It's Great to Be Reading on YouTube

It's Great to Be Reading (Short Vowels)
I use this multimedia file to introduce CVC or short vowel word families.

You can purchase this multimedia file at my TpT store:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Its-Great-to-Be-Reading-CVC-Words-for-the-Smart-Board-or-Computer
I created books to use during guided reading groups and to put in my students' book boxes for "Just Right Reading" practice.  After they read/sing the book, they can practice all of the words at the end of the book (over 150 CVC words).  It's great practice to master these short vowel word families. I also put a copy in the listening center to reinforce fluency and provide extra support to a favorite book/song.


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Its-Great-to-Be-Reading-Books-CVC-Words
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Its-Great-to-Be-Reading-Song-CVC-Words

I build smaller word walls to help transfer this skill to other word families in my classroom.  Sometimes my word walls are on "actual walls" and sometimes they are on smaller sheets in tubs.

We document our work in our "Word Work Books."
It shows their growth over the school year and there are
no papers to keep track of during Reader's Workshop.
When I ask, "What words did you work on today?"
They show me. I add some creativity to it by using
fun markers, crayons, and colored pencils.

My portable word wall.
Children take the word families they want to work
with to the tables to do different literacy centers,
such as spelling and word sorts.

Word Sort by Word Family
Using Post-it-Notes

Want some fun literacy centers to go with these word families?  Check out It's Great to Be Reading Activity Pack:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Its-Great-to-Be-Reading-Activity-Pack-CVC-Words

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

Five Word Families on YouTube

See how I use the multimedia file "Five Word Families"  on my Smart Board.  



You can purchase this multimedia file for $3.00 at my Teachers Pay Teacher store:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Five-Word-Families-for-the-Smart-Board-or-Computer

One of the literacy centers in my classroom is "Roll a Dice." Want a free 14 page download of this activity? 

Click here to download this free 14 page literacy center.

I've Been Working on My Silent e Rule Game & Activity Pack

I just loaded a new activity game pack to my Teachers Pay Teachers store to complement the song, multimedia file, and book set to "I've Been Working on My Silent e Rule."  So do you want to know my students' favorites right now?  They love "All Aboard" which is a version of Go Fish, "Toot Toot!" a version of Bang, and Build a Board Game.  On Build a Board Game, they use the cards to design a road first, and then begin the game.  When they finish, they can build the road a different way and play again.  Check back next week for more photographs of the games in my actual classroom.

This game pack complements the song "I've Been Working on My Silent e Rule" from my CD "Growing Dendrites with Kathy Griffin" (c) Copyright 2011. Use the games and activities during guided reading and literacy centers.  All of the game pieces are coded with a small picture in the right hand corner to help with management of pieces.  If one gets dropped on the floor (and we all know how often that happens), the students can match the cards to the games saving teachers valuable time.  Even the whole group activity "Making Words" are coded with pictures by word family.  If they get mixed up, have the children sort them by the picture, and you are ready to teach again.

I Can Read Fluency Cards for practice during guided reading groups. Pass out  a stack of cards to each child in your group.  Their goal is to read the card, put it in front of their stack, while I listen to them read the words.  If they are correct, I take the card.  If they read it wrong, I refer them to the song while they read it again.  I remind them the "e" reaches over the consonant and says, "Say your name!"  Works every time.   We then try to increase our speed, fluency, and accuracy.  I switch the stacks among the children to give them the chance to read all of the words.  The train clip art matches the books and multimedia file to help make a connection to the song.

Student version of "Making Words" with the silent e pattern.  The hand pointer is used to help decode the word.  They use the pointer, touch the e, reach over the consonant, and say, "Say your name, " then sound out the word.  I coded the cards by their spelling pattern (ake, ine, etc.) with a different color of train, so the children can sort the cards if they get mixed up in the pocket chart.  No more asking you what cards go where.  Just say, "Sort the cards by their train colors and start building words." 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ive-Been-Working-on-My-Silent-e-Rule-Games-and-Activity-Pack

Here is a sample of the multimedia file I've Been Working on My Silent e Rule for the Smart Board, IWB, Digital Projector, or student computer.  Help your students learn the rule and apply to words with the silent e pattern.

Click here to view this on TpT. 

Click here to view the book set that complements this song.

Click here to see view the mp3 version.

I've Been Working on My Silent e Rule

Teach your students how to read words with the "silent e" rule. Watch how I use this multimedia file to teach this phonic's rule.

You can purchase the multimedia file from my Teachers Pay Teachers store for $3.00 at

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ive-Been-Working-on-My-Silent-e-Rule-for-the-Smart-Board-or-Computer

While you are there, check out the book set and mp3 file from the song to use in guided reading, independent reading, or the listening center.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ive-Been-Working-on-the-Silent-e-Rule-Song

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ive-Been-Working-on-My-Silent-e-Rule-Books

The Letter H Has Many Friends Video Directions

Need some lessons to use on your Smart Board, Interactive Whiteboard, or student computers? Want a fun way to help your students learn the digraphs "ch" "sh" "wh" and "th"? Watch this video and see how I use the multimedia file "The Letter H Has Many Friends" from my CD "Growing Dendrites with Kathy Griffin" (c) Copyright 2011.





You purchase the multimedia file from my Teachers Pay Teachers file for $3.00 at
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Letter-H-Has-Many-Friends-for-the-Smart-Board-or-Computer
While you are there, check out the book set and mp3 file from the song to use in guided reading, independent reading, or the listening center.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Letter-H-Has-Many-Friends-Books
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Blends-Are-Letter-Friends-Song

Two Vowels Together Rule How to Use Video

Today's post is going to show I how I use "Two Vowels Together Rule" to teach the phonics rule when two vowels are together in a word.  This multimedia file has 5 teaching point pages at the end to teach over 270 words.  Plus I give ways in which to differentiate for non-readers learning their letter sounds, struggling readers, and even those who need a challenge. If you have any questions, please post them and I will answer them.




You can purchase the multimedia file for the Smart Board, Interactive Whiteboard, or computer at:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Vowels-Together-Rule-for-the-Smart-Board-or-Computer
You can purchase the book set at:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Vowels-Together-Rule-Books
You can purchase the mp3 song at:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Two-Vowels-Together-Rule-Song


Put the song and the book in the literacy center for another connection to your whole group time or use on individual CD players or iPods to provide reinforcement and practice of these skills.  I put the 1/2 size books in their "Just Right" book boxes.  The singing helps make them successful and gives them more opportunities to practice the vowel team words in a book format. We also use the teaching points pages during guided reading groups to practice these words.

Won't Forget No More YouTube

Take a look at how I use the multimedia file for "Won't Forget No More" for the Smart Board, Interactive Whiteboard, or computer.  This song teaches the alphabet and letters/sounds.  The multimedia file has review pages at the end to use as a game.  "Won't Forget No More" is from the CD "Growing Dendrites with Kathy Griffin" (c) Copyright 2011.



You can purchase the multimedia file for the Smart Board, Interactive Whiteboard, or computer at:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wont-Forget-No-More-for-the-Smart-Board-of-Computer
You can purchase the book set at:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wont-Forget-No-More-Books
You can purchase the mp3 song at:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Wont-Forget-No-More-Song

Put the song and the book in the literacy center for another connection to your whole group time or use on individual CD players or iPods to provide remediation for students on a Response to Intervention plan (RTI).