I learned to teach reading through the science of reading, so that’s always been the foundation of my instruction. Of course, like most teachers, I’ve had district mandates and programs along the way, but the science of reading has always guided what we do in our classroom. It’s also the foundation of our vowel lessons in kindergarten with cvce words——because we know that explicit instruction, decoding, and repeated practice are what truly help kids become confident readers.
So, what’s Vowel Bootcamp all about? It’s all about simple, effective 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 and whole group (guided practice, repeated practice)
- Friday-read/match independent assessment activity using the included activity/games
We’re also using our decodable texts in small groups daily.
Vowel Lessons In Kindergarten: CVCE Words
We start with explicit instruction in whole group with circle charts. Students come up with the words and I draw the picture. Students segment the sounds and spell the sounds. As they spell, I write the sounds. Then we decode the word numerous times (research says we need 60-80 decoding opportunities per lesson). When we’re finished with the circle chart, we go back and decode all of the words.
CVCE Words: Decoding
Tuesday is focused on decoding words. We use word cards and letter cards to blend and decode words. I model the decoding and then give students repeated practice.
Wednesday is focused on writing words using the CVC_E pattern. We work on segmenting the sounds and writing the sounds we hear. This is a great opportunity 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 more decoding and writing, plus 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 independent practice and assessment day. We use ESGI to assess students’ decoding and automaticity. We also use our word reading activity 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.
Vowel Lessons In Kindergarten CVCE Words: Vowel Bootcamp In Action
Another fun activity for decoding that we do is these themed activities with sticky notes and a posterboard! This is for o_e words as in ROSE words!
So how effective is Vowel Bootcamp? Prior to starting Vowel Bootcamp, I use 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!)
To practice reading CVC and CVC-e words, we use these simple PowerPoints too! Click the image to get your free PowerPoint file!
For more CVC-E resources, check out these resources:
