Resources for Phonics Teaching

Mastering 2-Day UFLI Lesson Plans: My Top Tips and Tricks for Success
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Mastering 2-Day UFLI Lesson Plans: My Top Tips and Tricks for Success

As a reading teacher, my goal is to help students become confident readers. In this post, I share my top tips for success with UFLI’s 2-Day Lesson Plans, which have transformed my classroom. I also provide a free scripted lesson plan to guide your teaching, enhance phonics skills, and save you time in planning!

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Combining UFLI with My Science of Reading Phonics Lessons to Supercharge Student Growth
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Combining UFLI with My Science of Reading Phonics Lessons to Supercharge Student Growth

Our district’s new mandate to use UFLI in Title Reading Groups initially raised doubts, as my personalized Science of Reading Phonics Lesson Plans were already producing impressive results in decoding and fluency. However, combining UFLI’s structured approach with my Word Recognition Lessons created a powerful synergy that supercharged student growth. Together, these resources have provided a comprehensive toolkit, boosting both teacher confidence and student reading skills, leading to remarkable improvements in fluency and decoding.

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The Ultimate Guide to a Word Recognition Lesson Plan
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

The Ultimate Guide to a Word Recognition Lesson Plan

This guide highlights the importance of word recognition in early literacy and details the components of an effective lesson plan: Skill Work, Decoding and Blending, Word Mapping, and Connecting Phonics Skills to Text. It provides objectives, activities, and strategies for each component, encouraging teachers to integrate them into their curriculum and share their experiences.

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Being Flexible and Adaptable: The Key to Effective Reading Interventions
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Being Flexible and Adaptable: The Key to Effective Reading Interventions

Discover the key to reading success with our Freebie Pack for educators! Tailor phonics interventions to suit individual needs, ensuring every student thrives. Our pack offers essential tools for feedback and reflection, empowering you to adapt and fine-tune your teaching methods. Join us in transforming phonics education through flexibility and adaptability. #PhonicsSuccess #AdaptiveTeaching

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Navigating Phonics and Reading Interventions: The Power of a Starting Chart
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Navigating Phonics and Reading Interventions: The Power of a Starting Chart

In today's post, we're tackling a challenge many educators face: navigating the complex maze of phonics and reading instruction. It's a common scenario—you're equipped with enthusiasm to enhance your students' literacy skills, yet the path seems fraught with obstacles. Balancing individual learning needs with overarching class objectives often feels like navigating without a map. However, there's a beacon of hope in this intricate landscape—a versatile, editable chart designed to illuminate your teaching strategy and simplify phonics reading interventions. Join us as we explore how this tool can transform your approach to teaching phonics and reading, making the educational journey smoother for both you and your students.

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Phonics Learning: The "How Far Back" Dilemma
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Phonics Learning: The "How Far Back" Dilemma

Hello, dedicated phonics educators and passionate learning enthusiasts! Today, we're venturing into a territory that's both complex and critical in the world of phonics education—the "How Far Back" Dilemma. This conundrum is all too familiar for those of us in the trenches of lesson planning. It's that pivotal moment when you're poring over your curriculum, questions swirling in your mind about the optimal starting point for your students' phonics learning. How far back do you need to go to ensure all students are on board, without inadvertently stalling their progress?

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Diagnostic Phonics Assessments: Getting to the Root of the Problem
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Diagnostic Phonics Assessments: Getting to the Root of the Problem

Today, we're tackling a crucial topic: the power of Diagnostic Phonics Assessments in demystifying the challenges of reading and phonics for our learners. Picture us as classroom detectives, armed with these assessments as our trusty tools, diving deep to unearth the root causes of our students' literacy struggles. The great news? These diagnostic tools equip us with the insights needed to address each student's specific needs head-on, paving the way for tailored interventions that make real, impactful differences in their learning journey. So, let's rally behind these invaluable resources, ensuring every child receives the personalized support they need to flourish in their path to literacy mastery.

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Phonics Intervention: 5 Strategies for Selecting a Phonics Program
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Phonics Intervention: 5 Strategies for Selecting a Phonics Program

Discover 5 key strategies for selecting phonics intervention content that truly works. From identifying the root of reading struggles to deciding where to begin, using charts for guidance, tackling unfinished learning, and adapting techniques for each learner, this guide offers practical advice for educators seeking to enhance their phonics instruction and boost students' reading success. Dive in for insights on creating impactful phonics interventions.

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What do We Need to do as Educators for Unfinished Learning in Phonics and Reading?
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

What do We Need to do as Educators for Unfinished Learning in Phonics and Reading?

As educators, we strive to support all students in their learning journey. However, when faced with the challenge of addressing unfinished phonics and reading learning, we often find ourselves searching for effective strategies to fill gaps in student understanding. In this article, we will explore recommendations for designing shifts-aligned interventions in the phonics focused reading classroom, ensuring that all students have access to grade-level content and instruction.

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Supplemental Decodable Readers and Comprehension Questions Following the UFLI Curriculum
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Supplemental Decodable Readers and Comprehension Questions Following the UFLI Curriculum

Let’s talk supplemental decodable passages and readers with comprehension questions! If you're as enthusiastic about literacy education as we are, then you're likely familiar with the UFLI - the University of Florida Literacy Institute. This amazing program is making big changes in how we teach reading, and today, we're going to explore its exciting world. We'll discuss the vital role that supplemental decodable readers play in the UFLI approach and how they can really boost reading skills. But that's not all. We'll also discuss the importance of comprehension questions and how they help make learning stick. So, get your favorite drink, make yourself comfortable, and let's start this exciting journey together!

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Exciting New Resource: UFLI-Inspired Decodable Passages
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Exciting New Resource: UFLI-Inspired Decodable Passages

Explore our UFLI-Inspired Decodable Passages and Readers, designed to enhance literacy skills and promote comprehension. These resources align with the scope and sequence for the University of Florida Literacy Institute curriculum, offering engaging, effective tools for educators.

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Does LETRS Have a Curriculum? Unraveling the Facts for Educators
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Does LETRS Have a Curriculum? Unraveling the Facts for Educators

The LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) course offers vital knowledge for effectively teaching reading and spelling. Coupled with an SOR-aligned curriculum, it becomes a powerful tool for enhancing literacy instruction. This pairing not only boosts teacher knowledge but also raises students' reading achievement. So, if you're a teacher aiming to substantially improve your students' literacy skills, taking the LETRS course and using an SOR-aligned curriculum is a surefire strategy.

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What Can We Do for Phonics Review?
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

What Can We Do for Phonics Review?

Are your students struggling with Reading Fluency? This Phonics Review with Reading Comprehension and Controlled Decodable Passages is perfect for all grade levels. This comprehensive tool is expertly designed to address the need for targeted phonics review in a fun and engaging way. Our controlled decodable passages infused with Science of Reading (SOR) principles offer rich practice opportunities to help your students master all phonemes.

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What’s Your Science of Reading Routine?
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

What’s Your Science of Reading Routine?

Explore the 'Science of Reading Routine,' a structured, progressive approach to literacy instruction. Discover how it enriches vocabulary, improves fluency, boosts comprehension, and uses regular assessments to monitor progress. Revolutionize your teaching methods with our insightful blog post.

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Place Value Worksheets and Games: A Hands-On Approach to Math Intervention for Grades K-5
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Place Value Worksheets and Games: A Hands-On Approach to Math Intervention for Grades K-5

No longer will math lessons be a source of fear or confusion. With our "Place Value Worksheets and Games", math becomes a game, a puzzle to be solved, a challenge to be conquered. So why wait? Dive into this blog post to discover how you can revolutionize your approach to teaching place value, and watch as your students' faces light up with understanding and excitement. And remember, a free sample of these transformative resources is just a click away!

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Analytic vs Synthetic Phonics: Which is Best for Your Child?
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Analytic vs Synthetic Phonics: Which is Best for Your Child?

Explore the world of phonics with our in-depth comparison of Analytic and Synthetic Phonics methods. Discover how these two approaches can boost your child's reading fluency and confidence. Find out which roadmap to literacy is the best fit for your young learner.

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The Quick Phonics Screener: A Game-Changer for  Reading Intervention
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

The Quick Phonics Screener: A Game-Changer for Reading Intervention

The Quick Phonics Screener (QPS) is a bit of a game-changer when it comes to teaching phonics. One of its biggest perks is that it lets you customize your instruction to fit each student's needs like a glove. You see, by pinpointing a student's strengths and areas for improvement in phonics, teachers can create tailor-made lessons that target those tricky spots, making learning a whole lot more efficient.

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5 Pillars of Literacy- Lessons That Teach Reading
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

5 Pillars of Literacy- Lessons That Teach Reading

We're diving into the heart of effective reading instruction with a focus on 'Lessons That Teach Reading with the 5 Pillars of Literacy.' This comprehensive approach is designed to ensure that all students become proficient readers. The 5 pillars - Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension - serve as the foundation for this methodology. Our specially crafted lessons not only align with these pillars, but they also bring them to life, making reading an engaging and enriching experience for students.

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Exciting News: Math Lessons Are Here!
Andrea Russman Andrea Russman

Exciting News: Math Lessons Are Here!

I'm thrilled to announce the completion of a new set of math lessons, similar to my phonics lessons but focused on math, specifically Number Sense. Every math lesson starts with a Counting Routine, Number Talks, and Quick Images, followed by a review of previously learned concepts. The Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract Method (CPA) is used in these lessons, ending with Purposeful Practice games. Each lesson concludes with an EXIT Ticket quiz for feedback and future planning. A free number sense math lesson is available to get a feel for the teaching style. Don't forget to check out the FREE Sample Lesson Plan!

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