Foundation Lesson
Each one of these lessons will take a few minutes of any session. Each activity reinforces the basic code and stretches a learner’s capabilities. If a person can read ten cvc words, they can read a thousand. Keep moving!
Foundation Lessons -Word Level – Single Syllable
Building is a stepping stone to spelling and is a risk-free and success-rich way to discover how the English code works. It’s a very important and encouraging activity for people who think they “can’t”. You start with what they CAN do which is speak and hear (usually). The “chart” is simply a visual reference for the sounds that you’re working with. I give each learner a chart with all of the basic code laid out clearly. When I say, “We’re going to build the word ’sap’. What’s the first sound you hear when I say ’sap’?”, they will listen for the sound and look for the symbol on the chart.
You can have this on a whiteboard or in front of each student. The young people I work with usually know the whole basic code but need reminding that they do! The visual reference gives them a safety net because I’m never going to ask them for something that’s not in front of them. Slower students may need a smaller number of sounds to start with.
When you do this activity notice how some will look and copy each sound as they write it while others will just listen for the sound and write the correct letter. The latter are spelling and ready to move on.
“Say the sound as you write it” becomes the chant of the classroom. Explain how they will remember so much better when they use lots of senses at once. Model the saying sounds all the time. See here for more about saying sounds. (be patient while I add content……)
Spelling at this level is simply building but without the visual clues. With weaker students, have them spell only words that they have built. Stronger students will be able to apply all the code knowledge that they have to spell way beyond expectations of themselves but don’t ask them to do anything that you haven’t done together. If you’re working at the CVC level, don’t ask them to spell ’stop’.
At the early levels, reading individual words helps to break old guessing habits. “Say the sounds clearly and tell me what you hear” is a great way to convince a student that sounds and symbols are linked when they have a history of looking at a work and thinking, “I don’t know that one.” One caution is that a student only has to read maybe ten words at each level in order to get this point. Reading endless lists of words is boring boring boring.
Foundation Lessons -Word Level - Multi Syllables
This activity is great for multi-syllable words from the first lesson right through the advanced code. Instead of using a chart, write each sound on a little rectangle. I use small pieces of laminated card approximately 1.5 x 1 inch and write on them with dry erase pens. More able students will eventually make up the puzzles themselves (which is really spelling but I don’t like to put them off.)
For the first lesson you’ll have to get them to understand the concept of a syllable. I start with our names, familiar places, things in the room and get the student to join in, tapping the syllables on the table. For the first couple of puzzle sessions, expect to help with the syllables by saying them very slowly and tapping as you say them.
Keep the puzzle pieces in your hand. This is key! The reason is that we don’t really care whether or not the students can build ‘laptop’ with puzzle pieces. What we do care about is that they have a clear process in their heads for how to approach spelling an unfamiliar long word. Later in the session they will attempt to spell ‘laptop’ without the puzzle pieces and you will see what I mean. So hold onto those puzzle pieces for a bit.
“We’re going to build the word laptop. How many syllables in laptop? Say them clearly”
Hand out the puzzles to each student. (There will be one card for each sound.)
“What’s the first syllable again?”
“Can you find the sounds – say them as you move them.”
“What’s the next syllable?”
“Say the sounds as you move them.”
Each student should have the correct word in front of them. Have them write the word, saying the sounds as they write. Some will say each sound while others will say the whole syllable as they write. Either is fine but we want them, for the sake of fluency, to head towards saying the whole syllable. They are welcome to copy the puzzle because this is building.
As with single syllable words, this is just like building but without the puzzle pieces. Now is when they need that process in their heads. “You’re going to spell the word ‘laptop’. How many syllables in ‘laptop’? What’s the first syllable? Say the sounds as you write them. What’s the next syllable?”
As with single syllable words. Again, this helps to conquer a guessing habit but it also helps our strugglers to learn how to track from left to right all the way through a long word. For this reason, don’t cover up a syllable at a time. If they need help, bread up the word with a faint pencil line or put a dot at the end of each syllable.
Just a note here that we’re not talking about dictionary syllables but spoken syllables. So ‘little’ is litt le or li ttle. I’ll write another post just about syllables and spelling. (note to self)
That’s a lot on information in one post. Ask for clarifications, (and point out typos).
