Reading Foundations/Phonics: Letter Sounds

Reading Foundations-Phonics: Letter Sounds

What will be taught?

    This class is set up to help your child learn to speak and read the 26 alphabet letters fluently in isolation. This is the stepping stone to blending and decoding words that have two or more letters in the words. Fluent blending and decoding require the letter symbols and sounds to be identified and spoken fluently. Therefore, with fluency in letter isolation, the reader develops confidence and the skills to decode multi-syllabic words and more complex texts over time. The prerequisite class of this class in the “Reading Foundations” series requires you to take and complete the Reading Foundations: Exposing Those Pesky Gaps! Course first. 


What topics will I cover?

   The topics covered will be phonics skills, such as letter symbol identification and letter sound identification in isolation. They must get a solid foundation in letter and sound identification to be ready to decode and blend in more advanced phonics lessons with fewer challenges and lag. 

How is my class structured?

ICEBREAKER: (5-10 minutes) My class will begin with an icebreaker game. This will give everyone a chance to get to know each other. The icebreaker game will vary depending on the ages and the number of children in the class, which will not be more than 6. The icebreaker is commonly easy to follow and non-academic in nature. 

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: (5 minutes) After this game, I will introduce the structure of the hour together. Again, the structure depends on how many attend the class sessions. I am flexible and able to handle any situation regarding the number of students versus the flow and movements of my lessons and activities. 

LESSON: (30 minutes) This is the lesson portion of the course. The students will be taught in a progressive model of instruction, so each course lesson is different than the last due to the student dynamics in each session. 

EXIT TICKET: SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW! (10 minutes) This is the post-lesson checkup. Independent work time to show what they know. There will be various exit tickets to show their understanding of the skills. The post-lesson question will depend on the student’s overall involvement and progress in the lesson.

REWARD WITH PRACTICE (5-10 minutes) Students can participate in the game provided after the lesson and when they provide the exit ticket. This is also a tool for data to see if the students have increased their skills during the session. 

How will I teach?

    I will teach using a teacher-made video, other YouTube videos, KAHOOT, Gimkit, and my document camera (used for showing realia, resources for the lesson, and other materials needed to be projected to the meeting). I will be utilizing Google Classroom, in order to facilitate access to materials, links, and other items during the class session.  Other programs or materials may be used now or in the future. 

What is my teaching style?

  Progressive Model Instruction Classroom, Teachable Moments, and Scaffolding (instructional model where the teacher is slowly reducing the support and assistance with the skill or task as the student becomes more proficient) or, in other words, one skill builds upon another skill as they become more proficient. I also use strategies to help English learners, to help those who require more visual and lower levels of language acquisition, to access content and skills in the lessons. In addition, I utilize various classroom-inclusive and effective strategies to provide the best learning environment possible for students with special needs and/or learning deficits. Discourse, utilizing various modalities, and flexibility are significant strengths in my teaching style.   


How will we accomplish the class and the objectives?

Google Classroom 
Youtube videos
Paper and Pencil/White Board and Marker
Discussion 
Slides (Google)
Games (Gimkit, Kahoot, and teacher-made games)
Document Camera with teaching items presented
 

     Students need whiteboards, markers, notebooks, and pencils with erasers. A thumbs-up or down board is good. If they are ASD, ADHD, or have a learning disability, I recommend having your fidgets, rubber bands for chairs, weighted blankets for laps, sound reduction headphones, and a token board handy. If you need ideas or information on where to get the supplies for your kiddo, let me know, and I will help you. I have token boards and online boards you can use.