Gymnastics Glow Slides Vaulting Victory
Phonics in Motion: Short Vowels, CVCe, R-Controlled, and Contractions
Short Vowel Sprint
mat
Short a
Hit the mat!
set
Short e
Get set!
big
Short i
Big jump!
hop
Short o
One-foot hop!
run
Short u
Run and jump!
Short vowels make quick sounds for quick moves!
The Magic 'e' Stretch
When Magic e lands at the end, the first vowel says its NAME!
cap
cape
hop
hope
"I stay quiet while the first vowel stretches out long!"
R-Controlled Rhythm
ar
"star"
The gymnast is a star on the bar.
or
"sport"
Gymnastics is a hard sport.
er / ir / ur
"twirl"
Watch her turn and twirl!
Contraction Connection
When two words crash together, the apostrophe (') jumps in to take the place of missing letters!
do + not
don't
she + is
she's
I + am
I'm
can + not
can't
Balance Beam Tale Passage The Big Meet
Reading Passage & Comprehension
NAME:
DATE:
Phonics Spotter Key:
Short Vowels
Magic-e (CVCe)
R-Controlled
Contractions
Kate the Star
Kate stood by the mat. She felt big nerves in her chest. It was time for the gymnastics sport. She's been training for weeks. Kate wants to be a star.
"I can't take my place yet," she said. Kate didn't make a mistake. I'm ready to spin and glide. Kate must hop on the set of mats. She made a turn. Her girl friends cheered.
"Don't run too fast," the coach said. Kate took a long rest. She held a blue rope in her hand. She started to twirl. It was a fine game. She didn't trip.
At the end, Kate smiled. She did not get a red face. She was happy! It's a great day at the gym.
Check Your Skills
1. How did Kate feel at the start of the meet?
She felt sleepy and bored.
She felt big nerves in her chest.
She felt mad at her coach.
2. What did the coach tell Kate about running?
3. Find one contraction in the story and break it apart.
Contraction
=
First Word
Second Word
Skill Search Worksheet Skill Search
Phonics Detective Challenge
NAME:
DATE:
Your Mission:
Look back at the story "Kate the Star." Hunt for words that match each category. Write 3 different words in each box!
Short Vowels
CVC Style (mat, big)
Magic-e Words
CVCe (rope, time)
R-Controlled
ar, or, er, ir, ur
Contractions
she's, don't, I'm
Gold Medal Writing!
Show what you know about phonics and gymnastics.
1 The Sentence Sprint
Write one original sentence about gymnastics. Use at least two words from page 1.
2 Bonus Challenge: Draw It!
Draw a gymnast doing the action from your sentence. Label one object using a Magic-e word.
Coach Playbook Teacher Guide Coach Playbook
Teacher Guide & Answer Key
Vaulting Victory | 2nd Grade
Lesson Objective
Students will practice decoding and identifying four key phonics patterns (short vowels, CVCe, r-controlled, and contractions) within a themed reading passage. They will demonstrate comprehension and application by categorizing words and answering text-based questions.
Target Skills
Short Vowels (mat, big)
Magic-e (Kate, time)
R-Controlled (star, sport)
Contractions (can't, didn't)
Instructional Pacing
Phase Activity Time Introduction Use Gymnastics Glow Slides to introduce the phonics patterns. Conduct a quick oral drill with the vowel cards. 10 min Guided Reading Read Balance Beam Tale . Use the color key to help students spot target words together. 15 min Skill Hunt Students complete the Skill Search Worksheet . Review categorizations as a large group. 15 min
Master Answer Key
1. Passage Comprehension
Question 1 (Feeling):
"She felt big nerves in her chest."
Question 2 (Coach's words):
"Don't run too fast."
Question 3 (Contraction Split):
Example: She's = She + Is | didn't = did + not | it's = it + is
2. Skill Search Hunt Answers
Short Vowels:
mat, big, set, hop, did, gym, get, red, rest, long
Magic-e (CVCe):
Kate, time, skate, made, rope, fine, smile, place, slide
R-Controlled:
her, star, sport, turn, girl, twirl
Contractions:
She's, can't, didn't, I'm, it's
Vaulting Victory Lesson Materials
© 2026 Educational Design Specialists
Team Score Worksheet Team Score Tracker
Two-Digit Addition (No Regrouping)
Gymnast:
Meet Date:
Coach's Challenge
Add the vault scores below. Use the Workspace if you need to show your work!
24 + 13 =
Workspace
35 + 21 =
Workspace
52 + 16 =
Workspace
41 + 27 =
Workspace
18 + 61 =
Workspace
73 + 25 =
Workspace
Championship Vault
The blue team scored 53 points on their first vault and 42 points on their second vault. What is their total score?
Total Points!
Score high and reach for the stars! 🌟
Team Score Answer Key Score Tracker Key
Teacher Reference: Addition without Regrouping
Answer Key
1 24 + 13 = 37
2 35 + 21 = 56
3 52 + 16 = 68
4 41 + 27 = 68
5 18 + 61 = 79
6 73 + 25 = 98
7 44 + 55 = 99
8 20 + 39 = 59
9 62 + 14 = 76
10 31 + 48 = 79
Championship Vault Solution
Equation:
53 + 42 = 95
Final Score:
95 Points
Instructional Tip:
Encourage students to add the ones first (e.g., 4 + 3 = 7) and then the tens (e.g., 20 + 10 = 30) to reinforce place value concepts even when regrouping isn't required.