I learned to teach reading using the science of reading so that’s what I’ve always known and used. Of course, we’ve had district mandates that we’ve had to use as well, but SOR has always been the foundation to our reading instruction and it has been the foundation of our TKS BOOTCAMP, including Vowel Bootcamp.
So, what’s Vowel Bootcamp all about? It’s all about FUN and engaging learning! It’s explicit and systematic phonics instruction focused on: decoding words, reading words with automaticity, reading decodable texts, writing words and writing about decodable texts, and focusing on CVC-E words.
Vowel Bootcamp focuses on 1 vowel a week and we follow this pacing:
- Monday-circle chart (phoneme segmentation, encoding/writing, spelling, decoding, guided practice, repeated practice)
- Tuesday-decoding words, reading words (guided practice, repeated practice)
- Wednesday-word writing (phoneme segmentation, encoding, decoding, guided practice, repeated practice)
- Thursday-decoding and encoding in small groups (guided practice, repeated practice)
- Friday-read/match independent assessment activity using the included activity
We’re also using our decodable texts in small groups daily.
It starts with the famous circle charts!
Students generate words for the CVC-E pattern. We segment the sounds and identify the vowel sound. I draw the picture (or lamely attempt to….at least the kids think I’m an awesome artist!). We use our sounds to spell the word. Then we read each word again. The circle charts allow us to segment and decode the words as well as write the words and helps us build fluency with the CVC-E pattern.
Tuesday is focused on decoding words. We use word cards to blend and decode words. I model the decoding and then give students repeated practice. I am observing the students and making notes of who needs additional support so I can pull them into a small group.
Wednesday is focused on writing words using the CVC_E pattern. We work on segmenting the sounds and writing the sound we hear. This is a great oppotunity to teach the explicit connection between sounds and sound spelling. We also decode the words after writing them. We do whole group and then I pull students into small groups to give them additional support and practice.
Thursday is small group work with decoding and writing words and using our decodable texts. These groups are based on my observations during whole group lessons and are targeted to support each student.
Friday is assessment day. We use ESGI to assess students decoding and automaticity. We also use our word reading assessment from Vowel Bootcamp to assess decoding. I review these and pull students to my table and give them support and practice with the words they missed.
So how effective is Vowel Bootcamp? Prior to starting Vowel Bootcamp, I used ESGI to assess my students on hearing short and long vowel sounds and reading CVC-e words. The pre-assessment showed 40% of my students could hear the vowel sounds and read the words. Following Vowel Bootcamp, our mastery went up to 79%! (All of my Vowel Bootcamp assessments are on ESGI! Use the code SMORGIE to get your 60-day free trial and save $40 on your subscription!)
To practice reading CVC and CVC-e words, we use these simple PowerPoints too! Click the image to get your free PowerPoint file!
You can see Vowel Bootcamp in all five themes (army, monster, safari, superhero, and no theme) in our TKS store! Vowel Bootcamp also contains digital activities for Google and SeeSaw!
For more CVC-E resources, check out these creations!
For more information, check out these posts:
