Literacy Resources used in the Activity-a-Day Calendars

Wondering what resources we are using in our Activity-A-Day “Learn to Read” Calendars?   Here are a bunch of our favorite resources that we use each month! .

Homemade Learn-to-Read resources:

Phonics Flip Chart – Make this nifty tool to help your kids learn the way that letters sound together.   We have several.   Once for three letter words and another for blending consonants. Letter Wheel – These are a great way to practice a specific family of words or word sounds.   We have a few of these one for each of the vowels to practice short vowel words and another for words that begin with typical blends like: “th-” or “sh-“.   We find them useful. Story Cubes – We created a set of blocks with different words written on each face of the block.   Each time you roll a block you change a part of the sentence.     This is a great activity to use to practice and reinforce words your child already knows. Word Card Game Ideas – Every other week we make a set of word cards.   This is a link to a bunch of the games and activities we do with that weeks collection of words. Word Slides – This is a tool we created to help create new words, especially blending consonants together to form new words. Short Vowel Hand Game – This is a spin-off of the cootie catchers from my JR high days, only this one teaches my daughter short A sounds.   We also made one to work on Short O and hope to make one for U later this month.   My kids love hands-on manipulatives. .

Online and Free Additional Resources:

Starfall – Great online and free learning program.   All of my kids have learned their alphabet, sounds even a number of sight words with this terrific website. Progressive Phonics – These are like Bob Books, only they are online and free.   You have to print them up yourself.   They are great to reinforce the learning your kiddo is getting with the Bob Books program Hubbard’s Cupboard – Does your child need extra help with a particular family of sounds/letters?   These books are also free and online.   You can print them up for more reinforcement! .

Resources we have paid for and love:

Bob Books – The best books for an emergent reader that I have ever found!   These are a collection of books.   The beginning series start with three letter words with a different short vowel sound emphasized in each book.   More advanced books include blending consonants, long vowels, sight words and much, much more! Victory Drill – Once your child has learned how to sound out the letters and make words, this system helps our kids learn to feel more comfortable reading and to learn to glance at a word and recognize it.   Basically, these books are filled with lists of words that our kids try to read as fast as they can.   It sounds like a huge nonsensical tongue twister!   I used these when I was a kids to help me learn to read quickly (i.e. speed) and was amazed to find out they are still out there!   You can make your own Victory Drill mini-books using the word sheets that we provide each month with the Activity-A-Day Calendars. .

Another Resource we have used and love but is not “in” the Learning Activity Calendar:

Headsprout – It is pricey, but worth every penny.   If we are having a “mommy is sick day” or when life is just too busy for me to have the kids school time, we play this online curriculum.   This reading program is set up with tons of games.   My kids are glued to the computer during the games and I love that this “babysitter” teaches them! . Thanks to Kenny for the image.