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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Phonics fun

Kid Pix Deluxe software is needed for this lesson. Using this program, students will decode and blend one syllable short vowel words and words ending with silent "e" to match pictures with words as well as spell names of pictures.

A lesson plan for grade 1 English Language Arts

By Jo Voigt

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • blend, segment, decode, and spell short vowel words.
  • blend, segment, decode, and spell words with silent “e” on the end.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

20 minutes

Technology resources

  • Computer
  • Kid Pix Deluxe software

Pre-activities

  • Students will need to have knowledge of Kid Pix Deluxe software.
  • Students will need to have had phonics instruction in blending consonants, consonant blends, diagraphs, and short vowels to complete two phonics fun templates
  • To complete the two silent “e” templates, the students should have had instruction in decoding words ending with silent “e.”

Activities

  1. To begin the lesson, the teacher should show the Phonicsfun template and demonstrate to the students how to use the truck button in Kid Pix Deluxe. They will use the smallest square to drag the word up to the corresponding picture. This may be tricky for some students, especially if use of Kid Pix has been limited. The teacher should then show the phonicsfun1 template and explain how to use the typewriter key to type in the correct spelling of the picture.
  2. Following teacher demonstration, the students can complete the lesson template Phonicsfun. This can be checked by the teacher if time allows. If the teacher is not available for checking, the students may save their completed lesson template or they may print it.
  3. If they have successfully completed the matching, they are ready to segment sounds to spell short vowel words. The students will use the typewriter keys to type in the names of the pictures on the lesson template phonicsfun1. Once again, the teacher may choose to check success as the students complete the template or have the students save or print the lesson.
  4. To practice using the silent “e” at the end of a word, the students will complete the lesson template magicema to match words with pictures just as they did in the short vowel practice. The teacher may check then, or have the students save or print for later teacher review. If the students can decode and match words to pictures, then they are ready to segment sounds and spell words with silent “e” on the end. They can type the names of the pictures with silent “e” at the end of a word in magicesp.

Assessment

Teacher can check as student completes each section or students can save their responses to be checked later. The teacher may also allow students to print responses.

Acceptable:

  • Completion of the matching templates with at least 10 of 12 correct.
  • Completion of the spelling templates with at least 10/12 correct.

Supplemental information

In this lesson, the students complete the four attached templates. Phonicsfun and phonicsfun1 both target short vowels. Magicema and magicesp target words ending in silent “e.”

Comments

This computer activity is a fun alternative to the basic paper and pen task often completed by first grade students for practice in decoding and spelling one syllable words.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 1

  • Goal 1: The learner will develop and apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop phonemic awareness and demonstrate knowledge of alphabetic principle:
      • count syllables in a word.
      • blend the phonemes of one-syllable words.
      • segment the phonemes of one-syllable words.
      • change the beginning, middle, and ending sounds to produce new words.
      • create and state a series of rhyming words that may include consonant blends (e.g., flag, brag).
    • Objective 1.02: Demonstrate decoding and word recognition strategies and skills:
      • generate the sounds from all the letters and appropriate letter patterns which should include consonant blends and long and short vowel patterns.
      • use phonics knowledge of sound-letter relationships to decode regular one-syllable words when reading words and text.
      • recognize many high frequency and/or common irregularly spelled words in text (e.g., have said, where, two).
      • read compound words and contractions.
      • read inflectional forms (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing) and root words (e.g., looks, looked, looking).
      • read appropriate word families.