Earlier Posts To This Site - What I've Uploaded Previously

March 11, 2016 - Videos - I have done a test video for the a_e/safe pattern in which I record lessons from Phonetic Words And Stories, Book 2.  The lesson has ten words on the right page and ten pictures on the left page.  I'm using screen capture so that the student sees the pages in the book on the computer screen.  I'm able to record my voice and move the mouse to point out different parts of the page as the lesson proceeds.  I go through the lesson sequence as follows.

1. I do a phonemic awareness exercise in which I say the sounds in the words in the first column so that students can find the related pictures. Ideally students will watch and say the sounds with me.  
2. I point to each picture, name it, and ask students to find and read the related word in column one.
3. I read the words in the second column going down and back up the column.  Ideally students will read the words with me.

I've already gotten positive feedback from teachers who like the video.  It is my goal to create videos for every lesson in the Phonetic Words And Stories books.  The videos could possibly serve three purposes.  First, teachers could preview how to teach the lessons for themselves.  Second, individual students could listen to each lesson to introduce or review the material on each page.  Third, teachers could display the video on a large screen using a projector to teach the lesson to a whole class.  I'm not sure how well these three ideas will work, but I'm hoping the videos will be useful to teachers and students.  

So far I haven't found time to record more videos, but I'm hoping to do so within the next few months.

March 11, 2016 -  Reading Levels - I received a question about reading levels for the stories on this web site, and have posted my answer here for others who may have the same question.  The question is "Are the pdf stories leveled?"  

I don't know the reading levels for the PDF stories in the Reading Street section. They are all from the first grade basal reading program, but in my opinion some of the stories that are introduced near the end of the school year seem more advanced and I suspect they are at a second grade level. I haven't used a formula to calculate this. 
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Apart from the Reading Street section, all of the other materials on the website follow a specific phonetic sequence. The sentences and stories that I wrote to fit into this sequence have not been officially evaluated for readability level. However most of the words should be readable because the stories only use words with the phonetic patterns that have been taught up to that point. The stories also include a few sight words that have already been taught before students see the story. I would guess that in general they are all at a first grade level, from early first grade for the first stories and late first grade for the last stories. I used them in my first grade classroom before I retired. I have used the program and stories with good results with second and third grade students who needed a phonetic program to help them with word recognition and comprehension skills. If you want to try to level any of the stories, I found a web site at www.readabilityformulas.com that explains how to do it. I also saw on another web site that there's a way to use Microsoft Word to check readability levels for the text in a Word file.

I HAVE looked up the reading level for the trade books used with Advanced Phonics Patterns From Children's Books, both the Grade Level Equivalent and Accelerated Reader level. A list of the trade books with the levels is included in the current Advanced Phonics Patterns book, which is on this web site.

​The same trade book list is also included in a Sound City Reading Sequence Charts book which I will post to this web site within the next week, as soon as I've looked it over carefully and revised it as needed. I've used this book myself for many years to keep track of what I'm doing when I'm teaching or tutoring. It includes the sequence charts for all the Sound City Reading books so that you can see an overview of the whole program. The charts include the phonetic patterns taught, phonetic words taught, sight words taught, suffixes, prefixes, and contractions taught, and the names of the stories.  

November 21, 2016 - Over the past week I've been making sample video pages for a few lessons from Phonetic Words And Stories, Book 1.  My presentation is not polished but I was able to obtain several "rough draft" video screencasts to see which settings would work to create clear images of the words and pictures on the pages.  The sound quality is poor because I was not using a good microphone.  I've since purchased a nice one and I'm encouraged that it will sound a lot better.  I will be working through all the pages in each book creating video lessons for each new phonetic pattern.  I'll post them to this web site as I complete them.  It will be a slow process.  

November 5, 2016 - Today I uploaded the newest version of Phonetic Words And Stories, Books 1-8 and the Phonics Patterns Workbook For Books 1-4 and Phonics Patterns Workbook For Book 5-8.  I also uploaded Rhyming Short Vowel Words And Sentences and Mixed Short Vowel Words And Sentences along with the Rhyming Short Vowel Workbook and Mixed Short Vowel Workbook.  Go to the PDF files section on the navigation bar to find them.  Instructions for the teacher can be found in the back of the books.

​October 8, 2016 - I am continuing to revise and expand the page that explains the various teaching levels and the materials used at those levels.

October 5, 2016 - Today I uploaded the newest version of the Basic Phonics Patterns books.  This includes Books 1 through 8.  Due to the large number of charts in the last few books, I've combined Books 5 and 6, and combined Books 7 and 8.  The first four books are bound separately.

I have revised the explanations about each type of phonics book on the page that shows the Teaching Levels.  I apologize for the difficulty of the previous descriptions and hope the newer version will be more clear.  If you have any questions you can type them in on the blog page on this site.  

I've worked this summer to revise some of the phonics books at the short vowel level.  I've also revised the sound charts at the phonics patterns level and added the charts to each of those books.

I'm still finalizing the Phonetic Words And Stories books and hope to add them to this web site soon.

September 5, 2016 - I uploaded a newer, expanded version of Exploring Sounds In Words, Books 1 and 2.  The new books have these additions for each letter:  large handwriting tracing pages for the capital and lower case letters, a page on which students circle pictures with the designated beginning and ending sound or medial vowel sound, and a rhyming page.  The instructions are at the end of Book 1.  They have been expanded and revised.  

I will be adding short vowel books next, followed by the phonogram pattern books.

September 1, 2016 - I have begun to load some of the older files from my previous web site onto this new site.  I'm starting with the Reading Street first grade materials, since these are still being downloaded often.   Look for the Reading Street heading in the navigation list above.  I'll be adding more files as time permits.  I'm not able to access the site building program for the old web site on my new computer. I'll be taking down the previous site in a few months after I have transferred as much as possible to this site.  

August 19, 2016 - I've added many PDF files today that can be downloaded and used at home or at school.  These are the latest versions of previous materials.  Click on the PDF FILES TO DOWNLOAD heading above to go to the files.  I'll be adding more files as I finish editing and proofing the remaining materials.  Unfortunately, I'm sure there will be a few errors on the pages.  If you see any, let me know and I will fix them and reload the corrected file.​