Phonics Lesson 63 -es: Nov 24-28 (Reading Practice Book)

Phonics Lessons

**Due to the two bus cancellation days - we are only sending one lesson home this week.**

Lesson 63: -es

The -s ending is used to make nouns plural. Plural means more than one: one cat, three cats. The -s ending can also change the tense of verbs: I run, he runs. 

If a word ends with ch, sh, s, x or z, we add -es instead of just -s, like in the words bunches, dishes, glasses, boxes and foxes. 

The -es ending has two sounds. The e makes a schwa sound and the s makes the /z/ sound. A schwa is a common sound in words with more than one syllable. Sometimes, a schwa can sound a little like a short u or a short i, but is actually more relaxed than either of those. 

When we add -es at the end of a word, the e is pronounced with a schwa.  

In this week's text called, Two Foxes, students are looking for words that have the -es ending. They are looking to highlight the whole word that has this -es ending. Be careful for spelling patterns that are included in the story that include those letters that aren't part of this spelling pattern. Students are also looking to illustrate the story to demonstrate their understanding of the text.  

Heart (Irregular) Words of the Week

Heart words are words that do not decode or follow the spelling rules that we have been learning. We have to know them by 'heart'. However, once we learn more spelling rules, they may be only temporary heart words and the rules will come along later! In the meantime, we have been focusing on reviewing and learning the words below with focused in class practice. These will eventually (if not already) be on spelling word lists or word rings. 

This week we are reviewing:

• by
• my
• see
• one
• once

And we are introducing as new words:

• two
• does

Fluency Grids

With each lesson, there is a fluency grid with the lesson focus that is intended to help students recognize the phonics rule and assist in reading it with accuracy and automaticity. At home, challenge your young reader to read the word (aim is to decode/read each word within 3 seconds) and then recall it each time they see it within the grid of mixed up, repeated words. A couple minutes of practice is all they need. This acts as a warm up before reading the text that also applies the same skill while building on all the previous skills as well. Each week we are building on the previous week to become more fluent readers so we can focus on what the text is sharing rather than spending all the time decoding the words.

Homework Reminders 

Students have been working on the story in their Reading Practice book that will come home each weekend. At school, they work with a partner to complete their fluency grid, read with someone their story and highlight the focus words. Following, they are illustrating a picture for the text to show their understanding. At home, students are to finish the above tasks and read to an expert the week's lesson(s). After completing, parents are to initial at the indicated spot at the top. This week, we are have completed one lesson so there will be one story to complete in their white Reading Practice booklet. Please see the information letter in the front of the book for more, detailed information about this weekend practice book coming home. Please return on Monday (or Tuesday if there is a no school day on Monday). 

Happy reading!