Structured Literacy - Visual Review

This page provides resources and references to support teachers in delivering the Visual Review component of a structured literacy phonics lesson. During this part of the lesson, the teacher presents a grapheme slide, and students respond chorally by saying the grapheme followed by its phoneme. The materials here are designed to help reinforce previously taught graphemes through effective, engaging visual practice and provide opportunities to reinforce the concepts at other points in the day.

Say the grapheme and phoneme together (e.g., “a says /ă/”) to reinforce the connection.
Include previously taught graphemes to build automaticity.
Use clear, consistent visuals such as flashcards or slides with a large font.
Provide think time before students respond chorally.
Keep it brief and fast-paced—1–2 minutes max.
Incorporate the day’s focus grapheme(s) to reinforce the current lesson.
Use consistent language and routines each day to build confidence and engagement.

Here are some recommendations for what to do and what not to do in Visual Review.

Don’t only show letters without saying the sounds—this weakens sound-symbol connections.
Don’t go too long—dragging it out can lead to disengagement.
Don’t mix in new graphemes that haven’t been explicitly taught yet.
Don’t skip wait time—rushing can prevent students from processing and participating.
Don’t use inconsistent routines or language, which can confuse learners.
Don’t accept mumbled or half-hearted responses—model clarity and enthusiasm.

HMH Letter Cards

Use these letter cards to review letter names and sounds.

1st/2nd Grade Sound Spelling Cards

HMH Sound Spelling Cards 1st & 2nd Grade Can be displayed in the room and used a flashcrds to practice letters and sounds.

Sound Keyword Hand Movements

These simple, playful hand motions help children connect sounds with keywords for early literacy development. Each movement represents a sound and its associated word — like pretending to bite an apple for /a/, swinging a bat for /b/, or tracing a rainbow for /r/. The motions are designed to be quick, visual, and memorable, reinforcing phonemic awareness through active engagement.

Alphafriend Cards K

Kindergarten Alphafriends letter cards can be displayed or used as flashcards to practice letter and sound recognition.

My Favorite Alphafriend!

These worksheets can be used to support letter name nd sounds recognition in kindergarten.

Alphafriend Crown

These alphafriend crowns can be used to celebrate students learning their letter names and sounds. You can host an ABC parade. Students design their own crowns, stan in line in alphabetical order, and then walk a parade route through the school as the other grade levels cheer them on.

Alphabet Countdown Ideas

Here are some fun ways to celebrate each letter of the alphabet that don't involve dressing up or providing snacks.

Alphafriends of the Week

These are fun frames to display the focus letters in the classroom.

Audio Clips

sound/spelling audio clips

K- songs for each alphafrined

1st & 2nd - audio that goes with each card

Can be found on the HMH Ed platform: search Sound-Spelling Cards

This article discusses the application of retrieval practice and cumulative review in phonics instruction to enhance students' reading fluency and automaticity. It offers practical strategies such as blending lines, timed word lists, and dictation exercises to reinforce learning and support mastery of phonics skills.

Mesmer, H. A. (2019, September 11). What to do in a phonics lesson: 5 research-based essentials. Heinemann. https://blog.heinemann.com/what-to-do-in-a-phonics-lesson-5-research-based-essentials

This article outlines five essential, research-based components of effective phonics instruction, including review, phonological awareness, decoding, spelling, and application through reading and writing activities. It provides practical guidance for educators to enhance their phonics lessons.

Moats, L. C., & Tolman, C. A. (2017). LETRS: Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, Volume 1: Units 1–4. Voyager Sopris Learning.Lexia+2Amazon+2Lexia+2

Unit 3, titled "Teaching Beginning Phonics, Word Recognition, and Spelling," focuses on foundational literacy instruction, including phoneme-grapheme correspondences, decoding strategies, and spelling patterns. It provides educators with research-based methods for effective phonics instruction.