• Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Paige Bessick - The Interactive Teacher

Ideas and resources to make learning interactive, engaging and fun.

  • Paige Bessick - The Interactive Teacher
  • Home
  • About
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • My Classroom
    • Newsletter
  • Blog
    • Featured
    • Read Alouds
    • Freebies
    • Seesaw Activities
  • Shop
    • Teachers Pay Teachers
      • Interactive Read Alouds
      • Phonics
      • Shared Reading
      • Bilingual
      • QR Codes
    • Amazon
  • Contact

Great Resources You Need to Teach Phonics in First Grade

Teaching phonics is the cornerstone of first grade literacy instruction. Students are already exposed to individual letters and their sounds in kindergarten. They may have even begun blending sounds together to read CVC words. But, first grade is the year when students will begin reading longer, more complex sentences and paragraphs. And this is all due to the phonics instruction that they receive! You will need quality phonics resources to make this easier to do.

phonics resources first grade title

When I am preparing to introduce a new phonics skill to my students, I have a series of steps I like to follow! I am sharing those steps with you today. Each of the materials referenced in this post can be found in my year-long phonics bundle. This bundle includes all of the patterns and sounds you will need to teach, at a great discount! 

Introduce the Letter, Sound, or Skill Explicitly

I like to present a poster with the new sound/pattern to my students at the beginning of a lesson. The poster has a picture of something that starts with that sound, as well as the letter that makes the sound. When I present the poster, we review the name of the letter, the sound it makes, and the picture that is shown. We also review posters from previous skills we have learned.

phonics posters
Short Vowels
phonics posters
Contractions
phonics posters
phonics posters

Complete Whole Group Sorts

After presenting the new skill to my students, we move into a whole group sort.

We sort cards into many categories:

  • Words that have the sound we are learning today
  • words that do not
  • each part of a contraction
  • matching word families
  • common endings
  • etc.

I like to work in some segmenting and blending practice here by having students tap out the sounds on their fingers that they hear in each word. Tapping out syllables, tapping out endings they hear. The possibilities are endless.

whole group phonics sort
Long Vowels
whole group phonics sort
whole group phonics sort
whole group phonics sort
Inflectional Endings

Practice in Small Groups with Phonics Resources

After introducing and practicing the skill in a whole group, I will work on that skill in small groups for a series of days. The number of days that I work on the new phonics skill with different students depends on how quickly they retain it. Some groups will need to explicitly practice the new skill in isolation for several days. Other groups can practice for one day, and then start doing activities that mix in previously learned skills.

Most of the time, my small group activities or centers revolve around more sorts. They are a great activity for students to work together on and have vital conversations about why and how they would sort.

center phonics sort
Bossy R
center phonics sort
center phonics sort
center phonics sort

Transition Students to Independent Practice

Eventually, students will be ready to work independently with the sounds we have learned. Again, this will happen for some students faster than others. Worksheets, poems, sorts, and word lists for building and writing are all great center activities. These can be placed around your room during your literacy block for students to gain repeated exposure to phonics skills.

Some independent activities that I love include picture sorts, word sorts, building words, worksheets, and searching for words (this is a favorite) that emphasize the new pattern or phonics skill. These will sometimes be printables for each student, activities in their phonics notebook, or activities I keep in envelopes that can be used again and again.

independent phonics activities
independent phonics activities
independent phonics activities
Magic e
independent phonics activities

Phonics Resources Bundle

All of the resources featured in this blog post are included in my year-long phonics bundle. Grabbing the bundle at the beginning of the school year and having all of the materials you need will save you time in planning your lessons this year. Additionally, having the materials at your fingertips for a variety of sounds makes it easy for you to differentiate your classwork this year based on your student needs.

Each of the sets in the bundle focuses on a different letter sound or pattern but includes the same materials so your students can expect to follow the same routines with each new sound. This makes it easy for you to transition students from one sound to the next in independent work. They will already know the directions for each activity.

You can grab the money-saving bundle here, and start growing your students as readers right off the bat this year!

Shop my Amazon store for phonics materials.

If you found this helpful, please pin it to keep and share with others.

phonics resources pin

Additional Phonics Resources

Check out these other blog posts to learn more about how I teach phonics in first grade.

  • How to Teach Phonics in the Primary Grades
  • Easy Word Work Activites for Any Phonics Skill
  • How to Fit It All In: A First Grade Schedule
how to teach phonics
easy word work activities
first grade schedule
  • 3 Great Ways to Practice Blending and Segmenting

    May

  • 5 Winter Read Alouds Your First Graders Will Love

    January

    First, I must say, that even though I live in Wisconsin, I am NOT a fan of winter. But, I have learned that there is not bad weather, just bad clothing. With that said, I’m here today to share with you my 5 favorite read alouds for winter. Since winter feels like 8 months long…

  • New Year’s Resolutions Read Aloud & Lesson Plans

    December

    It’s time for a New Year and 2022 can’t come soon enough. #amiright I am ready for a new year and I’m ready for my first few days after winter break with my first graders. This New Year’s resolutions read aloud lesson plans and activities has everything you need for an interactive, engaging, and fun…

  • More than 10 of the Best Thanksgiving & Fall Books

    November

    More than 10 of the best Thanksgiving and Fall books

  • Morning meeting resources you’ll want this year

    August

    Morning meetings are a time for all of your students to join together as a community to start the day. There are so many morning meeting resources, and the question is how do you dig through them and figure out which ones to use?

Interested in trying out some of the activities as you are teaching phonics?  Click >>HERE<< or on the image below to get a FREE sample.

make learning interactive, enganging, and fun!
  • Great Resources You Need to Teach Phonics in First Grade
    Pin141
    Share
    Tweet
    Email
    141 Shares
    «
    »

    Uncategorized 0

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Looking for Something?

    Get connected

    Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on all our latest product releases, sales, and some free goodies!

    Find it Fast

    first grade interactive read alouds morning meeting phonemic awareness phonics read alouds reading technology vocabulary word work

    Popular Posts

    • Compliment Circles: Creat...
    • The Best Behavior System...
    • How to Plan an Interactiv...
    • How To Print On Sticky No...
    • Creating a Bucket Filling...

    Latest on Instagram

    🌟Attention First Grade Teachers!🌟⁠ ⁠ ✨ 🌟Attention First Grade Teachers!🌟⁠
⁠
✨Calling all bucket fillers!✨ We've got a special treat just for you - a FREE craft to make your classroom the happiest place on Earth! 🍎📚🎉⁠
⁠
Say goodbye to empty buckets and hello to a world of kindness and positivity. 🌈💕 This freebie will help you cultivate a classroom culture that celebrates empathy, respect, and good vibes. 🙌✨⁠
⁠
Trust us, your students will be beaming with joy as they dive into this bucket-filling adventure. 🌟💖🐝 So get ready to spread smiles, sprinkle kindness, and watch your little ones blossom into compassionate superheroes. 🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️⁠
⁠
Click the link below to sign up for your FREE bucket filling craft today. This freebie will be sent to your inbox on Monday!⁠
⁠
➡️ http://bit.ly/ITNewsletterSignup ⬅️⁠
⁠
Tag your fellow first grade superheroes who are ready to take on the bucket filling challenge! Let's fill those buckets and rock this school year together! 📣👥💪⁠
⁠
#BucketFillersUnite #FirstGradeResources #KindnessMatters #ClassroomCulture #firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeclassroom #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
    📚 Embracing Our Names 🌼 “Chrysanthemum” 📚 Embracing Our Names 🌼

“Chrysanthemum” by Kevin Henkes is a delightful reminder to cherish our names and the uniqueness they bring. Let’s take pride in our names, no matter how different, and celebrate the stories they hold. 🌸💪🏼

We used Chrysanthemum as our anchor text for our week long unit on names during our morning meeting.
🌸 Read the book as an interactive read aloud
🌸 Talked about the importance of saying others names correctly and nicely correcting others when they say our name incorrectly
🌸 Taught our letter writing chart and using a capital to start our names
🌸 Added them to the sound wall
🌸 Practiced writing our names (with an editable resource from @theprimarypal)
🌸 And a painting activity to conclude our learning and create a piece of art for above our cubbies (resource from 

#NamesMatter #Chrysanthemum #ProudOfMyName
    🍎 First graders can be a handful, but we've got 🍎 First graders can be a handful, but we've got you covered! Check out our latest blog post for the best behavior system to keep your little ones engaged and on track.⁠
⁠
🌟 Let's make this school year a breeze! #FirstGradeBehavior #TeachingTips⁠
⁠
Use the 🔗@theinteractiveteacher to check out this blog post today. ⁠
⁠
https://paigebessick.com/the-best-behavior-system-your-students/⁠
⁠
#firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeclassroom #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
    THE BEST WAY to teach a routine or expectation in THE BEST WAY to teach a routine or expectation in your classroom is with interactive modeling from @responsiveclass.⁠
⁠
We are knee-deep in this 7-step process and using it repeatedly as we go over all of our routines for the year. ⁠
⁠
"Go slow to go fast." That's their mantra to start the year.⁠
⁠
Are you familiar with this? Do you use it or have you used it? Let me know in the comments.⁠
⁠
#firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeclassroom #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
    How I organize my phonics boxes for phonemic aware How I organize my phonics boxes for phonemic awareness. ⁠
 I love these trays and I can switch out the boxes as our needs change.⁠
⁠
How do you organize your phonics materials? Let me know in the comments. ⁠
⁠
#firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeclassroom #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
    And most importantly… Mentally preparing myself And most importantly…
Mentally preparing myself for that 2-ply toilet paper. 🧻🤣

But seriously, never have I ever slept well the night before school starts. I’ve got everything on my mind and no place for sleep.

-crying kids
-daycare drop off
-what to wear
-forgotten passwords
-recess issues
-dismissal nightmares (all the time!)

Whether it’s your first day, or 4th week tomorrow, you know we never get good sleep on the first day.

My tips:
-sleepy time tea
-Arbonne calm
-melatonin before bed
-read to relax
-lower your expectations of a good nights sleep

Thanks to my squad for sharing some things on their minds tonight.

What else am I missing? Let me know your sleep tips too!

#Firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeclassroom #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
    Who else has had the August Blues?💙⁠ ⁠ Augu Who else has had the August Blues?💙⁠
⁠
August: the Sunday of summer.🌴 ⁠
⁠
Just like a typical Sunday prepares us for the week ahead, August gently(or relentlessly) nudges us toward the upcoming school year. 📆🍎 Maybe today you feel like you didn't savor the moments enough, maybe you never got to read that book you planned to, maybe a project went unfinished, or maybe you just feel overwhelmed going back to school. ⁠
⁠
🎒✨ Take a deep breath, enjoy the sunset, and let the anticipation build for the adventures that await. You do not have to go through this year alone, and together I believe we have an amazing school year ahead! 📚🍏☀️📚🌈⁠
⁠
⁠
How are you feeling going into September? Lmk in the comments!💟⁠
⁠
#augustblues #sundayofsummer #endofsummer #augustvibes #summervibes #iteach #iteachtoo #iteachfirst #iteachfirstgrade #firstgradeclassroom #firstgradeclass #firstgradeteacher
    LAST CHANCE FOR THE BTS BONUS SALE!⁠ ⁠ Use cod LAST CHANCE FOR THE BTS BONUS SALE!⁠
⁠
Use code: BTSBONUS23 and grab everything in my store for 25% off.⁠
⁠
⭐ Read Aloud Lesson Plans⁠
⭐ Interactive Phonics Resources⁠
⭐ Bucket Filler Activities⁠
⭐ Shared Reading Lesson Plans⁠
⭐ Holiday Phonemic Awareness Lesson Plans⁠
⁠
Use the 🔗@theinteractiveteacher and shop now!⁠
⁠
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Paige-Bessick-The-Interactive-Teacher?utm_source=IG&utm_campaign=23⁠
⁠
#firstgrade #firstgradeteacher #firstgradeclassroom #iteachfirst #iteachtoo
    When you're teaching phonemic awareness; make it s When you're teaching phonemic awareness; make it simple, make it memorable, make it FUN ✨ ⁠
⁠
If your phonemic awareness lesson plans are getting a bit mundane, don't hesitate to change it up! I promise you, it'll make ALL the difference. ⁠
⁠
These explicit and systematic phonological and phonemic awareness lesson plans are what I have been using for my August, September, and Back-to-School time! These fun and engaging activities have helped me support my young learners with their pre-reading skills. ⁠
⁠
Make phonemic awareness fun again, and shop the 🔗@theinteractiveteacher to get a head start!⁠
⁠
What steps are you taking to keep phonemic awareness fun and engaging for your students? LMK in the comments!💬⁠
⁠
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Phonological-Phonemic-Awareness-Activities-Lessons-Heggerty-8259589?utm_source=IG&utm_campaign=23⁠
⁠
#phonemicawareness #lessonplans #explicitandsystematic #phonologicalawareness #phonolocialandphonemic #backtoschool #prereadingskills #funandengaging #iteach #iteachtoo #iteachfirst #iteachfirstgrade #firstgrade #firstgradeclassroom #firstgradeteacher
    Follow on Instagram

    Latest on TPT

    Latest on Pinterest

    Copyright © 2023 · WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN

    Copyright © 2023 · Darling Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok