PHONICS

Sadlier® School
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

and Sadlier ® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Seven Key Characteristics
of Strong Phonics Instruction

Wiley Blevins, MEd

Sadlier School
www.SadlierSchool.com/FPR
Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

and Sadlier ® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Readiness Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Scope and Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Blending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Dictation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Word Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

High-Frequency Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Reading Connected Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Related Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 2
 INTRODUCTION

William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
The important role of phonics in building the necessary foundational skills
for reading has been well documented by research over the past 60 years (Chall,
1967; Anderson et al, 1985; Adams, 1990; Snow et al, 1998; NICHD 2000; Hattie, 2012;
Wong, 2015). But not all phonics instruction is equal. In addition to being explicit
and systematic, strong phonics instruction must include seven key ingredients for
student success (Blevins, 2017, 2011, 2006, 2001). These include the following and
are cornerstones of the Sadlier From Phonics to Reading™ program.

and Sadlier ® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of Will

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 3
 Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

1
n

Short u
READINESS
SKILLS
Lesson 4 • Day 2

and Sadlier ® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
OBJECTIVES
■

The two best predictors of early reading success

1. Phonemic Awareness 5 are phonemic awareness and alphabet recognition
Lesson 4 • Day 1 MIN
ion
Oral Segmentation Tell children they will be (Adams, 1990; Beck and Juel, 1995; Chall, 1996;
segmenting, or breaking apart, words. Say the Stanovich, 1992). These skills open the gate for
Short u
following words, one at a time: bud; cup; hum; mud;
fuss; nuts; runs; hums. Ask children to segment each
reading. Without a deep knowledge of the English
word sound by sound, then count the number of letters and an awareness that words are made up of
OBJECTIVES
sounds. Provide corrective feedback by modeling how sounds, students cannot learn to read.
a rug; to segment
■
the word using sound boxes and counters.
d and
Stretch the sounds in the word. Place one counter in
ot.
■
each■ box as you move from sound to sound. Phonemic awareness is the understanding that
mu 55
■
words are made up of a series of discrete sounds,
2.■ Sound-Spelling/Blending 5
MIN
called phonemes. A range of subskills is taught to
develop phonemic awareness with oral blending
8/24/18 10:10 AM

Cumulative Quick Check Display sound-spelling

1. Phonemic
cards Awareness
for all the previously taught phonics skills, one 5
at a time. Have children chorally say each sound.
MIN
and oral segmentation having the most positive
Oral
Mix theBlending
card set,Tell children
then repeat.they will be blending, impact on reading and writing development. These
or putting together, sounds to make words. Say the
un in Blend It •sound
following Revisit Student Book, page 51
sequences: skills are known as the power skills (Blevins 2017;
o list
g
with /u / /s / /k / /u / /t/ the/h/
Have children reread Blend
/u/ It
/m/lines/l/
to a/u/
partner
k/ Reutzel, 2015) and are the emphasis of instruction.
to build fluency. Circulate, listen in,
/r / /u / /n / /h / /u/ /g/ /h/ /u/ /g/ /z/ and provide
new
corrective feedback. Then have children complete
n the Ask children to blend the sounds together to make a
the Mark It activity.
word. Provide corrective feedback by modeling how
Alphabet recognition involves learning the
to stretch together (or sing) the sounds. Introduce names, shapes, and sounds of the letters of the
3.short
the High-Frequency
u sound-spelling in LearnWordsand Blend. MIN 5
alphabet with fluency (Bear, Templeton, Invernizzi,
51
and Johnston, 1996). Phonemic awareness and
u
Review Reteach the high-frequency words little, with,
2. Introduce Sound-Spelling 10
have, and are using the Read-Spell-Write routine. toMIN
From Phonics Reading
8/24/18 10:10 AM

Level A, Teacher’s
alphabet recognition are focused on primarily in
Extend and
Learn children• to
Ask Blend create Book,
Student oral 51 for Edition
sentences
page
each word.shortHave uthem say u.
each sentence tobug,
a
Kindergarten and Grade 1.
Introduce spelled Write up and
underline the short u spelling in each word, andat
partner, and then write the sentence (e. g., Look
the littleblending.
model cat). Prompt
Thenchildren
read aloudto expand on one
the rhyme several
e sentence by adding descriptive details or
times. Prompt children to join in, emphasizing thecombining
two
/u ideas using and (e.g., Look at the little gray cat
/ sound.
and the little tan cat).
e Blend It • Student Book, page 51
on Model blending the first two words in Line 1.
Compare and contrast the words, noting theu 55
Short

position
Sadlier Schoolof the letter uDevelopment
Professional and the shortSeries   |  Seven
u sound. Then Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 4
have children chorally blend the remaining words.
Lines 2–4 contain short u words with minimal
 Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

2 SCOPE AND
SEQUENCE

and Sadlier ® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Grade 2, Level B Grade 3, Level C A strong scope and sequence builds from the simple
to the complex in a way that takes advantage of
Main Skill Word Study Phonemic Awareness Main Skill Word Study Main Skill Word Study

rt a Plurals • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Short Vowels Inflectional Ending -s Short Vowels Closed Syllables
• Recognize and Produce Rhyme

rt i Inflectional Ending -s • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Closed Syllables “Reading Big Words” Long a Open Syllables

previous learning. The sequence allows for many

• Alliteration Strategy

rt o Grade K, Level K
Double Final Consonants (ll, ss, zz) • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Grade 1, Level A
Consonant + le “Reading Big Words” Long o Vowel Team Syllables
• Recognize and Produce Rhyme Syllables Strategy
Main Skill Word Study Phonemic Awareness Main Skill Word Study Phonemic Awareness Main Skill Word Study Main Skill Word Study
rt u or Extra Focus
Double Final Consonants (dd, ll, zz) • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation l-Blends, r-Blends, Inflectional Ending -ing Long e Final Stable Syllables
• Alliteration s-Blends Short a

words to be formed as early as possible and focuses

Mm Alphabet Recognition • Recognize Rhyme • Clap Syllables • Blend Syllables Plurals • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Short Vowels Inflectional Ending -s Short Vowels Closed Syllables
1 • Identify
rt e Plurals (review) • OralWords in a•Spoken
Blending Sentence
Oral Segmentation Final Blends Inflectional Ending -ed Long i Final e Syllables • Recognize and Produce Rhyme
• Recognize and Produce Rhyme
Short a Alphabet Recognition • Recognize Rhyme • Clap and Count Syllables Short i Inflectional Ending -s • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Closed Syllables “Reading Big Words” Long a Open Syllables
ends 2
Possessives • Oral
• Blend Blending
Syllables • Oral
• Identify Segmentation
Words in a Spoken Sentence Final e Soft c and Soft g Long u Context Clues: General Clues
• Alliteration Strategy
• Categorize Sounds

on teaching high-utility skills before less useful sound

ends Final Blends Ss Alphabet Recognition • Oral Blending
• Oral • Isolate
Blending • OralBeginning
Segmentation Short o
Sounds • Alliteration Final e Syllables Double Final Consonants
Inflectional Endings (ll, ss,Vowels
r-Controlled zz) r-Controlled Vowel• Syllables
Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Consonant + le “Reading Big Words” Long o Vowel Team Syllables
3 • Identify Words Manipulation:
in a Spoken Sentence • Recognize and Produce Rhyme Syllables Strategy
• Phonemic Add Sounds (drop e) (/är/, /ôr/)
ends ContractionsTt Alphabet Recognition • Oral Blending
• Recognize • OralSyllables
Rhyme • Blend • Isolate Beginning Sounds ConsonantShort
Segmentation Digraphs
u r-Controlled
Possessives Double Final Consonants Vowels
(dd, ll, zz) Abbreviations• Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation l-Blends, r-Blends, Inflectional Ending -ing Long e Final Stable Syllables
4 • Categorize
• Identify Words inSounds
a Spoken Sentence (sh, ch, tch, th) (er, ir, ur) • Alliteration s-Blends
raphs sh, th Inflectional Ending –ed • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Consonant Digraphs 3-Letter Blends Long oo and Short oo Compound Words

spellings (Hanna, Hodges, Hanna, and Rudolph, 1966).

5 Pp Alphabet Recognition • Oral Blending •Manipulation:
• Phonemic Clap and Count Syllables • Isolate Beginning
Add Sounds Short e
(wh, ph, ng/nk) Plurals (review) • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Final Blends Inflectional Ending -ed Long i Final e Syllables
and Ending Sounds • Identify Words in a Spoken Sentence • Recognize and Produce Rhyme
Nn Plural Nouns with -s • Oral Blending • Recognize Rhyme • Isolate Beginning and l-Blends Possessives • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Final e Soft c and Soft g Long u Context Clues: General Clues
raphs ch, tch, wh 6 Ending
Inflectional –ing • OralSounds
Blending • Oral Segmentation Long a Contractions Diphthongs /ou/ and /oi/ Hard and Soft g • Categorize Sounds
Ending
• Categorize Sounds
7 Short i Inflectional Ending -s • Oral Blending • Recognize Rhyme • Isolate Beginning and s-Blends Final Blends • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Final e Syllables Inflectional Endings r-Controlled Vowels r-Controlled Vowel Syllables
raphs ng, nk 3-Letter Blends Ending
• OralSounds
Blending • Oral Segmentation Open Syllables Inflectional Endings Variant Vowel /ô/ Final Stable Syllables• Phonemic Manipulation: Add Sounds (drop e) (/är/, /ôr/)
Cc Ending _ck • Phonemic
• Oral Blending •Manipulation:
Recognize andAdd SoundsRhyme • Isolate
Produce r-Blends (double finalContractions
consonants) • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Consonant Digraphs Possessives r-Controlled Vowels Abbreviations
8
Beginning, Medial, and Ending Sounds • Categorize Sounds (sh, ch, tch, th) (er, ir, ur)
al e (a_e, i_e) Soft c and g Ff Distinguish Initial and Final • Oral Blending
• Oral • Recognize
Blending and Produce Rhyme • Isolate Long e Digraphs sh, th
• Oral Segmentation Inflectional Ending
Inflectional Endings –ed Syllables
Closed • Oral
Suffixes with Spelling Blending • Oral Segmentation
Changes Consonant Digraphs 3-Letter Blends Long oo and Short oo Compound Words
9 Consonant Sounds Beginning, Medial,Long
• Distinguish and and
Ending Sounds
Short Vowel Sounds (change y to i) • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Sounds (wh, ph, ng/nk)

The sequence also has built-in review and repetition

al e (o_e, u_e, Inflectional Ending –ing • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Vowel Team Silent Letters Open Syllables Sounds Suffixes with Spelling Changes
e) and –ed Dd Distinguish Initial and Final • Distinguish
• Oral Blending Long andSegmentation
• Oral • Isolate Beginning, Syllables Digraphs ch,(kn,
Short Vowel Sounds tch,wr,
whgn, mb)
Inflectional Ending –ing • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Long a Contractions Diphthongs /ou/ and /oi/ Hard and Soft g
gle Letter Long
10
Prefixes (re-, un-) Consonant Sounds Medial, andBlending
• Oral Ending Sounds
• Oral Segmentation Long i Suffixes (-y, -ly) Final Stable Syllables • Categorize Sounds
Context Clues: Definitions,
wels (e, i, o) • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Sounds Synonyms
Hh Inflectional Ending -s • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Isolate Beginning, Medial, Digraphs ng, nk 3-Letter Blends • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Open Syllables Inflectional Endings Variant Vowel /ô/ Final Stable Syllables
g a (ai, ay) Compound Words and•Ending
Oral Blending
Sounds • Oral Segmentation Long o Compound Words Vowel Team Syllables Context Clues: Antonyms,
11 • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Sounds (double final consonants)

to ensure mastery over time. While there is no “right”

• Distinguish Long and Short Vowel Sounds General Clues
g e (ee, ea) Short e Spelled ea • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Long u Prefixes r-Controlled Vowel Homophones
Short o Distinguishing Initial and • Oral Blending • Delete
Manipulation: Recognize and Produce Rhyme
Sounds Final e (a_e, i_e) Soft c and g
(un-, re-, dis-) Syllables • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Long e Inflectional Endings Closed Syllables Suffixes with Spelling Changes
12
Medial Vowel Sounds • Isolate Beginning, Medial, and Ending Sounds • Distinguish Long and Short Vowel Sounds (change y to i)
g o (oa, ow) Suffixes (-ful, -less) • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Consonant + le Homophones Final e Syllables Adding Suffixes with Spelling
Rr Ending _ck • Oral Blending •Substitute
Manipulation: Oral Segmentation
Sounds Syllables Final e (o_e, u_e, Inflectional Ending –ing Changes • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Vowel Team Silent Letters Open Syllables Sounds Suffixes with Spelling Changes
13

scope and sequence, programs that strive to

• Isolate Beginning, Medial, and Ending Sounds e_e) and –ed • Distinguish Long and Short Vowel Sounds Syllables (kn, wr, gn, mb)
g i (y, igh) Comparatives and • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation r-Controlled ar Comparative Suffixes Unaccented Final Syllables Contractions
1 4 Bb
Superlatives (-er, -est) Plural Nouns with -s • Oral Blending • Recognize and Produce
• Phonemic Manipulation: Add Sounds Rhyme Single Letter Long
(-er, -est) Prefixes (re-, un-) • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Long i Suffixes (-y, -ly) Final Stable Syllables Context Clues: Definitions,
• Isolate Beginning, Medial, and Ending Sounds Vowels (e, i, o) • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Sounds Synonyms
g u (u, ew, ue) Compound Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation r-Controlled er, Suffixes (-ful, -less) Inflectional Endings -ed, Using Morphology: Related
Ll Double Final Consonants • Oral Blending Manipulation:
• Phonemic • Recognize and Produce
Delete SoundsRhyme ir, ur Long a (ai, ay) Compound Words -ing with Spelling Changes Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation Long o Compound Words Vowel Team Syllables Context Clues: Antonyms,
15
• Isolate Beginning, Medial, and Ending Sounds • Distinguish Long and Short Vowel Sounds General Clues
ontrolled ar Transition to Longer • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Sounds • Phonemic r-Controlled or, Abbreviations Irregular Plurals More Irregular Plurals

connect concepts and move through a series of

Words Kk Ending _ck • Oral Blending •Add
Manipulation: Recognize
Sounds and Produce Sounds
• Categorize Rhyme ore, oar Long e (ee, ea) Short e Spelled ea • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Long u Prefixes r-Controlled Vowel Homophones
16 • Isolate Beginning, Medial, and Ending Sounds Manipulation: Delete Sounds (un-, re-, dis-) Syllables
ontrolled er, ir, ur Transition to Longer Words • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Sounds • Phonemic r-Controlled are, Homographs Prefixes (dis-, un-, pre-, re-) Using Morphology: Prefixes,
Short e Distinguishing Initial and • Oral Blending •Add
Manipulation: Recognize
Sounds and Produce Sounds
• Categorize Rhyme air, ear Long o (oa, ow) Suffixes (-ful, -less) Roots • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Consonant + le Homophones Final e Syllables Adding Suffixes with Spelling
17 Medial Vowel Sounds • Isolate Beginning, Medial, and Ending Sounds Manipulation: Substitute Sounds Syllables Changes
ontrolled or, Prefixes (dis-, pre-) • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Sounds • Phonemic r-Controlled Irregular Plurals Suffixes (-er, -or) Homographs
, oar Gg Inflectional Ending -s Manipulation:
• Oral Blending Add Sounds
• Oral • Categorize
Segmentation • Isolate Vowel Syllables
Sounds Medial Sounds Long i (y, igh) Comparatives and • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation r-Controlled ar Comparative Suffixes Unaccented Final Syllables Contractions

skills in a stair-step way offer the best chance at

18 Superlatives (-er, -est) • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Sounds (-er, -est)
rt oo and Suffixes (-ly, -y) • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Consonant + le Inflectional Endings with Suffixes (-able, -ful, -less, Using Morphology: Related
g oo Ww Plural Nouns with -s • Oral Blending •Delete
Manipulation: Oral Segmentation
Sounds • Alliteration Syllables Long u (u, ew, ue) Changes
Spelling Compound Words -ness, -y, -ly) Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation r-Controlled er, Suffixes (-ful, -less) Inflectional Endings -ed, Using Morphology: Related
19 • Phonemic Manipulation: Delete Sounds ir, ur -ing with Spelling Changes Words
hthong /ou/ Compound Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Short oo and Suffixes (-ful, -less, -y, -ly) Prefixes (im-, in-, non-, Using Morphology: Prefixes,
, ow) Xx Plural Nouns -es • Oral Blending •Delete
Manipulation: Oral Segmentation
Sounds • Recognize and Long oo r-Controlled ar Transition to Longerand others) Roots • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Sounds • Phonemic r-Controlled or, Abbreviations Irregular Plurals More Irregular Plurals
20

student success.
Produce Rhyme Words Manipulation: Add Sounds • Categorize Sounds ore, oar
hthong /oi/ Transition to Longer Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Diphthong /ou/ Compound Words Related Words Using Morphology: Related
oy) Vv Blends • Oral Blending •Delete
Manipulation: Oral Segmentation
Syllables • Recognize and r-Controlled er, ir, ur Transition to Longer Words Words • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Sounds • Phonemic r-Controlled are, Homographs Prefixes (dis-, un-, pre-, re-) Using Morphology: Prefixes,
21
Produce Rhyme Manipulation: Add Sounds • Categorize Sounds air, ear Roots
mplex Vowel /ô/ Inflectional Endings (review) • Categorize Sounds • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Diphthong /oi/ Prefixes Homophones Context Clues: Examples,
, aw, alk, alt, all) Short u Distinguishing Initial and • Oral Blending
Syllables • Oral Segmentation
• Phonemic • Recognize
Manipulation: Delete and
Syllables r-Controlled (un-,
or, re-, dis-,
Prefixes (dis-, pre-)
pre-, mis-) Definitions • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Sounds • Phonemic r-Controlled Irregular Plurals Suffixes (-er, -or) Homographs
22 Medial Vowel Sounds Produce Rhyme ore, oar Manipulation: Add Sounds • Categorize Sounds Vowel Syllables
ontrolled are, Transition to Longer Words • Categorize Sounds • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Complex Vowel /ô/ More Irregular Plurals Homographs Context Clues: Synonyms,
ear Jj Plural Nouns with -s Syllables
• Oral • Phonemic
Blending Manipulation: Delete
• Oral Segmentation Syllables
• Recognize and Produce Short oo and Suffixes (-ly, -y) Antonyms • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Consonant + le Inflectional Endings with Suffixes (-able, -ful, -less, Using Morphology: Related
23 Rhyme and Alliteration Long oo Manipulation: Delete Sounds Syllables Spelling Changes -ness, -y, -ly) Words
g i (ild, ind) Transition to Longer Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Vowel Team Inflectional Endings with Compound Words Using Morphology: Roots
g o (old) Manipulation:
Blending •AddOraland • Isolate Beginning, Syllables Diphthong /ou/
Delete Syllables Spelling Changes
24 Qu Inflectional Ending -s • Oral
Medial, and Ending
Segmentation
Sounds (ou, ow)
Compound Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic
Manipulation: Delete Sounds
Short oo and
Long oo
Suffixes (-ful, -less, -y, -ly) Prefixes (im-, in-, non-,
and others)
Using Morphology: Prefixes,
Roots
g i (ie) Transition to Longer Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Review Syllable Related Words Abbreviations More Abbreviations

The phonics in the From Phonics to Reading

g o (oe) Manipulation:
Blending •AddOraland • Isolate Beginning, Types Diphthong /oi/
Delete Syllables
25 Yy Double Final Consonants • Oral Segmentation Transition to Longer Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Diphthong /ou/ Compound Words Related Words Using Morphology: Related
ge Transition to Longer Words Medial, andBlending
• Oral Ending Sounds
• Oral Segmentation • Phonemic (oi, oy)
Final Stable Related Words Contractions More ContractionsManipulation: Delete Syllables Words
ey, ie) Zz Blends Manipulation:
• Oral Blending •AddOraland Delete Syllables
Segmentation Syllables Complex Vowel /ô/
• Recognize and Produce Inflectional Endings (review) • Categorize Sounds • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Diphthong /oi/ Prefixes Homophones Context Clues: Examples,
26 Rhyme and Alliteration • Phonemic Manipulation: Delete Syllables (au, aw, alk, alt, all) Syllables • Phonemic Manipulation: Delete Syllables (un-, re-, dis-, pre-, mis-) Definitions
Short Vowel Compare Short and Long • Oral Blending • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Sounds and From
r-Controlled are, Phonics
Transition to
to Longer Words • Scope and Sequence
Reading xiii
• Categorize Sounds • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Complex Vowel /ô/ More Irregular Plurals Homographs Context Clues: Synonyms,
27

sequence teaches new skills and concepts in

Review Vowel Sounds Syllables • Phonemic Manipulation: Delete Syllables air, ear Syllables • Phonemic Manipulation: Delete Syllables Antonyms
Long Compare Short and Long • Oral Blending • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Sounds and Long i (ild, ind) Transition to Longer Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Vowel Team Inflectional Endings with Compound Words Using Morphology: Roots
28 Vowels Vowel Sounds Syllables • Phonemic Manipulation: Delete Syllables Long o (old) Manipulation: Add and Delete Syllables Syllables Spelling Changes
Final e Compare Short and Long • Oral Blending • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Sounds and Long i (ie) Transition to Longer Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Review Syllable Related Words Abbreviations More Abbreviations
29 (a_e) Vowel Sounds and Spellings Syllables • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Initial Sounds
1551-3_TE1__000xiii 13
Long o (oe) Manipulation: Add and Delete Syllables
11/9/18 1:28 PM
Types

this manner. As with most early reading skills,

Final e Compare Short and Long • Oral Blending • Phonemic Manipulation: Add Syllables and Long e Transition to Longer Words • Oral Blending • Oral Segmentation • Phonemic Final Stable Related Words Contractions More Contractions
30 (o_e, i_e) Vowel Sounds and Spellings Phonemes • Phonemic Manipulation: Substitute Initial Sounds (y, ey, ie) Manipulation: Add and Delete Syllables Syllables

xii From Phonics to Reading • Scope and Sequence

differentiated support is provided for the scope

1551-3_TE1__0000xii 12
From Phonics to Reading11/9/18 1:28 PM

and sequence to meet the needs of all students.

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 5
 Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

3 BLENDING

and Sadlier ® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
This is the main strategy for teaching students how
Introduction
to sound out words and must be frequently modeled
Learn and Blend
and applied (Resnick and Beck, 1976; Haddock, 1978; Directions: Listen and join in.

Rosenshine and Stevens, 1984). It is simply the u…u…u… Short u

Up goes the umbrella. u
stringing together of letter sounds to read a word.
It is the focus of early phonics instruction, but still [1541-4_AR_051: a bug hiding under a rug;
Blend It
plays a role when transitioning students from
boldface word indicates target sound and
Directions: Chorally read the words. needs to “pop”]
INTRODUCE

reading one-syllable words to multisyllabic words. 1. up cup pup but cut hut
2. cup cut bug bun hug hum

Two types of blending exist— 3. cap cup pop pup bug bag
4. bus dug fun gum jug nut

final and successive 5. The big red bug hid.

6. The big red bug hid under the rug.
Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.

REVIEW

7. map led hip rock dot rip

—and each plays an important role in 8. fell tap fog beg tan lid
phonics instruction. CHALLENGE

9. truck stuck struck fluff stuff plug

Daily Practice

■ Build Fluency
■ Mark It short u
■ Spell It
■ Write About It

Lesson 4 • Short u 51

From Phonics to Reading

Level A, Student’s Edition

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 6
 Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

4 DICTATION

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To best transfer students’ growing phonics
Dictation
skills to writing, dictation (which is guided
Think and Write spelling with teacher think-alouds) is critical
Directions: Listen to each picture name.
Write the spelling for each sound in a separate box.
and begins in Kindergarten.
1.
While not a spelling test, this activity can
accelerate students’ spelling abilities and
2. understanding of common English spelling
patterns and can assist them in using these
phonics skills in writing.
3.
Used in combination with word building
and structured and unstructured writing
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experiences in phonics instruction,

Listen and Spell
Directions: Write each word and sentence that you hear. students have increased opportunities
to “try out” their developing skills to
1. 2.
express ideas in written form.

3. 4.

5.
Lesson 4 • Short u 55

From Phonics to Reading

Level A, Student’s Edition

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 7
5
Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

WORD
AWARENESS

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Word Sort a
r
n
While the introduction to phonics skills is best when explicit
e
Sort It Out
Directions: Read each word. Then sort the words.
s
t
and systematic, students also need opportunities to play with
Write each word in the correct box.

bat can cat fan fat words and experiment with how words parts combine in order
to solidify and consolidate their understanding of how English
hat man pan ran sat

at an

words work. Word sorts and word building are key activities to
increase students’ word awareness (Bear, Templeton, Invernizzi,
and Johnston, 2016; Beck and Beck, 2013).
Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.

In word building, students are given a set of letter cards and

are asked to create a series of words in a specific sequence.
What did you learn about how words work? This increases their ability to work with letter-sounds flexibly
12 Short a  •  Lesson 1
and to fully analyze words for their component sounds and
spellings. In word sorts, students look for common spelling
Word Building patterns, engage in discussions about what they learn about
Word Ladder
Directions: Listen to each clue. Then write the word.
Start at the bottom and climb to the top.
words from this examination, and increase their ability to
notice larger chunks in words (an important skill as they
You see this on top
of the letter “i.”
Change one letter. transition from one-syllabic to multisyllabic words).
A flower can be
planted in this.
Change one letter.

You might feel this on

a sunny summer day.
Change one letter.

You can do this on

Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.

one foot.
Change one letter.

This is a toy you

can spin.
Change one letter.

Start m o p

48 Short o  •  Lesson 3

From Phonics to Reading

Level A, Student’s Edition

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 8
 Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

6 HIGH-FREQUENCY
WORDS

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High-frequency words are the most common words in English. Some are irregular; that is, they
do not follow common English sound-spellings. Others are regular and are needed by students
during reading before they have the phonics skills to sound them out (Johns, 1980; Adams, 1990;
Carroll, Davies, and Richman, 1971; Fry, Kress, and Fountoukidis, 1993; Rinsland, 1945).

The top 250-plus words are taught in Grades K–2. Past Grade 2, when the majority of the key
high-frequency words have been introduced, students need to be continually assessed on their
mastery of these words, as a lack of fluency can impede comprehension. Some words are more
difficult to master (e.g., reversals like no/on and was/saw, of/for/from, and words that begin with
wh- or th-). These words receive more instructional time and assessment in the From Phonics to
Reading program.

High-Frequency Cumulative
Words Review

Read-Spell-Write Build Fluency

Directions: Write each word two times. Say each letter as you write it. Directions: Complete each sentence. Use at least one word
with short u.

1. little
1. This is .

2. with
2. I have .

3. have

3. The little .
4. are

Use in Context 4. Jim and I .

Directions: Complete each sentence with a word from above.
Read the finished sentences to a partner.
Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.

Directions: Write a sentence using each word pair.

bus, hot
1. I hug my pup. 5.

2. We fun on the bus.

3. What did I do the six cups? cup, mat

6.

4. My cap and bat in the mud.

52 Short u • Lesson 4
Lesson 4 • Short u 61
From Phonics to Reading
Level A, Student’s Edition

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 9
 Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

7
READING
CONNECTED

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TEXT
Read Connected
Text The goal of phonics instruction is to develop students’
ability to read connected text independently (Adams,
Connected Text
Directions: Read the story. Then answer the questions.

Fun in the Sun 1990). Controlled, decodable text (also known as

We can have fun in the sun.
Lots of fun!
We can run up to the sea accountable text) at the beginning level of reading
and jump in.
But too much sun is not good
for our skin.
instruction helps students develop a sense of comfort
So after a swim we get our hats
and sit under a big umbrella.
in and control over their reading growth and should
be a key learning tool in early phonics instruction.
Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.

Interact with the Text

Directions: Mark the text.
1. Circle all the words with short u.
2. Draw a box around the words that rhyme with sun.

The tight connection between what students learn

Directions: Write about the text.
3. How can we have fun in the sun? Tell a partner. Then write about it.

in phonics and what they read is essential for building

Lesson 4 • Short u 53 a faster foundation in early reading (Juel and Roper-
Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Schneider, 1985; Blevins, 2017). This is especially critical
Name
when students encounter less-controlled leveled
Little Bugs, readers during small group lessons. These accountable
(phonics-based) texts need to be reread to build
Big Bugs
Fold

fluency, discussed to develop comprehension, and

written about to provide opportunities for students
to apply their growing phonics skills in writing.

The accountable texts in the From Phonics to Reading

program were written to be instructive, engaging, and
comprehensible—using standard English language
sentence patterns and high-utility words
Bugs are little. to benefit early readers.
From Phonics to Reading
Read Connected
Fold

. Bugs are big.A, Student’s Edition

Level
Bugs sit on a leaf.
Text

Bugs crawl on a twig.

1

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 10
 Learn and Blend
Directions: Listen and join in.

u…u…u… Short u Short u Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

Up goes the umbrella. u

OBJECTIVES

PLUS
[1541-4_AR_051: a bug hiding under a rug;
Blend It boldface word indicates target sound and
■
Directions: Chorally read the words. needs to “pop”] ■
IntroDucE
■
1. up cup pup but cut hut
■
2. cup cut bug bun hug hum
■
3. cap cup pop pup bug bag
4. bus dug fun gum jug nut
5. The big red bug hid.
1. Phonemic Awareness 5
MIN
6. The big red bug hid under the rug.
Copyright © by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.

Oral Blending Tell children they will be blending,

rEvIEw

7. map led hip rock dot rip

or putting together, sounds to make words. Say the

YOU, THE TEACHER

8. fell tap fog beg tan lid
challEngE following sound sequences:

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9. truck stuck struck fluff stuff plug /u / /s / /k / /u / /t / /h / /u / /m/ /l / /u / k/
Daily Practice /r / /u / /n / /h / /u / /g / /h / /u / /g / /z/
Ask children to blend the sounds together to make a
■ Build Fluency
■ Mark It short u word. Provide corrective feedback by modeling how
■
■
Spell It
Write About It
to stretch together (or sing) the sounds. Introduce
the short u sound-spelling in Learn and Blend.
Lesson 4 • Short u 51

2. Introduce Sound-Spelling 10
MIN
1541-4_SE1__0000051 51 8/24/18 10:10 AM

Learn and Blend • Student Book, page 51

TEACHER TABLE
The power and impact of phonics instruction rests
Introduce short u spelled u. Write up and bug,
ENGLISH LEARNERS underline the short u spelling in each word, and
on the shoulders of a skilled, informed teacher.
model blending. Then read aloud the rhyme several
Sound Transfer In Cantonese and Mandarin, there times. Prompt children to join in, emphasizing the
is an approximate transfer for short u. There is no For example, a teacher with expertise in linguistics
/u / sound.
transfer in Spanish, Hmong, Korean, or Farsi. Focus
on articulation. Model correct mouth position. Have andItresearch-based
Blend • Student Book, page 51 phonics routines improves
children use hand mirrors to focus on mouth position
as they pronounce the sound.
the language of instruction in order to avoid
Model blending the first two words in Line 1.
Compare and contrast the words, noting the
Vocabulary Each day, select several words from student
position confusion
of the letter and
u and the short better
u sound. Thenassesses students’
have children chorally blend the remaining words.
the Blend It lines on Student Book, page 51. Focus
on words whose meanings can be explained or
instructional
Lines 2–4 contain short needs
u words (Moats,
with minimal1995).
demonstrated in a concrete way. For example, show contrasts; 5–6 contain context sentences; 7–8 review
a picture of a cup, pup, hut, or jug. Demonstrate the words to build fluency; 9 challenge words for
meaning of hum, hug, and cut. Differentiated support is often needed for teachers
advanced learners.

based Feedback
Corrective on theirWhen teaching
children make experience
an or when they
error, say: My turn. Make the sound correctly. Have
Note: Children will complete the Daily Practice move
them repeat across
the sound. grade-level
Tap under the letterbands
and say: (K-2, 3-5, 6-8) as
activities on Student Book, page 51 throughout the week. What’s the sound? Children chorally respond. Return
Whenever you see children will return to previous toeach band
the beginning requires
of the a nuanced
word. Say: Let’s start over. understanding of
pages to reinforce their learning.
phonics
Blend the word and wordagain.
with children study instruction. Point-of-use
professional development Short uresources
51 are provided
in From Phonics to Reading.
From Phonics to Reading
Level A, Teacher’s Edition

CONCLUSION
Ensuring these seven (plus one) characteristics are in place is a critical first step in developing a
phonics instructional strand that will meet the needs of early readers. The From Phonics to Reading
program contains these characteristics through instruction that is active, engaging, and thought-
provoking—the kind of instruction that creates active word learners on the path to becoming
successful independent readers who love reading.

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 11
 REFERENCES
Adams, M. J. (1990). Beginning to read: Thinking and learning about print. Haddock, M. (1978). Teaching blending in beginning reading instruction is

and Sadlier ® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. important. The Reading Teacher, 31, 654–658.

Anderson, R. C., Hiebert, E. H., Scott, J. A., & Wilkinson, I. A. G. (1985). Becoming Hanna, P. R., Hodges, R. E., Hanna, J. L., & Rudolph, E. H. (1966). Phoneme-
a nation of readers: The report of the Commission on Reading. Champaign, grapheme correspondences as cues to spelling improvement. Washington, DC:
IL: Center for the Study of Reading and National Academy of Education. U.S. Office of Education.

Bear, D. R., Templeton, S., Invernizzi, M., & Johnston, F. (2016). Words their way: Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New
Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (6th ed.). Upper York, NY: Routledge.
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Johns, J. L. (1980). First graders’ concepts about print. Reading Research Quarterly,
15, 529–549.
Bear, D. R., Templeton, S., Invernizzi, M., & Johnston, F. (1996). Words their way:
Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Englewood Cliffs,
Juel, C., & Roper-Schneider, D. (1985). The influence of basal readers on first-grade
NJ: Merrill/Prentice-Hall.
reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 20(2), 134–152.

Beck, I., & Beck, M. E. (2013). Making sense of phonics: The hows and whys (2nd Moats, L. C. (1995). Spelling: Development, disability, and instruction. Timonium,
ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press. MD: York Press.

Beck, I., & Juel, C. (1995, Summer). The role of decoding in learning to read. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of
American Education, 19(2). the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read: An evidence-based
assessment of the scientific literature on reading and its implications for reading
Blevins, W. (2017). A fresh look at phonics: Common causes of failure and 7 instruction. (NIH Publication No. 00–4769). Washington, DC: U.S. Government
ingredients for success. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Printing Office.

Blevins, W. (2011a). Teaching the alphabet: A flexible, systematic approach to Resnick, L., & Beck, I. (1976). Designing instruction in reading: Initial reading. In
building early phonics skills. New York, NY: Scholastic. A. J. Harris & E. R. Sipay (Eds.), Readings on reading instruction. New York, NY:
Longman.
Blevins, W. (2011b). Teaching phonics: A flexible, systematic approach to building
Reutzel, D. R. (2015). Early literacy research: Findings primary-grade teachers will
early reading skills. New York, NY: Scholastic.
want to know. The Reading Teacher, 69(1), 14–24. doi:10.1002/trtr.1387

Blevins, W. (2011c). Week-by-week phonics and word study activities for the Rinsland, H. D. (1945). A basic vocabulary of elementary school children. New York,
intermediate grades. New York, NY: Scholastic. NY: Macmillan.

Blevins, W. (2006). Phonics from A to Z: A practical guide. New York, NY: Rosenshine, B., & Stevens, R. (1984). Classroom instruction in reading. In P. D.
Scholastic.
Blevins, W. (2001). Teaching phonics and word study in the intermediate grades.
New York, NY: Scholastic.
Carroll, J. B., Davies, P., & Richman, B. (1971). Word frequency book. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin.
Chall, J. S. (1996). Stages of reading development (2nd ed.). Fort Worth, TX:
Harcourt.
Chall, J. S. (1967). Learning to read: The great debate. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Pearson, R. Barr. M. L. Kamil, & P. Mosenthal (Eds.), Handbook of reading (pp.
745–798). New York, NY: Longman.
Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, E. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in
young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Stanovich, K. E. (1992). Speculations on the causes and consequences of individual
differences in early reading acquisition. In P. B. Gough, L. C. Ehri, & R. Treiman
(Eds.), Reading acquisition (pp. 307–342). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Wong, M. (2015, May 29). Brain wave study shows how different teaching methods
affect reading development. Medical Xpress. Retrieved from medicalxpress.
com/news/2015-05-brain-methods-affect.html

Fry, E. B., Kress, E., & Fountoukidis, D. L. (1993). The new reading teacher’s book
of lists. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 12
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

and Sadlier ® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.
Wiley Blevins has taught elementary school in both
the United States and South America. A graduate of
Harvard Graduate School of Education, he has written
over 15 books for teachers (including Phonics from A
to Z, A Fresh Look at Phonics, Building Fluency, and
Teaching Nonfiction), authored elementary reading
programs, conducted research on topics ranging from
fluency to using decodable text, and regularly trains
teachers throughout the United States and Asia.

Wiley Blevins is the author of His current interests include using adaptive technology
Sadlier’s new From Phonics to and working with districts to correct instructional and
Reading for Grades K–3. material deficits. Wiley lives in New York City and also
writes children’s books.
This program is a comprehensive
foundational skills program that
incorporates Seven Key
Characteristics of Strong
Phonics Instruction.

Embedded professional
development along with a critical
review and repetition cycle make
early reading mastery possible
for every student.

Wiley Blevins
wbny@aol.com

Sadlier School Professional Development Series  |  Seven Key Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 13
 and Sadlier® are registered trademarks of William H. Sadlier, Inc. From Phonics to Reading™ is a trademark of William H. Sadlier, Inc. Copyright ©2019 by William H. Sadlier, Inc. All rights reserved.

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