Decodables from Deb

Castle Escape Room Game is played as students imagine they have been chosen to solve puzzles that will lead to a medieval treasure. Use it as a whole class activity where students solve puzzles individually or create teams that compete against each other. Either way, it is sure to engage everyone as they use the printable manipulatives to work the problems out. Some hints are provided, if necessary, to help lead students to solutions. The amount of game time can be limited or open-ended. An awar

Use this activity to support phonological awareness with your early readers. Sing the classic song "This Old Man" with students as they clap along to the steady beat, asking them to identify the rhyming words as you move up to ten. Follow up with this cut & paste activity that challenges them to match the words one, two, three, and four with alternative rhyming words for the song. Spelling the words on the lines is a great way to become aware of different spelling patterns that result in the s

Merge music and literacy with this mini book that tells the classic lost meatball story. Introduce the song with your students, and then have them sing along. (I enjoy singing with my ukulele but there are plenty of videos online.) Afterwards, give each student their own mini book to color and write in the missing initial letters of the key words on each page. You can give each student something to represent the meatball, (playdough, brown paper circle, brown pompom, etc.) and have them move it

This fun sequencing activity should be paired with singing the folk song "The Green Grass Grew All Around". Younger students will love echoing the catchy verses as they track the simple, visual story the song tells. This version (lyrics included) simplifies the song by leaving out a few verses, making it more concise and focused on the pretty bird in the egg. Cut out the pictures and post them, one at a time, for the class as you sing the song together. Then students can independently practice f

The Piggy Bank Mystery for Detectives is versatile! Use it as a whole class or small group activity. Each detective receives a clue after completing a puzzle sheet for a total of 4 clues. (An adult should provide assistance.) Solutions are recorded and suspects eliminated on the "notes" sheets. Supports STEM curriculum: students learn 3 types of "detective codes" and grow their inference and deduction skills. Puzzle sheets are designed for student engagement and success.

This activity sheet can be used with early readers/musicians to support phonological awareness - an important early reading skill. After singing a few rounds of this popular rhyming song, follow up with this hands-on activity that gives them practice matching pairs of rhyming words as well as with cutting and gluing. Spell each word with them on the lines so they can see how words that rhyme generally have the same letters. Finally, sing a few more rounds of the song with the rhyming words from

This activity will engage your young musicians as they learn about how to keep a steady beat with body percussion - stomps, claps, snaps, and taps. After students have learned about steady beat and practiced with clapping, they can be creative and compose their own combination of body percussion rhythms within the common 4/4 time signature. Cutting the icons out allows them to plan their rhythm before gluing them down on the second sheet of blank squares. When the class is done, choose one compo

This short passage includes many CVC words to help with short a/e discrimination and practice. Students receive reinforcement with these sounds through repeated reading and writing of the words as well as review of some early sight words. The bigger box is used for students to show their comprehension of the story.

Use this engaging story & worksheet to reinforce the 'silent e' rule through decoding, encoding, and comprehension. First, have students underline or highlight all VCe words and read them. Next, they should read the story at least twice to build fluency (decoding). Students then choose words from the story to complete the table (encoding). Finally, have them draw part of the story in the box and write a sentence about their drawing (writing and comprehension). As an extension, ask "Can you think

With over 20 occurrences, students will get lots of practice decoding the ow/ou vowel teams with this short, silly passage about a cow that goes missing. First, students should highlight or underline all the key words and read them one at a time. Then have students read the passage 2-3 times (silently to self, altogether in a small group, with a partner). Then have them draw an illustration to go with the story. Finally, have them write a sentence describing their picture that goes along with th

The PowerPoint can be used to guide students in drawing their own 3D cake in the style of Wayne Thiebaud. This project is low effort with big results. The PowerPoint gives students step-by-step directions and visuals, so you can monitor their progress as you click through each slide. (Download preview to see a sample slide.) Students are reinforced with vocabulary words such as oval, vertical lines, and parallel lines. Once they have their cake drawn, any media can be used to add color - pas

Early reader must have! This bundle of 4 fluency passages gives students practice decoding with all of the short vowels. The focus is on two short vowel sounds at a time. Each sheet reinforces the sounds by including writing/spelling, reading, and re-reading practice. Students show their comprehension with drawings of each story. The final passage combines all 5 short vowels for cumulative practice. Great as a remedial or intervention tool.

Students receive decoding, encoding and comprehension practice with this fun passage! Early readers will begin to master r-blend words by targeting gr-, cr-, and fr- words. Common sight words are reinforced as well as a variety of short vowel sounds. Have students circle or highlight words with the target sounds and read them first. Then have them read the passage out loud at least twice. Finally, have students write the words with the target sounds in appropriate columns before drawing a pic

Early readers get practice reading and spelling words with the vowel teams au/aw while reinforcing common sight words, too. Reading for meaning is stressed through use of the simple story elements chart and the illustration box (if time allows). I have my Intervention students highlight and read the words with the targeted patterns first. Then they read the passage two times - whole group or with a partner. It strengthens fluency and works great during intervention time/small group, as a partner

Early reader must have! With this passage, students get practice decoding all 5 short vowels sounds with fluency. Short vowel sounds are reinforced as students write words in the correct columns and as they read and reread the passage. Students work on comprehension by including a simple drawing of what happens in the story and talking about it. Great as a remedial or intervention tool.

Early readers get practice reading and spelling words with dipthongs oy/oi while reinforcing common sight words, too. Reading for meaning is stressed through use of the simple story elements chart and the illustration box (if time allows). I have my Intervention students highlight and read the words with the targeted patterns first. Then they read the passage two times - whole group or with a partner. It strengthens fluency and works great during intervention time/small group, as a partner readi

Early readers get practice reading and spelling words with the vowel teams ee/ea while reinforcing common sight words, too. Reading for meaning is stressed through use of the simple story elements chart and the illustration box (if time allows). I have my Intervention students highlight and read the words with the targeted patterns first. Then they read the passage two times - whole group or with a partner. It strengthens fluency and works great during intervention time/small group, as a partner

Early reader must have! Students get practice decoding short o and short i words. These sounds are reinforced through writing/spelling, reading, and re-reading the passage. Students can highlight and read targeted words before reading the passage. Fluency is built as the passage is read two more times. Comprehension is shown through a simple drawing of the story. Great as a remedial or intervention tool.

Early readers get practice reading and spelling words with er/ir/ur while reinforcing common sight words, too. Reading for meaning is stressed through use of the simple story elements chart and the illustration box (if time allows). I have my Intervention students highlight and read the words with the targeted patterns first. Then they read the passage two times - whole group or with a partner. It strengthens fluency and works great during intervention time/small group, as a partner reading assi

Students will enjoy this hands on activity that allows them to compose their own simple rhythms using quarter notes & rests, barred eighth & sixteenth notes, and half notes. Students can cut symbols out & plan/test their rhythm creations before gluing them down. These sheets can be used with partners, as a music station, or you can choose individual creations to clap out as a whole group.