Phonics Lesson 66 Open & Closed Syllables : Dec 15-19 (Reading Practice Book)

Phonics Lesson - Dec 15-19

Lesson 66: Open & Closed Syllables
Syllables can be tricky. A syllable is a word or part of a word with one vowel sound. Your chin usually drops slightly as you say the syllable as vowel sounds have that open sound. Another way to know syllables is if you hum a word. The hums are the vowel sounds in a word. 

Robot = 2 syllables 

Octopus - 3 syllables

Macaroni = 4 syllables

Shoe = 1 syllable

There are two kinds of syllables which is a lot of new learning for us adults! 

Closed Syllables: have only one vowel and the vowel is followed by one or more consonants. In a closed syllable, the vowel sound is short. Hop, kick, and fast are all closed syllables. They have one vowel followed by at least one consonant and the vowel makes a short vowel sound. 

Open Syllables: have only one vowel and the vowel is the last letter in that syllable. In an open syllable, the vowel sound is long. Hi, go and she are examples of open syllables. They have one vowel sound at the end and the vowel makes a long sound. 

In this week's text called, Jo's Friend Russ, students are looking for 5 open syllables to highlight in one colour and 5 closed syllables to highlight in a different colour. They are looking to highlight the whole word. 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:

• two
• does
• many
• any
• been
• into

And we are introducing as new words:

• friend

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!