Phonics instruction can be tricky for older students. When I taught first grade it was a natural part of our guided reading time. The lower level text allowed for more opportunities to incorporate phonics instruction. My third grade students desperatly NEED phonics instruction. They need to work on the same skills my firsties did, but at a higher level. As a result of this need, Phonics for BIG KIDS was born. There are four components to our phonics routine: Assessment, Word Work Lesson, Interactive Notebook & Game. Below you will find a short blurb about each component of instruction. Assessment Prior to beginning instruction, I give each student in my group a quick assessment. It is a list of 30 words that focus on the specific skill that we will be focusing on. This gives me a baseline to track their progress. At the end of the week I give them the assessment again to track progress. Word Work Lesson At the beginning of the word work lesson I give each student their laminated “Working with Words” mat and the word parts needed. I laminate this mat to use it as a dry erase board. I follow the script, “Find the word parts to create the word ________.” After they create the word, they then match it to the picture and write the word with a dry erase marker on their mat. I do that for all eight words. I also put students in small groups where they each take a turn pretending to be the “teacher”. Interactive Notebook I love incorporating interactive notebooks into my instruction. It is a great way to reinforce what we just practiced. There are three interactive notebook activities included for each skill. Games The demonstration cards are used to provide an example for each word included in the lesson. You could also use these cards for sorting, playing memory, Go Fish, etc. I use them for many more things that just demonstrating, depending on the level of students that I am working with. I would LOVE to see how you do phonics with your big kids. Tag me on Instagram @thecrazyschoolteacher with the hashtag #phonicsforBIGKIDS.
