Duck Pond Phonics Game

I have a carnival theme in my classroom this year.  I purchased plastic ducks from Oriental Trading and taped a vowel pattern to the bottom of each duck.  You could use this game to practice word families too.  One student comes up front to select a duck and the class says the following rhyme...
__________ went out one day, picked up a duck and what did it say?
(child's name)
I just placed all of my ducks on a blue lid to a container.  The student holding the duck reads the chunk on the bottom of the duck and we write the word in the pond.  Each student has a copy of the sheet, I put the sheet inside a plastic sleeve.  We use our dry erase markers and erase after each vowel pattern.  I tell them the words we will practice spelling for the vowel pattern  that is chosen.  Here is a n example of the spelling pattern ay.
                           

Here is a copy of the sheet I use.  I would love to hear any other ideas on how to use this game to practice different skills.

                                 

                                                                                                                       

CVCC Words

We have moved on to learning harder word family chunks.  My class is now working on cvcc words.  We are learning the chunks ack, ick, ock, uck, all, ell, ill, ish, ash, ast, ust, est, unk, ump, and, ush, ook and a few others.  I have made a packet of the daily instruction I use to teach these chunks and a few games that they play each week to practice reading and writing the chunk.  I try to incorporate words that begin with blends so we can continue to review previous skills.  I have a few kids that are still having trouble with rhyming words so I also tie in that skill.  I teach the kids that we want our brains to know that when these letters get together they make a sound and the sooner we learn these tricks the better readers we will become.
                 The games and activities in this packet meetthe following common core standards

K.RFS.2.c. (blend and segment onsets and rimes)

K.RFS2.d (isolate and pronounce initial, medial, and final sound of cvc words)K.RFS.3.a. (produce primary sound for each consonant)
K.L.2.c (write a letter for most consonant and short vowel sounds)
K.L.1.a. (print many upper and lowercase letters)K.L.1.f. (produce complete sentences)K.L.4.a. (discuss multiple meanings of words)

These activities would also work well in a first grade classroomand meet common core standards 1.RFS2b, 1.RFS2c, 1.RFS2d, 1.L.1a, 1.L.2d

In the packet I have included posters that I hang up in the classroom.  I notice students looking up at the posters during reading and writing time quite often.  I believe the more they visually see it the faster they will retain it.  This is a picture of some of the posters included in the packet.

 This is one of the games included, there are three different ways to play.  Each way gives students practice reading and spelling words.

 This is my cvcc folder.  I use this format all throughout the school year and change out the phonics skill each time.  It is a quick easy way to practice skills and has been highly effective with my students.  I start with the alphabet folder and progress to cvc words, blends, cvcc words, and long vowel patterns.  This packet includes the directions and pages needed to create the cvcc folder.

                                                                                                               

Christmas Coutdown

I had my kids create a Christmas Countdown. We used a Santa coloring sheet for the top and then made a long beard to write numbers on. Every day they cut a number off of his beard. We are working on recognizing and writing teen numbers. This gave them a little extra practice in a fun way.

Coaching a Reading Partner

I love this time of year, all my students are finally reading! Everything that we have been working on really starts to click and their progress begins to soar. Since they have grown to have some independence it is the perfect time to start my mini lessons on coaching a buddy. Every day for 20 minutes I have my students practice reading with a partner that they are assigned to. The sooner I can teach my students that they can be a teacher to the person they are reading with the faster they climb in reading levels. I explain it to the kids that I am only one person and even though I would love to read with each and every one of them every day there is just not enough time.  However, they are very lucky because they have a friend that sits right next to them when they read and they can be the teacher and help coach them!  We talk a lot about how two brains are better than one.  I made a song to help them remember what a good coach does.

We made stop signs to hold up when something our partner reads doesn't make sense or sound right.  On the back of the stop sign is four things for a good coach to remember.  These are sung about in the link above.  I have my kids make motions to go with the song.  I have also posted posters of the four tips for coaches in my classroom.  In addition, I have created a coaches club.  After I catch a student being a good coach to a buddy on five separate occasions they get to sign the board.  These small changes have really helped a lot to get my students to pay attention while their partner is reading.  I think kids learn the most when they are actually involved and part of the teaching process.  They have really been having a lot of fun being the teacher!

  

All of the materials can be found by clicking on the link below.  I would love to hear your ideas on how you get your kids to coach each other!

        

Thankful Turkeys

 Here is a cute and easy turkey for kids to make.  If you click on the picture a template for the feathers and body are provided.  I let the kids make the feet and beak themselves using orange construction paper.  I think those little touches help make each one unique and cute.  I read the book Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks before making the turkeys.  Then we come up with something we are thankful for to write on each feather.  I have the students write in pencil and then after I have checked over their work they can trace in black marker.  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

                                        

Beginning Blends

My students are all doing really well spelling cvc words and we are moving on to practicing blends.  We will still be working on stretching out words and recording the sounds.  I have a morning activity that we will do each morning to practice this skill using blends now instead of cvc words.  Blends are not listed as a kindergarten common core skill however, the books that students are reading in kindergarten contain words with blends.  Since my kids know all of their letters and sounds now, this is the next logical step as far as phonics instruction.  I think of blends as a shortcut for sounding out a word.  We also start to work on digraphs during this time.  I have created a video that has all of the blends we work on.  Students make up a motion to go with each blend.  This has proven to be helpful for some students who are kinestic learners to remember the sound. 

I have created a blends folder that we will work on each morning.  Blends are reviewed during this time and the movement and sound is practiced.  Students also write words that contain a blend in the beginning of the word.  All of this is done with students having their own folder with visuals to point to each blend and a space to write the word.  I have included the link to the activity, this packet also includes posters to hang as visuals in the classroom and several games partners can do to practice blend sounds.  

                                     
                                                                                          

                                     

Turkey Time

We read the book Run, Turkey, Run and then came up with ideas of how a turkey could disquise himself so the farmer would not beable to find him.  This would work with any Thanksgiving book about a turkey not wanting to be eaten.  Click on the link below for a free copy of this activity.

                               

 

                                         

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Run-Turkey-Run-966266