying something similar to the

following: “The word is pronounced prohibit. Say prohibit.”

• If a student mispronounces the schwa sound /uh/ in an unaccented syllable—for

example, pronouncing wagon as /wag/ /on/—use the correct pronunciation when

saying something similar to the following: “The word is pronounced wagon. Say

wagon.”

• If a student applies the word reading strategy correctly but does not say a

recognizable word—for example, saying /prŭd/ /ent/, instead of /prū/ /dent/—guide

the student to try dividing the word diﬀerently. For example, say something similar to

the following: “How would you say the word if the ﬁrst syllable was an open syllable?”

• Scaﬀold instruction by starting with less complex words that follow a similar pattern. For

example, have students read or spell words with two closed syllables, then words with a

closed syllable and a VCe syllable, then words with a closed syllable and an open syllable,

and so on.

• Provide direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

AFFIXES

On the board, write the words pleading, unlock, renew, handful, and distrustful. Review aﬃxes by

having students read the words and identify the base words and aﬃxes.

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Teacher: Raise your hand to tell me what an aﬃx is and give me an example...Francisco?

Francisco: It’s something that is added to the end of a word or the beginning of a word. The

word nonstop has non added to stop.

Teacher: Thank you, Francisco. That was a good explanation. Does the meaning of stop

change when the preﬁx non is added to it?

Francisco: Yes. Nonstop means that something doesn’t stop.

[Point to pleading.]

Teacher: Tanya, please read the word and tell me the base word and the aﬃx.

Tanya: Pleading: The base word is plead. The suﬃx is ing.

Teacher: Nice job. So, is a suﬃx added to the beginning or end of a word?

Students: A suﬃx is at the end of a word.

Teacher: Eric, read the next word, please. Then say the base word and the aﬃx.

Eric: Unlock: Base word is lock; the preﬁx is un.

Teacher: Excellent. Let’s read the rest of the words. Say the whole word. Then say the base

word and the aﬃx.

OPENING

Teacher: Let’s learn some more about multisyllabic words. You’ve already learned how to

read two kinds of multisyllabic words: compound words and words with aﬃxes.

This lesson will teach you a strategy to use with all multisyllabic words.

Many words in textbooks and novels have more than one syllable. These words can

look long and diﬃcult to read, but the strategy will help you break down words

into small parts that are easy to read. Then, you can put the small parts together

again to read the whole word. In this way, you will increase the number of words

you can read.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

HEARING SYLLABLES

Say 10 to 12 multisyllable and single-syllable words. Demonstrate how to “hear” the number of

syllables by clapping each syllable. Tell students that each syllable has one vowel sound. Explain

that a syllable can be a word (as in a compound word), an aﬃx, or a part of a word.

Teacher: A syllable is a part, or chunk, of a word. A syllable has one vowel sound. You can

hear the syllables in words. Listen as I demonstrate.

[Clap each syllable as you say it.]

Teacher: Pic-nic: Picnic has two syllables, pic-nic.

I’ll say other words. Repeat and clap after me: un-like-ly.

[Students clap as they repeat.]

Students: un-like-ly

Teacher: How many syllables in unlikely?

Students: Three syllables.

Teacher: In unlikely, the aﬃxes un and ly are each a syllable.

The next word is shrug.

[Students clap as they repeat.]

Students: Shrug: one syllable.

Teacher: Footprint: How many parts, Amanda?

[Amanda claps as she repeats.]

Amanda: Foot-print: two parts.

Teacher: Great! Footprint is a compound word. Each small word in footprint is a syllable.

The next word is remember. How many parts, Eric?

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[Eric claps as he repeats.]

Eric: Re-mem-ber: three parts.

Say more words and identify the number of syllables as necessary.

TIPS

• Because this activity does not involve decoding, include words that are familiar or

interesting to your students, even if the words contain syllable types students have not yet

learned. For instance, include students’ names, the school name or mascot, or geographic

locations (e.g., encyclopedia, pepperoni, transcontinental).

• Use this activity to introduce syllables. If students can “clap” the syllables in a variety of

words with ease, move to the next activity on reading multisyllabic words.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

MULTISYLLABIC WORD READING STRATEGY

DECODING

Write napkin and department on the board. Model and teach the strategy for reading

multisyllabic words:

1. Find the vowels in the word.

2. Look for syllables or word parts you know.

3. Pronounce each syllable or word part, based on syllable types and sounds you know.

4. Combine the syllables or word parts to form the word.

Teacher: When you see a long word, there are steps you can follow to read it. Look at this

word.

[Point to napkin.]

Teacher: First, I ﬁnd the vowels in the word. I will underline each vowel.

[Underline a and i.]

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Teacher: Because there are two vowels separated by consonants, there will probably be two

syllables.

Second, I look for syllables or word parts I know. There’s the word nap at the

beginning, so I will underline it.

[Underline nap.]

Teacher: I see a closed syllable at the end of the word. I’ll underline that, too.

[Underline kin.]

Teacher: Next, I say each syllable, based on its syllable type and the sounds I know.

The ﬁrst syllable is nap because it is a closed syllable and has a short vowel sound.

Because the second syllable...

[Point to kin.]

Teacher: ...is a closed syllable, it has a short vowel: /kin/.

Last, I combine the syllables to form the word.

[Point to each syllable as you say it, and then slide your ﬁnger under the

whole word as you say it.]

Teacher: nap-kin, napkin

Let’s read the next word.

[Point to department.]

Teacher: First, ﬁnd the vowels. There are three vowels: e, a, and e.

[Underline the vowels.]

Teacher: Next, look for syllables or word parts you know.

[Underline each word part as you think aloud.]

Teacher: It has de at the beginning. That’s a preﬁx we learned. I see a word I know, part, in

the middle. It looks like there’s a closed syllable at the end.

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Next, say each syllable. You say the syllables as I point to each one.

[Point to the syllables as students say them.]

Students: /dē/ /part/ /ment/

Teacher: Last, combine the syllables to form the word.

Students: de-part-ment, department

ADAPTATION

Ask students to identify syllable types in words—for example:

• What is the r-controlled syllable in department? (part)

• What is the closed syllable in department? (ment)

• What is the open syllable in department? (de)

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SPELLING MULTISYLLABIC WORDS

ENCODING

Model how to spell multisyllabic words by using the following steps:

1. Say the word.

2. Say the syllables that form it.

3. Spell and write each syllable.

4. Check your spelling by reading the word you wrote.

Teacher: When spelling a multisyllabic word, ﬁrst you say the word. For now, we’ll say it

aloud, but later, you may read the word silently. Then, you identify the syllables and

spell and write the syllables together as a whole word. I’ll model the steps, using

the word insist.

I say the word: insist.

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I say each syllable: in-sist.

I spell each syllable and write them together as a whole word.

[Write as you say the letters.]

Teacher: /in/, i-n; /sist/, s-i-s-t.

I read the word: insist.

Let’s follow the same steps to spell another multisyllabic word. The word is rotate.

Repeat the word, please.

Students: rotate

Teacher: I say each syllable: ro-tate. Please repeat.

Students: ro-tate

Teacher: To spell each syllable, I use what I’ve learned about syllable types. /rō/ ends in a

long vowel sound, so it is an open syllable.

[Write each syllable as you say the letters.]

Teacher: I write r-o. /tāt/ has a long vowel sound followed with a consonant, so it’s a VCe

syllable. It’s spelled t-a-t-e.

The last thing I do is check the word by reading it. Repeat after me.

[Point to each syllable as you say it.]

Teacher: ro-tate, rotate

Students: ro-tate, rotate

Teacher: Let’s spell another word. I’ll remind you of the steps to follow. The word is volcano.

Repeat the word.

Students: volcano

Teacher: Say each syllable.

Students: vol-ca-no

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Teacher: Use what you’ve learned about syllable types to spell each syllable. Say and spell

each syllable and write the letters as you say them.

Students: /vol/, v-o-l; /cā/, c-a; /nō/, n-o

Teacher: Read the word to check your spelling. Point to each syllable as you say it, and then

say the whole word.

Students: vol-ca-no, volcano

Teacher: Excellent job! Let’s practice spelling more multisyllabic words.

Continue dictating words for students to spell.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

COMBINING SYLLABLES

DECODING

Compile syllable cards that combine to form real words. Show the cards that form a word. Have

students read each syllable and then combine the syllables to form the word. Question students

to reinforce and monitor their knowledge of syllable types.

Teacher: Each card I show you has a syllable on it. When the syllables are combined, they

form a word. Figure out how to say each syllable by its syllable type. Say each

syllable as I point to it. When I slide my ﬁnger under both syllables, combine them

to say the whole word. I’ll show you an example.

[Display lim and bo. Point to lim.]

Teacher: A consonant closes in the vowel. That means it’s a closed syllable, which has a

short vowel sound: /lim/.

[Point to bo.]

Teacher: This syllable has one vowel that is open. The vowel is long in an open syllable: /bō/.

[Slide your ﬁnger under both syllables.]

Teacher: Limbo.

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Now, it is your turn.

[Display rep and tile. Point to rep.]

Students: /rep/

[Point to tile.]

Students: /tīl/

[Slide your ﬁnger under both syllables.]

Students: reptile

Teacher: Excellent. Tanya, which syllable has a long vowel sound, and what is the vowel

sound?

Tanya: /tīl/: It says /ī/.

Teacher: Next word.

[Display dol and phin. Point to dol.]

Students: /dol/

[Point to phin.]

Students: /ﬁn/

[Slide your ﬁnger under both syllables.]

Students: dolphin

Teacher: Good job combining syllables! How many vowels in dolphin, Amanda, and which

ones?

Amanda: Two: o and i.

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ADAPTATIONS

• Instead of using syllable cards, write syllables on the board.

• Display syllable cards for a word in random order and have students rearrange the cards to

form the word (ber cu cum becomes cucumber). Have students then read the word.

• Display syllable cards that form a nonsense word. Have students read each syllable and

then combine syllables to read the nonsense word.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

SYLLABLE SQUARES

DECODING

Before doing this activity, review how to locate a square, based on its grid coordinate.

Distribute the syllable squares worksheet, which has a 36-square grid with columns labeled A to

F and rows labeled 1 to 6. A diﬀerent word is in each square, including a variety of multisyllable

words and a few single-syllable words. Place tokens with the grid coordinates (A1, A2, etc.) on

them in a bag or box. Have a student pick a token from the bag. Write on the board the word

from the square at that coordinate. Have students use the word reading strategy to underline the

word’s vowels and syllables on their worksheet. Have a student tell you how to mark the word’s

vowels and syllables on the board. Have students say the syllables and then say the whole word.

Teacher: You have a grid with 36 squares and a word in each square. I have a bag with 36

tokens, each with a grid coordinate for a square. You’ll take turns picking a token to

determine the word that we will read. Use the word reading strategy to underline

the word’s vowels and word parts on your worksheet. I’ll then write the word on

the board, and you’ll tell me how to underline its parts. Then we’ll read the word.

I’ll go ﬁrst to demonstrate. I picked D2. Everyone, point to square D2.

[As students ﬁnd the square, write the word classic on the board.]

Teacher: What is the ﬁrst step in the word reading strategy, Amanda?

Amanda: You ﬁnd the vowels: a and i.

Teacher: I’m going to underline each vowel.

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[Underline a and i.]

Teacher: What is the next step, Eric?

Eric: Look for word parts you know. I see class.

Teacher: Excellent! I’ll underline class.

[Underline class.]

Teacher: Do you see other word parts?

Eric: There’s a closed syllable at the end: ic.

Teacher: Nicely done! You are really using what you know about syllable types

[Underline ic.]

Teacher: What’s the next step, Tanya?

Tanya: Say the syllables.

[Point to class.]

Teacher: Say the ﬁrst syllable, everyone.

Students: /klas/

[Point to ic.]

Teacher: Say the next syllable.

Students: /ik/

Teacher: Francisco, what’s the ﬁnal step?

Francisco: Say the word.

Teacher: Let’s combine the syllables to say the word

[Slide your ﬁnger under the word.]

Students: classic

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Teacher: Beautiful job. Amanda, your turn to pick a token.

Amanda: Square A5.

Teacher: Everyone point to A5.

[The word is entertain.]

Teacher: What is the ﬁrst step?

Students: Find the vowels.

Teacher: Correct. Everyone, please underline the vowels. What did you underline, Francisco?

Francisco: I underlined e, e, a, i.

Teacher: What is the next step?

Francisco: Look for word parts or syllables that you know.

Teacher: Mark the word in the square to show where the syllables or word parts are.

[Students underline the word parts.]

Teacher: Amanda, please tell me the word parts you found.

Amanda: I see the word enter.

Teacher: Great job! Tanya, do you see other word parts or syllables?

Tanya: The last part of the word looks like a syllable with a letter combination: /tān/.

Teacher: Yes, that’s right. Let’s read the word parts together.

[Point to each word part.]

Students: enter, tain

Teacher: Now, combine the parts to read the word.

[Slide your ﬁnger under the whole word.]

Students: entertain

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Continue applying the strategy to read words. Ask questions so students have an opportunity to

demonstrate their understanding of syllable types and multisyllabic words.

TIP

Put the worksheet in a transparent page protector and use a dry-erase marker, so students can

easily self-correct.

ADAPTATION

Choose a student to mark the word on the board.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

SYLLABLE FOOTBALL

DECODING

Gather word cards that include of a variety of learned syllable types and multisyllabic words.

Divide students into two teams. Show the game board as you explain how to play:

1. Choose the team that goes ﬁrst (Team A).

2. Position the ball on the 50-yard line.

3. Have a student on Team A pick the top card from the stack, read the word, and identify

the number of syllables in the word. (Make sure that all members of each team take turns

reading words.)

4. If the student correctly reads the word and identiﬁes the number of syllables, move the

ball 10 “yards” per syllable toward the opposing team’s (Team B) end zone.

5. If the student is incorrect, use questioning to guide him or her toward the correct answer,

but do not move the ball. It is then the other team’s turn.

6. Team B then picks a word, reads it, identiﬁes the number of syllables, and, if correct, moves

the ball toward Team A’s end zone.

7. A team earns 1 point by crossing the opposing team’s goal line and scoring a touchdown.

8. After a touchdown is scored, play resumes at the 50-yard line.

Assign students to teams and determine which team goes ﬁrst.

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Teacher: In this football game, teams scores points by correctly reading and identifying the

number of syllables in words. The ball starts in the middle of the ﬁeld on the 50-

yard line. A student on Team A picks a card from the pile, reads the word, and says

how many syllables the word has. If the student is correct, he or she moves the ball

toward Team B’s end zone. The ball moves 10 yards for each syllable in the word.

Then, a student on Team B picks a card, reads the word, and counts the syllables.

If the student is correct, he or she moves the ball toward Team A’s end zone. The

teams will take turns reading words.

Tanya, you’re the ﬁrst reader on Team A. Pick a card, read it, and say how many

syllables it has.

Tanya: Dis-re-spect: three syllables.

Teacher: You did a good job saying the syllables. Be sure to combine the syllables to form

the whole word.

Tanya: disrespect

Teacher: Excellent! You read the word correctly and you said there are three syllables, so you

get to move the ball 30 yards toward Team B’s end zone. While she is doing that,

who can tell me whether there is an open syllable in disrespect?

Francisco: It’s the middle syllable: re.

Teacher: That’s correct. Francisco, your turn to read a word for Team B.

[The word is ﬂake.]

Francisco: ﬂakey

Teacher: Look at the pattern at the end of the word.

[Point to the letters as you say them.]

Teacher: There’s a vowel, a, a consonant, k, and an e. That’s a VCe pattern.

Francisco: Oh, yeah, the e doesn’t say anything.

Teacher: So what’s the word?

Francisco: ﬂake

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Teacher: That’s right.

[Team B’s game piece does not move.]

Teacher: Now, it’s Team A’s turn.

Continue playing the game. Consider setting a time limit or a winning number of points.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

SYLLABLE TYPE WORD SPELLING

ENCODING

Distribute the worksheet, which has categories for each learned syllable type (closed syllable,

open syllable, r-controlled, letter combination, VCe). Write the names of the syllable types on

diﬀerent sections of a spinner. Have a student spin. Dictate a word that contains that syllable

type; the word may also contain other known syllable types. Have students write the word in the

corresponding column and circle the corresponding syllable.

Teacher: We’re going to spell multisyllabic words and reinforce what we have learned

about syllable types. We’ll take turns with the spinner, which is labeled with the

syllable types that we’ve learned. I’ll dictate a word that contains the syllable type

the spinner lands on. The word might also contain other syllable types, so listen

carefully. You’ll write the word in the worksheet category that matches where

the spinner landed. After you write the word, circle the syllable that matches the

syllable type.

I’ll review each of the steps as you spell the ﬁrst word. Amanda, please spin.

[Amanda spins “letter combinations.”]

Teacher: The word is retreat. Repeat the word.

Students: retreat

Teacher: Say each syllable.

Students: re-treat

Teacher: Point to the category where you will write the word.

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[Students point to the letter combination column.]

Teacher: Use what you’ve learned about syllable types to spell each syllable aloud and on

paper.

[Students answer and write.]

Teacher: Could you spell it for us, Francisco?

Francisco: /rē/, r-e; /trēt/, t-r-e-a-t

Teacher: Now, everyone read the word to check your spelling. Point to each syllable as you

say it and then say the whole word.

Students: re-treat, retreat

Teacher: Now, circle the letter combination syllable.

[Students circle treat.]

Teacher: Good job! Eric, explain why you circled treat.

Eric: The e and a go together. They make one sound.

Teacher: That’s right. They are a combination of letters that make the vowel sound in the

syllable. Amanda, look at the other syllable, re. Is it an open syllable or closed

syllable? Be sure you can explain your answer.

Amanda: It’s an open syllable because the e makes a long sound.

Continue spinning and dictating words.

TIP

Prepare several words for each syllable type, as it can be diﬃcult to think of them on the spot.

ADAPTATIONS

• Include a “free choice” category on the spinner. When landed on, the student gets to

choose any syllable type.

• At the end of the activity, read all the words, category by category.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

SYLLABLE GRAB

DECODING

Place 15 to 20 initial syllable cards in one bag and 15–20 ﬁnal syllable cards in another bag. Have

each student take 3 to 5 cards from each bag and form as many real and nonsense words as

possible in 1 minute. After the 1 minute, have students read their words to a partner. Return the

cards to the bags and repeat the activity.

ADAPTATIONS

• Instead of returning the cards to the bag, have students trade cards with one another.

• Include a bag with middle syllable cards, so students form and read three-syllable words.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

SYLLABLE SEEKER

DECODING

Distribute copies of a decodable, high-interest text. Have students read the text and underline

multisyllabic words. With a partner or the group, have students take turns reading the sentences

that contain the multisyllabic words.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

BEGINNING WITH…

ENCODING

Place 26 tokens, each with a letter on it, in a bag. Have a student pick a token from the bag.

Dictate a word that begins with that letter (or dictate a word that begins with ex if a student

draws the x token). Have all students write the word on a whiteboard.

TIPS

• Prepare a list of words beginning with each letter of the alphabet.

• Carry over this activity day to day until all letters of the alphabet are used.

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ADAPTATIONS

• Write the alphabet on the board and erase each letter as it is used.

• Give students a worksheet with an alphabet grid. Have students write each word in the

square that corresponds to the initial letter.

MONITOR LEARNING

Note areas of diﬃculty and provide extra practice. Provide review of syllable types as necessary.

GENERALIZATION

Read a content area text with the students. Ask students to notice how many multisyllabic words

there are and how the strategy helps students to read many more words and to understand what

they read.

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decaydebate

consistbronco

Atlanticactivate

con

flict

ba sin

de clare

First of 6 pages First of 14 pages:

Two- and three-syllable words included

LESSON 13 WORD CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

A B C D E F

1

pretend decay punish basic unfold launch

2

stride loudly missed classic complete farmland

3

stampede object lumber least divide gardener

4

relocate withdraw orbit forest unlawful educate

5

entertain follow event clearing repay started

6

proﬁ t grant messy destroy form enlist

SYLLABLE SQUARES

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

A B C D E F

1

2

3

4

5

6

SYLLABLE SQUARES

SYLLABLE CARDS

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SYLLABLE FOOTBALL TOKEN

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SYLLABLE SQUARES TOKENS

To make these tokens for Syllable Squares, cut on the dashed

lines. Draw the tokens from a bag to play the game.

A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1

A2 B2 C2 D2 E2 F2

A3 B3 C3 D3 E3 F3

A4 B4 C4 D4 E4 F4

A5 B5 C5 D5 E5 F5

A6 B6 C6 D6 E6 F6

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SYLLABLE FOOTBALL

team a

team b

10 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 30 2 0 10

First of 4 pages:

3 rearrangements of the same list included

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SPINNER INSTRUCTIONS

SYLLABLE TYPE WORD SPELLING

MATERIALS

• Paper plate

• Brass brad

• Material for spinner pointer (e.g., coﬀ ee can lid, plastic drinking straw)

• Two spacers (e.g., washers, grommets, or eyelets from a hardware store)

• Scissors

PREPARATION

• Divide and label the paper plate with each of the syllable types (e.g., letter combinations, VCe).

• Cut an arrow out of the material for the pointer.

• With scissors, make a small hole in the center of the paper plate.

• Punch a small hole in the arrow.

ASSEMBLY

• Place a washer over the hole in the paper plate.

• Place the pointer over the washer.

• Place another washer over the pointer.

• Line up the holes in the paper plate, washers, and pointers.

• Secure everything with the brass brad, pushing it through the spinner from top to bottom.

• Open the brad tabs on the underside of the paper plate to hold assembly in place.

• Check whether the pointer spins freely and adjust as necessary.

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SYLLABLE TYPE WORD SPELLING

1. __________

2. __________

3. __________

4. __________

5. __________

closed

syllable

1. __________

2. __________

3. __________

4. __________

5. __________

VCe

syllable

1. __________

2. __________

3. __________

4. __________

5. __________

r-controlled

syllable

1. __________

2. __________

3. __________

4. __________

5. __________

le er

combination

syllable

1. __________

2. __________

3. __________

4. __________

5. __________

open

syllable

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

BEGINNING WITH... TOKENS

Cut along the dashed lines. Draw the tokens from a bag to play

the game.

A B C D E F

G H I J K L

M N O P Q R

S T U V W X

Y Z

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Consonant-le Syllables

Lesson 14

OBJECTIVE

Students will read and form words that contain consonant-le (Cle) syllables.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 14 word cards*

• Triangle word cards*

• Triangle word cards template*

• Triangle word board*

• Football fumble worksheet*

• Spelling puzzle template*

• Phrase reading worksheet*

• Expanding triangle worksheet*

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of Cle words.

• Students may be unsure which spelling of the ﬁnal /uhl/ to use (e.g., al in local, el in

model, le in sizzle). Tell students to try the Cle pattern ﬁrst because it is more common

than the others. Tell students that it can be diﬃcult to know which option is correct just

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from the sound. Students must practice spelling the words and memorizing which option

goes with which words. Students can check their answers in a dictionary or spell-checker.

• When the ﬁrst syllable ends in s followed by tle, the t is silent (whistle, castle, rustle).

DAILY REVIEW

MULTISYLLABIC WORDS

Write the words pitcher, Atlantic, stretch, and local on the board. Review that each syllable has

one vowel sound. Read some multisyllabic words, including words with the schwa sound.

Teacher: Let’s review multisyllabic words. Remember that a syllable is a part of a word. Each

syllable has one vowel sound. How many syllables in wagon?

Students: Two.

Teacher: Please read each word that I point to and tell me how many syllables it has.

[Point to each of the syllables on the board, one at a time, and solicit student

answers.]

Russell: Pitcher: two syllables.

Callie: Atlantic: three syllables.

Sean: Stretch: one syllable.

Jay: Local: two syllables.

Teacher: Excellent reading. Look at the word that Jay read, local. Pronounce the two

syllables in the word.

Students: /lō/ /kuhl/

Teacher: That’s right. Sometimes, a vowel makes the schwa sound, /uh/.

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OPENING

Teacher: Today, we will learn a new syllable, consonant-le, or Cle for short. Almost 400 two-

syllable words have a consonant-le syllable, so learning this syllable type will help

you read many more words. In fact, the word syllable itself contains a Cle syllable!

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

LEARNING ABOUT CONSONANTLE WORDS

This activity teaches students the characteristics and pronunciation of Cle syllables.

Write the syllables ple, dle, ble, gle, and zle on the board. Describe the characteristics Cle syllables:

• They are found only at the end of multisyllabic words.

• They consist of a consonant followed by the letters l and e.

• They are pronounced by blending the ﬁrst consonant with the l. The e is silent.

Model reading the syllables on the board and then have students read the syllables.

Teacher: There are three things to know about consonant-le syllables.

First, consonant-le syllables appear only as the last syllable of a multisyllabic word.

You will never see this syllable type at the beginning of a word or in a one-syllable

word.

Second, consonant-le syllables always have three letters: a consonant followed by

the letters l and e. The consonant could be any consonant, but the l and e remain

the same.

Third, consonant-le syllables are pronounced by blending the ﬁrst consonant and

the l. The e is silent.

[Point to ple.]

Teacher: In this example I, blend /p/ and /l/ to make /pl/, as in apple. What sound?

Students: /pl/

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Teacher: Correct.

[Point to dle.]

Teacher: /d/ and /l/ blend to make /dl/ in this example. Repeat /dl/.

Students: /dl/

Teacher: We will practice saying a few more consonant-le syllables, and then we’ll learn how

to combine them with other syllables to form words.

[Point to ble.]

Teacher: /b/ and /l/ combine to make what sound?

Students: /bl/

[Point to gle.]

Teacher: What two sounds will be combined?

Students: /g/ and /l/.

Teacher: Very good! And they combine to make what sound?

Students: /gl/

Teacher: Excellent. Let’s read one more

[point to zle.]

Teacher: What sound?

Students: /zl/

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

READING WORDS WITH THE CONSONANTLE SYLLABLE

DECODING

Write the words candle, table, and steeple on the board. Demonstrate how to read the words by

identifying the Cle syllable and then combining it with the other syllables.

Teacher: Now that you’ve learned how to pronounce the consonant-le syllable, let’s use

what we know to read multisyllabic words. Remember the steps: Find the vowels,

look for syllables or word parts you know, and put the syllables together.

When looking for syllables we know, if we see a consonant followed by the letters

l and e at the end of the word, we know that it is a consonant-le syllable. The

consonant, the l, and the e form the syllable, so keep them together.

[Point to candle.]

Teacher: In this example, I see dle at the end of the word, so I underline the consonant-le

syllable.

[Underline dle.]

Teacher: Now, I pronounce each syllable, based on its syllable type, just as I do with other

multisyllabic words.

[Point to can and then dle as you explain.]

Teacher: The ﬁrst syllable is a closed syllable, pronounced /can/. The other syllable is a

consonant-le syllable, so I blend the ﬁrst consonant and the l: /dl/. Then, I combine

the syllables:

/can/ /dl/, candle. Repeat, please.

Students: /can/ /dl/, candle

Teacher: Let’s look at the next word.

[Point to table and then underline ble as you explain.]

Teacher: I see the consonant-le pattern, so I keep it together. How do you say the ﬁrst

syllable, Jay?

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Jay: /tā/

Teacher: Correct. It’s an open syllable, so Jay said it with a long vowel. The next syllable is

consonant-le, so how is it pronounced, Callie?

Callie: /b/ /l/, /bl/

Teacher: Very good. The syllables are combined to form the word: /tā/ /bl/, table. Repeat,

please.

Students: /tā/ /bl/, table

Teacher: Excellent.

[Point to steeple and then underline ple as you explain.]

Teacher: Next word. I see a consonant and le at the end, so I underline it.

Sean, please say the ﬁrst syllable.

Sean: /stē/

Teacher: Say the second syllable.

Sean: /pl/

Teacher: Everyone, say the syllables as I point to them and then combine them to form the

word.

[Point to stee and then ple.]

Students: /stē/ /pl/

[Slide your ﬁnger under both syllables.]

Students: steeple

Teacher: Nice job!

Continue reading more words that contain Cle syllables.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SPELLING WORDS WITH THE CONSONANTLE SYLLABLE

ENCODING

Model how to spell words containing Cle syllables by using the following steps:

1. Say the word.

2. Say the syllables that form it.

3. Spell and write each syllable.

4. Check your spelling by reading the word you wrote.

Teacher: When spelling a word with a consonant-le syllable, ﬁrst say the word. Then, say

each syllable. Finally, spell each syllable and write the syllables together as a whole

word.

I’ll model the steps, using the word sample. First, I say the word: sample.

Then I say each syllable: /sam/ /pl/.

I spell each syllable and write them together as a whole word.

[Write the letters as you model.]

Teacher: The ﬁrst syllable is pronounced /sam/. That is a closed syllable that is spelled s-a-m.

The next syllable is pronounced /pl/. We are spelling consonant-le words, so that is

a consonant-le syllable. I hear /p/ /l/, so I spell the syllable p-l-e. The ﬁrst consonant

is p, followed by l and e.

Finally, I read the word: sample.

Now we’ll follow the same steps to spell another word with a consonant-le syllable.

The word is marble. Repeat the word, please.

Students: marble

Teacher: I say each syllable: /mar/ /bl/.

Students: /mar/ /bl/

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Teacher: To spell each syllable, I use what I’ve learned about syllable types. /mar/ sounds like

an r-controlled syllable. What says /ar/ in an r-controlled syllable?

Students: ar

Teacher: That’s right. So, /mar/ is spelled m-a-r. We are spelling consonant-le words, so /

bl/ is a Cle syllable. We know it will be spelled with a consonant and then l-e. What

consonant do you hear in /bl/?

Students: b

Teacher: Correct. The consonant-le syllable /bl/ is spelled b-l-e. The last thing I do is check

the word by reading it.

[Point to each syllable as you say it and then slide your ﬁnger under the

whole word as you say it.]

Teacher: Mar-ble, marble; repeat.

Students: mar-ble, marble

Teacher: Let’s spell another word. I’ll remind you of the steps to follow. The word is cradle.

Repeat the word.

Students: cradle

Teacher: Say each syllable.

Students: /krā/ /dl/

Teacher: Use what you’ve learned about syllable types to spell each syllable. What is the ﬁrst

syllable?

Students: /krā/, c-r-a

Teacher: Good job recognizing the open syllable! Let’s work through spelling the

consonant-le syllable together. Read the syllable again.

Students: /dl/

Teacher: What consonant do you hear?

Students: d

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Teacher: How do you spell the syllable?

Students: d-l-e

Teacher: Read the word to check your spelling. Point to each syllable as you say it, and then

say the whole word.

Students: cra-dle, cradle

Teacher: Excellent job! Let’s practice spelling more multisyllabic words.

Continue dictating words for students to spell.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

CIRCLE AND READ

DECODING

Write on the board 15 to 20 decodable words—most, but not all, containing Cle syllables. Have

students determine whether each word contains a Cle syllable. If it does, circle the Cle syllable.

Then read each syllable and the whole word.

Teacher: We will read the words on the board, but ﬁrst, let’s review what we’ve learned

about the consonant-le syllable. Who can remind the group of the letters that form

a consonant-le syllable...Callie?

Callie: It’s a consonant plus l and e.

Teacher: That’s right. What two letters are always the same in the syllable?

Jay: L and e never change. But the ﬁrst consonant can be anything.

Teacher: Yes, the ﬁrst consonant can be any consonant. Where are consonant-le syllables?

At the beginning of words? At the end?

Students: The end.

Teacher: Very good! We’re going to determine whether each word on the board contains a

consonant-le syllable. If it does, we’ll circle the syllable. Then we’ll read each word.

[Point to the ﬁrst word, bubble.]

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Russell, do you see the consonant-le pattern?

Russell: Yes, b-l-e.

[Circle ble.]

Teacher: How do you pronounce the syllable?

Russell: /bl/

Teacher: Say each syllable and then say the whole word.

Russell: /bub/ /bl/, bubble

Teacher: Excellent! Everyone, repeat.

Students: /bub/ /bl/, bubble

Teacher: Jay, please come up to the board and look at the next word

[The word is maple.]

Teacher: If it has a consonant-le syllable, circle it. Then say the syllables and say the word.

[Jay circles ple.]

Jay: It says /pl/: /mā/ /pl/, maple.

Teacher: Everyone, repeat.

Students: /mā/ /pl/, maple

Teacher: Callie, please come up and do the next word

[The word is report.]

Callie: It doesn’t have a consonant-le syllable; /rē/ /port/, report.

Teacher: Everyone, repeat.

Students: report

Teacher: Next word, Sean.

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[The word is example. Sean circles ple.]

Sean: /ex/ /am/ /pl/, example

Teacher: Everyone, repeat.

Students: /ex/ /am/ /pl/, example

Teacher: How many syllables in example?

Students: Three.

Continue the activity with more words.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

TRIANGLE WORDS

DECODING

Place 15 to 20 triangle cards, each with three words on it, facedown on a table. The cards combine

to form a hexagon. The goal is to create as many hexagons as possible. For each round, have

students pick a card and take turns reading the words aloud. After the words are read correctly,

the card becomes part of a hexagon (see the illustration below).

cabin

purple

table

eagle

idle

dle

h

mistak

ca le

turtle

edit

bri le

ested

ebble

saddle

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Teacher: We will create hexagons, which are six-sided ﬁgures, from the triangle cards on the

table. Six triangle cards form a hexagon. Each card has three words on it. When I

say, “Go,” all of you will pick a card. Then you’ll take turns reading your words aloud

by saying each syllable and then say the whole word. After you read your three

words correctly, put the card on the table to become part of a hexagon.

Ready? Go.

[Each student picks a card.]

Teacher: Russell, let’s begin with you. Read the syllables and then the whole word for your

ﬁrst word on your card.

Russell: /grum/ /bl/, grumble

Teacher: What sound does the consonant-le syllable make in grumble?

Russell: /bl/

Teacher: Let’s continue around the table. Say the syllables and then say the whole word for

the ﬁrst word on your card.

Callie: /ig/ /nor/, ignore

[Sean’s word is settle.]

Sean: /sē/ /tl/, seetle

Teacher: Sean, please show me where the consonant-le syllable is.

[Sean points to ttle.]

Teacher: What group of letters form a consonant-le syllable?

Sean: A consonant and then l and e.

Teacher: That’s right. Let’s try that with your word: the consonant is t, and then you have l

and e. So, what is now left over as the ﬁrst syllable of your word?

Sean: It’s /set/.

Teacher: Now, read the syllables and whole word again.

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Sean: /set/ /tl/, settle

Teacher: Right. The t in the ﬁrst syllable closes in the vowel to make it a short vowel.

Students, please continue reading your words.

Jay: /puz/ /zl/, puzzle

When students have read all the words on a card, have them place the card faceup on the table

to form part of a hexagon. Say, “Go” again to have students pick another card and begin the next

round.

TIP

Put triangle cards whose words have been read correctly on the hexagon template.

ADAPTATIONS

• Set a group goal for the number of hexagons built within an allotted time.

• Pair students and have the pairs compete to see who can form the most hexagons.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

FOOTBALL FUMBLE

ENCODING

Label the four blank footballs on the worksheet with Cle syllables. The following example uses the

syllables ple, dle, ble, and gle. Distribute the worksheet. Dictate a word. If the word contains one

of the Cle syllables, have students write the word under the corresponding labeled football. If the

word does not contain one of the Cle syllables, have students write the words under the football

labeled “other.”

Teacher: I will dictate words, and you will write them under the correct football on your

worksheet. For example, apple has a consonant-le syllable spelled p-l-e, so you

would write apple under the ple football. If I say a word that doesn’t have one of

the consonant-le patterns on the worksheet, like the word pretend, write it under

the football labeled “other.”

Let’s review: The word chuckle has a consonant-le syllable spelled k-l-e. Where

would you write chuckle, Sean?

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Students: It would go under “other” because kle isn’t in one of the other footballs.

Teacher: That’s right. Before I dictate the words, let’s say each consonant-le syllable as I point

to its football.

Students: /pl/, /dl/, /bl/, /gl/

Teacher: Great. Let’s do the ﬁrst word together. Repeat the word after me: crumple.

Students: crumple

Teacher: Now, say the syllables.

Students: /krum/ /pl/

Teacher: Do you hear a consonant-le syllable, Russell?

Students: Yes: /pl/.

Teacher: That’s correct. On your worksheet, point to the football with the spelling for /pl/.

[Students point to ple.]

Teacher: That’s where you will write the word, but don’t write it yet. Let’s say and spell each

syllable. Jay, what is the ﬁrst syllable?

Jay: /krum/ is spelled c-r-u-m.

Teacher: Correct. Write that under the ple football on your worksheet.

[You and the students write crum.]

Teacher: Jay, say and spell the second syllable, please.

Jay: /pl/ is spelled p-l-e.

Teacher: Yes. Everyone, write that on your worksheet next to crum.

[You and the students write ple. ]

Teacher: Callie, how do you spell the word crumple?

Callie: c-r-u-m-p-l-e

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Teacher: The next word is puzzle. Repeat, please.

Students: puzzle

Teacher: Russell, say the consonant-le syllable and decide which football it belongs under.

Russell: /zl/: There isn’t a football with /zl/, so would it belong with “other?”

Teacher: Yes, write puzzle under the “other” football.

[Some students spell the word puzle.]

Teacher: I notice that some of you spelled it p-u-z-l-e.

[Write puzle on the board.]

Teacher: Russell, please come up and circle the consonant-le syllable in this word.

[Russell circles zle.]

Teacher: That means the ﬁrst syllable is p-u. Is that a closed syllable or open syllable, Sean?

Sean: It has one vowel that’s open at the end, so it’s an open syllable.

Teacher: That’s right. Remember that vowels go for a “long” walk in an open syllable. How

would this open syllable be pronounced?

Sean: /pū/

Teacher: That would make the word /pū/ /zl/. We need another z to close in the vowel and

make the vowel short. Add z to form puzzle. Everyone, say each syllable as I point

to it and then say the word.

[Point to each syllable and then slide your ﬁnger under the whole word.]

Students: /puz/ /zl/, puzzle

Continue dictating words.

TIPS

Label the footballs with Cle spelling patterns with which your students struggle.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

SPELLING PUZZLE

ENCODING

Give each student an envelope containing 8 to 10 blank puzzle pieces (provided on the CD).

Dictate a word and have students write it on a blank puzzle piece. If the word has a Cle syllable,

have students circle the syllable. After writing a word for each puzzle piece, have students partner

and put their matched pieces together. Then, have students read all of the words.

Teacher: Each of you has eight blank puzzle pieces in your envelope. I will dictate a word,

and you will repeat the word and write it on a puzzle piece. Write only one word

per puzzle piece. If the word has a consonant-le syllable, circle the syllable. After I

have dictated a word for each puzzle piece, partner with another student and put

your pieces together. The pieces will ﬁt together, just like a puzzle. Then, take turns

reading the words.

We’ll spell the ﬁrst word together. I will write it on the board, and you will write it

on one of your puzzle pieces. The word is thimble.

Students: thimble

Teacher: Pronounce the syllables.

Students: /thim/ /bl/

Teacher: Use your knowledge of syllable types to spell each syllable. Say and spell the ﬁrst

syllable, Russell.

Russell: /thim/, t-h-i-m

Teacher: Everyone, write thim on one of your puzzle pieces.

[Write thim on the board as students write on their puzzle pieces.]

Teacher: Russell, say and spell the second syllable, please.

Russell: /bl/, b-l-e

Teacher: Everyone, write ble next to thim.

[Write ble on the board as students write on their puzzle pieces.]

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Teacher: Is this one a consonant-le syllable, Russell?

Russell: Yes.

Teacher: Callie, what part of the word should I circle?

Callie: You should circle the ble.

[Circle ble.]

Teacher: Everyone, say each syllable as I point to it and then say the whole word.

[Point to each syllable, and then slide your ﬁnger under the whole word.]

Students: /thim/ /bl/, thimble

Teacher: The next word is riﬂe.

Students: riﬂe

Teacher: Say the syllables and then write the whole word on one of your puzzle pieces.

Students: /rī/ /ﬂ/

[Students write riﬂe on one of their puzzle pieces.]

Teacher: Sean, please tell the group how you spelled riﬂe.

Sean: r-i-f-l-e

Teacher: Good spelling! How did you spell each syllable in riﬂe?

Sean: The ﬁrst syllable is r-i. The other syllable is f-l-e.

Teacher: Everyone, point to the consonant-le syllable in riﬂe.

[Students point to ﬂe.]

[Continue to dictate words until students have written a word on each puzzle

piece.]

Teacher: Now, pair up with another student and match puzzle pieces with your partner. You

match the pieces by their shape—they should ﬁt together, just like a puzzle.

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[Students partner and begin to match pieces.]

Teacher: Callie and Jay, I see that you have matched two of your pieces. Callie, could you

read us the two words on your matched puzzle pieces?

Callie: cradle, fumble

Teacher: Great! Everyone, please continue to match pieces with your partner. When all of

the pieces are matched, take turns reading the pairs of matched words.

TIP

Use a diﬀerent color of paper for all the puzzle pieces in each envelope.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

PHRASE READING

DECODING

Distribute the worksheet, which has 24 short phrases with words containing known syllable types,

particularly Cle syllables. Have students read the phrases silently and circle the Cle syllables. Then,

call on students to read the phrases aloud.

Teacher: Read each phrase silently. When you see a word with a consonant-le syllable, circle

the syllable. We will read the phrases aloud a bit later. While you are reading, I

might ask you to whisper read, so I can listen. Please begin, everyone.

[Circulate among students and listen to them read.]

TIP

Include reading aloud, so students do not merely circle Cle syllables without reading the word.

ADAPTATION

• Have students take turns reading to a partner.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

EXPANDING TRIANGLE

ENCODING

Distribute the worksheet. Have students write a Cle sound in the middle triangle. Have students

write a diﬀerent word containing the Cle sound in each of the surrounding three triangles. Have

students then read the words to a partner.

Demonstrate by completing an expanding triangle for /gl/ on the board (see the following

graphic).

EXPANDING TRIANGLES

Teacher: The inside of the middle triangle shows the consonant-le syllable sound /gl/. You

will write a word that contains that sound in each of the blank triangles.

[Write the words in the triangles as you discuss them.]

Teacher: Hmm, juggle has /gl/ at the end of the word, so I can write juggle in one of the

blank triangles. What is another word that has the /gl/ at the end?

Russell: bugle

Teacher: That’s correct, so we can write that in another triangle. Now, we need just one

more word. Who knows another word with /gl/ at the end?

Cornelius: wiggle

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Teacher: Right, so wiggle can go in the last triangle.

Assign a Cle sound for each of the two expanding triangles on the worksheet and have students

complete the worksheet. When they are done, have students read their words to their partners.

TIPS

• /kl/ has two spelling options (cle and kle), so if you use that sound, students may complete

their triangles with words containing either spelling pattern.

• If students have diﬃculty thinking of three words with the target sound, dictate a word.

ADAPTATION

After students read the words they wrote to a partner, have students exchange triangles with a

diﬀerent student and read that student’s words.

MONITOR LEARNING

Make sure that students identify and correctly pronounce syllables, based on their syllable type.

GENERALIZATION

There are relatively few exceptions to the rules for reading and spelling Cle words. Because sounds

in words with a Cle pattern usually make their expected sound, learning the rules of Cle syllables

greatly expands the number of words students can read and spell.

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cablebugle

bucklebottle

battleangle

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

TRIANGLE WORD CARDS

To make these cards, cut along the dashed lines.

summer

paddle

unable

problem

tackle

decline

indeed

whistle

hungry

steam

cradle

cable

bundle

sample

humble

maple

struggle

confess

First of 6 pages

LESSON 14 WORD CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

TRIANGLE WORD CARDS

TEMPLATE

To make these cards, cut along the dashed lines and ﬁ ll in your

own words.

First of 4 pages

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

TRIANGLE WORDS

Hexagon game board for Triangle Words

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FOOTBALL FUMBLE

1. _________

2. _________

3. _________

4. _________

5. _________

1. _________

2. _________

3. _________

4. _________

5. _________

1. _________

2. _________

3. _________

4. _________

5. _________

1. _________

2. _________

3. _________

4. _________

5. _________

1. _________

2. _________

3. _________

4. _________

5. _________

OTHER

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SPELLING PUZZLE TEMPLATE

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

PHRASE READING

1. able to drive

2. over the puddle

3. purple and navy blue

4. glow of the candle

5. the crust on apple pie

6. lock and handle

7. on top of the table

8. left ankle twisted

9. sticks in a bundle

10. tackle the player

11. green turtle swims

12. whistle a happy tune

13. belt with a buckle

14. puddle after the rain

15. just a single sock

16. a sample to try

17. stream with pebbles

18. steeple on the church

19. stop in the middle

20. the eagle has landed

21. grab the silver handle

22. staple the paper

23. title of the book

24. needle in a haystack

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

EXPANDING TRIANGLES

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Soft g and Soft c

Lesson 15

OBJECTIVES

• Students will recognize soft g and soft c spelling patterns.

• Students will read words in which the letter g makes its soft sound, /j/, and words in which

the letter c makes its soft sound, /s/.

• Students will spell words that contain the soft g and soft c sounds.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 15 word cards*

• Construction paper

• Soft sounds wheels worksheet*

• Index cards

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

TIPS

• Teach soft c and soft g on separate days. The activities in this lesson are designed to

be used for both soft c and soft g. Each activity has a general description, followed by

separate sample dialogues for teaching soft c on one day and soft g on another day.

Adjust the wording and materials, depending on whether you are teaching soft c or soft g.

• Refer to the Appendix for list of soft g and soft c words.

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• The soft g spelling pattern has some notable exceptions (e.g., give, get, girl). Teach these

exceptions as sight words.

• Provide multiple opportunities for students to interact with high-utility words in decoding

and encoding activities.

• Provide direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

SOUND OPTIONS

Write the following words on the board: hound, group, soup, out, thousand, and cougar. Remind

students that some letters can make more than one sound. Have students read the words and

identify the sound ou makes in each word.

Teacher: The letter combination ou makes the sound /ow/ in hound and /oo/ in group.

Repeat after me: hound, /ow/.

Students: hound, /ow/

Teacher: group, /oo/

Students: group, /oo/

Teacher: Read each word as I point to it. Then, I will ask you to tell me what sound ou makes.

[Point to soup.]

Students: soup

Teacher: What sound does ou make?

Students: /oo/

Point to the remaining words and have students read the words and identify the sound ou makes

in each word.

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OPENING

[Write Cindy and George on the board.]

Teacher: In this lesson, you will learn about two consonants that have more than one

sound. Letter c sometimes makes an /s/ sound. Does anyone know someone

named Cindy? The /s/ in Cindy is made with the letter c. Do you know someone

named George? The letter g sometimes makes /j/ sound, as in George. This might

seem confusing at ﬁrst, but rules and patterns can help you ﬁgure out which

sound to use for c and g.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

LEARNING ABOUT SOFT C AND SOFT G WORDS

DECODING

NOTE: Remember to teach soft c and soft g on separate days.

DAY 1: SOFT C

When e, i, or y follows c, it makes the sound /s/. Use call and cell to demonstrate how c changes

from its hard to soft sound, depending on what follows it. Use recite and recycle to demonstrate

the sound of c when it is followed by i or y.

[Write call on the board.]

Teacher: Let’s start by learning the sounds for c. Please read this word.

Students: call

Teacher: What sound does c make in call?

Students: /k/

Teacher: When the sound of c is /k/, it’s called a hard c.

[Write e, i, and y on the board.]

Teacher: When e, i, or y follows c, it makes the sound /s/. What sound does c make when it is

followed by e, i, or y?

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Students: /s/

Teacher: When the sound of c is /s/, it’s called a soft c.

[Write cell on the board and underline c and e as you discuss them.]

Teacher: In this word, c is followed by e, so it becomes a soft c: /s/. The word is cell, like a cell

phone or a cell in your body. What’s the word?

Students: cell

Teacher: What sound does c make?

Students: /s/

[Write recite and recycle on the board.]

Teacher: In the next example, c is followed by i...

[Circle ci in recite.]

...and becomes a soft c. So what sound does c make?

Students: /s/

Teacher: Correct. Abby, please read the word.

Abby: recite

[Circle cy and cl in recycle.]

Teacher: The ﬁrst c in this word is followed by y, so what sound does c make?

Students: /s/

Teacher: Now, let’s look at the next c. It is followed by l, so what is the sound for c?

Students: /k/

Teacher: William, please read the word.

William: recycle

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DAY 2: SOFT G

When e, i, or y follows g, it makes the sound /j/. Use wag and wage to demonstrate how the g

changes from its hard to soft sound, depending on what follows it. Use gym and gigantic to

demonstrate the sound of g when it is followed by i or y.

Teacher: Let’s learn about the sounds for g.

[Write wag on the board.]

Teacher: Please read this word.

Students: wag

Teacher: What sound does g make in wag?

Students: /g/

Teacher: When the sound of g is /g/, it’s called a hard g.

[Write e, i, and y on the board.]

Teacher: As with the letter c, the letter g makes its soft sound when it is followed by e, i, or y.

That soft g sound is /j/. So, what sound does g make when it is followed by e, i, or

y?

Students: /j/

Teacher: When the sound of g is /j/, it’s called a soft g.

[Write wage on the board and underline g and e as you discuss them.]

Teacher: In this word, e follows the g, so it becomes a soft g: /j/. The word is wage. What’s

the word?

Students: wage

Teacher: What sound does g make in this word?

Students: /j/

[Write gym and gigantic on the board.]

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Teacher: In the next example, g is followed by y...

[Circle gy in gym.]

Teacher: ...and becomes a soft g, so what sound does g make?

Students: /j/

Teacher: Correct. Beth, please read the word.

Beth: gym

Teacher: Correct. Everyone, repeat, please.

Students: gym

[Circle gi and ga in gigantic.]

Teacher: The ﬁrst g in this word is followed by i, so what sound does g make?

Students: /j/

Teacher: Now, let’s look at the next g. It is followed by a, so what sound does g make?

Students: /g/

Teacher: Gerald, please read the syllables and then read the whole word.

Gerald: gi-gan-tic, gigantic

Teacher: Nicely done, Gerald! You really used your knowledge of syllables and sounds to

read the word. In fact, that was so good, I think we’ll look at your name.

[Write Gerald on the board.]

Teacher: Why is the ﬁrst sound in his name /j/, William?

William: Because the letter e comes after the g.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

SPELLING WORDS WITH SOFT C AND SOFT G

ENCODING

NOTE: Remember to teach soft c and soft g on separate days.

Dictate words containing /s/ or /j/, depending on whether you are teaching soft c or soft g. Model

how to choose the correct spelling option. Remind students that it can be diﬃcult to know

which option is correct, just from the sound. Tell students that they have to practice spelling the

words and memorizing which option goes with which words. Use the previously taught spelling

strategy:

1. Say the word.

2. If the word has multiple syllables, break the word into syllables.

3. Spell each syllable.

4. Check your spelling by reading the word and looking at a word card or dictionary.

DAY 1: SOFT C

Think aloud to model how to choose the correct spelling for /s/, ﬁrst with a word spelled with c

and then with a word not spelled with c.

Teacher: We know that some sounds have more than one spelling option, or diﬀerent ways

to spell the same sound. We just learned that /s/ is sometimes spelled with s and

sometimes with c. I’ll think aloud to demonstrate how I ﬁgure out which spelling

option to use.

The word is center. I hear two syllables in the word: /sen/ /ter/.

In the ﬁrst syllable, /sen/, I hear /s/, followed by /e/. Hmm, I know that /s/ can be

spelled with s or c. I just learned that when e comes after c, the c makes the /s/

sound. I will try spelling the ﬁrst syllable with c: c-e-n. The next syllable, /ter/, is

spelled t-e-r. I spelled the word: c-e-n-t-e-r.

I check the word by reading it and looking at a word card or dictionary: center.

[Demonstrate checking a word card or dictionary.]

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Teacher: Listen to the next word: solid. I hear two syllables in the word: /sol/ /id/.

In the ﬁrst syllable, /sol/, I hear /s/, followed by /o/. O isn’t one of the vowels that

can make a soft c, so I will use s for /s/. I’ll spell the ﬁrst syllable s-o-l. The next

syllable, /id/, is spelled i-d. The word is spelled s-o-l-i-d.

I check the word by reading it and looking at a word card or dictionary: solid.

[Demonstrate checking a word card or dictionary.]

DAY 2: SOFT G

Think aloud to model how to choose the correct spelling for /j/, ﬁrst with a word spelled with g

and then with a word not spelled with g.

Teacher: We’ve learned that /j/ is sometimes spelled with j and sometimes with g. I will

demonstrate how I ﬁgure out which spelling option to use.

The word is gender. I hear two syllables in the word: /gen/ /der/.

In the ﬁrst syllable, /gen/, I hear /j/ followed by /e/. Is e one of the vowels that can

create a soft g?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Correct, so I will try spelling the ﬁrst syllable with g: g-e-n. The next syllable, /der/, is

spelled d-e-r. The word is spelled g-e-n-d-e-r.

I check the word by reading it and looking at a word card or dictionary: gender.

[Demonstrate checking a word card or dictionary.]

Teacher: Here is the next word: enjoy. I hear two syllables in the word: /en/ /joy/.

How is the ﬁrst syllable, /en/, spelled?

Students: e-n

Teacher: That’s right. The next syllable is /joy/. I hear /j/ followed by /oy/. Hmm, /oy/ is

spelled oy or ou. Is o one of the vowels that can make a soft g?

Students: No.

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Teacher: Correct, so /j/ is spelled with j in this word. The syllable is spelled j-o-y. The word is

spelled e-n-j-o-y.

I check the word by reading it and looking at a word card or dictionary: enjoy.

[Demonstrate checking a word card or dictionary.]

TIPS

• Remind students know that it can be diﬃcult to know which option is correct, just from

the sound. Tell students that they need to practice spelling words and memorizing which

option goes with which words.

• Provide multiple opportunities for students to interact with high-utility words in decoding

and encoding activities.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

RECOGNIZING SOFT C AND SOFT G LETTER PATTERNS

DECODING

NOTE: Remember to teach soft c and soft g on separate days.

Using the layout shown below, write a list of words containing c or g on the board, depending

on whether you are teaching soft c or soft g. Have students take turns determining whether

each word has a soft c (or soft g). If a word contains a letter pattern that creates soft c (or soft g),

underline the letter pattern and write it in the column next to the word. Then, have students read

the word.

WORD SOFT c PATTERN

triceps

cancel

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DAY 1: SOFT C

Teacher: We will determine the sound of c in each of the words on the board and then read

the words. But ﬁrst, let’s review what we’ve learned about c. Beth, please remind

everyone of the sounds for c.

Beth: /k/, /s/

Teacher: Very good. C says /s/ when followed by certain vowels. What are the three vowels

that form the soft sound letter pattern, Abby?

Abby: E, i, and y.

Teacher: Yes, that is correct. For each word on the board, if c is followed by e, i, or y,

underline the letter pattern and write it in the column next to the word. We’ll do

the ﬁrst two words together.

[Point to triceps.]

Teacher: In this word, c is followed by e. Does that follow a soft sound letter pattern, Gerald?

Gerald: Yes.

Teacher: Because ce is a soft sound letter pattern, I underline ce and write it in the column

next to the word. What is sound for c in this word?

Students: /s/

Teacher: And what is the word, Abby? Say the syllables and the whole word.

Abby: tri-ceps, triceps

[Point to cancel.]

Teacher: Beth, please come to the board for this word. Do you see a soft sound letter

pattern?

Beth: Well, there are two cs, but only one has a special vowel after it.

Teacher: Tell me what you mean by a “special vowel.”

Beth: One of the vowels that makes c say /s/: e, i, and y. This word has e after c.

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Teacher: OK, thanks for explaining that to everyone. Please underline the soft c pattern you

found and write it in the correct column.

[Beth underlines ce and writes ce in the “Soft c Pattern” column.]

Teacher: Everyone, what is the sound for c in the letters Beth underlined?

Students: /s/

Teacher: There is another c in the word. Why didn’t Beth underline it, too?

Gerald: Because a is after that c.

Teacher: Right. And what is the sound for that c, Gerald?

Students: /k/

Teacher: Beth, please read the syllables and then the whole word.

Beth: can-cel, cancel

DAY 2: SOFT G

WORD SOFT g PATTERN

gist

gumbo

Teacher: We’ll determine the sound of g in each of the words on the board. If g is followed

by e, i, or y, underline the letter pattern and write the letter pattern in the “soft g

pattern” column. Then we’ll read the words.

William, what are the two sounds for letter g?

William: /g/, /j/

Teacher: Perfect. Let’s do the ﬁrst word.

[Point to gist.]

Teacher: Raise your hand and tell me whether there is a soft sound letter pattern...William?

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William: There is gi. G will sound like /j/.

Teacher: Good job recognizing the letter pattern and knowing the sound, William! I

underline gi and write gi in the “soft g pattern” column. What is the sound for g in

this word, everyone?

Students: /j/

Teacher: Everyone, read the word, please.

Students: gist

[Point to gumbo.]

Teacher: Gerald, it’s your turn to do the next word. Tell the group whether the word has a

soft sound letter pattern.

Gerald: The g has u after it. That’s not one of the vowels that makes g say /j/.

Teacher: Correct. Please read the word.

Gerald: gumbo

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

VENN DIAGRAM

DECODING

NOTE: Remember to teach soft c and soft g on separate days.

On a large sheet of construction paper, draw and label a Venn diagram for the soft sound being

taught and place it on the table or ﬂoor. Have students read word cards and place them in the

correct location in the diagram, depending on the sound of the c (or g) in the word. If a word has

both hard and soft sounds, it belongs in the overlapping area. Your Venn diagram should look

similar to the following graphic.

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S

O

F

T

C

H

A

R

D

C

DAY 1: SOFT C

Teacher: After you read a word card, put it in the correct area of the Venn diagram. If the

word has a soft c, as in Cindy, it belongs in the circle labeled “soft sounds.” If the

word has a hard c, as in Carmen, it belongs in the “hard sounds” circle.

Abby, what letter follows c to make it say /s/?

Abby: E, i, or y.

Teacher: Excellent. Notice the area where the circles overlap. It’s for words with soft and

hard c sounds.

Let’s read some words together and ﬁgure out where they belong. Here’s the ﬁrst

word.

[The word is city.]

Teacher: Look at the letter pattern and tell me what sound c makes.

Beth: /s/

Teacher: Correct. Please read the word.

Beth: city

Teacher: Abby, how did Beth know that c makes its soft sound in city?

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Abby: Because i comes after c.

Teacher: Beth, where does city belong in the Venn diagram?

Beth: Put it in the soft sounds circle.

Teacher: Look at the next word.

[The word is capsize.]

Teacher: What letter follows c?

Students: a

Teacher: Gerald, what sound does c make in this word?

Gerald: It says /k/ because the ﬁrst part of the word is cap.

Teacher: Gerald saw two clues about the sound of c. First, it is part of a word he recognizes,

cap. Second, c is followed by a, so it is a hard c, /k/. Please read the whole word,

Gerald.

Gerald: capsize

Teacher: Because it contains a hard c, I’ll put capsize in the hard sounds circle.

Capsize is an interesting word because it has nothing to do with the size of a

cap! Capsize means “to overturn.” When a boat turns upside down in the water, it

capsizes. Here’s the next word.

[The word is nice.]

Teacher: How do you know the sound for c, William?

William: It has e after it, so it says /s/.

Teacher: What is the word?

William: nice

Teacher: That’s right. Where does it belong in the Venn diagram?

William: With soft sounds.

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DAY 2: SOFT G

Teacher: Today we’ll read words, looking for soft g. After you read a word card, put it in the

correct area of the Venn diagram. If the word has a soft g, as in George, it belongs

in the circle labeled “soft sounds.” If the word has a hard g, as in Glen, it belongs in

the “hard sounds” circle.

What letters that follow g make it say /j/?

Students: E, i, and y.

Teacher: Look at this word.

[The word is agent.]

Teacher: What letter follows g?

Students: e

Teacher: Yes. Therefore, what sound does g make?

Students: /j/

Teacher: William, please read the word.

William: agent

Teacher: Yes, so where does it go in the diagram?

William: With soft sounds.

Teacher: Correct! Agent has a soft g, /j/, so it belongs in the soft sounds circle.

Teacher: Let’s analyze this next word.

[The word is suggest. Point as you discuss the letters.]

Teacher: The ﬁrst g is followed by another g, so what is the sound of the ﬁrst g?

Gerald: /g/

Teacher: Yes. Now, look at the second g. It is followed by e, so what is the sound of the

second g?

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Students: /j/

Teacher: Say the ﬁrst syllable, everyone.

Students: /sug/

Teacher: Say the second syllable.

Students: /jest/

Teacher: Put them together to form the word.

Students: sug-gest, suggest

Teacher: Excellent job. Although this word may have seemed confusing at ﬁrst, it followed

the rule of hard and soft sounds. Suggest has a hard sound and a soft sound, so it

goes in the overlapping part of the Venn diagram.

ADAPTATION

Create Venn diagrams by using yarn, string, rope, or Hula-Hoops.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

SOFT SOUNDS WHEEL

ENCODING

NOTE: Remember to teach soft c and soft g on separate days.

Gather 15 to 20 cards of high-utility words containing soft c (or g) letter patterns. Distribute the

worksheet, which has two circles divided into thirds. The segments are labeled with soft c (or

g) letter patterns. Dictate a word from the word cards. Have students write the word on their

whiteboards and provide guidance as needed. After students spell the word correctly, have

students put a token on the wheel segment that matches the letter pattern in the dictated word

(see the following graphic).

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Teacher: This activity will help you spell words with soft c sounds. I’ve chosen words that

you frequently encounter, so learning how to spell these words will be useful. I

will dictate a word, and you will write the word on your whiteboard. After you

have spelled the word correctly, ﬁnd the wheel segment on your worksheet with

the soft sound letter pattern of the word and put a token on it. The goal is to get

at least four tokens in each segment because that means you got some valuable

spelling practice!

We will spell the ﬁrst word together. The word is advice. Repeat, please.

Students: advice

Teacher: Say the syllables.

Students: /ad/ /vīs/

Teacher: The next step is to spell each syllable. Abby, please say and spell the ﬁrst syllable.

Abby: ad, a-d-d

Teacher: The ﬁrst syllable sounds just like the word add that you would say in math class,

but in advice, it is just a word part, so it is spelled a-d. Write the ﬁrst syllable on your

whiteboards, please.

[Write ad on the board as students write on their whiteboards.]

Teacher: William, what is the second syllable in advice?

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William: /vīs/

Teacher: Tell me the sounds you hear in vice.

William: /v/ /ī/ /s/

Teacher: We’ll use the sounds in vice to spell the syllable.

[Write on the board as William says the letters.]

Teacher: What is the ﬁrst sound and letter?

William: /v/, v

Teacher: What is the next sound and letter?

William: /ī/, i

Teacher: What is the next sound and letter?

William: /s/: I think it’s spelled with c.

Teacher: It is spelled with c. So far, we have the second syllable spelled v-i-c. That would be

pronounced /vik/. How do we make it say /vīs/?

William: It should have e at the end.

Teacher: Yes! It needs e for two reasons. First, e is needed to make a soft c. Second, e makes

it a VCe syllable with a long i sound. Please ﬁnish writing advice and then hold your

whiteboards up, so I can see them.

[Students write and hold up their whiteboards.]

Teacher: What soft c letter pattern is in the word?

Students: ce

Teacher: Put a token on the ce segment of the wheel.

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DAY 2: SOFT G

Teacher: Today, we’ll practice spelling words with soft g sounds. I will dictate a word, and

you will write the word on your whiteboard. After you have spelled the word

correctly, ﬁnd the wheel segment with its letter pattern on your worksheet and put

a token on it. Remember, the goal is to get at least four tokens in each segment.

Let’s spell the ﬁrst word together. The word is germs. Here it is in a sentence: Hand

sanitizer can prevent the spread of germs. Repeat the word, please.

Students: germs

Teacher: What sounds are in germs, Beth?

Beth: /j/ /er/ /m/ /z/

Teacher: Let’s spell the sounds we hear. What is the ﬁrst sound?

Beth: /j/

Teacher: Hmm, how will you know which way to spell /j/?

Beth: Well, the sound after it is /er/, and that’s e-r. So I think j is spelled with g.

Teacher: Excellent explanation, Beth. You put together a lot of your knowledge about

sounds! Everyone please spell germs and then hold up your whiteboards. Where

will you put a token on the wheel?

Students: The ge section.

TIP

Choose words by looking for trouble spots in students’ writing.

ADAPTATION

Do this activity in pairs. Have Student A dictate a word to Student B, who spells it and checks it

against the word card. Have Student B then dictate a word to Student A.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

MINGLE

DECODING

NOTE: Remember to teach soft c and soft g on separate days.

Give each student an index card with four to six words, most with a soft c (or g). Do not put

duplicate words on any of the cards. Follow these steps:

1. Have students read the words on their cards independently. Monitor and assist to ensure

that each student masters his or her words.

2. Have students mingle and read one another’s words. Have the student who has mastered

the set of words critique his or her classmates’ reading of those words.

Teacher: I’ve given each of you an index card with words on it. This activity has two parts:

First, you will read the words on your card and master them. That means you’ll be

able to read your words quickly and accurately.

Then, you will walk around the room and read one another’s words. Because

you have mastered your own words, you’ll be able to determine whether your

classmate is reading your words correctly.

ADAPTATIONS

• Alter the number of words on index cards to meet the level of your students.

• Have students initial their classmates’ index cards after reading the words on them. The

student who collects everyone’s initials ﬁrst is the winner.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

WHITEBOARD DICTATION

ENCODING

NOTE: Remember to teach soft c and soft g on separate days.

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Dictate words that contain learned sounds, mostly words containing soft c (or g) that students are

likely to encounter in their reading and writing. Have students repeat each word and then spell it

on their whiteboards. Have students hold up their whiteboards after they spell a word.

Teacher: I will dictate a word. Repeat the word in a whisper voice and then write it on your

whiteboard. Follow the usual spelling process by listening for syllables and then

spelling each syllable. I’ll dictate words that you have read and spelled before, so

use your memory to help you spell the words. After you write the word, hold up

your whiteboard, so I can see it.

The ﬁrst word is city.

[Students repeat the word in a whisper voice, write it on their whiteboards,

and hold up their whiteboards.]

Teacher: Excellent job!

Continue dictating words.

MONITOR LEARNING

Encoding soft c and soft g words involves memorization and practice. Monitor students for

accuracy and provide opportunities to practice high-utility words that are particularly diﬃcult to

spell.

GENERALIZATION

G makes the sound /j/ more often than j does. C frequently makes the /s/ sound. Because of this

frequency, learning the letter patterns that produce soft c and soft g will increase the number of

words students can read across texts.

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First of 6 pages

LESSON 15 WORD CARDS

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Adding Vowel Suffixes to

CVC and Silent e Base Words

Lesson 16

OBJECTIVES

• Students will read consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) and silent e base words that have a

vowel suﬃx.

• Students will spell CVC and silent e base words that have a vowel suﬃx.

• Students will discriminate between CVC words with a vowel suﬃx and silent e words with

a vowel suﬃx.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 16 word cards*

• Base word cards from previous lessons

• Which word? worksheet*

• Spinner with suﬃx sections**

• Suﬃx math worksheet*

• Cloze sentences worksheet*

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

**Assembly instructions available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for a list of words with a CVC or silent e base and vowel suﬃx.

• “Vowel suﬃxes” are simply suﬃxes that begin with a vowel. Some examples of common

vowel suﬃxes are es, ed, ing, er, y, en, est, and able.

• Use the following rules when reading a word whose base changes when a vowel suﬃx is

added:

• If a double consonant precedes the vowel suﬃx, the vowel in the base word is short.

• If a single consonant precedes the vowel suﬃx, the vowel in the base word is long.

• Use the following rules when spelling a word with a vowel suﬃx:

• If the base word ends in a CVC pattern, the ﬁnal consonant is doubled before adding

the suﬃx. This rule is known as the “doubling rule.”

• If the base word ends in silent e, drop the e before adding the suﬃx. This rule is known

as the “silent e rule.” An exception to this rule is that the silent e is not dropped when it

is used so that c and g can retain their soft sounds (e.g., noticeable, changeable).

• Provide direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

ADDING SUFFIXES THAT DO NOT CHANGE BASE WORDS

Write the following words on the board: fastest, recently, coasting, foolish, quicken, refreshment,

hanger, insisted, comfortable. Review what a suﬃx is. Ask students to read the words and identify

the base words and suﬃxes.

Teacher: Who can remind the group what a suﬃx is...Megan?

Megan: It’s something that is added to the end of a word.

Teacher: Right. Everyone, tell me a word that contains a suﬃx in this sentence: I planted

ﬂowers in the garden yesterday.

Students: planted

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Teacher: What’s the base word in planted?

Students: plant

Teacher: What is the suﬃx?

Students: ed

Teacher: What is the whole word?

Students: planted

Teacher: Excellent. Please read each of the words on the board as I point to it. Say the base

word, the suﬃx, and then the whole word.

[Point to fastest.]

Students: fast, est, fastest

Have students continue reading words as you point to them.

OPENING

Write big + er = bigger and make + ing = making on the board and refer to them as you introduce

the lesson.

Teacher: Sometimes, a base word changes when you add a suﬃx that begins with a

vowel—bigger and making are examples. In bigger, when the suﬃx er is added to

the base word big, the ﬁnal g is doubled. In making, when ing is added to make,

the silent e is dropped.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

IDENTIFYING VOWEL SUFFIXES

Write the words twisting and lately on the board. Gather some cards of words with bases that do

not change when a suﬃx is added, such as selﬁsh, wishes, respectful, grumpy, silently, freshen,

hopeful, thrilling, rented, and stronger. Explain that some suﬃxes begin with a vowel and that

others begin with a consonant. Read the words and identify vowel and consonant suﬃxes.

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Teacher: When vowel suﬃxes are added to some base words, the base word changes.

Before we learn how to read and spell those words, let’s practice identifying vowel

suﬃxes. A vowel suﬃx begins with a vowel.

[Point to twisting.]

Teacher: Please read this word and tell me the base word and suﬃx.

Students: twist, ing

Teacher: The suﬃx ing begins with a vowel, so it is a vowel suﬃx.

[Point to lately.]

Teacher: Please read the next word and tell me the base word and suﬃx.

Students: late, ly

Teacher: The suﬃx ly begins with a consonant, so it is a consonant suﬃx.

Let’s read some word cards and decide whether they have a vowel or consonant

suﬃx. Please tell me the base, suﬃx, and then the whole word. First word, Megan?

Megan: self, ish, selﬁsh

Teacher: Does the suﬃx begin with a vowel or a consonant?

Megan: It begins with a vowel, i.

Teacher: Correct. Ish is a vowel suﬃx. Next word, Rudy?

Students: ﬁsh, y, ﬁshy

Teacher: Does ﬁshy have a vowel or consonant suﬃx?

Rudy: It has a vowel suﬃx because the suﬃx is y.

Teacher: Yes, that’s right. We’ve learned that sometimes y can be a consonant and

sometimes a vowel. When y is a suﬃx, it is a vowel. Next word, Lisa?

Lisa: respect, ful, respectful: It’s a consonant suﬃx because ful starts with f.

Teacher: Very good. Let’s read the rest of the word cards and identify the suﬃxes.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

IDENTIFY DOUBLE OR SINGLE CONSONANTS BEFORE A VOWEL SUFFIX

Write the words funny, hoping, planned, cubes, glasses, wishing, stopping, runner, paints, and

widest on the board and refer to them as you teach. Explain that an important clue in reading

words with vowel suﬃxes is determining whether a double or single consonant immediately

precedes the vowel suﬃx. Describe what double and single consonants are, and practice

identifying double and single consonants that precede a vowel suﬃx. Students will not yet read

the words; that strategy is presented in the following activity.

Teacher: It’s important to identify whether a double or single consonant comes before a

vowel suﬃx. Double consonants are two of the same consonant right next to each

other. In the ﬁrst word on the board, funny, there are two ns before the suﬃx.

[Circle nn.]

Teacher: In hoping, there is a single consonant before the vowel suﬃx: just one p.

I will point to each word. If it has a double consonant before the suﬃx, hold up two

ﬁngers. If it has a single consonant before the suﬃx, hold up one ﬁnger.

[Point to planned. Students show two ﬁngers.]

Teacher: Excellent. What is the double consonant, Thomas?

Thomas: There are two ns.

Teacher: Next word.

[Point to cubes. Students show one ﬁnger.]

Teacher: Good job. There is a single consonant, b, before the suﬃx.

Continue identifying whether a word has a single or double consonant preceding the suﬃx.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

READ WORDS WITH BASES THAT CHANGE WHEN ADDING A VOWEL

SUFFIX

DECODING

On the board, create two columns that each have 7 to 10 words with a vowel suﬃx. In one

column, write words in which the base has a doubled ﬁnal consonant (e.g., dropping, nodded,

ﬁttest, permitted). In the other column, write words in which the ﬁnal silent e of the base is

dropped (e.g., bravest, cuter, escaped, using).

Refer to the columns as you teach students to determine a base word’s vowel sound by looking at

the letters preceding the vowel suﬃx. If a double consonant precedes the suﬃx, the vowel in the

base word is short. If a single consonant precedes the suﬃx, the vowel in the base word is long.

Begin with double consonants preceding vowel suﬃxes.

Teacher: When you see that a word has a vowel suﬃx, the letters just before the suﬃx tell

how to say the base word. A double consonant before the suﬃx means the vowel

in the base word is short.

[Point to dropping.]

Teacher: There is a double p just before suﬃx ing. That means the o in the base word is

short, so the base word is drop: drop, ing, dropping. Repeat, please.

Students: drop, ing, dropping

Teacher: Let’s look at the next word.

[Point to nodded.]

Teacher: Is there a double consonant before the suﬃx?

Students: There are two ds.

Teacher: Yes, so the vowel is short. What is the base word?

Students: nod

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Teacher: Read the base word and suﬃx, and then put them together to read the whole

word.

Students: nod, ed, nodded

[Point to ﬁttest.]

Teacher: Double consonant or single consonant?

Students: Double consonant.

Teacher: What sound does the vowel make?

Students: /i/

Teacher: Say the base word, suﬃx, and the whole word.

Students: ﬁt, est, ﬁttest

Continue reading words with a double consonant preceding a vowel suﬃx.

Next, teach that a single consonant before a vowel suﬃx means the vowel in the base word is

long.

Teacher: A single consonant before a vowel suﬃx means that the vowel in the base word is

long.

[Point to bravest.]

Teacher: There is a single consonant, v, in front of the suﬃx, so the vowel in the base word is

long: /ā/. The base word is brave: brave, est, bravest. Repeat, please.

Students: brave, est, bravest

Teacher: Let’s look at the next word.

[Point to cuter.]

Teacher: Does a double consonant or a single consonant come before the suﬃx, Megan?

Megan: It’s just one t, so it is a single consonant.

Teacher: Yes, so the vowel is long. What is the base word?

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Megan: cute

Teacher: Yes, the base word is cute. Say the base word and suﬃx, and then put them

together to say the whole word.

Students: cute, er, cuter

[Point to escaped.]

Teacher: Is there a double or single consonant before the suﬃx?

Students: Single.

[Point to a in escaped.]

Teacher: What sound does this vowel make?

Students: /ā/

Teacher: Say the base word, suﬃx, and the whole word.

Students: escape, d, escaped

Continue reading words with a single consonant before a vowel suﬃx.

ERROR CORRECTION

Direct students who make an error to identify the double or single consonant before the suﬃx

by saying something similar to the following: “Is there a double consonant or a single consonant

before the suﬃx? What is the vowel sound when it is a single [or double] consonant?”

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 4

SPELL WORDS WITH BASES THAT CHANGE WHEN ADDING A SUFFIX

ENCODING

Explain that students will use the sound of the vowel in the base word and their knowledge of

syllable types to help them spell words. Model the strategy by using the following steps:

1. Say the word.

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2. Say the word parts (the base word and suﬃx).

3. If the word has a consonant suﬃx, simply add the suﬃx to the base word, as taught in

previous lessons.

4. If the word has a vowel suﬃx, use the following rules:

• If the base word ends in a silent e, drop the e before adding the suﬃx (the silent e rule).

• If the base word ends in a CVC pattern, double the ﬁnal consonant in the base word

before adding the suﬃx (the doubling rule).

5. Spell the word.

6. Check your spelling by reading the word you wrote.

USING THE SILENT E RULE

Teacher: To spell words that have a vowel suﬃx, we must use our knowledge of syllable

types. If the base word ends with silent e, drop the e before adding the suﬃx. This

is called the silent e rule. I will demonstrate with the word voter.

I say the whole word: voter.

I say the base word and suﬃx: The base word is vote, and the suﬃx is er.

[Write vote + er = on the board.]

Teacher: Because er is a vowel suﬃx and vote ends with a silent e, I drop the silent e to spell

the whole word: v-o-t-e-r.

[Write voter after the equals sign.]

Teacher: I read the word I wrote: voter.

Let’s follow the steps together to spell saving. Here’s the word in a sentence:

Eduardo was saving money to buy his dad a birthday present. Say the word.

Students: saving

Teacher: Say the base word and suﬃx.

Students: save, ing

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[Write save + ing = on the board.]

Teacher: Is ing a vowel suﬃx?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Does save end with silent e?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Because ing is a vowel suﬃx and save ends with silent e, how does the base word

change, Marco?

Marco: Drop the silent e and add the suﬃx.

Teacher: That’s right. Everyone, spell the word.

Students: s-a-v-i-n-g

[Write saving after the equals sign.]

Teacher: Read the word.

Students: saving

USING THE DOUBLING RULE

Teacher: When the base word ends with a CVC pattern, you double the ﬁnal consonant

before adding the suﬃx. This is called the doubling rule. I will demonstrate with

humming. Here’s the word in a sentence: Mr. Solis was humming a song as he

drove to work.

I say the whole word, humming.

I say the base word and suﬃx: The base word is hum, and the suﬃx is ing.

[Write hum + ing = on the board.]

Teacher: Because ing is a vowel suﬃx, and hum ends with a CVC pattern, I double the ﬁnal

consonant to spell the whole word: h-u-m-m-i-n-g.

[Write humming after the equals sign.]

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Teacher: I read the word: humming.

Let’s spell the next word together. The word is permitted. Here’s the word in a

sentence: Joseph is not permitted to go to the mall without an adult. Say the word.

Students: permitted

Teacher: Say the base word and suﬃx.

Students: permit, ed

[Write permit + ed = on the board.]

Teacher: Is ed a vowel suﬃx?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Because ed is a vowel suﬃx, ask yourself, “Does permit end with CVC?”

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Because er is a vowel suﬃx and permit ends in a CVC pattern, how does the base

word change?

Students: Double the ﬁnal consonant.

Teacher: Spell the word.

Students : p-e-r-m-i-t-t-e-d

[Write permitted after the equals sign.]

Teacher: Read the word.

Students: permitted

DETERMINING WHETHER THE BASE WORD CHANGES

Teacher: Now that you know how the base word changes when it ends in silent e or a CVC

pattern, let’s practice determining whether the base word should change and then

apply the correct change.

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I will demonstrate with the word broken. Here’s the word in a sentence: The

children couldn’t watch TV because it was broken.

I say the whole word, broken.

I say the base word and suﬃx: The base word is broke, and the suﬃx is en.

[Write broke + en = on the board.]

Teacher: Because en is a vowel suﬃx, I have to determine whether the base word should

change, so I ask myself, “Does the base word end in silent e or a CVC pattern?” Yes,

broke ends in silent e.

Because en is a vowel suﬃx and broke ends in silent e, I follow the silent e rule to

spell the word. How does the base word change?

Students: Drop the silent e.

Teacher: Please spell the word.

Students: b-r-o-k-e-n

[Write broken after the equals sign.]

Teacher: Read the word, please.

Students: broken

Teacher: The next word is rubbing. Here it is in a sentence: You can start a ﬁre by rubbing

two sticks together, but it is slow and frustrating.

I say the whole word, rubbing.

I say the base word and suﬃx: The base word is rub, and the suﬃx is ing.

[Write rub + ing = on the board.]

Teacher: Because ing is a vowel suﬃx, I have to determine whether the base word should

change, so I ask myself, “Does rub end in a silent e or a CVC pattern?” Well, does it?

Students: Yes, CVC.

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Teacher: Because ing is a vowel suﬃx and rub ends in a CVC pattern, I follow the doubling

rule to spell the word. How does the base word change?

Students: Double the ﬁnal consonant.

Teacher: Please spell the word.

Students: r-u-b-b-i-n-g

[Write rubbing after the equals sign.]

Students: Read the word, please.

Students: rubbing

Teacher: The next word is rainy. Here it is in a sentence: It was too rainy to play outside.

I say the whole word, rainy.

I say the base word and suﬃx: The base word is rain, and the suﬃx is y.

[Write rain + y = on the board.]

Teacher: Because y is a vowel suﬃx, I have to determine whether the base word should

change, so I ask myself, “Does rain end in silent e or a CVC pattern?” Does it?

Students: No.

Teacher: Right, rain doesn’t end in silent e or CVC, so the base word doesn’t change when I

spell the whole word.

Please spell the word.

Students: r-a-i-n-y

[Write rainy after the equals sign.]

Teacher: Read the word, please.

Students: rainy

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

PARTNER’S CHOICE

DECODING

Write 15 to 20 words on the board, mostly words whose base changes when a vowel suﬃx is

added (either a doubled consonant or a dropped ﬁnal e) but also some other known words, so

students can practice discriminating among words (e.g., mopping, foggy, blender, eraser, sadly,

stampeded, transferred, ruler). Have two students at a time go to the board. Have Student A point

to a word for Student B to read and use in a sentence. Then, reverse the roles.

Teacher: You will come to the board in pairs. The ﬁrst student will point to a word. The

second student must read that word and use it in a sentence. Then, we will reverse

the roles.

Thomas, will you please be my partner while I demonstrate? Point to a word.

[Thomas goes to the board and points to transferred.]

Teacher: Hmm, I see two rs, before the suﬃx ed. That tells me the vowel will be short. It’s

an r-controlled vowel, so it will say /er/. Transfer, transferred: Everyone, repeat the

base word and the whole word.

Students: transfer, transferred

Teacher: Very good. Now, I’ll use the word in a sentence: Brittany transferred to a new school

when she moved in with her grandparents. Now, I will point to a word for Thomas

to read.

[Point to ruler.]

Teacher: What clue do you use to ﬁgure out the vowel sound?

Thomas: There’s just one l before the vowel suﬃx. I think that means the vowel is long.

Teacher: You ﬁgured that out perfectly! Say the base word and the whole word, please.

Thomas: rule, ruler

Teacher: Everyone, repeat the base word and the whole word.

Students: rule, ruler

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Teacher: Please use ruler in a sentence, Thomas.

Thomas: I use a ruler in math class.

Teacher: Great! Thanks for being my partner, Thomas. Megan and Lisa, please come up and

choose words for each other.

Continue until all students have taken a turn.

TIPS

• Set a time limit to ensure that students choose words quickly. For example, you could

choose the word if a student fails to do so within 5 seconds.

• Choose words that students can use meaningfully in a sentence.

• Put a check mark by words that have been read.

ADAPTATIONS

• Instead of writing words on the board, distribute word cards to partners.

• Read all the words quickly when the activity is complete.

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

WHICH WORD?

DECODING

Draw a clock and write the words timming and timing on the board. Partner students. Give each

pair of students one of the two pages of the worksheet, which features pictures with two word

choices each. The words both have suﬃxes, but only one word corresponds to the picture. Have

partners read each word and choose the word that corresponds with the picture. One of the

words might be a nonsense word. When ﬁnished, have students read and spell the correct words

to the group.

Teacher: You and your partner will ﬁgure out which word goes with each picture. Some of

the words are nonsense words. When you’ve completed the worksheet, each team

will share with the group by reading the word that matches a picture.

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We’ll do the example on the board together. Rudy, please read the ﬁrst word.

[The word is timming.]

Rudy: Timming?

Teacher: Right. Timming isn’t a real word, but you ﬁgured out how to read it. How did you

know the vowel sound?

Rudy: The double m.

Teacher: The double m before the vowel suﬃx helped you. Very good. Megan, please read

the other word.

[The word is timing.]

Megan: timing

Teacher: How did you know the vowel would be long?

Megan: Because there is only one m before the suﬃx.

Teacher: Wow! You all are doing a great job remembering the rules. Which word goes with

the picture of the clock?

Lisa: Timing because a clock tells you what time it is.

Teacher: Good, how do you spell timing?

Lisa: t-i-m-i-n-g

Teacher: Nice work, everyone. You and your partner will do the same thing with the pictures

and words on your cards. I’ll come around to help. When we’re done, we will take

turns reading our answers.

TIPS

• Be sure that students read both words in each pair aloud.

• After students choose a word, have them read it and spell it to be sure they are correct.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

SPINNER SUFFIXES

DECODING AND ENCODING

Create a spinner that is divided into eight sections: ﬁve or six sections with a vowel suﬃx and two

or three with a consonant suﬃx. Compile a stack of base word cards. Turn over the top card to

display a base word. Have a student spin to determine the suﬃx that will be added to the base

word. Have students use the syllable rules they have learned to combine the base word and suﬃx

to write a word on their whiteboards. Have students read the word and determine whether it is a

real word. If it is, have the student use it in a sentence.

Teacher: I will show you a base word, and you will take turns spinning to determine the

suﬃx to add to it. You will need to ﬁgure out whether the base word changes

when the suﬃx is added and then write the word on your whiteboard. We’ll then

ﬁgure out whether they are real or nonsense words. If a word is real, you will use it

in a sentence.

Here is the ﬁrst base word.

[Show escape.]

Teacher: What is the base word, everyone?

Students: escape

Teacher: Thomas, please spin and tell us the suﬃx we will add to escape.

[The spinner lands on ing.]

Teacher: Is ing a vowel suﬃx?

Thomas: Yes.

Teacher: What is the next step?

Lisa: Figure out whether the base word should change.

Teacher: Excellent! And what did you ﬁgure out?

Rudy: Escape ends with silent e, so drop the e to spell the whole word.

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Teacher: Everyone, write the whole word on your whiteboards. Then, hold them up.

[Students write and then hold up their whiteboards.]

Teacher: I see that everyone dropped the e before adding the suﬃx. I’m impressed! Megan,

please read the word.

Megan: escaping

Teacher: Is it a real word?

Megan: Yes.

Teacher: Please use it in a sentence.

Megan: My hamster keeps escaping from its cage.

Teacher: Great. Here is the next word.

[Show hit.]

Teacher: Rudy, please spin for the suﬃx.

[The spinner lands on est.]

Teacher: OK, now that we know the base word and the suﬃx, what is the next step?

Thomas: You have to ﬁgure out whether the base word changes. The suﬃx starts with e, so

it might change.

Lisa: Hit is a CVC word, so it’s going to change.

Teacher: You’re right. Thomas told us the suﬃx starts with a vowel, and Lisa said hit is a CVC

word. Think about how a word that ends with a CVC pattern changes with a vowel

suﬃx. Write the word on your whiteboards then hold them up.

[Students write hittest.]

Teacher: Excellent! Please read the word.

Students: hittest.

Teacher: Is that a real word?

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Students: No.

Teacher: Correct. Hittest is not a real word. Who can add a diﬀerent suﬃx to hit to make a

real word and then use that word in a sentence?

Rudy: Hitter: My grandpa says Willie Mays is the best hitter in baseball history.

Teacher: Great word and sentence! Everyone, write hitter on your whiteboard. Good job!

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

SUFFIX MATH

ENCODING

Distribute the worksheet, which depicts forming words as an equation (see the graphic below).

Dictate words that follow suﬃx rules that students have learned. Have students spell each word

by completing the equation for it.

Base Word

+

Su x

=

Whole Word

1

+ =

2

+ =

Teacher: For each word I dictate, you’ll complete an equation that will help you spell the

word. Instead of an equation with numbers, such as 2 + 2 = 4, our equation is base

word + suﬃx = whole word. As we have learned, the base word and suﬃx are

important because they tell us which spelling rules to follow.

We’ll begin by completing some equations together. The ﬁrst word is ﬂaming.

Please say the whole word, base word, and the suﬃx.

Students: ﬂaming, ﬂame, ing

Teacher: Write ﬂame in the base word column of the ﬁrst equation on your worksheet.

[Students write.]

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Teacher: How do you spell ﬂame, Megan?

Megan: f-l-a-m-e

Teacher: Correct. I’ll write on the board, so you can follow along.

[Write ﬂame on the board.]

Teacher: What is the suﬃx?

Students: ing

Teacher: Rudy, how is ing spelled?

Rudy: i-n-g

Teacher: That’s right. Write that in the suﬃx column.

[Students write.]

Teacher: The equation says base word plus the suﬃx equals the whole word. So far we have

ﬂame + ing. Before we write the whole word, we must determine whether the

base word will change. Thomas, please explain what you do next.

Thomas: The a in the base word is long, and ﬂame ends with silent e, so you have to drop

the e.

Teacher: Excellent! I like the way you combined all the steps. Please write the whole word in

the whole word column.

[Students write.]

Teacher: Lisa, please say the word and then spell it.

Lisa: ﬂaming, f-l-a-m-i-n-g

Teacher: Nice job! The next word is beginner. Say the whole word, base word, and suﬃx.

Students: beginner, begin, er

Teacher: Who can tell me something that a beginner bike rider might do?

Megan: Fall over on the bike.

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Teacher: Yes, a beginner is someone who is starting to learn something new, and making

mistakes is a normal part of being a beginner. Write the base word and suﬃx on

your worksheet. Lisa, how do you spell the base word?

Lisa: b-e-g-i-n

Teacher: Correct! How do you spell the suﬃx, Megan?

Megan: e-r

[Write begin and er on the board.]

Teacher: Now we’re ready to spell the whole word. What is the vowel sound in the ﬁnal

syllable of begin?

Students: /i/

Teacher: Knowing the vowel sound will help you complete the rest of the equation on your

worksheet. Please do that now.

[Students ﬁll in answers.]

Teacher: Rudy, how did you spell beginner?

Rudy: I put two ns, so I spelled it b-e-g-i-n-n-e-r.

Teacher: Yes! Great job, everyone!

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

CLOZE SENTENCES

DECODING

Distribute the worksheet, which has 10 ﬁll-in-the-blank sentences with two word choices for each

blank. Have students select the correct word and write it on the line. Then, have students take

turns reading their completed sentences to a partner.

Teacher: Read each sentence silently and write the correct word in the blank. Circle the suﬃx

of the words you write. In 3 minutes, you will read your sentences to a partner.

As students ﬁnish the worksheet, have them take turns reading the sentences to a partner.

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ADAPTATION

Have students write the base word and the suﬃx of the words they choose.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

POINT AND READ

DECODING

Place 15 to 20 word cards faceup on a table. Include a variety of learned words with base words

that change and base words that do not change when a vowel suﬃx is added, so that students

discriminate among the words. Point to a word and call on individual students to read the word.

Use a very quick pace. Occasionally question students to assess their understanding.

Teacher: When I point to a word and say your name, read the word aloud. Everyone else,

read silently. I will go quickly, so pay attention.

[Point to taped.]

Teacher: Rudy?

Rudy: taped

[Point to admitted.]

Teacher: Megan?

Megan: admitted

Teacher: Nice job, everyone. Now we’ll go even faster!

Continue until all the words have been read.

ADAPTATIONS

• Have students keep the cards they read correctly.

• Turn facedown cards that are read correctly.

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 4

SPELL WORDS WITH BASES THAT CHANGE WHEN ADDING A SUFFIX

ENCODING

Dictate words for students to spell. Include a variety of words with bases that change and bases

that do not change when a vowel suﬃx is added, so that students discriminate among the

diﬀerent spelling rules. Have students say the base word and the suﬃx before writing the word.

Teacher: I will dictate a word. Say the base word and suﬃx, and then spell the word on your

whiteboard. After you write the word, hold up the whiteboard, so I can see it.

The ﬁrst word is admitted. Here is the word in a sentence: I admitted that I ate the

last cookie when no one was watching.

Students: admit, ed

Teacher: Write the word on your whiteboard and hold it up.

[Students write the word and display their whiteboards.]

Teacher: Excellent job!

Continue dictating words.

MONITOR LEARNING

• Check whether students accurately identify base words and suﬃxes.

• In addition to using context clues, make sure that students apply their knowledge of word

construction to read easily confused words in connected text (e.g., cutter–cuter, moped–

mopped, taping–tapping).

GENERALIZATION

• The rules about base words that change when suﬃxes are added help students to read a

wide variety of texts.

• The rules also provide a strategy for spelling words.

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buggybravest

blamedbeginner

arrivingadmitted

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

bi er

biter

shaddy

shady

7 8

ﬁ lled

ﬁ led

ska er

skater

5 6

brokken

broken

cu er

cuter

3 4

smokky

smoky

dinner

diner

1 2

wavving

waving

tinny

tiny

9

10

WHICH WORD? PAGE 1

First of 6 pages First of 2 pages

LESSON 16 WORD CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SPINNER INSTRUCTIONS

SPINNER SUFFIXES

MATERIALS

• Paper plate

• Brass brad

• Material for spinner pointer (e.g., coﬀ ee can lid, plastic drinking straw)

• Two spacers (e.g., washers, grommets, or eyelets from a hardware store)

• Scissors

PREPARATION

• Divide and label the paper plate into eight sections—ﬁ ve or six with vowel suﬃ xes and two or

three with consonant suﬃ xes.

• Cut an arrow out of the material for the pointer.

• With scissors, make a small hole in the center of the paper plate.

• Punch a small hole in the arrow.

ASSEMBLY

• Place a washer over the hole in the paper plate.

• Place the pointer over the washer.

• Place another washer over the pointer.

• Line up the holes in the paper plate, washers, and pointers.

• Secure everything with the brass brad, pushing the brad through the spinner from top to bottom.

• Open the brad tabs on the underside of the paper plate to hold the assembly in place.

• Check to see that the pointer spins freely and adjust as necessary.

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SUFFIX MATH

Base Word

+

Su x

=

Whole Word

1

+ =

2

+ =

3

+ =

4

+ =

5

+ =

6

+ =

7

+ =

8

+ =

9

+ =

10

+ =

11

+ =

12

+ =

13

+ =

14

+ =

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CLOZE SENTENCES

Select the word with the correct spelling and write it on the line.

1. Some students __________ (included includded) a map with their Civil War

history project.

2. Hector and Joseph made a poster __________ (comparring comparing)

farm crops in the North and South.

3. Many __________ (vo ers voters) in the South were unhappy that

Abraham Lincoln was elected president.

4. The a ack on Fort Sumter in 1861 was the __________

(begining beginning) of the Civil War.

5. Leaders in the North __________ (planned planed) to block seaports in the

South.

6. The South had a hard time __________ (ge ing geting) food, guns, and

cash.

7. Food and equipment in the North were __________

(transpor ed transported) more quickly because of railroads.

8. When the Civil War ended in 1865, many people __________

(celebrated celebra ed) in the streets.

9. After the war came the diﬃ cult job of __________ (uni ing uniting) the

North and South.

10. Just a few days after the war ended, President Lincoln was shot as he was

__________ (siting si ing) and watching a play.

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Lesson Plans Lesson 17 | 313

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Adding Suffixes That

Change Base Words’

Final y to i

Lesson 17

OBJECTIVES

• Students will read words in which the ﬁnal y of the base is changed to i when a suﬃx is

added.

• Students will spell words in which the ﬁnal y of the base is changed to i when a suﬃx is

added.

• Students will identify when to change the ﬁnal y of a base to i when a suﬃx is added.

MATERIALS

• Lesson 17 word cards*

• Base word cards from previous lessons

• Flip cards*

• Suﬃx math worksheet*

• Word web templates*

• Board and markers or chalk for teacher

• Personal whiteboards and dry-erase markers for students

• Notebook paper

*Blackline master available on CD.

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TIPS

• Refer to the Appendix for list of words in which the y of the base changes to i when a

suﬃx is added.

• The ﬁnal y rule: If a base word ends in consonant-y, change the y to i before adding the

suﬃx.

• The i usually retains the sound of the y in the base word. For example, in marry and

married, both the y and i make the /ē/ sound; in cry and cries, both the y and i make the

/ī/ sound. There are a few exceptions, however, such as happily, plentiful, and easily.

• The suﬃx es is added to a base word ending in consonant-y, rather than the suﬃx s (e.g.,

cry, cries; puppy, puppies).

• The ﬁnal y does not change when the suﬃx begins with i (e.g., ing, ish) because doing

so would create an awkward spelling (e.g., study becomes studying, not studiing). Teach

this exception after students have mastered the ﬁnal y rule. An example teacher model is

provided in the Generalizations section of this lesson.

• Do not include examples with /ing/ or /ish/ suﬃxes.

• Provide direct feedback to students.

DAILY REVIEW

DOUBLING RULE AND SILENT E RULE

Write the following words on the board: sliding, risky, ripper, ﬂuﬀy, riper, madly, moped, crabby,

hopeful, and hopping. Review the doubling rule and the silent-e rule for adding suﬃxes to base

words. Have students read the words and determine whether the base word changed when the

suﬃx was added.

Teacher: We have learned two rules about base words that change when a suﬃx is added.

One rule is the doubling rule, in which the ﬁnal consonant of a base word is

doubled. What are the three questions to answer when deciding whether a

consonant is doubled?

Emma: Is there only one vowel in the base word?

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Teacher: Good, that’s one question. What’s another question to ask yourself?

Yvonne: Does the suﬃx begin with a vowel?

Teacher: Yes, the suﬃx must begin with a vowel. What is the ﬁnal question?

Emma: Is there only one consonant after the vowel in the base word?

Teacher: Yes, those are the three questions. Look at the words on the board and tell me a

word that follows the doubling rule...Raymond?

Raymond: ripper

Teacher: What is the base word in ripper?

Raymond: rip

Teacher: Correct. Rip has just one vowel, followed by just one consonant. The suﬃx, er, starts

with a vowel, so the p was doubled.

Let’s review the silent e rule. What is the rule for dropping the e in a base word?

Emma: When the suﬃx starts with a vowel, drop the silent e.

Teacher: What word on the board has a silent e that has been dropped?

Terrence: riper

Teacher: What is the base word?

Terrence: ripe

Teacher: Excellent. Please read each of the words on the board as I point to it. Say the

base word, and then say the whole word. If the base word changed, show me a

thumbs-up.

[Point to sliding.]

Students: slide, sliding

[Students show a thumbs-up.]

Have students continue reading words as you point to them.

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OPENING

[Write happy, est, and happiest on the board.]

Teacher: Today, we will learn another rule about base words that change when adding a

suﬃx. It is called the ﬁnal y rule. Happiest is an example of this new rule. The ﬁnal y

in the base word, happy, changes to i before the suﬃx, est, is added.

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 1

INTRODUCE THE FINAL Y RULE

Write the words lucky, silly, study, baby, party, and play on the board. Write the suﬃxes er, s, ing,

est, and ed on the board. Teach the ﬁnal y rule: When the ﬁnal y of a base word is preceded by a

consonant, the y changes to i when a suﬃx is added, regardless of whether the suﬃx begins with

a vowel or consonant. Demonstrate the rule on a variety of base words ending in consonant-y.

Demonstrate that a base word ending in vowel-y does not change when adding a suﬃx.

[Point to lucky.]

Teacher: Please read this word.

Students: lucky

Teacher: I want to add the suﬃx est to form the word luckiest. The ﬁnal y rule helps me

determine whether the ﬁnal y changes to i before adding the suﬃx. The ﬁnal y

changes to i if the answer to the following question is “yes”:

Is the ﬁnal y in the base word preceded by a consonant?

[Point to k.]

Teacher: Yes, it is. Because the answer is “yes,” the ﬁnal y in the base word is changed to i...

[Change the y in lucky to i.]

Teacher: ...and the suﬃx is added.

[Add est to form luckiest.]

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Teacher: Lucky, luckiest: Repeat, please.

Students: lucky, luckiest

Teacher: Terrence, what is the next word?

Terrence: silly

Teacher: I want to add ness to form silliness. Let’s ﬁgure out whether the ﬁnal y should

change to i. Is the ﬁnal y in the base word, silly, preceded by a consonant?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: So the ﬁnal y changes to i before the suﬃx is added.

[Replace the y in silly with i. Add ness to form silliness.]

Teacher: Silly, silliness: Repeat, please.

Students: silly, silliness

Teacher: Please read the next word.

Students: party

Teacher: I want to form the word parties. Is the ﬁnal y in party preceded by a consonant?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: So y is changed to i.

[Replace the y in party with i.]

Teacher: When the suﬃx is s, you add es, instead of s.

[Complete parties by adding es.]

Teacher: Party, parties: Repeat, please.

Students: party, parties

Teacher: Please read the next word.

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Students: play

Teacher: I want to change play to playful. Let’s see whether the ﬁnal y rule causes me to

change the ﬁnal y to i. Is the ﬁnal y in play preceded by a consonant?

Students: No.

Teacher: So the ﬁnal y does not change—ful is simply added to the base word.

[Add ful to play.]

Teacher: Read the base word and whole word, please.

Students: play, playful

MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 2

READING WORDS THAT FOLLOW THE FINAL Y RULE

DECODING

Write 10 to 15 words on the board that follow the ﬁnal y rule (e.g., funnier, soggiest, families,

happiness, carried, monkeys). Teach students to look for the base word and suﬃx. Think aloud

to demonstrate the process of determining the base word. Then, put the base word and suﬃx

together to form the whole word.

Teacher: It is important to identify the base word and suﬃx in words. When reading a word

with a suﬃx, if the letter preceding the suﬃx is i, that’s a clue that the ﬁnal y in the

base word probably changed to i. For example, if you see this word...

[Point to funnier.]

Teacher: ...you recognize the suﬃx er.

[Circle er.]

Teacher: The word part in front of it...

[Underline funni.]

Teacher: ...isn’t a word. But you know the ﬁnal y rule means a ﬁnal y was changed to i. We

can change the i back to y.

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[Write funny.]

Teacher: Funny is a word you know. I can put the base word and suﬃx together to read the

word: funny, er, funnier. Repeat, please.

Students: funny, er, funnier

Teacher: Take a look at the next word.

[Point to soggiest.]

Teacher: I see the suﬃx est.

[Circle est.]

Teacher: The word part in front is spelled s-o-g-g-i. I’ll try using a y instead of the i.

[Write soggy.]

Teacher: Soggy, est, soggiest: Please repeat.

Students: soggy, est, soggiest

Teacher: Here’s an example sentence: My cereal is soggy when I pour too much milk on it.

Who can give me another example of something that is soggy?

Emma: My shoes got soggy when I walked in a puddle.

Teacher: Great! Let’s read the rest of the words.

Continue reading the rest of the words, gradually reducing your scaﬀolding.

TIPS

Heavily scaﬀold this activity initially. As students gain proﬁciency, they will not need to be led

through each step.

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MODEL AND TEACH: ACTIVITY 3

SPELL WORDS, USING THE FINAL Y RULE

ENCODING

Dictate words in which the nal y is changed to i when a sux is added. Model by using the

following steps:

1. Say the word.

2. Say the base word and sux.

3. Determine whether the nal y rule causes the nal y of the base word to change to i.

4. Spell the word.

5. Check your spelling by reading the word you wrote.

Teacher: Listen as I model how to use the nal y rule when spelling a word.

First, say the whole word, happiness.

Then, say the base word and sux: The base word is happy, and the sux is ness.

Determine whether the nal y rule causes the base word’s nal y to change to i. Is

the base word’s nal y preceded by a consonant? Yes, p precedes y.

Because the answer is “yes,” I change the nal y to i and add the sux.

[Write the word as you say the letters.]

Teacher:

Spell the base word, changing the nal y to i: h-a-p-p-i, and then add the sux:

n-e-s-s.

[Complete happiness.]

Teacher:

Read the word: happiness.

Now, we’ll all follow the steps together to spell carried. Here’s the word in a

sentence: I carried the groceries inside. Say the word.

Students: carried

Teacher: Say the base word and sux.

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Students: carry, /d/

Teacher: Determine whether the ﬁnal y rule applies. Is the base word’s ﬁnal y preceded by a

consonant?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: So change the y to i and add the suﬃx.

[Write the word as you say the letters.]

Teacher: Spell the base word, changing the ﬁnal y to i: c-a-r-r-i.

When we hear a word that means something is past, and it ends with the /d/

sound, how is /d/ spelled?

Students: ed

[Add the suﬃx to the word to make carried.]

Teacher: Then, I read the word: carried.

Let’s spell another word: families. Here’s the word in the sentence: Our families are

having dinner together. Say the word.

Students: families

Teacher: Say the base word and suﬃx.

Students: family, /z/

Teacher: Apply the ﬁnal y rule. Is the base word’s ﬁnal y preceded by a consonant?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: So, will I change the y to i and add the suﬃx?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: Correct. What suﬃx says /z/?

Students: s

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Teacher: Remember, when you’re adding the suﬃx s, you change y to i and add es. Now I

will spell the word.

[Write the word as you say the letters.]

Teacher: F-a-m-i-l-i-e-s: Please read the word.

Students: families

GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

FLIP CARDS

DECODING

Gather the ﬂip cards, which have a base word, suﬃx, and whole word on Side 1 and only the

whole word on Side 2 (see the following graphic). The cards include a variety of learned words

with suﬃxes; most consist of base words with a ﬁnal y. Have students go through the cards,

reading Side 1 ﬁrst, saying only the base word and whole word. After students have read Side 1 of

all the cards, they read Side 2.

studies

study + s =

studies

SIDE 1 SIDE 2

Teacher: We will read cards with two sides. We’ll start with Side 1, which gives you practice

for when you will read Side 2. Side 1 has the base word, suﬃx, and whole word laid

out like an equation, which is something you have seen before. You will say the

base word and the whole word.

[Show the copy + er = copier card.]

Teacher: For example, this card would be read copy, copier. Repeat, please.

Students: copy, copier

Teacher: Raise your hand to tell me whether the base word changed...Raymond?

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Raymond: Copier has i instead of y.

Teacher: Very good. The ﬁnal y changed to i. Yvonne, can you tell me why it changed?

Yvonne: Because copy ends with p-y.

Teacher: Wow, that’s impressive knowledge of the ﬁnal y rule. Here is the next card.

[Show the decay + s = decays card.]

Teacher: On my cue, everyone, say the base word and whole word.

[Gesture.]

Students: decay, decays

Teacher: Good reading! Did the base word change, Emma?

Emma: No, it stayed the same.

Teacher: You’re right. Why didn’t the ﬁnal y in decay change when suﬃx s was added?

Emma: Because decay has a-y at the end. If there’s a vowel and then y, it doesn’t change.

Teacher: Correct. When the base word ends with vowel-y, the y doesn’t change. Here’s th

word in a sentence: My dentist says I must brush my teeth or they will decay. What

do you think decay means?

Terrence: I think it means when something rots and gets bad. If you don’t brush your teeth,

they rot.

Teacher: That’s right. Decay means “to rot or decompose.”

Continue reading Side 1 of the cards. When ﬁnished, have students read the words on Side 2.

ADAPTATIONS

• Use a spinner to determine the number of cards each student will read.

• When students are reading Side 2, have them say the base word and whole word.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

PICK A SUFFIX

DECODING AND ENCODING

Compile a stack of base word cards, most of them ending in a y. Write the following suﬃxes on

the board: ed, er, est, ness, s, es, ly. Display one word card at a time. Have students choose a suﬃx

to add to the base word and write the newly formed word on their whiteboards. Then have

students read the words. Because students choose which suﬃx to add, diﬀerent students will

form diﬀerent words. This is ﬁne, as long as the words are real words.

Teacher: I will show you a base word, and you will add one of the suﬃxes on the board to

form a new word. You will need to ﬁgure out whether the base word changes

when the suﬃx is added. You might not all choose the same suﬃx; that’s OK, as

long as you form a real word. Write your word on your whiteboard. You’ll take turns

coming to the board to write your word.

I’ll demonstrate with the ﬁrst word.

[Show hurry.]

Teacher: What is the word?

Students: hurry

Teacher: Now, I choose a suﬃx to add. Hmm, I think I will add ed to form the word hurried.

Emma, how do I ﬁgure out whether the base word changes?

Emma: Look at the end of the word. It ends with r and then y, so you have to change the y

to i before you add the suﬃx.

Teacher: Very nice job. I would like everyone to write hurried on their whiteboards. Hold

them up when you are done.

[Students write the word and show their whiteboards.]

Teacher: I see that everyone changed y to i before adding the suﬃx. I’m impressed! Say the

base word and whole word, everyone.

Students: hurry, hurried

Teacher: Here is the next base word.

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[Show easy.]

Teacher: Choose a suﬃx to add that will form a real word.

[Students choose suﬃxes and write their words on their whiteboards.]

Teacher: This is very interesting because I see two diﬀerent words that were formed by

adding two diﬀerent suﬃxes. And each of the words is a real word! Great job.

Terrence, please read your word.

Terrence: easier

Teacher: Yvonne, you formed the same word. What suﬃx did you add?

Yvonne: er

Teacher: Everyone, say the base word and the whole word.

Students: easy, easier

Teacher: Emma, read your word.

Emma: easiest

Teacher: Raymond, what suﬃx did you and Emma add?

Raymond: est

Teacher: Everyone, say the base word and the whole word.

Students: easy, easiest

Teacher: Raymond, please explain why the base word changed.

Raymond: Because easy ends with s-y, so y changed to i.

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GUIDED PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

SUFFIX MATH

ENCODING

Distribute the worksheet, which depicts forming words as an equation (see the following graphic).

Dictate words that follow suﬃx rules that students have learned, mostly words in which the ﬁnal y

changes to i when a suﬃx is added. Have students spell the words by completing an equation for

each word.

Base Word

+

Su x

=

Whole Word

1

+ =

2

+ =

Teacher: I’ll dictate words for you to spell. For each word, you’ll complete an equation on

your worksheet by ﬁlling in the base word, suﬃx, and whole word. Identifying the

base word and suﬃx is important because it helps us know which spelling rules to

follow.

We’ll begin by completing some equations together. The ﬁrst word is spied. Here’s

the word in a sentence: I spied on the club so I could learn their secrets. What’s the

word?

Students: spied

Teacher: Say the base word and suﬃx.

Students: spy, /d/

Teacher: Write spy on the base word part of the ﬁrst equation on your worksheet.

[Students write.]

Teacher: How do you spell spy, Terrence?

Terrence: s-p-y

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Teacher: Correct. I’ll write the equation on the board, so you can follow along.

[Write spy on the board.]

Teacher: What is the suﬃx?

Students: /d/

Teacher: How do you spell the suﬃx /d/?

Yvonne: e-d

Teacher: That’s right. Write that in the suﬃx column.

[Students write.]

Teacher: The equation says that the base word plus the suﬃx equals the whole word. So

far, we have spy plus ed. We must determine whether the ﬁnal y rule will cause the

base word to change. Then we can write the whole word. What question do you

ask to determine whether the base word changes?

Yvonne: Does the base word end with consonant-y?

Teacher: Does it?

Yvonne: Yes, spy has p-y at the end.

Teacher: Because the answer is “yes,” what does the ﬁnal y rule say to do?

Students: Change the y to i and then add the suﬃx.

Teacher: Excellent. Please write the whole word on your worksheet.

[Students write.]

Teacher: Raymond, please say the word and then spell it.

Raymond: spied, s-p-i-e-d

Teacher: Nice job, everyone! The next word is copies. Repeat, please.

Students: copies

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Teacher: Say the base word and suﬃx.

Students: copy, /z/

Teacher: Write the base word and suﬃx on your worksheet.

[Students write.]

Teacher: Emma, how did you spell the base word?

Emma: c-o-p-y

[Write copy on the board.]

Teacher: How is the suﬃx spelled, Raymond?

Raymond: s

Teacher: That is correct. I’m pleased you remembered that even though the suﬃx says /z/, it

is formed by the letter s.

[Write s on the board.]

Teacher: What is the extra rule about the suﬃx s when you are applying the ﬁnal y rule?

Emma: If you change the y to i, add es.

Teacher: Excellent! Now you’re ready to spell the whole word. Complete the rest of the

equation for copies.

[Students ﬁll in answers.]

Teacher: Yvonne, how did you spell copies?

Yvonne: c-o-p-i-e-s

Teacher: Yes! Great job, everyone!

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INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 1

PARTNER FLIP CARDS

DECODING

Use the same ﬂip cards as in Guided Practice Activity 1 (see the following graphic for an example).

Have students work in pairs, and give each student a stack of cards. Have Student A show Side 2

of a card to Student B. Then, have Student B say the base word and whole word. Have Student A

use Side 1 to check the accuracy of Student B’s answer. Then, reverse the roles and move on to

another card.

studies

study + s =

studies

SIDE 1 SIDE 2

Teacher: This activity uses the ﬂip cards that we used earlier, but this time, you will read only

Side 2, which has the whole word on it. Side 1 will be used to check answers. You

will work in pairs.

For example, pretend that Emma and Yvonne are a pair. Emma shows Side 2 of a

card to Yvonne. Yvonne says the base word and the whole word, even though Side

2 shows only the whole word. Emma checks Yvonne’s answer by looking at Side 1.

Then, Emma and Yvonne switch roles with the next card.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 2

POINT AND READ

DECODING

Place 15 to 20 word cards faceup on a table. Include a variety of words, so that students apply the

ﬁnal y rule as well as discriminate among other rules they have learned about adding suﬃxes to

base words. Point to a word and call on a student to read the word. Use a quick pace. Occasionally

question students to assess their understanding.

Teacher: When I point to a word and say your name, read the word aloud. Everyone else,

read silently. I will go quickly, so pay attention.

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[Point to earliest.]

Teacher: Yvonne?

Yvonne: earliest

[Point to enjoyable.]

Teacher: Terrence?

Terrence: enjoyable

Teacher: Great job. Now let’s speed it up!

Continue until all the words have been read.

ADAPTATION

• Have students keep the cards they read correctly.

• Turn facedown cards that have been read correctly.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE: ACTIVITY 3

WORD WEBS

ENCODING

Have students complete word webs (templates are provided on the CD) for base words ending in

y. Dictate a whole word (e.g., supplier). Have students write the base word in the middle bubble

(supply) and the whole word in one of the outer bubbles. Dictate other words that use the same

base word (e.g., supplies, supplied). Have students write these words in the outer bubbles. Draw a

sample web on the board and demonstrate as you give directions.

Teacher: You will complete a word web for base words ending in y. First, I’ll dictate a whole

word: sillier. Write the base word in the middle bubble.

[Write silly in the middle bubble.]

Teacher: Then write sillier in one of the outer bubbles.

[Demonstrate.]

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Teacher: I’ll dictate other words with the same base word. Write those words in other outer

bubbles. When the web is complete, the middle bubble will show the base word,

and the outer bubbles will show words formed when suﬃxes are added to that

base word.

TIP

Choose base words that form at least two whole words.

ADAPTATION

Dictate only the base word and have students think of suﬃxes to add to form whole words.

MONITOR LEARNING

Check whether students accurately identify base words and suﬃxes.

GENERALIZATION

After students have mastered the ﬁnal y rule, teach this exception to the rule: When the suﬃx

begins with letter i, the base word’s ﬁnal y does not change.

TEACHER MODEL

DECODING

Teacher: When the suﬃx begins with the letter i, the ﬁnal y is not changed to i. Let’s look at

an example.

[Write study on the board.]

Teacher: Read the word, please.

Students: study

Teacher: I want to change it to studying. When the suﬃx begins with i, the base word’s ﬁnal

y doesn’t change. Since /ing/ begins with i, /ing/ is simply added to the base word.

[Write studying.]

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Teacher: If we changed y to i before adding /ing/...

[Write studiing.]

Teacher: ...it would create a double vowel and would be confusing.

[Erase studiing.]

Teacher: Study, studying: Please repeat.

Students: study, studying

[Write baby on the board.]

Teacher: Terrence, what is this word?

Terrence: baby

Teacher: Let’s change it to babyish. Here’s the word in a sentence: Sylvia thought the bow in

her hair was too babyish.

Is the ﬁnal y in the base word preceded by a consonant?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: The suﬃx begins with i, however, so y does not change to i. I simply add the suﬃx

to baby.

[Write babyish.]

Teacher: Baby, babyish: Repeat, please.

Students: baby, babyish

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TEACHER MODEL

ENCODING

Model, using the following steps:

1. Say the word.

2. Say the base word and suﬃx.

3. Determine whether the ﬁnal y rule causes the ﬁnal y of the base word to change to i.

4. Spell the word.

5. Check your spelling by reading the word you wrote.

Teacher: Listen to the word: trying. Say the word.

Students: trying

Teacher: Say the base word and suﬃx.

Students: try, ing

Teacher: Apply the ﬁnal y rule. Is the base word’s ﬁnal y preceded by a consonant?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: But the suﬃx /ing/ begins with i. So, does the ﬁnal y change to i?

Students: No.

Teacher: Very good! When the suﬃx begins with i, the base word does not change. Just add

the suﬃx: t-r-y-i-n-g. Please read the word.

Students: trying

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cloudiercities

carriescarrier

busiestbodies

study + s =

studies

copy + er =

copier

First of 6 pages First of 18 pages

LESSON 17 WORD CARDS

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

SUFFIX MATH

Base Word

+

Su x

=

Whole Word

1

+ =

2

+ =

3

+ =

4

+ =

5

+ =

6

+ =

7

+ =

8

+ =

9

+ =

10

+ =

11

+ =

12

+ =

13

+ =

14

+ =

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

WORD WEBS

FLIP CARDS

Appendix Word Lists | 335

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

WORD LISTS

336 | Word Lists Appendix

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Appendix Word Lists | 337

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Consonant-Vowel-Consonant

Words

SHORT A

bad

bag

bam

ban

bat

cab

cad

cam

can

cap

cat

dab

dad

Dan

fad

fan

fat

gab

gag

gap

had

hag

ham

hat

jab

jag

jam

Jan

lab

lad

lag

lap

mad

man

map

mat

nab

nag

nap

pad

Pam

pan

pap

pat

rag

ram

ran

rap

rat

SHORT E

bed

beg

Ben

bet

den

fed

get

hem

hen

Jen

jet

keg

Ken

led

leg

let

Meg

met

Ned

net

peg

pen

pep

pet

red

rep

set

Ted

ten

vet

vex

wet

yen

yes

yet

Zen

SHORT I

bib

bid

big

bit

did

dig

dip

ﬁb

ﬁg

ﬁn

ﬁt

hid

him

hip

hit

jib

jig

Jim

kid

Kim

kin

kit

lid

lip

lit

mid

nip

nit

pig

pit

rib

rid

rig

rim

rip

Sid

sin

sip

sit

Tim

tin

tip

vim

wig

win

wit

zip

zit

Lists continue on the next page.

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CONSONANTVOWELCONSONANT WORDS CONT.

SHORT O

bob

bog

bop

box

cob

cod

cog

con

cop

dog

dot

fob

fog

fox

gob

god

got

hog

hop

hot

job

jog

jot

lob

log

lop

lot

lox

mob

mod

mom

mop

nod

not

pod

pop

pot

pox

rob

rod

Ron

rot

sob

sod

sop

Tom

top

tot

SHORT U

bud

bug

bum

bun

bus

but

cub

cud

cup

cut

dub

dud

dug

fun

gum

gun

gut

hub

hug

hum

hut

jug

jut

lug

mud

mug

mum

nub

nun

nut

pub

pug

pun

rub

rug

rum

run

rut

sub

sum

sun

sup

tub

tug

tut

Appendix Word Lists | 339

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Consonant Digraph Words

CH

chap

chat

check

chess

chick

chill

chin

chip

chop

chug

chum

much

rich

such

which

CK

back

beck

buck

check

chick

chock

chuck

deck

dock

duck

hack

heck

hick

hock

jack

kick

lack

lick

lock

luck

mock

muck

neck

nick

pack

peck

pick

quick

rack

rock

sack

shack

shock

sick

tuck

wick

SH

ash

bash

cash

dash

dish

ﬁsh

gash

gosh

gush

hash

hush

josh

lash

lush

mash

mesh

mush

nosh

posh

rash

rush

sash

shack

shall

shed

shell

shin

ship

shock

shod

shop

shuck

shun

shut

wish

TH

bath

math

moth

path

pith

than

that

them

then

thick

thin

this

thud

thug

thus

WH

whack

wham

when

which

whiﬀ

whim

whip

whiz

340 | Word Lists Appendix

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Appendix Word Lists | 341

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Consonant Blend Words

FINAL BLENDS

CT

act duct fact

FT

craft

daft

deft

draft

drift

gift

heft

left

loft

oft

raft

rift

shaft

shift

sift

soft

swift

theft

thrift

tuft

waft

LD

held meld weld

LF

elf golf gulf self with

LT

belt

cult

dwelt

felt

jilt

kilt

lilt

melt

pelt

quilt

silt

stilt

tilt

wilt

MP

amp

blimp

bump

camp

chimp

chomp

chump

clamp

clomp

clump

cramp

crimp

damp

dump

grump

jump

lamp

limp

lump

plump

pump

ramp

scamp

scrimp

shrimp

skimp

slump

stamp

stomp

stump

thump

Lists continue on the next page.

342 | Word Lists Appendix

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CONSONANT BLEND WORDS: FINAL BLENDS CONT.

ND

and

band

bend

bland

blend

blond

bond

brand

end

fend

fond

fund

gland

grand

hand

lend

mend

pond

sand

send

spend

stand

strand

tend

trend

NT

ant

bent

blunt

brunt

chant

dent

ﬂint

font

glint

grant

grunt

hint

hunt

lent

mint

pant

pent

plant

print

punt

rant

rent

runt

scant

sent

slant

spent

splint

sprint

squint

stint

stunt

tent

tint

vent

went

PT

apt

crept

kept

opt

rapt

script

sculpt

slept

swept

tempt

wept

SK

ask

bask

brisk

cask

desk

disk

dusk

ﬂask

frisk

mask

risk

task

tusk

whisk

ST

best

blast

bust

cast

chest

crest

crust

dust

fast

ﬁst

frost

gust

jest

just

last

list

lost

mast

mist

must

nest

past

pest

quest

rest

rust

test

trust

twist

vast

vest

west

zest

Appendix Word Lists | 343

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INITIAL BLENDS

BL

blab

black

bland

blast

blend

blip

bliss

blob

block

blot

blunt

blush

BR

brag

bran

brand

brass

brat

brick

brim

brisk

broth

brush

DR

drab

draft

drag

drat

dreg

dress

drift

drill

drip

drop

drug

drum

drunk

FL

ﬂab

ﬂag

ﬂap

ﬂat

ﬂeck

ﬂesh

ﬂex

ﬂick

ﬂip

ﬂock

ﬂog

ﬂop

ﬂoss

ﬂung

ﬂunk

ﬂush

FR

frat

fresh

fret

frisk

frock

frog

frost

froth

GL

gland

glass

glen

glint

glob

gloss

glum

GR

gram

grand

grant

graph

grasp

grass

grill

grim

grin

grind

grip

grub

gruﬀ

grunt

Lists continue on the next page.

344 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

CONSONANT BLEND WORDS: INITIAL BLENDS CONT.

PL

plan

plod

plop

plot

pluck

plug

plum

plump

plunk

plus

plush

PR

press prim print prop

SC

scab scalp scat scoﬀ

SCR

scrap scrimp script scrub scruﬀ scrunch

SK

sketch

skid

skill

skim

skimp

skin

skip

skulk

skull

skunk

SL

slab

slack

slam

slant

slap

slash

slat

sled

slept

slid

slim

slip

slit

slop

slosh

slot

slug

slum

slump

slung

slunk

slush

SM

smack smash smell smock smog smug

SN

snack

snag

snap

sniﬀ

snip

snitch

snob

snub

snug

Appendix Word Lists | 345

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

CONSONANT BLEND WORDS: INITIAL BLENDS CONT.

SP

spam

span

spat

speck

spell

spend

spill

spin

spit

spot

spud

SPL

splash splat split

SPR

sprig spring sprint

STR

strand

strap

stretch

strict

strip

strong

struck

strum

SW

swam

swell

swift

swig

swim

swish

switch

swum

TR

track

tram

trap

trash

trend

trick

trill

trim

trip

trot

truck

trust

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

R-Controlled Words

AR

arch

ark

arm

art

bar

bark

barn

car

card

cart

charm

chart

dark

dart

far

farm

hard

harm

harp

jar

lard

march

mark

marsh

mart

park

part

scar

scarf

shark

sharp

smart

spark

star

starch

start

tar

tart

yard

yarn

ER

clerk

fern

germ

her

herd

jerk

perch

perk

stern

term

verb

IR

bird

birth

chirp

dirt

ﬁr

ﬁrm

ﬁrst

ﬂirt

girl

quirk

shirt

sir

skirt

squirm

squirt

stir

swirl

third

thirst

twirl

whirl

OR

born

cord

cork

corn

dorm

for

fork

form

horn

lord

nor

north

or

porch

pore

pork

port

scorch

scorn

short

sort

sport

stork

storm

sworn

thorn

torch

torn

wore

worn

UR

blur

burn

burst

church

churn

curb

curl

fur

hurt

spur

surf

turn

348 | Word Lists Appendix

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Appendix Word Lists | 349

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Vowel-Consonant-e Words

ape

bake

bite

blade

blame

blaze

bone

brake

brave

bribe

bride

broke

brute

cake

came

cane

cape

care

case

cave

chase

chime

choke

chose

close

code

cone

cove

crane

crave

craze

crime

cube

cure

dare

date

Dave

dime

dine

dive

dose

doze

drape

drive

duke

dune

fade

fake

fare

fate

ﬁle

ﬁre

ﬁve

ﬂake

ﬂame

ﬂute

frame

gale

game

glare

glaze

glide

globe

grade

grape

grave

graze

grime

gripe

grope

hare

hate

haze

hide

hire

hole

home

hone

hope

hose

jade

Jake

James

Jane

joke

June

Kate

kite

lake

lame

lane

late

life

like

lime

line

lobe

lone

mate

maze

Mike

mile

mine

mole

mope

mule

mute

name

nine

note

pane

Pete

pike

pile

plane

plate

poke

pole

pride

prime

prize

probe

prone

prune

pure

quake

quite

quote

rake

rare

rate

rave

ride

ripe

rise

robe

rope

rude

rule

safe

sale

save

scale

scare

scrape

scribe

shake

shame

shape

share

shave

shine

skate

slate

slave

slide

slime

slope

smile

snake

snide

snipe

spade

spare

spike

spine

spoke

stake

stale

stare

state

Steve

stole

stone

stride

strike

strive

swipe

take

tape

theme

these

those

throne

tide

time

tone

trade

tribe

tube

tune

vane

vase

vote

wave

whale

while

whine

white

350 | Word Lists Appendix

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Appendix Word Lists | 351

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Closed-Syllable and

Vowel-Consonant-e Pairs

bar bare pin pine

bit bite plan plane

can cane prim prime

cap cape quit quite

cod code rat rate

crud crude rid ride

cub cube rip ripe

cut cute rob robe

dim dime rod rode

fad fade Sam same

fat fate scar scare

ﬁn ﬁne scrap scrape

gap gape shin shine

glad glade sit site

glob globe slat slate

grim grime slid slide

grip gripe slim slime

hat hate slop slope

hid hide snip snipe

hop hope spar spare

kit kite spin spine

lob lobe star stare

mad made strip stripe

man mane tap tape

mat mate Tim time

mop mope tot tote

not note twin twine

pal pale us use

pan pane van vane

Adapted from Henry, M. K. (1990). Words: Integrated decoding and spelling instruction based on word origin and word

structure. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

352 | Word Lists Appendix

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Appendix Word Lists | 353

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Letter-Combination Words

LONG A

AI

aid

aim

bait

braid

brain

chain

claim

drain

fail

faint

faith

frail

grain

jail

laid

maid

mail

main

nail

paid

pail

pain

paint

plain

raid

rail

rain

sail

Spain

stain

strain

tail

trail

train

vain

waist

wait

saint

snail

AY

bay

clay

day

gay

gray

hay

jay

lay

may

pay

play

pray

ray

say

spray

stay

stray

sway

tray

way

LONG E

EA

beach

bead

beak

beam

bean

beat

bleach

bleak

cheat

clean

cream

deal

dear

dream

each

east

eat

feast

ﬂea

gleam

heal

heap

heat

jeans

lead

leaf

leak

lean

leap

leash

least

meal

mean

meat

neat

pea

peach

peak

plead

pleat

reach

read

real

scream

sea

seal

seam

seat

sheaf

sneak

speak

steak

steal

steam

stream

tea

teach

team

treat

weak

wheat

yeast

zeal

Lists continue on the next page.

354 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

LETTER COMBINATION WORDS CONT.

EE

bee

beech

beep

beet

cheek

cheep

creep

deed

deep

deer

fee

feed

feel

feet

ﬂee

free

greed

green

greet

heed

jeep

keep

knee

meet

need

peek

peel

peep

queen

reef

screech

screen

see

seed

seek

seem

seen

seep

sheep

sheet

sleep

sleet

speech

steel

steep

street

sweep

sweet

teen

teeth

three

tree

weed

week

weep

wheel

sweep

sweet

teen

teeth

three

tree

weed

week

weep

wheel

LONG I

IE

die lie pie tie vie

IGH

blight

bright

ﬁght

ﬂight

fright

high

light

might

nigh

night

plight

right

sigh

sight

slight

thigh

tight

LONG O

OA

boat

cloak

coach

coal

coast

coat

croak

ﬂoat

foam

goal

goat

groan

Joan

load

loan

moan

moat

oak

oats

roach

road

roam

roast

soak

soap

throat

toad

toast

whoa

OE

doe ﬂoe foe hoe Joe toe

Appendix Word Lists | 355

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

LETTER COMBINATION WORDS CONT.

OW

blow

blown

crow

ﬂow

ﬂown

glow

grow

grown

growth

low

mown

own

row

show

snow

stow

thrown

tow

LONG U

EW

blew

brew

chew

crew

dew

drew

Drew

few

ﬂew

grew

hew

mew

new

pew

stew

strewn

threw

whew

yew

OO

bloom

boo

boom

boost

boot

brood

broom

coo

cool

coop

food

fool

gloom

goof

groom

hoot

loom

loop

loot

moo

mood

moon

noon

pool

proof

roof

room

roost

root

scoop

scoot

shoot

smooth

snoop

spoon

stool

too

tool

tooth

woo

zoo

zoom

UE

blue

clue

cue

due

ﬂue

glue

hue

slue

sue

Sue

true

UI

fruit suit

/OI/

OI

boil

broil

coil

coin

foil

hoist

join

joint

moist

oil

point

soil

spoil

toil

void

Lists continue on the next page.

356 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

LETTER COMBINATION WORDS CONT.

OY

boy

coy

joy

ploy

Roy

soy

toy

Troy

/OU/

OU

bound

cloud

clout

couch

count

crouch

foul

found

grouch

ground

hound

loud

mound

mount

mouth

ouch

out

pouch

pound

pout

proud

round

scout

shout

slouch

snout

sound

south

spout

sprout

stout

trout

vouch

wound

OW

bow

brow

brown

clown

cow

down

frown

owl

town

/Ô/

AU

fault

fraud

gaunt

haul

haunt

jaunt

launch

Paul

taunt

taut

vault

AW

awl

bawl

brawl

brawn

caw

claw

crawl

dawn

draw

drawn

fawn

ﬂaw

hawk

jaw

law

lawn

paw

raw

saw

shawl

sprawl

squaw

squawk

straw

thaw

yawn

Appendix Word Lists | 357

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Open-Syllable Words

REAL WORDS

be

by

cry

dry

ﬂu

ﬂy

fry

go

he

hi

ho

lo

me

my

no

pi

pry

she

shy

sky

sly

so

try

we

why

WORDS THAT ARE NOT REAL

ba

co

cu

de

di

la

li

ma

mu

na

po

pro

ra

re

ro

si

ta

tri

tro

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Appendix Word Lists | 359

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Contractions

’D HAD OR WOULD

he’d

I’d

she’d

there’d

they’d

we’d

who’d

you’d

’LL WILL

he’ll

I’ll

it’ll

she’ll

that’ll

there’ll

they’ll

this’ll

we’ll

what’ll

who’ll

you’ll

’M AM

I’m

N’T NOT

aren’t

can’t

couldn’t

didn’t

doesn’t

don’t

hadn’t

hasn’t

haven’t

isn’t

shouldn’t

wasn’t

weren’t

won’t

wouldn’t

’RE ARE

they’re we’re who’re you’re

’S HAS OR IS

he’s

here’s

how’s

it’s

she’s

that’s

there’s

what’s

where’s

who’s

’VE HAVE

could’ve

I’ve

should’ve

there’ve

they’ve

we’ve

would’ve

you’ve

360 | Word Lists Appendix

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Appendix Word Lists | 361

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Compound Words

backbone

background

baseball

bathrobe

bathtub

bedroom

beehive

birthday

blacksmith

bookcase

bookmark

butterﬂy

campﬁre

catﬁsh

catnip

classmate

classroom

cookbook

cornmeal

courtyard

cowboy

doorbell

doorway

driftwood

driveway

earring

ﬁreman

ﬁreproof

ﬂagpole

football

footnote

footprint

grapefruit

grownup

hairbrush

handshake

haystack

highway

homeroom

homesick

income

indoor

kickoﬀ

landﬁll

landslide

lifeboat

lifetime

lookout

mailbox

network

newscast

newsprint

northeast

northwest

notebook

nowhere

outburst

outﬁt

outlaw

pancake

payoﬀ

playground

playpen

popcorn

railroad

rainbow

raindrop

rawhide

redwood

roadside

rundown

runway

scarecrow

seafood

seagull

seaport

seaside

seaweed

showoﬀ

snowplow

southeast

southwest

starﬁsh

steamboat

suntan

teammate

textbook

toenail

toothbrush

toothpick

tryout

tugboat

update

uproot

upset

waterproof

weekend

windmill

windstorm

without

362 | Word Lists Appendix

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Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Unchanging Base Words

With Affixes

PREFIXES

de dis mid mis non pre re un

WORD LIST

debug

declaw

deform

defrost

deplane

derail

dethrone

disarm

discard

disclose

dislike

dismiss

disown

distrust

midday

midnight

midsize

midterm

midway

miscount

misdeed

misﬁt

mislead

misprint

misspell

mistreat

mistrust

nonfat

nonslip

nonstick

nonstop

precook

predate

pregame

preheat

prepay

preteen

pretest

prevent

prewash

rebound

reclaim

reheat

renew

repay

reprint

request

restore

retire

return

revise

uncap

unchain

unclean

unﬁt

unglue

unhurt

unlike

unload

unlock

unmade

unpack

unplug

unreal

unsafe

untie

SUFFIXES

er est ful ing less ly ment ness s, es y

WORD LIST

armful

badly

benches

blameless

blocker

blocking

blocks

bloody

boxes

bravely

brushing

bumpy

careful

careless

catcher

catches

catching

chains

cheerful

chilly

classes

cleanest

closeness

cloudy

coolest

costly

cupful

darkest

darkness

deadly

dirty

dishes

dreamer

drilling

eating

ending

List continues on the next page.

364 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

UNCHANGING BASE WORDS WITH AFFIXES: SUFFIXES CONT.

endless

farmer

fearful

fewer

ﬁrmness

glasses

globes

gloomy

goodness

hairy

handful

harder

harmful

harmless

heater

heating

helping

helpless

homeless

hopeless

illness

jerky

jobs

joyful

jumper

jumping

lawful

lawless

leader

leaky

longest

louder

loudly

lucky

meaner

messy

newest

nightly

notes

oily

painless

painter

painting

paints

passes

pavement

payment

picky

plants

player

playful

pointless

pointy

proudly

pushy

quickly

rainy

reaches

reader

really

renting

rusty

sadly

safely

sandy

shifting

sickly

sickness

skillful

sleepless

softest

speaking

speedy

statement

stillness

stormy

streets

teacher

teaches

tests

thickest

thirsty

timeless

trains

treatment

tricky

twisting

useful

useless

waiting

MULTIPLE AFFIXES

carelessly

cheerfully

defrosting

distasteful

endlessly

helpfulness

homelessness

lawfully

misleading

mistrustful

refreshing

repayment

skillfully

unlikely

unsafely

usefulness

willingly

Appendix Word Lists | 365

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Unchanging Base Words

With an ed Suffix

/ED/

acted

bounded

defrosted

departed

ended

handed

lifted

melted

mistrusted

needed

outlasted

rented

sandblasted

treated

trusted

twisted

unloaded

untwisted

waited

/T/

asked

bumped

cracked

crushed

ﬁshed

handcuﬀed

jerked

jumped

mixed

picked

reached

refreshed

stamped

/D/

aimed

belonged

cheered

claimed

cleaned

drilled

ﬁlled

ﬁlmed

joined

rained

returned

screamed

showed

spelled

trained

turned

unclaimed

yelled

366 | Word Lists Appendix

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Appendix Word Lists | 367

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Multisyllabic Words

absent

activate

Atlantic

before

beside

bronco

children

chimney

compound

confuse

consist

contest

cumulus

debate

decay

demand

demonstrate

diﬀerent

discount

disrupt

educate

elbow

equipment

escape

estimate

excuse

expand

explain

extreme

factory

feline

forgot

habitat

holiday

hotel

humid

hundred

include

infant

insist

inspect

interest

invade

invent

itself

kidnap

legal

locate

mistake

moment

monster

multiply

music

navigate

number

obtain

open

paper

pilgrim

planet

plastic

polite

popular

prepare

prevent

problem

proﬁle

proﬁt

prohibit

provide

regret

regulate

remain

rerun

respect

retreat

reveal

robot

segment

sister

sixty

solo

stampede

subtract

thirteen

tornado

transit

transmit

trapper

tripod

tulip

underneath

unite

valentine

valley

volunteer

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Appendix Word Lists | 369

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Consonant-le Words

angle

apple

battle

bottle

bridle

bubble

buckle

bugle

cable

candle

cattle

chuckle

cradle

crumble

disable

eagle

enable

ﬁddle

fumble

humble

hurdle

idle

jungle

little

mantle

maple

marble

middle

muzzle

needle

noble

paddle

pebble

purple

puzzle

resemble

riﬂe

saddle

sample

sensible

settle

single

stable

steeple

struggle

stumble

tackle

temple

title

triple

uncle

unstable

vehicle

ventricle

whistle

370 | Word Lists Appendix

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Appendix Word Lists | 371

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Soft c and Soft g Words

SOFT C

accident

advice

cancel

cell

census

cent

centipede

cinch

Cindy

citizen

city

civil

civilize

concentrate

concept

cycle

cyclone

deﬁcit

emancipate

embrace

face

fancy

ice

incident

lace

mice

nice

pencil

place

price

priceless

principal

race

recent

recite

replace

rice

sincere

slice

space

spice

trace

truce

twice

SOFT G

age

agency

agent

cage

charge

digest

engage

enrage

forge

gel

gem

gene

genetic

gentle

gentleman

germ

gigantic

ginger

gist

gym

huge

indulgent

large

legend

legislate

longitude

magic

merge

rampage

singe

stage

stingy

suggest

surge

wage

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Appendix Word Lists | 373

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Base Words That Change

With a Suffix: Words That

End in Silent e or CVC

CVC

admitted

beginner

bragged

buggy

committed

drummer

equipped

expelled

ﬂoppy

forbidden

forgettable

forgotten

gloomy

gripped

hottest

permitting

propeller

quitter

referring

regrettable

sadder

saddest

shopping

shutting

slipper

swimmer

transferring

transmitted

tripped

SILENT E

arriving

baker

blamed

bravest

completed

cutest

debated

declared

deleting

eraser

escaped

grazed

ignored

largest

latest

lazy

likable

mistaken

placed

provider

quoted

rattler

revoked

safer

settler

smoky

struggled

timed

traded

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Appendix Word Lists | 375

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Base Words That Change

With a Suffix: Words With y

That Changes to i

bodies

busiest

carrier

carries

cities

cloudier

countries

dirtier

dressier

earlier

easily

emptied

families

ﬁreﬂies

greediness

happily

happiness

hurried

icier

ladies

luckiest

magniﬁed

married

merciful

nastier

noisier

nosiness

pennies

penniless

pitiful

rallies

reliable

replied

stormiest

sunnier

supplies

treaties

376 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 377

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

ACADEMIC

WORD LISTS

378 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 379

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Fourth-Grade

Academic Words

FOURTHGRADE SOCIAL STUDIES

abolition

adapt

adobe

aerospace

agribusiness

agriculture

alliance

Allies

ally

amendment

American Revolution

ancestor

Anglo-Americans

annexation

archaeology

arid

artifact

assembly line

atmosphere

Axis Powers

band

barbed wire

barter

basin

Battle of the Alamo

Battle of Boyaca

Battle of San Jacinto

bay

belt

bilingual

bill

Black Codes

blizzard

blockade

boom town

border

boundary

boycott

branch

brand

brazilwood

budget

butte

canal

candidate

cape

capital

capital resources

cardinal directions

cash crop

cattle drive

cause

cavalry

CD-ROM

census

Central Powers

century

checks and balances

circle graph

citizen

city council

city manager

civil rights

Civil War

civilization

climate

coast

coastal plain

cold front

colony

Columbian exchange

command economy

commemorate

commercial farming

communication

commuter

compass rose

Compromise of 1850

conclusion

Confederacy

conﬂict

congress

conqueror

conquistador

consequence

conservation

constitution

consumer

continent

convention

cost of living

county

380 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

cradleboard

crop rotation

crops

crude oil

culture

dam

Davis Guards

debt

decade

decision

degrees

delegate

delta

demand

democracy

democratic republic

dictator

dictionary

distribution map

drip irrigation

dugout

ecology

economy

ecosystem

editorial

eﬀect

elect

election

elevated train

elevation

Emancipation

Proclamation

empire

empresario

encyclopedia

enslaved

entrepreneur

environment

equator

erosion

ethnic group

evaluate

evaporation

executive branch

expedition

explore

export

extinct

fact

factors of production

factory

fault

fertile

ﬂow resources

food processing

forecast

fossil fuel

frame of reference

free-enterprise system

Freedmen’s Bureau

frontier

generalization

geography

glacier

globe

Goliad Massacre

goods

government

governor

Grange

graph

Great Depression

guide word

gusher

habitat

hemisphere

heritage

high-tech industry

historical map

history

homestead

Hood’s Texas Brigade

hub

humid

hunters and gatherers

hurricane

hydroelectric power

Ice Age

immigration

import

index

industrialization

industry

inference

interdependent

interior

intermediate

directions

international

international law

international trade

Internet

interstate highway

invention

investor

irrigation

isthmus

jazz

judicial branch

jury

kerosene

landform

landform maps

large-scale map

latitude

legend

legislative branch

levee

liberty

line graph

livestock

locator

lock

longhorn

longitude

Louisiana Purchase

lowland

lumber

manifest destiny

manufacturing

map

map key

FOURTHGRADE SOCIAL STUDIES CONT.

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 381

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

map scale

map symbol

maquiladoras

marsh

mayor

meridian

mesa

mesquite

mestizo

metropolitan area

Mexican War

mineral

mining

mission

missionary

monarchy

municipal

government

mural

NAFTA

natural resource

New Deal

nomadic

nonrenewable

resources

Norteño

nutrients

ocean

The Old Three

Hundred

Olympic Games

opinion

opportunity cost

parallel

peninsula

petrochemical

physical features

physical maps

pilgrim

pioneer

plain

Plan of Iguala

plantation

point of view

political

political map

political party

pollution

population

port

prairie

prairie dog

precipitation

prehistory

presidio

primary source

prime meridian

producer

product

professional

proﬁt

prosperity

pueblo

Pulitzer Prize

ragtime

ranch

raw materials

Reconstruction

recreation

reference source

reﬁnery

reform

region

relative location

religion

renewable

report

representative

republic

research

reservation

reservoir

resolution

river basin

road map

Roaring Twenties

Runaway Scrape

rural

scale

scarcity

seasonal

secede

secondary source

seeds of change

segregation

senator

service

service industry

sharecropper

skilled worker

skyscraper

slavery

small-scale map

sod

special district

specialize

stampede

states’ rights

stock

subsistence farming

suburb

subway

suﬀrage

summary

Sun Belt

supply

tax

technology

teepee

Tejano

temperate

temperature

term

Terry’s Texas Rangers

Texas Declaration of

Independence

Texas Railroad

Commission

Texas Rangers

Texas Revolution

textile

FOURTHGRADE SOCIAL STUDIES CONT.

382 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

time line

tornado

tourist

trade

transportation

transportation map

treaty

Treaty of Guadalupe

Hidalgo

Treaty of Medicine

Lodge Creek

Treaty of Velasco

tributary

tribute

trotline

tundra

Union

U.S. Congress

U.S. Supreme Court

urban

vegetation

vegetation map

veto

volunteer

wages

wagon train

weather

weathering

wilderness

World War I

World War II

World Wide Web

FOURTHGRADE SOCIAL STUDIES CONT.

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 383

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

FOURTHGRADE MATHEMATICS

absolute value

acute angle

addend

addition

angle

approximation

area

array

associative property of

addition

associative property of

multiplication

average

bar graph

base

benchmark

bilateral symmetry

capacity

celsius

centi-

centimeter

commutative

property of addition

commutative

property of

multiplication

compatible numbers

composite

composite number

congruent

conversion

convert

coordinate plane

coordinates

cubic units

cup

customary

data

decimal

decimal equivalent

decimal point

degree

denominator

deposit

diameter

diﬀerence

digit

distributive property

of multiplication

dividend

divisible

divisor

double bar graph

doubles

elapsed time

equation

equivalent

equivalent fractions

estimate

estimation

expanded form

exponent

expression

face

fact family

factor

foot

fraction

frequency table

function

gallon

gram

graph

grid

grid intersection

hundredth

hypotenuse

improper fraction

inch

inequality

inference

integer

inverse

is greater than

is less than

isosceles

kilo-

kilogram

length

line of symmetry

linear function

liter

mass

mean

median

meter

method

metric system

milliliter

minuend

mixed number

mode

multiple

multiplicand

multiplier

multiply

negative integer

net

number line

numerator

obtuse angle

ordered pair

origin

ounce

outcome

parallel

parentheses

partial product

pattern

percent

perimeter

perimeter area

perpendicular

pint

place value

plane

plane ﬁgure

point

polygon

384 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

polyhedron

positive integer

power

precision

prime number

probability

product

Pythagorean theorem

quadrilateral

quart

quotient

radius

range

rational number

ray

reﬂection

regroup

regular polygon

remainder

right angle

rotation

round

rounding

scale

sequence

similar

solid ﬁgure

solve

square units

standard form

subtrahend

sum

survey

tally chart

tenth

ton

transformation

translation

tree diagram

unit cost

vertex

volume

weight

withdraw

FOURTHGRADE MATHEMATICS CONT.

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 385

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

FOURTHGRADE SCIENCE

adaptation

adult

air mass

air pressure

artery

atmosphere

atom

axis

behavior

biodegradable

blood

buoyant

camouﬂage

capacity

capillary

carnivore

cell

chemical change

chemical property

chemical reaction

chlorophyll

circulatory system

classify

climate

collaborate

communicate

community

compare

components

conclusion

condensation

conduction

conductors

conservation

constant

constellation

consumer

convection

core

crust

data

decay

decomposer

density

deposition

digestive system

dissolve

ecosystem

egg

electric cell

electric charges

electric circuit

electric current

electromagnet

embryo

environment

era

erosion

esophagus

evaporation

experiment

external stimulus

extinct

ﬂow

food chain

food web

force

fossil

fossil fuel

friction

front

galaxy

gas giants

generator

germinate

gravity

greenhouse eﬀect

habitat

heart

heat

herbivore

hibernate

humus

hypothesize

igneous rock

inclined plane

infer

inherit

inherited behavior

instinct

insulators

internal stimulus

investigate

kinetic energy

large intestine

larva

lava

leaf

learned behavior

lever

life cycle

life process

life span

light

lunar eclipse

magma

magnet

magnetic ﬁeld

magnetic poles

mantle

map

mass

matter

measure

metamorphic rock

metamorphosis

metric system

microorganism

migrate

mimicry

mineral

mixture

model

molecule

motion

motor

muscular system

natural resource

386 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

niche

nonrenewable

resource

nymph

observe

omnivore

orbit

organ

organ system

organic matter

organism

paleontologist

parallel circuit

phases of the Moon

photosynthesis

physical change

physical property

planet

polar climate

pollinator

pollutant

pollution

population

position

potential energy

prairie

precipitation

predator

predict

prey

producer

product

pulley

radiation

rainforest

reactant

recycling

reﬂection

refraction

reliability

renewable resource

reproduce

reproduction

research

respiratory system

response

revolution

rock

rock cycle

root

rotation

scavenger

sediment

sedimentary rock

seed

seed dispersal

sequence

series circuit

simple machine

skeletal system

small intestine

soil

solar system

solution

sound

species

speed

star

states of matter

static electricity

stem

stimulus

stomach

symmetry

table

temperate climate

temperate zone

temperature

theory

thermal energy

tissue

topsoil

trait

translation

tropical climate

universe

vein

velocity

vibration

volume

water cycle

weather

weathering

wedge

weight

wheel and axle

wind

FOURTHGRADE SCIENCE CONT.

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 387

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Fifth-Grade

Academic Words

FIFTHGRADE SOCIAL STUDIES

abolitionist

absolute location

accord

agriculture

alliance

ally

amendments

annexation

antifederalist

apprentice

armada

armistice

arms race

artisan

assassination

assembly line

assimilate

astrolabe

atomic bomb

baby boom

backcountry

banish

bar graph

barbed wire

barrier

barter

battle

battle map

beneﬁt

Bill of Rights

Black Codes

boomtown

border state

boycott

budget

Cabinet

camp

campaign

canal

cape

capital

capital resources

capitalism

caravan

caravel

cardinal directions

carpetbaggers

cash crop

casualties

cause

cease-ﬁre

century

ceremony

cession

charter

checks and balances

circle graph

circumnavigate

citizen

civil rights

Civil War

civilian

civilization

claim

clan

climate

coalition

colonization

colony

commander

communism

compact

compass rose

competition

compromise

concentration camp

Confederacy

confederation

conﬂict

congress

conquistador

conservation

constitution

consumer

convert

corporation

corps

correspondence

cost

credit

data

debtor

388 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

decade

declaration

deﬁcit

delegate

demand

democracy

demonstration

depression

deregulation

desegregation

desert

dictator

discoveries

discrimination

dissenter

diversity

division of labor

draft

drought

economic depression

economy

ecosystem

eﬀect

Electoral College

emancipation

Emancipation

Proclamation

empire

entrepreneur

environment

epidemic

equator

erosion

ethnic

ethnic group

executive branch

Exoduster

expedition

export

extinct

fact

fall line

famine

federal

federalism

ﬂatboat

foreign policy

forty-niner

free enterprise

free market economy

free state

free-trade agreement

freedmen

Freedmen’s Bureau

front

frontier

fugitive

geography

glacier

gold rush

Great Compromise

growing season

habitat

hacienda

heritage

high-tech

home front

homestead

human resources

immigrant

immigration

impeach

imperialism

import

impressment

inauguration

indentured servant

independence

indigo

individualism

Industrial Revolution

industry

inﬂation

injustice

inset map

interchangeable parts

interdependent

interest

intermediate

directions

International Date

Line

Internet

internment camp

interpreter

invasion

invest

irrigation

isolationism

isthmus

Jim Crow

judicial branch

kingdom

labor union

laborer

landform

legislative branch

legislature

liberty

line graph

lodge

longhouse

loyalist

manifest destiny

manufacturer

map legend

map scale

maquiladora

mass production

massacre

mechanization

mercenary

merchant

meridian

Middle Passage

migrant worker

migration

militia

millennium

mineral

minutemen

mission

missionary

FIFTHGRADE SOCIAL STUDIES CONT.

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 389

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

monopoly

motto

muckraker

multicultural

NAFTA

nationalism

natural resources

naturalization

navigation

neutral

New Jersey Plan

nomad

nonrenewable

resource

nonviolent protest

Northwest Passage

nulliﬁcation

olive branch

opinion

opportunity cost

ordinance

outline

overseer

parallel

parallel timelines

patriot

persecution

petition

philanthropist

physical map

pilgrim

pioneer

plantation

plantation system

plateau

point of view

political map

political party

pollution

popular vote

population

population map

potlatch

preamble

precipitation

prejudice

presidio

primary source

prime meridian

proclamation

productivity

proﬁt

progressives

proprietor

prosperity

protest

province

pueblo

quarter

railhead

rapid transit

ratify

rebellion

Reconstruction

reform

refuge

refugee

region

register

Renaissance

renewable resource

repeal

representative

republic

research

reservation

resign

responsibility

retreat

revolt

revolution

rights

ruling

scalawag

scarcity

secession

secondary source

sectionalism

segregation

self-government

settlement

settlement house

sharecropping

Silk Road

skyscraper

slave state

slave trade

slavery

slum

smuggling

sodbusters

source

space race

specialization

spiritual

staple

states’ rights

stock

stock market

stockyard

strategy

strike

suﬀrage

summary

supply

surplus

surrender

tariﬀ

tax

technology

telegraph

temperance

tenement

territory

terrorism

textile

tidewater

time zone

timeline

tolerance

FIFTHGRADE SOCIAL STUDIES CONT.

390 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

total war

town meeting

trade

trade union

traitor

transcontinental

railroad

travois

treason

treaty

trench warfare

trial by jury

unalienable rights

unconstitutional

Underground Railroad

unemployment

Union

veteran

veto

victory

Virginia Plan

volunteer

wagon train

wampum

war bonds

world war

FIFTHGRADE SOCIAL STUDIES CONT.

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 391

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

FIFTHGRADE MATHEMATICS

absolute zero

addend

algorithm

angle

approximation

area

associative law

average

axis

bar graph

base

billions

capacity

Celsius

centimeter

certain

circle graph

clockwise

clustering

common

denominator

common factor

commutative law

compatible numbers

compensation

composite

composite number

concave

cone

congruent

constant

convex

coordinate

coordinate grid

corresponding

counterclockwise

cup

customary system

customary units

cylinder

data

decimal

deﬁning the variable

degree

denominator

diameter

diﬀerence

discount

distributive law

dividend

divisor

edge

elapsed time

equally likely

equation

equilateral triangle

equivalent fraction

estimate

evaluate

expanded form

experiment

exponent

expression

face

factor

factor tree

Fahrenheit

favorable outcome

ﬂuid ounce

foot

formula

fraction

frequency table

function

function machine

function table

gallon

generalization

gram

graph

greatest common

factor (GCF)

hundredths

identity function

impossible

improper fraction

integer

inverse operation

isosceles triangle

iterated

kilometer

kilogram

like denominators

line

line graph

line plot

linear equation

liter

map scale

mass

mean

median

meter

metric system

mile

mixed number

mode

multiple

multiplicand

multiplier

negative

net

numerator

ordered pair

ounce

outcome

parallel lines

parallelogram

partial product

pattern

percent

perimeter

period

perpendicular

pictograph

picture graph

place value

point

392 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

polygon

polyhedron

pound

prime factorization

prime number

prism

probability

product

quadrant

quadrilateral

quotient

range

rate

ratio

rational number

rectangular prism

reﬂect

regroup

relationship

remainder

rhombus

right angle

rotate

rotational symmetry

round

scale

scalene triangle

sector

similar

simplest form

solution

standard form

standard notation

straight angle

sum

surface area

tenth

thousandth

three-dimensional

ﬁgure

ton

transformation

translate

tree diagram

triangle

value

variable

vertex

volume

weight

whole number

x-coordinate

y-coordinate

FIFTHGRADE MATHEMATICS CONT.

Appendix Academic Word Lists | 393

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

FIFTHGRADE SCIENCE

acceleration

acquired trait

adaptation

air mass

angiosperms

asexual reproduction

asteroid

atmosphere

atom

autumnal equinox

axis

biome

boiling point

carbon cycle

cell

characteristic

chemical change

chemical formula

chemical property

chemical symbol

chlorophyll

chloroplasts

chromosome

cilia

circuit

classiﬁcation

classify

climate

collaborate

comet

communicate

community

compare

components

compound

conclusion

condensation

conduction

conductivity

conductor

conservation

constructive force

consumer

contour lines

convection

core

crust

data

density

deposition

desert

destructive force

diﬀusion

DNA

dome mountains

dominant trait

earthquake

ecosystem

el Niño

electric cell

electric circuit

electric current

electric generator

electric motor

electromagnet

electron

element

endangered species

energy

epicenter

erosion

evaluation

experiment

extinction

fault

fault-block mountains

ﬂagellum

focus

fold mountains

food chain

food web

force

fossil

fossil fuel

friction

front

fungi

galaxy

gas

gene

grasslands

gravity

gymnosperms

habitat

heat

heredity

hybrid

hypothesize

infer

inner planets

insulator

invertebrate

investigate

kinetic energy

kingdom

landform

life cycle

light-year

liquid

lithosphere

lunar cycle

lunar eclipse

magma

magnitude

mantle

measure

mechanical wave

melting

melting point

mesosphere

metal

meteor

meteorites

mixture

model

molecule

moon phases

motion

394 | Word Lists Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

mutation

natural resource

neutron

newton

niche

nitrogen cycle

noble gas

nonmetal

nonrenewable

resource

nonvascular plant

nucleotide

nucleus

observe

ocean current

orbit

organ

organ system

organelle

osmosis

outer planets

parallel circuit

penumbra

periodic table

phloem

photosynthesis

physical change

physical property

pitch

planet

plate tectonics

pollination

pollution

population

population density

potential energy

predator

predict

prey

producer

protist

proton

protostar

radiation

recessive trait

record data

recycling

reﬂection

refraction

reliability

renewable resource

research

residual soil

revolution

scientiﬁc inquiry

sediment

seismic waves

selective breeding

semi-metal

series circuit

sexual reproduction

simple machine

soil

soil proﬁle

solar eclipse

solid

solubility

solute

solution

solvent

speed

spores

stars

state of matter

static electricity

stomata

stratosphere

sublimation

subsoil

summer solstice

switch

symbiosis

table

taiga

technology

temperate

temperature

theory

thermal energy

thermal expansion

thermosphere

threatened species

tissue

topographic map

topsoil

transpiration

transported soil

tropical rainforests

troposphere

umbra

vaporization

vascular plant

velocity

vernal equinox

vertebrate

vibration

visible light

voltage

volume

weathering

winter solstice

work

xylem

FIFTHGRADE SCIENCE CONT.

Appendix Resources, Glossary, and References | 395

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

RESOURCES,

GLOSSARY,

AND REFERENCES

396 | Resources, Glossary, and References Appendix

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Appendix Resources, Glossary, and References | 397

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Resources

BOOKS

Reading Research in Action

by McCardle, Chhabra, and Kapinus

This book explains the basics of research and how its ﬁndings can be used in the classroom.

Teachers are often the last to know about new educational research, or, if they do hear it, they

question its quality and therefore do not trust it. This book starts by explaining the components of

a quality research study and then summarizes the ﬁndings of the major reports done on reading

in the past several years (e.g., Preventing Reading Diﬃculties, National Reading Panel reports,

RAND reports). Next, the book reviews some key research ﬁndings on the various components of

reading, providing scenarios in each chapter of how the ﬁndings might transfer to the classroom.

Chapter topics include vocabulary, alphabetics, ﬂuency, comprehension, writing, and spelling.

The authors conclude the book by discussing motivation and engagement, the value and types

of assessments, what teachers need to know to help students be successful and response to

intervention (RTI). This book is useful for teachers to learn the basics of quality research, the

ﬁndings of major studies, and, best of all, how to use those ﬁndings to improve their instruction.

Speech to Print

by Moats

This book was written to help teachers of reading and writing better understand language—

including the connection between oral and written language. The book covers in depth the

components of language and how language aﬀects reading and writing instruction. The

appendices include case studies, sample lessons, word lists, spelling inventories, and syllable

review exercises.

398 | Resources, Glossary, and References Appendix

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Unlocking Literacy

by Henry

This book is a developmental guide for reading and spelling instruction. Henry begins with an

overview of basic decoding and encoding and an explanation of the structure of language. The

chapters that follow outline instruction for beginning readers through competent readers. The

appendices include surveys of language knowledge and many word lists (e.g., preﬁxes, Latin roots,

words commonly found in textbooks). This book is a helpful resource for teachers, whether they

work with beginner readers and spellers or advanced learners.

Is Literacy Enough?

by Snow, Porche, Tabors, and Harris

This book tells the story of a longitudinal study following 83 students, initially from preschool to

grade 4, but then the researchers continued to follow some of the students through high school.

At the end of the study, researchers were still in contact with 47 of the original students. The

researchers set out to answer three questions:

1. What aspects of early literacy robustly predict later reading achievement?

2. What aspects of later achievement are most strongly related to early literacy success?

3. What child characteristics and environmental variables inﬂuence the above relationships?

The writing is more in story form than that in research journals, and several case studies connect

to a real child. The ﬁnal chapter discusses lessons learned from this study and contains many

important points. An interesting ﬁnding is that the students who felt a connection with an adult,

felt that an adult believed in them and cared what happened to them, were less likely to drop out

of school, regardless of reading ability. This book provides an interesting perspective, spanning

from preschool to high school, and some of the “red ﬂags” teachers can look for along the way.

Making Sense of Phonics

by Beck

This book provides teachers with a straightforward explanation of phonics. Each chapter

explains a concept or issue related to reading acquisition (e.g., letter-sound instruction, blending,

multisyllabic words) and corresponding instructional methods. The appendices provide word lists

and materials that can be used with the procedures described in the chapters.

Appendix Resources, Glossary, and References | 399

Word Recognition and Fluency: Effective Upper-Elementary Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

From Phonics to Fluency: Eﬀective Teaching of Decoding and Reading Fluency in the

Elementary School

by Rasinski and Padak

This book is based on current reading research and real-life classroom experiences. Each chapter

provides theoretical background knowledge on a particular skill, followed by strategies and

activities to support the theories. The chapters include Onsets, Rimes, and Basic Phonic Patterns;

Word Walls; Teaching Advanced Word Recognition; Instructional Routines for Word Study and

Fluency; and Assessing Word Recognition and Fluency. The appendices provide several word

lists that are helpful for planning instruction in phonics and ﬂuency (e.g., common rimes, suﬃxes,

Greek and Latin word patterns).

Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems

at Any Level

by Shaywitz

This book is for children and adults who struggle with reading, and for parents, teachers, and

tutors who are interested in learning how to remediate and prevent reading problems. Shaywitz

discusses what the latest research, including brain imaging studies, has uncovered about reading

problems. The book is organized into four sections: the nature of reading and dyslexia, diagnosing

dyslexia, helping children become readers, and overcoming dyslexia. The book ends with

successful people who are dyslexic sharing their stories and how they overcame dyslexia. This

passionate book empowers teachers, parents, and students to become advocates, instructors, and

supporters of those who struggle with learning to read.

Diﬀerentiated Reading Instruction: Strategies for the Primary Grades

by Walpole and McKenna

This book is helpful for teachers who ﬁnd themselves asking the question, “How do I meet the

needs of all of my students?” The book is structured to allow use of the ideas and lessons across

programs, grade levels, and settings. The ﬁrst two chapters provide an overview of diﬀerentiated

instruction and assessment tools to aid diﬀerentiation. The chapters that follow provide ideas

on how to diﬀerentiate phonemic awareness, word recognition, ﬂuency, vocabulary, and

comprehension lessons. The book ends with four chapters that cover a diﬀerentiation plan for

kindergarten, and ﬁrst, second, and third grades. The book provides many hands-on, practical

ideas that can be used in the classroom immediately. The glossary of terms provided is also a

helpful tool.

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Voice of Evidence in Reading Research

by McCardle and Chhabra

An abundance of reading research is available to educators, but how does one know what

is quality research and what the trends are? This book is an excellent tool in answering those

questions. The book starts with an overview of research and then discusses the methods used

in reading research and the three types of research (clinical trial, longitudinal study, and meta-

analysis). The book then provides several chapters on evidence-based practices in the ﬁve

components of reading, as identiﬁed by the National Reading Panel. Sections also cover topics

such as motivation of students, professional development for teachers, time allocation in the

classroom, and the latest ﬁndings from neuroimaging studies. The book concludes with a

discussion of how research can inform policy and practice.

Appendix Resources, Glossary, and References | 401

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WEBSITES

www.readwritethink.org

This website, sponsored by International Reading Association and the National Council

of Teachers of English, provides teachers with a link to classroom resources, professional

development, and parent and after-school resources. There are links to lesson plans, student

“interactives,” calendar activities, and printouts. The lesson plans are broken into those featured

and those most popular.

www.weeklyreader.com

The website of the poplar magazine includes links to elementary resources, secondary resources,

free kits and contests, printable activities, and products.

www.ldonline.org

This website provides information on learning disabilities (LD) and attention-deﬁcit/hyperactivity

disorder (ADHD). A section specially designed for educators includes instructional strategies for

teaching students with LD or ADHD, articles, resources, recommended links, and other teaching

tools.

www.adlit.org

The sister site of LD Online, this site is designed specially for teachers and parents of students in

grades 4–12. The site includes classroom strategies, recommended books, research, and a glossary

of terms.

www.interventioncentral.org

This website provides resources on response to intervention and general intervention for both

academics and behavior. In the academic resources section are suggestions for teaching reading

comprehension, reading ﬂuency, mathematics, writing, and study and organizational skills. The

website also features descriptions of workshops that can be scheduled for schools.

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www.centeroninstruction.org

The Center on Instruction website provides scientiﬁcally based research and information on K–12

instruction in reading, mathematics, science, special education, and English language learning.

It contains links to topic-based materials, syntheses of recent research, and exemplars of best

practices.

www.ccsso.org

The Council of Chief State School Oﬃcers provides support and resources to support educators.

The council has partnered with the National Governors Association to create a set of Common

Core State Standards. The website reviews these standards and links to a website addressing

them.

www.rtinetwork.org

The RTI Network website is a program of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. This

comprehensive website provides information about the basics of response to intervention:

getting started, essential components, and professional development.

Appendix Resources, Glossary, and References | 403

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Glossary

academic vocabulary Terms associated with a speciﬁc content area or topic;

language used across content areas to teach and learn skills

and concepts.

activating background knowledge Connecting prior knowledge to what is being taught.

aﬃx A preﬁx or suﬃx added to a base word or root that changes

the word’s meaning or function. Examples: review, renting.

automaticity The ability to recognize sounds, letters, and words quickly,

accurately, and eﬀortlessly.

base word A word to which aﬃxes are added to change its meaning or

function. Examples: peaceful, disagree.

blending The process of combining individual sounds to decode or

say a word.

breve The diacritical mark that represents a short vowel’s sound.

Example: căt.

choral response Students answering a question or responding to a prompt

in unison.

click and clunk strategy A strategy used in Collaborative Strategic Reading in which

students monitor their comprehension during reading and

implement strategies to ﬁx “clunks,” or areas in which their

comprehension breaks down.

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closed syllable A syllable that ends in only one vowel and a consonant.

cloze (activity) An activity in which a word is left out of a sentence and the

student supplies the missing word.

compound word A word composed of two or more smaller words.

Frequently, the meaning of the compound word can be

derived from the smaller words. Examples: football, birthday.

comprehension The ability to understand and gain meaning from reading a

passage or listening to a passage being read.

consonant blend Two or more adjacent consonants in a word, each

representing a distinct sound. Examples: jump, stay.

consonant digraph Two adjacent letters that represent one sound. Examples:

ship, bunch.

consonant-le syllable A syllable that consists of a consonant followed by the

letters l and e. Examples: apple, table.

context clue A hint to the meaning of a word or phrase that is derived

from text that surrounds the unknown word or phrase.

continuous consonant sound A consonant sound that can be sustained without

distortion. Examples: /l/, /m/, /s/. Nonexamples: /p/, /d/, /k/.

contraction A word formed by combining two words and replacing

one or more letters with an apostrophe. A contraction is a

shortened way of saying the two separate words. Examples:

wouldn’t = would not; you’re = you are.

decodable text Text in which most words follow the letter-sound

relationships that the reader has learned.

decoding To read a word by sounding it out; the process of converting

printed words to spoken words by applying knowledge of

letter-sound relationships.

encode To spell a word; the process of converting spoken words

to printed words by applying knowledge of letter-sound

relationships.

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expository text Text that presents factual information.

ﬂuency The ability to read quickly, accurately, smoothly, and with

expression.

generalize To apply a speciﬁc learned skill to a broader situation.

genre A category of literature with unique characteristics.

Examples: poetry, mystery, science ﬁction, biography,

fantasy.

gist The main idea of a section of text.

graphic organizer A visual representation of the relationship between

words, concepts, or events that is intended to enhance

understanding. Examples: Venn diagram, ﬂow chart, word

web.

high-frequency word A word that appears frequently in text and spoken

language.

high-utility word A content-speciﬁc word that is useful to know because it

occurs frequently and is essential to understanding text.

homophone A word that sounds the same as another word but has a

diﬀerent meaning and spelling. Examples: made and maid,

past and passed.

irregular word A word whose letters do not follow their most common

sounds. Examples: of, they, said.

letter-sound correspondence The ability to identify the letters of the alphabet and the

sounds associated with them.

long vowel sound A vowel sound that is the same as the name of the vowel.

Examples: made, Pete, ride, home, cube.

macron The diacritical mark that represents a long vowel’s sound.

Example: /ā/.

morpheme The smallest unit of meaning of language. Example: The ed

in rented indicates past tense.

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multisyllabic Containing more than one syllable.

narrative A type of text that tells a story or sequence of events.

nonsense word Nonwords that students use their phonic knowledge to

decode and encode accurately. Examples: trum, ribfot.

open syllable A syllable containing only one vowel and ending in a vowel

sound; the vowel sound usually is long. Examples: hi, music.

past tense A verb tense that indicates action that took place in the

past. Examples: looked, ran.

predict To anticipate what will be learned or what will happen in a

text, based on background knowledge or previewing.

preﬁx A word part added to be beginning of a root or base word

that changes the word’s meaning. Examples: unload,

transport.

preview A strategy in which a reader scans a text before reading to

activate background knowledge and form a prediction.

prior knowledge Knowledge gained from previous experience and learning.

prosody Reading with appropriate expression, rhythm, and

intonation.

r-controlled vowel A vowel whose sound is inﬂuenced by an r that immediately

follows it. Example: harm vs. ham.

root A Greek or Latin unit of meaning to which aﬃxes are added

to form words. A root diﬀers from a base word in that it

is not a word on its own. Examples: dem (from the Greek

demos, which means “people”): democracy, epidemic; pac

(from the Latin pax, which means “peace”): pacify, paciﬁst.

scaﬀold A temporary support that allows a student to accomplish

a task that he or she otherwise would not be able to

accomplish; scaﬀolding is gradually reduced as a student

gains mastery. Examples: modeling and guided practice.

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schwa The vowel sound that often occurs in unstressed syllables

and that often is represented by the following symbol:

ә

.

segmenting To break apart words into individual sounds or word parts.

short vowel sounds The initial vowel sounds heard in the following examples:

ant, education, inch, octopus, up.

sight words A word that one is able to read instantly.

sound options The sound diﬀerences that a letter combination represents

in diﬀerent words. Example: trout vs soup.

spelling options The spelling diﬀerences for the same sound in diﬀerent

words. Example: /ā/ in ﬂame, raid, and spray.

stop consonant A consonant sound that is distorted if not said quickly.

Examples: /t/, /g/, /b/ vs. /m/, /s/, /f/.

suﬃx A word part added to be end of a root or base word that

changes the word’s meaning. Examples: lively, planted.

syllable A unit of pronunciation containing one vowel sound.

Examples: fan–tas–tic.

syllable stress (accent) The emphasis put on a particular syllable in a word.

Examples: bacon, apartment, begin.

syllable type A category of syllables by predictable spelling patterns and

pronunciation. Examples: consonant-le, vowel-consonant-e,

open, and r-controlled.

synonym A word whose meaning is similar to another word.

Examples: messy, sloppy; try, attempt.

think-aloud A technique in which the teacher verbalizes the thought

process of a reader using instructional strategies. Example

for previewing text: “The title of the section is Earthquakes,

and there’s a picture of a street with a huge crack in the

middle. Once, on TV, I saw a building that crumbled during

an earthquake. I think we are going to learn about what

happens during an earthquake.”

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unvoiced sound A sound whose production does not make the vocal cords

vibrate. Examples: /s/, /f/.

vocabulary The knowledge of words and word meanings; types of

vocabulary include receptive (words we hear and read) and

productive (words we say and write).

voiced sound A sound whose production makes the vocal cords vibrate.

Examples: /z/, /m/, /g/.

vowel A sound that is produced with unobstructed air passing

through the mouth.

vowel-consonant-e syllable A syllable with a vowel followed by a consonant and a silent

e; the ﬁrst vowel usually makes its long sound, and the ﬁnal

e is silent. Examples: ﬂute, pine, ape.

whole word A word that is formed when word parts are put together.

Example: punish + ing = punishing.

word recognition The ability to identify a word in print.

word sort An activity in which words are categorized according to

common features.

word study A comprehensive approach to word-reading instruction in

which the student learns the phonics, structure, spelling,

and meaning of words.

word web A graphic organizer that illustrates the relationship among

words.

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References

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Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2004). Words their way: Word study for

phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Beck, I. L. (2006). Making sense of phonics: The hows and whys. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Blevins, W. (2001). Teaching phonics & word study in the intermediate grades: A complete sourcebook.

New York, NY: Scholastic.

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Florida Center for Reading Research. (2007). 2-3 student center activities: Phonics. Retrieved from

http://www.fcrr.org/scasearch/PDFs/2-3P_017.pdf

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