Fundations:
Phonics and Trick Words at Home
Letter-Sound Correspondence
"Sound mastery is a key component of phonics. To remember a sound, students also learn a keyword. This word is used consistently. For example, for the letter b, the keyword is bat (b-bat-/b/). Be sure to say in this sequence so that the keyword helps children remember the sound of the letter. " -2002, 2012 Wilson Language Training Corporation
As children gain mastery of the letters and their corresponding sounds, they should know them with automaticity. This means that a child should see a letter and immediately know its sound without having to state the letter-keyword-sound (b-bat-/b/).
Trick Words
In Fundations, high frequency words are called trick words. These words are not tapped out because they do not follow typical spelling patterns. Students need to know these words for reading AND writing purposes. Below you will find links to all the trick words taught in Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade. The words are written in a template. Please print the words and cut them out for practice.
Here are some great ways to practice:
Make two copies of the cards or labels found below and play memory or go fish.
Read the cards for automaticity.
Post them around your home for quick review.
Practice writing the words on a whiteboard or boogie board.
Spell the words with magnetic letters.
Rainbow write the words using a different color for each word or letter.
Write them with sidewalk chalk outside.
Write them in the shower or tub with bathtub crayons.
Practice them within a sentence.
Play tic-tac-toe with two different colored markers for each player instead of Xs and Os. Put all of the words in a pile and draw a word card on each player's turn. On your turn, write the trick word in a space on the board with your color marker. Three in a row wins!
Write the words on a plain piece of paper with a white crayon. Make the word appear by going over the crayon with a marker.
Have someone in your family write a "mystery" trick word letter-by-letter onto your back.
Be a detective! Have your child reread an older piece of writing that s/he did in school. Find words that s/he now knows how to spell and fix them.
Print the Bingo board template to create your own game of Bingo with trick words.
Read the world around you. While out in the car, at a store, or in a restaurant, look for trick words on road signs, product packaging, and menus.
Phonics
Fundations® is a multisensory and systematic phonics, spelling, and handwriting program that benefits all K-3 students. Fundations is designed as a whole-class, general education program used for prevention (Tier 1) purposes. Literacy Specialists in the Sharon Public Schools have also been trained in Fundations Tier 2 instruction. Below you will find a break down of the units. Sample words are given in each unit so you can help your child improve his/her phonics knowledge and spelling.
