Category: Videos

Clip Strips

Words that have the same ending pattern (rime) often rhyme with the same ending sound. They are sometimes called word families. They are a great way to introduce a pattern that you are learning as part of a reading lesson.

Blending Onset & Rime together is a part of phonemic awareness, an important skill for learning to read.

  • Onset – the part of the word before the vowel
  • Rime – the part of the word with the vowel and what follows it
    (Rime & Rhyme are homophones, words that sound the same but are spelled differently and can have different meanings.)

Some options for free printable word family sliders can be found at my Pinterest board on Word Families and Ladders. I especially like the ones from Little Bunny because there are lots of phonograms. They have cute illustrations and are in black and white so they don’t use a lot of color ink to print. But since compact resources are essential for a portable tutor kit, I created a very plain and simple set of clip strips for this purpose.

Print and Assemble:

  1. After the introduction, the next few pages are an index. The phonics pattern is printed on the left. These are word endings, or rimes. Print the index pages on regular paper & cut across by patterns to use them as labels on long envelopes for storing the strips.
  2. Print the remaining sets of strips on card stock.
  3. Cut the bottom strip off across. These are word endings, or rimes, that will be cut apart to attach to the back of matching strips in step 5.
  4. Cut remaining strips apart horizontally (down). Leaving the top margin and a small right side margin on is helpful.
  5. Cut apart each ending (rime) from the bottom strip (or a 1″ circle punch works) and attach to the back of the matching strip with velcro dots. Store the strips in labeled envelopes.

Use:

  1. Select a strip with onsets, and attach the ending (rime) with a velcro dot to a clothespin.
  2. Move the clothespin down the strip, with student blending the sounds into words.

The Clip Strips freebie is available at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers. Visit Word Lists for a free download of the words.

I continue to find patterns and uses for these!

Mr. Nussbaum

This Phonics Focus is about the website mrnussbaum.com, a Phonics Fav with many free helpful tools and games. More resources can be obtained with a subscription. While there are resources for many subject areas, the language arts category is of most interest for learning to read. Mr. Nussbaum makes great use of audio. In the video, we highlight:

Literacy Tools

Games (most are now for premium subscribers)

Sounds of S

The letter S the sound of /s/ makes when you see snakes. Hear the sound of /z/ when your nose smells a rose. Letter s is one of the consonants that vary.

s = /s/ at the beginning of words: sand, sell, sip, soft, sun. It is also the sound of /s/ in beginning s blends: scuff, smell, sniff, spill, stop, swim.

s at the end of words can be either /s/ or /z/: cats /s/ and dogs /z/ need baths /s/ with suds /z/. Understanding voiced or unvoiced consonants can help when s comes after a consonant. Consonants that are voiced make a vibration in the throat which can be felt. Consonants that are unvoiced are quieter and no vibration is felt.

After letters made with a hiss or puff of air, the soft sound of /s/ is often there. In these examples s follows unvoiced consonants f, t, k, p, and th: puffs, cups, cats, sacks, paths.

After letters that make the throat buzz, the sound of /z/ is often what s does. In these examples s follows voiced consonants b, d, g, v, l, m, n, r: jobs, nods, dogs, stoves, files, rooms, pens, stars.

After vowels, sometimes s = /s/

The -ss ending flossy words above have the sound of /s/.

More words with the /s/ sound after a vowel: Fill this bus with gas.

After vowels, sometimes s = /z/

Here are some words where s = /z/ after a vowel: It is easy for boys to choose toys. s = /z/ in some words with a Silent e: rose, nose, hose, rise, wise, use, fuse, chose, those.

When a plural -es is added to words that end with  -sh, -ch, /s/, -x, /z/, and /j/, the sound is /iz/ like in dishes, matches, classes, faces, horses, boxes, buzzes and judges.

When you sure like sugar and tissue, you hear that s can also = /sh/.

WATCH the Phonics Focus video on the sounds of s at Youtube. (5:04)

WATCH videos and PLAY online games at the Consonants That Vary tutorial at Wakelet. Some online games require flash, which is no longer supported after 12/31/2020. Learn more at The End of Flash.

Letter S is covered in Consonants that vary (IV.c) in the Phonics Pow Toolkit with a worksheet and gameboard. The letter C sometimes makes the sound of /s/: see c before e will often soft /s/ be. There is an online word sort with Silent e words with soft c, s=/s/ or /z/ & z=/z/. Learn how to get a free set of word sort games that includes the two sounds of s. A free word sort game for the letter S is available at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Word Sort Games

Cover

Word sorts are a tool for teaching reading skills that have been shown to be effective way for students to learn patterns in words. They are available through Gumroad. You can see the words included at Word Lists.

Online Word Sorts

I have continued to add to my collection of online word sorts made with Flippity. Download the Online Word Sort Index with links to them.

An online word family sort (with short vowels) from Read, Write, Think based on Flash works with the workaround at the End of Flash.

wordsortgames

How to play: Choose the word cards for the phonics pattern to practice in sequence. Add cards that skip (the turn is skipped if drawn) or swipe (player can take a word card from the other player) in with the word cards. Each player has a phonogram card, and takes turns drawing a word card and placing it on the correct phonogram. For a quick game, the winner is the player who fills their the phonogram card with one word card of each pattern first. A longer game can be played by using all the word cards, with the winner being the player with the most word cards. POW!

WordSortGames

Many of the phonogram cards include color clues. ā is gray, ē is green, ī is white, ō is gold, ū is blue. Below is an index of all the sorts included.

CardsWordSortsIndex

How to set up and organize: Print on cardstock and punch pieces with 1″ circle punch or cut out. Place word sorts in small ziplock bags with labels, and keep in quart ziplock bags with expanding bottoms by sections, or in a Sterlite flip top box. Tabbed index cards are helpful for dividing sections. An empty Extra Refreshers gum container works great for mixing up and drawing the cards.

See the Word Sorts board at Pinterest, and check out the Phonics Pow Toolkit and visit Word Lists for a free download of the words included.

The Schwa Sound

SchwaSymbolChairBe Aware – Notice Schwa:

Schwa is a light vowel sound that can be made by any vowel. It is the most common sound in the English language. It is often very similar to a short u “uh”, but is softer and weaker. The symbol for schwa is an upside down e: ə.

• a: was, atlas
• e: camel, seven
• i: cabin, denim
• o: from, button
• u: focus, upon

In words with more than one syllable, one syllable is stressed or given more emphasis. Other syllables are unstressed, or unaccented. The schwa sound can occur in an unaccented syllable, so it is heard more often in words with more than one syllable.

SchwaCard

One Syllable Schwa

Since the Schwa sound is more often found in words with more than one syllable, it is included at the end of the Phonics Pow Toolkit. (V.c) However, it is a good idea to introduce it earlier as Schwa can be found in some one syllable words like: a, was, the, from, does, and of.

Ā or /uh/? Either is okay! It was a/uh/ long way. It took ā long time.
Thē or Th/uh/? Generally, if the word following begins with:
• Consonant sound – Thə/uh/ flowers bloomed.
• Vowel sound – It was thē end of the story. Practice Thē or Th/uh/ at Grammar Monster.

The sled was a lot of fun.

Hear the Schwa sound in these one syllable words with the letter o: My son won a ton of money a month from the lottery. At the end of the Silent e section (III.a) there are activities with words that have the Schwa sound (some love gloves).

Two Syllable Schwa

WATCH

Tigers and Robins and Camels, oh my! In two syllable words with one middle consonant, the first syllable can sometimes be open and long (as in tiger) or short (as in robin and camel). The second syllable of these words can often have the schwa sound.

Extra Attention to A Schwa

Any vowel can make the Schwa sound: zebra, open, pencil, lemon, and butter. But let’s give a little extra attention to the letter A, which can make the Schwa sound at the beginning (aware) and end (ninja) of some words. Play an online word search game with words where the letter a makes the Schwa sound at the beginning.

The letter a can make the Schwa sound at the end of some words like extra.

The letter a can also sometimes make the Schwa sound in the middle of words like: alphabet, amazon, elephant.

Practice words that have an A Schwa with a set of resources available at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers that includes a handout, worksheet, and nice dice practice. There is also a free Schwa Word Treasure game. Try an online word sort.

The Consonant -le syllable type ends with a Schwa sound: /uh-l/. See also /ul/ variations: An eagle is a symbol, a squirrel is a mammal.

More Resources

PLAY A Schwa maze at English-Zone.com. Pizza! Pizza! printable schwa game from the literacy nest. Online Quiz at purposegames.

Read about short U & the schwa sound from challengeoflearningUSEnglish.

Open and Closed Syllables

Learning about the different syllable types and the vowel sounds they make is an important skill for decoding – translating letters into words. Hearing syllables in words is also a part of phonological awareness, an essential skill for reading.

In the logical sequence followed by the Phonics Pow Toolkit, the first syllable type learned is closed syllables. When a vowel is closed in by at least one consonant, it often is short. Words with a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern like CAT and DOG (known as CVC words) often have a short vowel. An exception can occur in words with i and o followed by two consonants – see Find and lift the lost gold.

The next syllable type to know about is open syllables. When no consonant follows a vowel, the vowel is often long and says it’s name. Some frequently encountered one syllable words with open and long vowels are: he, she, me, we, be, no, so, go.

Syllable2

Syllables are simple, one for every vowel sound, so there are lots of syllables around. Practice with students to hear how many syllables are in a word. Sort animal flashcards into piles by the number of syllables. You can clap or tap, or feel your mouth drop!

Open and Closed Syllables

WATCH:

pinclosed

When a vowel is followed by at least one consonant, it is closed in. It often makes a short sound, as in pin. (the vowel stops short)

openno

A vowel is open with no consonant behind. Open syllables are often long, you will find. (the vowel can go long)

Advanced phonics patterns are more powerful and follow their own guidelines: “car” makes a new sound because of Bossy R,  and so does “loud” because the vowel is a Diphthong. “Cake” and “team” both have long vowel sounds because of Silent e and Vowel Teams. WATCH this video from Jessie Ketchum.

WATCH videos and PLAY online games at the Open and Closed Syllable tutorial at Wakelet. Some online games require flash, which is no longer supported after 12/31/2020. Learn more at The End of Flash. 

OpenClosed1Syllable

ONLINE WORD SORT

Examples of words with open and closed syllables at sightwordgames.

Open & Closed Vowels in Two Syllable Words

OpenSyllables

This chart from the Long Vowel Patterns section of the Phonics Pow Toolkit shows some examples of open syllables: a, vacate, he, delete, hi, finite, no, solo, flu, mumu. See the full chart at the post Author Wiley Blevins. Open syllables are found more frequently in words with more than one syllable.

Learn more about open and closed vowels in two syllable words with one middle consonant at Tigers and Robins and Camels, oh my! Learn more about syllable division, and learn more at More Ways Vowels Can Be Long.

Consonant Digraphs

digraphs2

Digraphs are a pair of letters representing one sound. The consonant digraphs that make new sounds are CH, SH, TH, WH + NG.

Consonant Digraphs may be introduced after learning about Blends, using words with short vowels. Many words with consonant digraphs have more advanced vowel patterns, which can be introduced as the patterns are learned. Download a free Consonant Digraph Word List with Bookmarks at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers. Practice words with short vowels and a consonant digraph with an online wordsearch.

WATCH videos and play online games at the Consonant Digraph tutorial at Wakelet. WATCH  more videos from Kids vs Phonics: CH (1:38) SH (1:28) TH (1:53) TH-Hard (1:42) WH (1:34) & NG (2:02). [archived from Literactive, no longer working as of 10/23:  Whale game,  Crab Catcher game, NG: Hula Pool & Gopher game.]

Some online games require flash, which is no longer supported after 12/31/2020. Learn more at The End of Flash.  

LISTEN and play Digraphs at Quizlet

NG as in Sing

Elvis Presley was known as the King of Rock & Roll. He liked to wear rings when he sang. His longest song was “Suspicious Minds” (7:14) On Nov. 1, 1969, it reached number one on Billboard’s Hot 100.

TH can be voiceless or voiced

In some words, the consonant digraph th makes a vibration or voiced sound. At the beginning of words: this, that, them, than, then. In the middle of words: father, mother, brother. At the end of some verbs: smooth, bathe, breathe.

In other words, the th is a quieter or voiceless sound. At the beginning of words: thin, thick, thud, thumb. Or at the end of words: bath, math, with, cloth. In the middle of some words: ethics, method, lethal.

READ the Pattern – Digraph Sentences from stickyball.net. READ Books: by author Brian Cleary: “Whose Shoes Would You Choose?” “The Thing on the Wing Can Sing” and “Spring in the Kingdom of Ying”

RollReadKeep

PLAY Roll, Read, & Keep -free at Teachers Pay Teachers. Mix BAM & SWIPE cards in with consonant digraph flashcards from bogglesworldesl.com.

More consonant digraph resources:

PLAY a Printable Game from the Measured Mom, a Digraph Picture Sort from Thisreadingmama, a word sort game for NG from Science Is For Kids, an H Brothers Poster from thewisenest.

A Digraph Word Sort and story and Bossy R and Consonant Digraph Soccer Sort Game are also available at the Super Tutor Tools Store at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Consonant Digraphs with familiar sounds

  • CK = /k/ at the end of one syllable words with short vowels like duck.
  • PH = /f/ in some words like phone. Learn more at Fall for Phonics.
  • GH can vary. GH = /f/ as in laugh, or /g/ as in ghost. Sometimes the letters GH are silent as in light. The letters GH are enough /f/ to make you sigh (silent), aren’t they just ghastly /g/? Learn more at a Ghost With a Slight Cough Gave a Great Fright.

-tch ending

The /ch/ sound immediately after a short vowel in a one syllable word is often spelled with -tch. Learn more at Catch the Pitch.

Some words have both a Silent e vowel and a consonant digraph. Practice these with activities at Chase the Sheep. Some words have both a Bossy R vowel and consonant digraphs. Practice these with activities at Shark Chart. Some words have both a vowel combination (diphthong or vowel team) and consonant digraphs. Practice these with activities at Smooth Beach.