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Phonics and decoding

Decoding goals work best when they name the pattern. "Will improve decoding" cannot be measured; "will read CVCe words in a list of 20 with 90% accuracy" can, and it tells the next teacher exactly where the student is in the sequence.

These guides move through the phonics sequence: short vowel words, blends and digraphs, silent e, vowel teams, r-controlled vowels and multisyllabic words. Each covers how to test the pattern with real and nonsense words, how to teach it in a short lesson, and how high frequency words fit alongside.

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How-to guides

  • Consonant blend activities

    Consonant blend activities for intervention: word lists by blend type, add-a-sound building, tapping routines, fixes for dropped sounds and a worked example.

  • Digraph activities and IEP goals

    Digraph activities for sh, ch, th, wh and ck: word lists, sound-box spelling, error fixes, digraph IEP goal examples and a worked example with a goal line.

  • Encoding and decoding together

    Encoding and decoding activities that pair spelling with reading for each phonics pattern: five-step dictation routine, paired activities and a worked example.

  • Letter-sound correspondence activities

    Letter-sound activities for intervention: teaching order, keyword routines, sound-to-letter practice, error correction and a letter sound fluency baseline.

  • Multisyllabic word strategies and IEP goals

    Teach a five-step strategy for reading multisyllabic words: peel affixes, find vowels, split, read, flex. Includes word lists, IEP goals and a worked example.

  • Phonics for English learners

    Teach phonics to English learners: plan for sounds that differ from the home language, score accent fairly, teach meaning with decoding, with an example.

  • Phonics games for small groups

    Phonics games for small groups that keep every student reading: six games with rules and word lists, how to take data on a group sheet, and a worked example.

  • Phonics intervention activities for 2nd and 3rd grade

    Phonics intervention activities for 2nd and 3rd graders: placement, six routines with word lists, error correction and a worked example with weekly probes.

  • Phonics intervention for middle school

    Run phonics intervention in middle school: find the decoding gap, teach syllables and word parts with age-respectful lists, and track transfer to class texts.

  • R-controlled and variant vowel activities

    Activities for r-controlled vowels (ar, or, er, ir, ur) and variant vowels (oo, au, aw, oi, ou): word lists, spelling choice, error fixes and a worked example.

  • Silent e (CVCe) activities and IEP goals

    Silent e activities for intervention: CVC to CVCe pairs, a scan-to-the-end routine, word lists by vowel, silent e IEP goal examples and a worked example.

  • Teaching CVC words: activities and IEP goals

    Teach CVC words step by step: continuous blending, word lists by vowel, error correction, three CVC IEP goal examples and a worked example with weekly probes.

  • Teaching irregular high-frequency words

    How to teach sight words by mapping sounds to letters: a heart word routine, a teaching order, next-day checks, error correction and a worked example.

  • Teaching prefixes and suffixes

    Teach prefixes and suffixes for reading, spelling and meaning: a teaching order, the three suffix spelling rules, word-building activities and a worked example.

  • Using decodable texts in intervention

    How to use decodable texts in phonics intervention: check a text against taught patterns, run a first read and reread routine, and know when to move on.

  • Vowel team activities and IEP goals

    Vowel team activities for ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow and more: position rules, spelling choice, flexing ea and ow, vowel team IEP goals and a worked example.

  • Word chains for decoding practice

    Word chains for phonics practice: how to write a chain, ready-made chains for each stage from CVC to vowel teams, build and read routines, and a worked example.

Examples

  • IEP goals for Dolch and Fry sight words

    20 sight word IEP goals using Dolch and Fry lists: automatic reading, heart words mapped by sound, words in text, spelling and functional words, with probes.

  • Multisensory reading programs compared

    Multisensory reading programs compared by type, with 24 annotated multisensory techniques, weak and strong uses side by side, and what the evidence supports.

  • Phonics and decoding IEP goal examples

    20 phonics and decoding IEP goals from letter sounds to multisyllabic words, each with a baseline, criterion, the probe that measures it and a linked template.

Comparisons

  • High-frequency words vs sight words

    High-frequency words are the words that appear most often in print; sight words are any words a reader knows instantly. A table, scenarios and a deciding test.

Checklists

  • Phonics skills checklist

    A printable phonics skills checklist from letter sounds to multisyllabic words, grouped before, during and after instruction, with a reason for each item.

Templates

  • Explicit phonics lesson plan template

    A fill-in explicit phonics lesson plan template with eight timed parts, a completed example for a vowel team lesson and notes on what reviewers look for.

  • K-3 phonics scope and sequence

    A fill-in K-3 phonics scope and sequence with weeks, patterns, irregular words and mastery checks, a completed example by grade, and notes for reviewers.

  • Phonics inventory template

    A fill-in phonics inventory with real and nonsense words for 12 skills, scoring rules, a completed fictional example and notes on how reviewers read results.

Explainers

  • Syllable division rules

    The syllable division rules explained: VC/CV, V/CV, VC/V, consonant-le, VV and three-consonant patterns, with a rules table and a fictional student example.

  • The Orton-Gillingham approach explained

    What the Orton-Gillingham approach is, how a lesson runs, what the evidence does and does not show, and how it fits in an IEP, with a student scenario.

IEP Atlas Pro

Turn your goals into progress reports

Pro tracks every goal on your caseload and drafts the report for you. Free for 14 days.

Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.