On Grade Level

Activities in this section are designed to provide continued support and practice for children in grades 1-5 who are working on grade level expectations.  Additional review and practice will promote mastery at your child’s current level of and help prepare him/her for the increasing demands of reading.

Each activity video includes an introduction, materials needed, and a demonstration of the activity.  All activities are quick, easy, and fun to implement!

 

Phonological Awareness – Counting Sounds in Words

Children need to match sounds to letter/letter combinations to read words.  In this activity, children will sort words according to the number of sounds heard in each word.

Phonological Awareness – Substitute, Add, and Delete Sounds

Children need to learn that sounds said in the correct order produce desired words. In this activity, children will gain practice in substituting, adding, and deleting sounds to produce different words.

Phonics – Consonant Blends 1st Grade

Children need to read many words that begin and end with consonant blends.  Common beginning consonants blends include: dr, br, fr, gr, tr, gl, bl, cl, fl, sl, pl, sp, st, sm, and str.  Common ending consonants blends include: sk,  st, and ft.   In this activity, children will learn to decode and practice using consonant blends.

Phonics – Consonant Digraphs 1st Grade

Children need to read many words with consonant digraphs.  Consonant digraphs are two consonants that join together to form one sound.  Common beginning consonant digraphs include: ch, sh, th, and wh.  Common ending consonant digraphs include: ch, sh, and th.  In this activity, children will learn and practice using consonant digraphs.

 

Phonics – R-controlled Vowels: ar, er, ir, ur, or, ore 1st-2nd Grade

Children need practice recognizing r-controlled vowels.  When a vowel is followed by an r, the r changes the sound of the vowel. In this activity, children will learn and practice using r-controlled vowels: ar, er, ir, ur, or and ore.

Phonics – Syllables 2nd-4th Grade

Children need to decode longer words with multi- syllables.  Every syllable has a vowel sound. There are six types of syllables.  In this activity, children will learn to recognize syllables and use this knowledge to decode longer words.

Phonics – Greek and Latin Roots 4th-5th Grade

Children need practice with common Greek and Latin roots that are the basis found in many words. In this activity, children will apply the meaning of  Greek and Latin roots to read and understand more complex text.

Word Recognition – Sight Word Fluency

Children need to read text accurately and quickly. Sight words are words that are irregularly spelled – not spelled as they sound.  In this activity, children will recognize and read sight words with automaticity (quickly and effortlessly).

Word Recognition – Sight Word Phrase Fluency

Recognition of these phrases will increase your child’s reading fluency.  In this activity, children will recognize and read common sight word phrases with automaticity.

Vocabulary – Words with Multiple Meanings

Children need to know the different meanings of words and how to use content to determine the correct meaning of these words. In this activity, children will learn to identify the different meanings of common words read in stories and print.

Vocabulary – Figurative Language

Children need knowledge of figurative language to understand more complex text.  Figurative language (speech) helps to create a visual picture of the story or information being read.  There are different types of figurative language: metaphors, smiles, idioms, and personification.  In this activity, children will learn to identify and use different types of figurative language.

Fluency – Grade Level Fluency Practice

Children need to read fluently on increasingly difficult grade level text.  In this activity, children will practice reading and re-reading at their independent reading level.

Comprehension – Determine Main Ideas

Children need to read to learn new concepts and ideas.  Children need to know the structure of non-fiction text.  In this activity, children will learn to identify topics, main ideas, and supporting details.

Comprehension – Compare and Contrast

Children need to read for understanding.  The structure of each story depends on the type of information being shared.  In this activity, children will practice the story structure of compare and contrast.

Comprehension – Comprehension Monitoring

Children need to make sense of what they are reading.  In this activity, children will use context clues to monitor reading comprehension.

Comprehension – Making Predictions

Children need to be actively engaged with the text to understand what they are reading.  Making predictions engages students in thinking about what has occurred and what will happen next.  In this activity, children will be asked guided questions to encourage them to make informed predictions.