When we started the school year after being out due to Covid for months, I tested my students that first week to see where they were on the basics of Kindergarten. I do a very quick assessment, so it is not overwhelming or take a long time at the beginning of the year.
My biggest concern- most did not recognize letters (upper and lower case). Now, I know that each class is different, but at our school, most go to Pre-k and know most or all letters before entering Kindergarten. I knew this year we would have to back up in the beginning and catch up. Let me tell you the best part- looking back now it is so rewarding to see how far they have come and grown this year! It is actually amazing.
Of course, I still have some that are struggling with sounds, but they have grown so much, too!
How I Start Teaching Phonics in Kindergarten
I begin with whole group to get routines in place for dry erase boards, markers, and erasers. We do LOTS of practice with it in the first couple of weeks.
*Tip: I don't let them draw or add any extra squiggles on our boards- only letters and words! When I see someone start coloring, I stop and quietly get their board and marker. I don't make a big deal about it, but trust me- they stop doing it. I want our phonics time to be focused on the sounds and words- not drawing.
I start with the book Spelling Through Phonics. I have used this book for years with whole group and small group activities. It has helped them progress so much!!! This book is available on Amazon, but it is harder to find. Here is the link on Amazon if interested!
We start by making a "gameboard" on our boards. It is just a line in the horizontal and vertical line in the middle making 4 boxes for our letters/ words.
We begin with the letters m and s and progress through by adding a letter. They write if they hear the letter at the beginning or ending of the word. Soon after, they write the letter they hear at the beginning and ending of the word and moved into CVC words.
They stretch each word and write the sounds they hear. After finishing the word, they point with their finger under the word to read it back. After we did all 4 words, one student at a time would read a word to erase. This helped the student practice reading the word, and the other students had to figure out the word chosen on their board.
Once they learn the routine, I begin small groups since not everyone will progress through the letters and word building at the same rate. I also move students around into different groups as needed throughout the year.
In the middle part the year, many of my students are on blends and digraphs, but there are a few that are continuing to work on CVC words. We also start writing sentences using our sight words and phonetic spelling. I always see so much improvement in their writing after doing this weekly. It builds their confidence realizing they can write! I love seeing them become so proud of themselves!!
I started using digital phonics for extra practice and have seen them as very beneficial for my students. I currently have 2 virtual students, but I use the digital activities with both groups. We use Seesaw learning, so I can easily add this to their assignments for home and at school. I definitely plan to continue using digital activities after this year. They are like games for the kids, and my students LOVE them!!
Here is a fun FREEBIE you can use with your kids! It is on Google slides and Seesaw.
Click HERE to grab this CVC activity.
If you love this, I have several digital phonics products available. I am working with my students on blends with this blend bundle (R, S, and L blends and Beginning Blend word building). This bundle has 80 slides on Google slides and Seesaw.
Here is the link for the bundle!
One reminder: It is so important to pause and celebrate ALL the victories this year - no matter how small! I find it so helpful to stop throughout the year and make a list of all the victories. When you begin to feel frustrated and exhausted, it helps to come back to this and read your list. It keeps you going! TRUST ME! Let me know if this blog post helps or you try any of the activities! I would love to hear about it.
