Browse lesson plans

The long and short of it!

This lesson will assist students in recognizing and discriminating short and long vowel sounds.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

Magic E: Decoding/encoding with CVC & CVCE

Students will participate in two activities involving the consonant-vowel-consonant-silent e (CVCE) pattern: a decoding activity involving attaching a clothes pin with the letter e printed on it to consonant-vowel-consonant words (CVC) and sounding the new CVCE words; and an encoding activity involving dictation of CVC and CVCE words from the first activity which students are to write using auditory and tactile strategies. These activities require that students have prior knowledge of consonant and long and short vowel sounds as well as blending of these sounds in CVC pattern words.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

By Julia Huff Jerome.

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 to spell names of pictures.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

By Jo Voigt.

Vowel, consonant, vowel your way to better reading

This is a lesson for Secondary Special Education Teachers who teach exceptional children who are reading at the second grade level. Students will learn decoding patterns using vowels and consonants to divide words into syllables in order to sound out the word.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 English Language Arts)

By Julie Wilson.

Resources on the web

Gingerbread phonics

In this ReadWriteThinklesson, early readers use familiar words from a traditional story to learn letter-sound correspondence. The teacher conducts a shared reading of The Gingerbread Man with the whole class. Students then use words from the... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Phonics through literature: Learning about the letter "M"

Phonics is an important part of literacy instruction that can be taught within the context of reading children's literature. This ReadWriteThink lesson incorporates the use of children's literature, in addition to various learning centers and activities... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Starfall

An interactive, research-based learning environment for beginning readers. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: Starfall

Using repetition and picture cues to foster independent young readers

This lesson from ReadWriteThink invites kindergartners to share their knowledge of letters and sounds in a large group setting and gives teachers an opportunity to assess student's knowledge in this area. Each student contributes a page to make a classroom... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using songwriting to build awareness of beginning letter sounds

In this lesson, from ReadWriteThink, students begin by singing a song to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Kindergartners identify and learn letter names and beginning consonant sounds. First graders extend the activity by creating new verses... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Word wizards: Students making words

This ReadWriteThink lesson uses an active, hands-on activity in which students learn how to look for patterns in words and how to make new words by adding or changing the sequence of letters. Authentic literature provides an excellent framework for teaching... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink