Phonics Lesson 83 Review of /ar/, /or/ & /er/ & Phonics Lesson 84 ai, ay - long /a/: Mar 30 - Apr 2 (Reading Practice Book)

Phonics Lessons - Mar 30- April 2

Lesson 83: Review of /ar/, /or/, /er/

We spent the start of this short week reviewing all of the r-controlled vowels we have learned so far. Review and practice has been perfect with this short week as we focus on putting all our learning together. 

In this week's text called Fishing At the Port, students are looking for all the words that have any of the r-controlled vowels. They are listed at the top of the page but are ar /ar/, or and ore for the /or/ sound, and the use of the four spelling patterns of /er/ as er, ir, ur and w+or. Remember we are careful to only highlight the words that have this pattern. Students are also asked to illustrate the story to demonstrate their understanding of the text.

Lesson 84: ai, ay - long /a/

We have already learned that the letter a can spell the long /a/ in silent (or super hero) e words like in cake. We have also learned that a spells long /a/ in open syllable words like in baby. 

ai - The vowel team ai spells long /a/ and it usually comes in the middle of a word like in bait and mail. But ai sometimes comes at the beginning of a word like in aim and aid. 

ay - The vowel team ay also spells the long /a/ and always comes at the end of a word like day and say. 

In this week's text called, Sunday Fun, students are looking for all the words that have the long /a/ sound based on the ai or ay spelling patterns to highlight (the whole word that has that spelling pattern). Be careful for spelling patterns that are included in the story that just include any letter a in the word - we are specifically looking for the ai and ay making the long /a/ sound. Students are also asked 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:

• other
• another
• mother
• brother

This week's new words:

• father
• water
• today
• very

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 or stories in their Reading Practice book this week 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 two lessons so there will be two stories to complete in their white Reading Practice booklet after the clip. 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!