Spelling can be a tricky skill for many young learners. Most kids find that reading words is much easier than spelling them, which is true. When we are reading we don’t have as much to recall because the letters are already on the paper to jog our memory. When we are spelling we start with only the sounds and have to recall what letters to use to spell those sounds.
Another reason spelling can be tricky is the way many of us have been taught, and then teach our own kids, is to just memorize words. I remember I got my spelling list from school each week and wrote them over and over again to practice. What we know now though is that our brains simply cannot store every single word we learn. There are just too many. So, our brains have a more efficient way of storing words in parts so we can automatically read and spell them. We store the words through a mental process called orthographic mapping. Basically, we recall the parts of words (sounds) and store those in our memory along with their letter formations and letter/sound correspondence. It is much easier for us to store letter/sound patterns than whole words. So, we don’t want to memorize spelling words, our brains will eventually run out of room. We need to map words out! This means we hear each sound in the word and then pull those spelling patterns from our memory. We must have phonemic awareness to be able to do this! If you’re unsure what phonemic awareness is, go back in our blog posts and you will find more information!
Here’s what this actually looks like:
Let’s say we’re spelling the word: “sneak”
Step 1 Say it: Child says the word “sneak”
Step 2 Say each sound: “ /s/ /n/ /e/ /k/ “
Step 3 Map it: Draw a line or a box for each sound ___ ___ ___ ___
Step 4 Write the sounds: sn ea k
It is important not to skip the mapping step, especially early in spelling instruction. We store patterns based on the sounds, so be sure to draw a box or line for each sound in the word. Remember, that is NOT the same as drawing a line or box for each letter. For example, In “sneak” the “ea” only makes one sound, the long e sound. So, it only has one line when we map it out and we write both the letters that spell that sound on that line.
I have a spelling tool in my TpT store that works wonders for spelling help! It includes all the steps in a fun way. Check it out here. It has a pop it feature which also makes it so much fun! Kids pop out each sound before they map it.
If you’ve ever sat down with a child to practice reading you know how hard it can be to keep them engaged, especially if they are younger. It can make for lots of frustration for both the adult and child. We also know that kids need to read and in order to read they need to practice. So, what can we do to make it easier and more fun for all parties?…Games!
Regulation
Before we dive into games, I do want to mention regulation. Before kids can learn in any form we need to ensure they are regulated. I could write an entire blog post and more on regulation, but I will keep this simple so we can get to the games. We want to ensure kids are emotionally and sensory regulated. This means they are in the optimal emotional state to learn, and their sensory input is balanced (not too much light, noise, etc.). If a child has just had a big meltdown they are still processing, still feel upset from falling down, are still mad they didn’t get what they wanted for dinner, etc. they are not in a place to learn, games or not. If they are overstimulated by the light, noises, need to get energy out, etc. they need sensory regulation before they can learn. So, if you are trying all the fun games and it’s still not working, consider their regulation. All kids are unique, their regulation will depend on a variety of factors, remember their needs will be different than your own and than other children too.
Games
OK, onto the fun part, games!! My favorite way to play games for reading is to either make something up from scratch that fits the skill and learning environment, ex: write words on post-it notes to read, post them all over the house, and find them/read them, or to use a game the child is already familiar with and find a way to tie in their current learnings. My phonics board games are a great way to play a traditional board game while also getting some reading and spelling practice. You can find them here. Here are some more of my favorite reading games you can play:
Connect 4
Connect 4 is a classic game that my students always love to play. Here are a few ways you can mix it up to make it a reading game too:
Write the letters (just a few at a time) on each chip and practice saying the name and sound when you come across it
Write the phonics patterns you are practicing, for example “ar/or” and write a word with that pattern on that chip
Write words with the phonics pattern you are practicing and read them as you play. (ie if you’re practicing “ar/or” write words like “corn” “born” “star” “car” on the chips.
Write the sight words you are practicing
Memory/Matching
Memory is a great game to practice reading skills! You can use memory cards you already have and just put a post it note on each one or you can cut up your own. Teachers Pay Teachers also have some great memory/matching games already made. Here is a memory/matching game I like to use for rhyming practice. Much like the suggestions for connect 4 above you can use letters (matching upper and lowercase is a great memory game), phonics patterns, and sight words.
Chalk and Water Balloons
This one is always a big hit! It requires a bit more prep/planning than the other games, but is highly engaging if you have a more reluctant reader. Write the letters or words (sight words or words with the phonics patterns you’re practicing) with chalk on the ground outside. Fill up some water balloons and read the words then throw a water balloon at them. Once they’ve read all the words, they can have a good old fashioned water balloon fight.
Hopscotch
Create a hopscotch game with the letters or words you are currently practicing. This is great for when kids need extra practice to really solidify a skill. Go through the game several times until they are fluently reading each word.
Relay Race
Write the letter or words you are practicing on a post-it note or index card. Go outside and create a relay race. Each time they complete a lap they should read the word on the index card. This game is great for kids who really need to move while they’re learning. Remember, learning does not have to take place sitting down! You can mix it up by doing movements other than running to the other end too, have them crawl, skip, crab walk, walk backwards, etc. to keep things interesting.
There are so many more options than this as well. Next time you are playing a game, think of a way you could tie reading into it. Sometimes it’s easier than you think. I am all for simple but engaging ways to learn. Think of what your child or student already loves to play and find a way to tie reading into it!
It can be tricky to know exactly how and when to start teaching the letter sounds. The “when” is not as important as the “how.” You can start teaching the letter names and sounds as young as 2 years old, basically once kids begin speaking. However, it’s not necessary to start that early either. It is a very personal choice for each family. Some kids will be more eager than others, some kids will catch on really quickly, others may need some more time. You know your child best. A good rule of thumb is to aim for kids to know at least half the letters upon entering Kindergarten.
The How
The how of teaching the letter sounds is the most important part here. There are proven ways to teach the letters that we know result in the best retention. We want to start with knowledge of the letter names. We want to teach letter sounds at the same time or after we teach the letter names. For more info on this, check out last week’s blog post. We also want to start with just teaching one sound per letter. There are letters that make multiple sounds and letter sounds may change based on where the letter is in a word or other letters surrounding it. This is too much information when we are first starting letter sounds. So, we begin with one sound per letter and then we build onto that later. The goal is to begin reading CVC (consonant/vowel/consonant) words first so this is all the info we initially need to teach.
*There is one letter that is an exception to this rule, the X. The X is special because it actually makes two sounds on it’s own, /k/ /s/. We want to teach that this letter makes two sounds back to back right away.*
How to introduce the letter sounds
We want to tie the letter sounds back to the letter name. So, we show a child the letter (T, for example). We have them say the name, keyword, and then sound, “T, tiger, /t/.” It’s important to use both the name and sound. Letter names are the only stable part of a letter, the sounds change so the letter name is like an anchor in our brain to be able to learn multiple sound patterns.
Ensuring we are saying the sounds correctly
When first introducing the sounds it’s important to note the mouth formation so we can ensure kids are pronouncing it properly. It is a hard habit to break if students begin pronouncing the sounds incorrectly. You can have them look at your mouth while they say it, and look in a mirror when they say it to be sure it matches. My letter/sound cards have a deck with the mouth formation included!
Another common occurrence when teaching the sounds is adding what we call the schwa onto the sound of a letter. The schwa is basically a lazy vowel sound, /uh/. For example, when we teach the letter B we might say the sound it spells is /buh/ we want to cut off the /uh/ and just say /b/. If we add the /uh/ onto the end students struggle later on to blend and segment words because they are saying an extra sound. So, they might spell ‘bed’ like this, ‘bued’ because they are hearing an extra sound on the end of the b. I used to do this all the time early in my career and even catch myself still doing it occasionally. So, be careful! It is easy to forget.
How often and how to practice
We want to practice letter sounds over and over again until they are mastered! I usually teach about 3 letter sounds at a time, but this is very personal to each child. Some kids may be able to learn 5 letter sounds at a time, and others may do better with 1 sound at a time. Neither of these are better than the other, the important thing is they are learning. Consistency is key here! If you introduce a letter sound you need to keep practicing it daily going forward, just 5-10 minutes per day is enough! The important thing is consistency.
Making it multisensory (using more than one sense while practicing it) will also help with retaining the sounds more quickly. So, writing the letter in sand and then saying the sound, coming up with a motion to match the sound, or playing a game of hopscotch with the letters where you have to say the sound land on are all great ways to make it multi-sensory. Multi-sensory also means more fun!! One of my favorite activities is to say the letter sound and then have the child write it. When they can do this we know they are really making the connection between the letter and the sound! Try to take games or activities you already do regularly and incorporate the sounds into them. Simple is almost always better. It doesn’t have to be a huge burden to plan!
Most kids enter Kindergarten knowing the majority of the letter names and some sounds. Kids are expected to know all the letter names and sounds by the end of kindergarten. This can be a lot of information to teach, especially if you wait until Kindergarten to begin teaching it. There are 26 letters, both capital and lowercase plus their sounds! We also know that students use the letter sounds to actually “sound out” the words. So, many families and schools put a more intensive focus on the sounds. The sounds are very important! Kids must know them to read AND it is still imperative that kids learn the letter names too.
Why are the letter names so important if we don’t use them to sound out words?
We know the 2 biggest predictors of reading success are strong phonemic awareness skills and letter identification. While we do use the sounds to blend together to make words, we also have many different spelling patterns. Just knowing the letter sounds can be enough to start reading in kindergarten, but as more complex spelling patterns arise kids will need the letter names as well. In certain situations a letter may make one sound while in another situation it may make another sound or even be silent. The only stable part of a letter is the name. We learn by attaching new information to things we already know. If we know the letter name we can better manipulate it when it is not making the original sound we learned. So, learning the letter’s names is important. I teach the letter name and sound together most of the time. For some kids, if this feels like too much information I will do letter names first and then letter sounds.
What is the best way to teach letter names?
The BEST way to teach letter names is by using a multi-sensory approach! Multi-sensory means we involve more than one of our senses while learning. It causes more neurons to fire in different pathways of our brains, making it more likely to be retained. This means we should show the letter on paper or a flashcard to kids, but also give them other ways to interact with the letter. You can make the letter with play-dough and trace it, you can write it in a tray of rice, you can write it with chalk, you can paint the letter, you can cut out pieces of paper and glue them together to make the letter. While you do this, use an Orton-Gillingham technique called SOS (Simultaneous Oral Spelling). This means that while the kid is writing the letter they should also be saying the letter name at the same time. If you have all of these senses involved it will be much more likely to retain the information.
What order should I teach the letters in?
It is not necessary for kids to learn in ABC order. They should know ABC order, but it is better to teach the names and sound out of order. We want to teach frequently occurring letters first so kids can start blending together words sooner. Kids should have a solid foundation of phonemic awareness when we start teaching letters. Remember, your primary focus should be phonemic awareness before teaching letter names and sounds. If you are confused-go back to last week’s blog for more information! The first letters I teach are: T, A, P, H, K, E, R, M. These don’t have to be the letters you teach first, they are my preference for being able to sound out basic words, and tend to be sound kids can pronounce fairly easily.
There is a lot of flexibility in the order and pace you teach letter names/sounds. Do what is best for the child in front of you. Some kids struggle with certain letters or sounds. It’s OK to leave it, learn some other ones, and then go back again later. Some kids can learn three letters per week and others can only learn one. The way to teach is the way they learn. Make it fun, make it multi-sensory, focus on letter sounds and names, and go at the kid’s pace!
What resources should I use to teach my child the letters?
I always start with flashcards that have: upper and lowercase letters, a key word picture, and a picture of the mouth formation. If you would like the cards I use you can get them here. I gradually take away pieces as they progress. First, I get rid of the mouth picture, then the keyword picture. If you have a pack of cards at home to use that works too, just make sure the keyword picture actually has the proper letter sound (should be the short sound for vowels), for example, you might see owl for the letter o, but o represents the short /o/ sound, which is not at the start of the world owl.
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes (sounds) auditorily. This means we are only using spoken words and sounds, not writing them on paper. Students must be able to manipulate the language and sounds before
Phonemic awareness ability is one of the two biggest predictors of reading success. We know for kids to be able to read and spell, they must have phonemic awareness skills. We can start building these skills young, but how and where do we start?
Once students have a good handle on phonological awareness (if you aren’t sure what this is or how to build it check out our previous blog post) we can start building phonemic awareness skills. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in spoken language.
It’s important to practice these skills daily for about 5-10 minutes starting when students are in Pre-K or Kindergarten and through at least 2nd grade or until it is mastered.
Phonemic awareness skills from least to most challenging: isolation, blending, segmenting, addition/deletion, substitution.
I find it is best to teach about 2 of these skills at a time, from bottom to top (easiest to hardest). These skills take time to develop, we cannot just teach these one time and move on. Within each of these categories there are varying degrees of challenge depending on the number of syllables and types of sounds in a word. For example, segmenting the sounds in the word “tap” vs the word “suspect” are very different. It is best to start with more simple words and move up the ladder, then go back and do it again with more challenging words.
Let’s break down what each of these skills means:
Phoneme Isolation: is the ability to identify specific phonemes (sounds) in words. For example, the first sound in “bed” is /b/, the middle sound is /e/, and the final sound is /d/.
Blending: is the ability to hear the individual sounds in a word and put them together to make the word. For example, if a child hears the sounds are /b/ /a/ /d/ they can recognize it creates the word “bad.”
Segmenting: is the opposite of blending. It is the ability to hear all the sounds in a word and break them apart. So, we want children to be able to hear the word “bad” and break down the sounds into /b/ /a/ /d/.
Phoneme Addition: is the ability to add a sound to a word or word part to create a new word. For example, if you say “rate” and you add the sound /g/ at the beginning it becomes “great.”
Phoneme Deletion: is the ability to delete a sound from a word or word part. For example, if the word is “land” and you delete the /l/ sound it becomes “and.”
Phoneme Substitution: is the ability to substitute one sound with another to create another word. For example, if you have the word “cake” and you change the /c/ sound to a /b/ sound it becomes the word “bake.”
So, how do we begin to build these skills? One of my student’s favorite tools to build phonemic awareness is with the game i-spy! Here are some example questions you can use for each skill while playing i-spy. Remember to model first and then let the child do their own if they are confident. If you want some pre-made i-spy sheets for building phonemic awareness skills you can click here. You can also just play with a picture you find online or with objects in your house!
Phoneme Isolation: Example: “mop” “I spy something that starts with the sound /m/.” “I spy something that ends with the sound /p/.” “I spy something that has the middle sound /o/.”
Phoneme Blending/Segmenting: Example: “bat” “I spy something with the sounds /b/ /a/ /t/.
Phoneme Addition: Example: “bath” “I spy something with the word part /ath/ and put a /b/ first.”
Phoneme Substitution: Example “cake” “I spy a lake, but change the /l/ to /c/.” For more information on how to build these skills or what to do if your child is struggling with these skills schedule a call with me!
Have you ever heard of summer slide? It’s just what it sounds like, kids often slide backward in their learning progress over the summer. Teachers see it all the time, we get student’s test scores from the end of the previous year and then we test again, and most kids have lost some of their learning. Some research says students lose up to 2-3 months of learning over the summer. So, how can we prevent summer slide…and do we need to prevent summer slide? Here’s some tips for both families and teachers:
Families
First, it’s important to think about where kids are starting their summer. Are they excelling? Are they struggling in some areas? Has their progress stalled? Are they more than a year behind? These factors are important because they will help to determine your summer goals.
You might not have a summer goal at all, gasp, maybe playing is the goal and that’s alright. It’s OK to know there is going to be summer slide and be OK with it! You know your family and child best, you have the power to make the choice for you and your family. If you’re feeling pressure to do a million things with your child this summer I hope you give yourself permission to slow down and do what you know is truly in the best interest of your family.
I looped with students on 3 separate occasions when I was in the traditional classroom. This means I taught a group of students one year and then moved up to the next grade level with them the following school year. For my students who spent most of the year on or near grade level, they ended the next school year on or near grade level despite whether they had summer slide or not. This is just my personal experience and who knows it may have something to do with having the same teacher two years in a row-it’s easier to get into a groove when it’s the same group for two years. I do think though, that most kids who are typically on grade level do not have to worry quite as much about summer slide. I will always encourage families to provide learning experiences (which can come in many forms) for their children over the summer and I also know parenting inherently comes with a lot of pressure. Sometimes it’s OK to just let it be.
If you are more concerned about summer slide or your child has continued to fall behind there are steps you can take to help prevent summer slide and even encourage progress:
Summer Routines
This is the most important! Continuing to have some sort of routine during the summer is important not just for academics but also emotionally for kids. Knowing what the day looks like creates a sense of safety and control. Of course, it will look different than during the school year, but it’s important to stick to one that works for your family. Have part of this day be academic in nature. It does not need to be the whole day, the younger the kids the shorter it will be. Think 15-30 minutes for ages 4-6 and 30 minutes to 1 hour for ages 7 and up. Daily reading should always be a part of this (no problem if it’s at bedtime). One of my favorite quotes, “Children become readers on the laps of their parent.” ~ Don’t skip this part, if you can only do one thing, this is what it should be.
To fill this academic time in your routine, focus on what skills you want your child to retain (choose 3 max). For many younger kids (5-8) it is their reading skills. So, I would focus on phonemic awareness, phonics patterns, and fluency. I suggest starting with 10-15 minutes of phonemic awareness, followed by practice on phonics skills: this may be letter names and sounds or long vowel patterns (ai, ee, ea, etc.) or reading multisyllabic words (whatever is applicable to your child). Find fun ways to practice these skills, use shaving cream to write the words, make them with playdough, tie them into a board game(if you need ideas for activities pinterest is great, or check out my TPT store with lots of good activities)! Then, spend some time actually reading books with the skills you’ve been practicing, this is also a good time for sight word practice! If you have another academic area you want to focus on or your child is older I suggest you pick the top 3 things they need to practice in this area. If you are not sure, I highly encourage you to ask your child’s teacher! Stick to the 3 most important things, if you try to do it all it likely won’t be as effective. Remember, consistency is more important than how long you sit down and do the work. Even 15 minutes per day will make a significant difference!
If you are interested in a consultation with me to help you build a routine with a plan, goals, activities, and more you can request more information here.
Summer Camps and Learning Pods
There are so many different types of summer camps! This can often be a pricier option when you want to find more academic based camps. I do encourage you to research and call around. Many camps offer scholarships if they are too expensive for your family. Scholarships are not always stated so I suggest calling to ask if they offer scholarships. Even if you only do a couple weeks of academic camp it can make a big difference! There are some really fun and creative camps out, especially ones that tie in nature or STEM. These can be wonderful for a change of pace from our typical school based learning environments.
Since COVID there are new options that we haven’t had yet before! Many areas have learning pods you can join now. Some of them have hired teachers, and some are run by families. There are a lot of varying options if you’re in a big city. I’ve seen nature learning pods, theatre learning pods, kindergarten readiness pods, and more! This could potentially be more affordable than an academic summer camp, especially if you are willing to contribute to the pods yourself too. You can google, but often the best way to find these pods is via facebook groups. You can search “learning pods in ______” or ask in one of the local parents facebook groups if they know of any in the area.
Learning Apps
There are some really great educational apps out there! I don’t suggest only using them, a big part of learning is social and many times kids can still outsmart the app without learning the concept. These apps can make a great supplement to other things you are doing though! Some of my favorites are: Splashlearn, KhanAcademyKids, LexiaCore5, Starfall, PBS Kids, Teach Your Monster, Lalilllo, and Spelling City. Most of these are free!
Tutoring
If it’s in your budget and you know your child is going to benefit from some extra personalized academic help you can find a tutor. If your child is behind I highly suggest this option, though all kids will benefit from it. When kids are behind they often feel shame or suffer from low self esteem. Hiring a qualified tutor, both in academics and social emotional learning, can make all the difference. A tutor can also be a great option if you are finding academic time between you and your child is a battle. The relationship between a parent and child is different from a student and teacher relationship. If you’re finding yourself in a constant battle when you sit down with your child to do work, considering a tutor to help can be very helpful. They will often have suggestions for how you can work with your child too in a more productive way.
There are tutoring companies, local tutors, and even small groups for tutoring. If your child works well online you will have even more options for a qualified tutor. You can also find many specialized online tutors, google, instagram, and tiktok are all good options to search for a specialized tutor. At Teach Them To Thrive we offer personalized (online and in-person locally) tutoring if you are interested you can get more information here! If you are on a tight budget, Outschool is a newer platform with many cool online classes including tutoring, it is often a more affordable option. You can also check around your local community, schools, churches, etc. for some possibly more affordable options.
There are so many options for addressing summer slide if you are interested. Do your research and reach out to teachers and tutors if you want some guidance. We offer tutoring and are also available to work with families to build a realistic plan and routine if you want to do it yourself. We will help you set goals, find activities, and create routines.
Teachers
Talking to families about summer slide can be stressful, especially if you know the child will benefit from more intensive summer support. We often give out the “summer packet.” I hated taking the time to put them together and I’m fairly certain less than 50% of those are ever touched during the summer months. So, what can we do instead?
Educate families on summer slide. Not all of them know it can happen. Especially for the students you know are right on the cusp and need that consistency in the summer. I always try to start with connection and understanding, “I know it can be difficult to fit in reading time over the summer. You have a lot going on and that’s really hard. It is also so important for _____to have consistent practice everyday so they don’t lose learning. A little bit everyday will make a big difference.” Starting with understanding and connection allows families to know you see them and their needs too. Oftentimes this helps them let their guard down if they might have one. Let families know you want their child to be prepared and confident in the fall and that if they do not practice over the summer they will lose some of the skills they have worked so hard for.
Help them pick 1-3 things to focus on. Get specific. Don’t just say, “work on reading.” This is vague and could end up being pointless if families don’t know how to practice the skills their kids are working on. Let them know exactly what they need to work on-comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, adding within 10, counting, etc. This will give them a specific goal to work on this summer. Create 1-3 small and specific goals with families.
Help families to create a routine around learning time. What will the warm up be? The teaching points? The practice time? Where can they find good activities to do? What apps can they add in to supplement? I always emphasize that doing this consistently everyday will make the biggest difference. Do small chunks of learning each day rather than only a few really long spurts. Our brains are not wired to remember things taught in this way.
Give a few suggestions for resources. I send a list of apps they can use, and links to some fun activities. I also encourage families to look on pinterest for fun ideas. Families are more likely to do them if they have found the activity themselves and feel it will be fun for them.
