Phonics

Sound Tapping

Students who struggle with phonics frequently can benefit from sound tapping. Whenever a student comes to a word they don't know, they can tap every sound of the word on their fingers, then say the word fast while pulling the fingers together. This adds an additional mode of learning with kinetic learning. They see it, they hear it as they say it, and they feel it.

Here is a video showing how sound tapping is done. (We don't use multiple fingers together like in the "lung" example in the video - "ung" would just get one finger.)

This is also a great way to help with spelling. We have found that having students tap all of the sounds before they start to write helps them hear all of the sounds so they are less likely to miss the sounds. Then they use the phonics rules they've been learning to decide what letters are needed to make each sound they tapped.

University of Utah Reading Clinic

The University of Utah Reading Clinic has an amazing resource for phonics-based word study available for free, along with videos and tutorials for how to use the resources they offer. You can find even more videos, besides the ones linked below, from their Video Resources.

Word Study - Components of a reading clinic reading lesson. Links take you to a video, showing how to do each component:

1. Re-Read - Read a short book from the last lesson
2. Sorts - Sorts are based on student levels, progressing through multiple skills. The sorts each have a suggested sequence, so you would combine 2-4 headers for each day, repeating sorts as needed before moving to the next line in the sequence. To print the sort cards, download the corresponding Word Study Kit from the "U Steps" Resources in the Binders and Materials chart. The suggested sequences are also found in the Word Study Kits. More detailed instructions for the Word Study, sequences, charts, and many other resources can be found in the corresponding Tutor Binder in the same chart.
   • Early Steps Word Study Kit
     • Picture Sorts - Identify the initial sound in words
     • Letter Sorts - Name letters and sounds, matching capital and lower case letters
     • Short Vowel Families - Sort by initial sound and short vowel sound
     • Mixed Short Vowels - Sort by short vowel sound
   • Next Steps Word Study Kit
     • Video - Sort by vowel sound, with mixed short and long vowels
   • Higher Steps Word Study Kit
     • Advanced Sorts - Sort multi-syllable words, including some nonsense words
   • Word Sort Games - A variety of games to play using any of the above word sort cards
3. Spelling Video 1 and Video 2 - Practice spelling with the word sorts of the day
4. Word Banks Video 1 and Video 2 - Practice common sight words, found during new book readings
5. Sentence Writing with Video - Write a sentence, determined by the student
6. New Book Video 1 and Video 2 - Read a new short book

Sight Words

Zeno Sight Words - 107 Zeno High Frequency Words

Additional Information

Jordan School District Phonics Resources - Description, interventions, additional resources