Phonics Lesson 67a Compound Words: Jan 5-9 (Reading Practice Book)

Phonics Lessons - Jan 5-9

Lesson 67a: Compound Words
A syllable is a word or part of a word with one vowel sound. A syllable can be pushed out in one breath. 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. 

There are two kinds of syllables:

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. 

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. 

We can combine two closed syllables to make longer words. When these longer words are made up of two smaller words, we call them compound words. 

When reading compound words with two closed syllables, first we read the first word or syllable. Then, we read the second word or syllable. Last, we blend the two words or syllables together to read the whole word. 

Step 1. hot 

Step 2. dog

Step 3. hotdog

In this week's text called, Mo and the Sandbox, students are looking for compound words (two smaller words put together to make one larger word) to highlight. 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:

• many
• any
• been
• into
• friend

And we are introducing as new words:

• because

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!