Learning to Read: CVC Words/Word Families, Silent E, and R-Controlled Vowels

Once a child knows the sounds each letter of the alphabet can make, they can then begin to put those sounds together to blend and read words.  In this once-a-week, ongoing class, students will take the next step in learning how to sound out words.  We will look at different word families, sounding out each letter that makes up the word and learn how to blend then together.  Some classes will focus on CVC words with short vowels, some will focus on those crazy r-controlled vowels, which change the vowel sound (car, fur), and some classes will focus on what happens to the vowel sound when we add the bossy e (car – care).  Each of these focusses are essential for learning how to sound out words. 

As learning happens best when having fun, this class will use visual aids and props, games, and activities to help students learn and practice.  Some days we may even become Word Ninja’s, Word Pirates or Word Chef's, as we “chop” our word into individual letter sounds and then blend them all together to make our word.   Other days we may be Word Detectives as we solve the missing letters.

A student can join this course at any time as each class can stand alone, working on the specific word families or other elements for that particular class. 

Once we have covered all of the material, we will start the cycle over.  This ensures that no matter when your learner joins, if they continue on, they will eventually go through each lesson. 

The entire course will cover the following lessons:
Short a word family ab 
Short a word family ad
Short a word families ag
Short a word families am
Short a word family an
Short a word family ap
Short a word family at
Bossy E with a  
Short e word families ed, eg
Short e word families en, et (first half)
Short e word family et 
Short i word families ib, id
Short i word families ig, in
Short i word family ip
Short i word family it
Bossy E words with i
Short o word families: ob, od
Short o word families: og, op
Short o word families: ot 
Bossy E words with o
Short u word families: ub, ud
Short u word families: ug, um 
Short u word families: un, ut 
Bossy E words with u
R-controlled vowels: that say “er”: er, ir, ur  
R-controlled vowels: ar, or 

A tentative schedule is as follows: 

Week of Jan. 6:  Short a word family ab 
Week of Jan. 13:  Short a word family ad
Week of Jan. 20:  Short a word families ag
Week of Jan. 27:  Short a word families am
Week of Feb. 3:  Short a word family an
Week of Feb. 10:  Short a word family ap
Week of Feb. 17:   Short a word family at
Week of Feb. 24:  Bossy E with a  
Week of Mar. 3:  Short e word families ed, eg
Week of Mar. 10:   Short e word families en, et (first half)
Week of Mar. 17:  Short e word family et 
Week of Mar. 24:  Short i word families ib, id
Week of Mar. 31:  Short i word families ig, in
Week of Apr. 7:  Short i word family ip
Week of Apr. 14:  Short i word family it
Week of Apr. 21:  Bossy E words with i
Week of Apr. 28:  Short o word families: ob, od
Week of May 5:  Short o word families: og, op
Week of May 12:  Short o word families: ot 
Week of May 19:  Bossy E words with o
Week of May 26:  Short u word families: ub, ud
Week of Jun. 2:  Short u word families: ug, um 
Week of Jun. 9:  Short u word families: un, ut 
Week of Jun. 16:  Bossy E words with u
Week of Jun. 23:  R-controlled vowels: that say “er”: er, ir, ur  
Week of Jun. 30:  R-controlled vowels: ar, or 

Schedule subject to change at the teacher's discretion.

More classes will be added closer to the end of Spring.