Explicitly Connecting Phonics with Writing Using Headbands Game


Subject / Grade Level: Literacy / Kindergarten
Materials:

  • Headbands with clothespins

  • Sentence strips with decodable cvc words and snap word sentences

  • Dry erase boards and markers

Standards Addressed:

  • L.RF.K.2.E: Isolate and pronounce the initial, final, and medial sounds (phonemes) in spoken, single-syllable words

  • L.RF.K.3.D: Read high-frequency words and grade level irregular words with automaticity

  • L.WF.K.2.C/D: Spell VC and CVC words with short vowel sounds; write frequently used words accurately

  • L.WF.K.3.B: Write simple sentences

Central Focus:

Practicing reading and writing CVC words with digraphs

Enduring Understanding / Essential Question (EU/EQ):

We use our phonics skills, like chopping out, to help us read and write. Snap words help us read and write.

Learning Objectives:

  1. SWBAT recognize and verbalize medial sounds in CVC words as demonstrated by participating in a phonics warm-up

  2. SWBAT decode and read CVC words with digraphs th and sh as demonstrated by dictating a sentence to their partner

  3. SWBAT encode and spell CVC words with digraphs th and sh as demonstrated by writing a sentence dictated by their partner

Assessment Strategy:

  • Pre-assessment (Objective 1): Students identify the medial sound in a CVC word during a whole-class phonics warm-up

  • Objective 2: Student decodes and reads the mystery sentence clipped to their partner’s headband

  • Objective 3: Student encodes and writes the dictated sentence on a whiteboard to match what’s on the sentence strip

ENGAGEMENT

  • Teacher leads a phonics warm-up on the rug using CVC words with digraphs (rash, bath, rush, etc.)

  • Students listen and respond with the medial sound they hear in each word

EXPLORATION

  • Teacher models how to play the headband game by placing a sentence strip on her own headband

  • Teacher demonstrates how to ask partners questions to identify words in the sentence

  • Students identify whether a word is a snap word or decodable, and how to chop out phonetic words

  • Students are partnered and take turns reading and writing sentences during the game

EXPLANATION

  • Students explain their reasoning while decoding the sentence on their partner’s headband

  • Teacher emphasizes distinguishing snap words from phonetic words and models strategies for both

  • Teacher prompts students with guiding questions as they decode/write each sentence

ELABORATION

  • Students repeat the activity with additional sentences to reinforce decoding and encoding skills

  • Emphasis on reapplying phonics strategies to new sentences independently

EVALUATION

  • Teacher observes whether students correctly identify and verbalize medial sounds

  • Students must decode full sentences with accuracy using both snap word recognition and phonics strategies

  • Students write complete sentences that match the hidden ones, demonstrating spelling and sentence structure