Starters Blending Slides Phonics Power • Level 1
Lesson 1: Short A & I
Sound Starters:
Tap, Blend, Read!
Say each sound, touch each dot, and slide across to read the word!
1 Tap Sounds
→
2 Blend Together
→
3 Read the Word!
Vowel Power
Meet Today's Middle Sounds
Keep your mouth open wide!
Aa
/ă/ like Apple
Open your mouth wide like you are taking a bite!
🍎 "ah - ah - apple"
Ii
/ĭ/ like Itch
Pull your lips into a little grin and wiggle your nose!
🐜 "ih - ih - itch"
Every CVC word needs a vowel in the middle!
Model Routine
Tap and Blend: "c - a - t"
Shoulder • Elbow • Wrist
c
●
/k/
a
●
/ă/
t
●
/t/
Whole Word: cat 🐱
Say: /k/ ... /ă/ ... /t/ → CAT!
Short A Practice
Choral Blend Sprint
Tap on your arm together!
Word 1
jam
/j/ • /ă/ • /m/
Word 2
map
/m/ • /ă/ • /p/
Word 3
bat
/b/ • /ă/ • /t/
Listen closely: Did you hear the open mouth /ă/ in every word?
Short I Practice
Fast Sound Switch
Smile and itch /ĭ/!
Word 1
pig
/p/ • /ĭ/ • /g/
Word 2
zip
/z/ • /ĭ/ • /p/
Word 3
fin
/f/ • /ĭ/ • /n/
Challenge: Change p-i-g to b-i-g! What changed? The first sound!
Sound Tap Worksheet Lesson 1 CVC Sound Quest
Sound Tap & Spell
Name:
Date:
Say the picture name. Tap each sound dot. Write one letter per box!
🍎 /ă/ 🐜 /ĭ/
1 Tap, Spell & Write
Touch dots left to right
🐱
🐷
🎒
🤐
🎩
🐟
2 Vowel Detective: Circle the correct middle letter
🥫 can
c _ n
a i
📌 pin
p _ n
a i
🦇 bat
b _ t
a i
3 Read & Draw: Read each decodable phrase, then draw it!
a fat cat
a big pig
Blending Routines Teacher Guide Teacher Resource CVC Sound Quest • Lesson 1
Pacing: 30-40 Minutes
Short Vowel Starters: Blending Routines
Multisensory instructional protocol for continuous blending and phoneme-grapheme mapping with short /a/ and /i/.
Warm-Up (5 Mins)
Phonemic warm-up: oral segmenting with arm taps without printed letters.
Explicit Model (10 Mins)
Slides deck: Sound button touch, Elkonin box letter placement, continuous slide.
Guided & Work (15 Mins)
Sound Tap Worksheet completion, 1-on-1 articulation checks at table.
Multisensory Arm Tapping Protocol (Scripted)
Step 1
Extend Non-Dominant Arm: Hold out left arm straight. Touch left shoulder with right fingertips for phoneme 1, elbow crease for vowel 2, and wrist for phoneme 3.
Step 2
Say Pure Sounds (No Schwa): Clip stop sounds crisply. Say /k/ not /kuh/, /t/ not /tuh/. Keep vowel pure and unclipped.
Step 3
The Slide: Sweep right hand smoothly from shoulder to wrist in one continuous motion: "k-a-t... cat!"
Short /a/ Articulation Cue
Visual: "Apple Bite". Jaw drops two fingers wide, tongue sits flat behind lower front teeth. Vocal cords vibrate continuously.
Words: cat, map, jam, bat, bag, can, tag
Short /i/ Articulation Cue
Visual: "Gentle Grin / Itchy Nose". Corners of lips pull slightly back; jaw stays half-closed with tongue mid-high.
Words: pig, zip, fin, pin, sit, dig, rib
Targeted Interventions & Error Corrections
Student adds schwa: "/buh-ă-tuh/" Prompt: "Whisper the first sound so you don't add 'uh'. Say /b/, stretch the vowel /b-aaaaa-t/."
Student confuses /a/ and /i/ Hand under chin check: When saying /ă/, chin hits your hand. When saying /ĭ/, chin barely moves.
Segments correctly but guesses word Switch to continuous voicing: connect onset to rime without a breath gap (e.g., "caaa... cat").
Vowel Switch Slides Phonics Power • Level 2
Lesson 2: Short O, E, U
Middle Sound Mixers:
The Vowel Switcheroo!
When the middle vowel shifts, the whole word transforms! Listen closely to tell them apart.
1 Listen to Middle Sound
→
2 Swap the Vowel
→
3 Blend the New Word!
Sound Lab
Meet the Three Middle Sounds
Watch mouth cues carefully!
Oo
/ŏ/ Octopus
Lips make a tall open circle like an "O".
🐙 "ah-ah-octopus"
Ee
/ĕ/ Elephant
Smile slightly and push chin forward.
🐘 "eh-eh-edge"
Uu
/ŭ/ Umbrella
Mouth relaxed, sound comes from tummy.
☂️ "uh-uh-up"
Practice each mouth shape in order: /ŏ/ → /ĕ/ → /ŭ/
Vowel Substitution
Watch the Middle Sound Shift!
Beginning & ending sounds stay!
🔥
h o t
/h/ • /ŏ/ • /t/
🧢
h a t
/h/ • /ă/ • /t/
🛖
h u t
/h/ • /ŭ/ • /t/
One sound change = A whole brand new word!
Choral read: hot → hat → hut
Word Families
The -og vs. -ug Face-Off
Same rime, different vowel!
-og Family 🐶
d + og dog
l + og log
f + og fog
-ug Family 🐛
b + ug bug
r + ug rug
m + ug mug
Quick Challenge: What word rhymes with dog and starts with /j/? JOG!
Vowel Sort Activity Lesson 2 CVC Sound Quest
Middle Vowel Sorter
Name:
Date:
Word Bank: Read each word and sort into the correct vowel column below!
box bed cup red fox sun top pen bug hen
Short /ĕ/
Ee • Elephant 🐘
Short /ŏ/
Oo • Octopus 🐙
Short /ŭ/
Uu • Umbrella ☂️
2 Vowel Switcheroo: Change the middle vowel to build a new word!
🛏️
bed
Change /ĕ/ to /ă/:
☕
cup
Change /ŭ/ to /ă/:
Vowel Detective Exit Ticket Exit Ticket
Vowel Detective
Name:
Score: /5
Part 1: Circle the correct middle vowel sound
☀️
e o u
🦊
e o u
🖊️
e o u
Part 2: Write the missing vowel (e, o, or u)
🕸️
w b
🛁
t b
How did you feel about today's sounds?
😊 Easy! 🤔 Need Practice
Cut Here
Exit Ticket
Vowel Detective
Name:
Score: /5
Part 1: Circle the correct middle vowel sound
☀️
e o u
🦊
e o u
🖊️
e o u
Part 2: Write the missing vowel (e, o, or u)
🕸️
w b
🛁
t b
How did you feel about today's sounds?
😊 Easy! 🤔 Need Practice
Championship Reading Slides Phonics Power • Level 3
Lesson 3: All 5 Vowels Mastery
Word Champion
Showdown!
You know a, e, i, o, u! Now let's decode full sentences with speed, accuracy, and expression.
1 Speed Flash Drill
→
2 Sentence Reading
→
3 Riddle Master!
Speed Round
5-Vowel Rapid Flash
Spot the vowel, say the word!
/ă/
bag
🎒
/ĕ/
net
🕸️
/ĭ/
lip
👄
/ŏ/
mop
🧹
/ŭ/
sun
☀️
Whole Class Choral Read: bag • net • lip • mop • sun!
Sentence Reading
Sentence 1: Read Smoothly
Sight words + CVC words
The big dog sat on a rug.
🐶 🛋️
Comprehension Check: Where did the big dog sit? On a rug!
Read like a storyteller with a smooth, talking voice!
Sentence Reading
Sentence 2: Expression Challenge
Sight words + CVC words
A red fox hid in the mud!
🦊 🌾
Comprehension Check: What color was the fox and where did it hide?
Notice the exclamation mark! Read with surprise: "hid in the mud!"
Mystery Challenge
The Secret CVC Riddle
Use phoneme clues to solve!
Clue #1: My middle sound is /ŭ/ like umbrella.
Clue #2: My first sound is /s/ like sun.
Clue #3: I can go underwater in the ocean!
Answer:
s u b
🚤
You are now official CVC Word Champions! 🏆
Decodable Sentence Worksheet Lesson 3 CVC Sound Quest
Champion Decodable Reader
Name:
Date:
1
Story Time: Dan and His Pup
Read 3 Times:
⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Dan has a little pup. The pup is named Gus.
Dan and Gus ran in the mud. Oh no! Gus got wet and dirty.
Dan put Gus in a big tub. Now Gus is clean on the rug!
2
Sentence Builder: Unscramble the Words
Put the words in order to write a complete sentence on the line below.
in sat The pup the tub.
3
Read, Draw & Prove
Sentence:
"A red bug is on the warm rug."
Where is the red bug?
in the tub
on the rug
Draw a picture showing the sentence:
Mastery Check Assessment Guide Diagnostic Assessment CVC Sound Quest • Lesson 3
1-on-1 Administration (3-5 min)
CVC Mastery Check & Running Record
Student: Date:
Teacher Script: "I want you to read these words out loud. Take your time. If you get stuck, you can tap out the sounds or read smoothly." (Mark ✔ for correct, write phonemic substitution if incorrect, note self-corrections with SC).
1 Real Word Probe (All 5 Vowels)
Score: _____ / 15
Vowel Word 1 Word 2 Word 3 Notes & Errors Short /a/ cat [ ] jam [ ] map [ ] Short /e/ bed [ ] red [ ] net [ ] Short /i/ sit [ ] zip [ ] pin [ ] Short /o/ top [ ] fox [ ] log [ ] Short /u/ bug [ ] run [ ] cup [ ]
2 Nonsense Word Check (Tests Pure Phonic Decoding without Memory)
Score: _____ / 4
mip
/m/ /ĭ/ /p/ [ ]
vot
/v/ /ŏ/ /t/ [ ]
zud
/z/ /ŭ/ /d/ [ ]
teg
/t/ /ĕ/ /g/ [ ]
Error Pattern Analysis
Beginning Consonant Sound Errors:
Medial Vowel Confusion (/ĕ/ vs /ĭ/):
Medial Vowel Confusion (/ŏ/ vs /ŭ/):
Ending Sound Dropout / Distortion:
Mastery Benchmark & Placement
17-19 / 19 (Mastery): Ready for consonant blends (CCVC/CVCC).
13-16 / 19 (Developing): Target specific confused vowel pairs.
< 13 / 19 (Intervention): Re-teach with tactile Elkonin sound boxes.
