Reading Strategies Videos – Heather Wilms Reading Intervention Teacher

1. Additive Blending

Using this highly scaffolded blending strategy, Heather works with emergent readers to additive blend new words

2 Fluency Phrases

Using fluency phrase cards, Heather works with two early readers to increase their reading fluency. 

3. Blending Boards: The many jobs of “Y“

Heather uses a blending board to teach students the when “y” is a consonant it says /y/ as in yellow, but when it is the only vowel in a word or syllable, the “y” says /i/ and in “my”. 

4. Blending Boards

Blending boards are an excellent way for students to practise blending. The blending board shown has 3 letters but cards with diagraphs, vowel teams and blends can be added to the board to extend instruction beyond CVC words. Heather teaches the blending board concept to the group and then students work independently on their blending skills. 

5. Open and Closed Syllables

Blending boards are a great tool for teaching open and closed syllables. In this video students work with Heather to practice this new skill, but the next step would be having students practice independently (or with a partner) with their own blending boards. 

6. Phoneme Grapheme Spelling

Using a grid, students map and spell words by matching the correct letter/s to the sounds in words. When identifying each sound, Heather returns to the beginning of the word to provide embedded review of letters and sounds for students who do not have them solidly in place. You will notice that there is a flexed “u” in push, which students navigate with support from Heather. Flexed vowels have been discussed in this classroom over the previous months. After mapping the word, the two students at the end of the video write a short phrase with the target word. The students are engaged in the process of writing and essentially “run up to” the word before having the spell it correctly. This supports transfer to daily writing.

7. Building Words with Letter Tiles

Heather works with an emergent reader to build and manipulate words. This process allows the student to work on vowel confusions is a targeted way. You will notice that by the end of the video he is self-correcting after choosing incorrect tiles. 

Always have the correct tiles on the board when giving students new words!!!