Student Objectives

• Student will decode (read) words with the VC/CV syllable pattern
• Student will encode (spell) words with the VC/CV syllable pattern

Review Cards

Sound Cards

Review and Drill – beginning consonant cards, a, i, o, u, e, th, sh, ch, wh

“When I hold up a letter, say the letter’s name, and give its sound.”

“Good job! We are going to learn to read and spell words with the VC/CV syllable pattern today.”

Step 1

Syllable Division

Write the word rabbit on the whiteboard.

“Look at the word rabbit. How many vowels do you see in the word rabbit?” (2)

“Because the word rabbit has more than one vowel sound, it also has more than one syllable so it is a multisyllabic word. Let’s divide the word rabbit into syllables. Can you name the vowels in the word rabbit?” (vowels a and i)

“Good. Now underline the two vowels a and i.” (rabbit)

Wait for student to put a line under the a and the i.  

“How many consonants do you see between the two vowels? Yes, you see bb. We have two consonants between two vowels. When we have two consonants between the vowels, we divide the word into syllables between the two consonants. Watch me as I put a line between the bb.”

With a different color marker draw a line between the bb. (rab/bit)

“We just divided the word rabbit into two syllables! I recognize the first syllable is a closed syllable because it has one vowel followed by a consonant, the letter b. This means we pronounce the letter a as a short vowel. When we recognize what kind of syllable it is, we know how to pronounce the vowel. Let’s read the first syllable of the word.” /rab/

“I recognize the second syllable is also a closed syllable because I see the letter t right after one vowel at the end of the syllable. Now let’s read the second syllable.” /bit/

“Read the whole word together. Yes the word is rabbit. The syllable pattern that we are learning today is called the VC/CV syllable pattern. This pattern states that when two consonants come between two vowels you will divide the syllable between the two consonants.”

On the whiteboard write the word:

muffin

“Can you please underline the two vowels in this word. Now can you please draw a line through the two consonants ff. Good. Let’s sound out the first syllable. Let’s sound out the second syllable. Let’s read the entire word.”

Repeat with:

kitten, hiccup, napkin, picnic, basket, submit, public

Going forward with the program, remind student of this syllable pattern. You can also make and keep an anchor chart.

Step 2

Phonological Awareness

“Say runway. Now, say it again but don’t say run.“ (way)

“Say catfish. Now, say it again but don’t say fish.” (cat)

“Say doorbell. Now, say it again but don’t say door.” (bell)

“Say birdhouse. Now, say it again but don’t say bird.” (house)

“Say rainbow. Now, say it again but don’t say bow.” (rain)

“Say sunburn. Now, say it again but don’t say burn.” (sun)  

Step 3

Letter Tiles

“Say tennis. Bring down the letters for each sound in tennis. Read the word again. Now put all the letters back where they belong.”  

Repeat with:

happen, lesson, napkin, picnic, mascot, cactus, rabbit, mitten, basket, nutmeg

Step 4

Red Words

Turn to page 35–36. Pick a red-checked red word from your red word list:

Say, “This is the word ______.” 

“What is this word? Point to the word. Slide your pointer finger under the word while you read it.” Have student repeat this three times.

“Now, stand up. Spell the word, tapping once for each letter down your arm. Then read the word again while sliding your hand from shoulder to wrist.” Have the student repeat this three times.

“Now write the word in a red marker on the whiteboard saying the letters aloud as you write and underline the word as you read it.” Have the student write, read, and underline three times.

“Can you give me the word in a sentence?” 

Repeat this activity with up to three red words.

Step 5

Reading Words

Student Workbook Page 23 – Word List: VC/CV

“Put your finger under the first word. Underline the two vowels. Now draw a line between the two consonant letters. What is the first syllable in the word? What is the second syllable in the word? Go back to the beginning of the word, glide your finger under the word and say it fast.” 

Repeat with the remaining words, reading left to right. 

Step 6

Reading Sentences

Student Workbook Page 23 – Sentences: VC/CV

“Look at the first sentence.”

1.  We went on a picnic at the lake.

“Put your finger under the first word in the sentence. Now read the sentence quietly in your head and look at me when you are finished and I will ask you a question.”

When the student looks up at you, you ask:

“Where was the picnic?” (at the lake)

“Good. Now go back and read the sentence out loud.”

Repeat with:

2.  The soft kitten is in the basket. 

“What do you think the kitten feels like?” (answers will vary)

3.  The puffin ate fish in the pond.

“What is a puffin?” (a type of seabird)

4.  I happen to like tennis.

“What do you like to play?” (tennis)

5.  Let’s hike to the summit.

“Do you know what a summit is?” (the highest point of a hill or mountain)

6.  The helmet is next to the bike.

“What is next to the bike?” (the helmet)

7.  A cactus is a plant with spikes.

“What is a cactus?” (a plant with spikes)

8.  The red bonnet is made of velvet.

“What is a bonnet?” (a woman or child’s hat tied under the chin)

9.  The white rabbit is the class mascot.

“What is the class mascot?” (a white rabbit)

10.  The muffin is made with nutmeg.

“What spice is in the muffin?” (nutmeg)  

Step 7

Reading a Story

Student Workbook Page 24 – Reading Passage: Emma Gets a Kitten

“Look at the title of this story. Can you read it out loud? What do you know about the topic of this story?” Have you ever seen, known, or been…Help student connect to the text.

“Now, read the first paragraph quietly in your head and look at me when you are finished and I will ask you a question.” When the student looks up at you, ask “What do you think will happen next? Why?” Help student predict.

“Now, read the next paragraph quietly in your head and look at me when you are finished and I will ask you a question.” When the student looks up at you, ask “Tell me what you were imagining in your mind as you read those sentences.” Help student visualize the story by making pictures or movies in the mind.

“Now, read the last paragraph quietly in your head and look at me when you are finished and I will ask you a question.” When the student looks up at you, ask “What were the most important events in this story?” Help student determine importance.

Go back to the beginning of the story and have the student read the entire story from the beginning to the end out loud. 

Step 8

Sound Dictation

Student Workbook Page 25 – Sounds

“Say /ō/. With your finger, write the sound /ō/ on your palm. Now pick up your pen and write the sound /ō/ on your paper.”

Repeat with the following sounds:

/ū/, /ŏ/, /ĭ/, /ĕ/, /ō/, /ch/, /ē/, /sh/, /th/  

Step 9

Word Dictation

Student Workbook Page 25 – Words

“Say tennis. Spell the word tennis by writing the letters on your palm. Now pick up your pen and write the word tennis on your paper.”

Repeat with:

picnic, muffin, napkin, mitten, kitten, rabbit, mascot, cactus, basket

Step 10

Sentence Dictation

Student Workbook Page 25 – Sentences

“Listen carefully as I say a sentence and watch as I make a dash on the whiteboard for each word in the sentence.”  

The bonnet is red.

“Now, you say the sentence as you point to each dash. Now, you fill in each dash with each word from the sentence. Good. Now go back and read the sentence that you just wrote.”

Repeat the above with the following sentences, but this time in the student workbook instead of the whiteboard:

That is a classic joke.

A kitten is in the attic.

Step 11

Fluency Practice

Student Workbook Page 26 – Fluency Practice: VC/CV

Place a reading marker under the first row. Going across the row, have the student read each word as quickly as they can. Be cautious, as some students will become very anxious if they feel any time pressure. Never push for speed at the cost for accuracy. Accuracy is more important than speed. If the student will tolerate it, have the student do all 15 rows.

Progress Check

It is time for a progress check!

Student Workbook Page 42 – Progress Page

Dictate the following sounds, words, and sentences to your student. Have them write the following on the progress page: 

Sounds: choose three sounds 

Words: traffic, hiccup, submit, invent, bandit

Sentences: 

Steve made a puppet.

Devlin likes the white kitten.

Zeke happens to have the hiccups.