Teaching Materials
What Teaching Materials Are Available From Sound City Reading?
The Sound City Reading program includes student books and workbooks on five different levels. Instructions for the teacher are included at the end of each book. The program also includes flashcards, sound charts, learning activities, and games. They will provide most of what you need to use this program. Printed copies of the materials are not available. All materials are available as free PDF files that can be downloaded from this website by teachers, parents, tutors, schools, school systems, and tutoring programs. Click on the PDF Files menu heading to find the materials you are looking for. The books are copyrighted but permission is granted to print any of the PDF files to use with the students you teach, including online teaching. Materials are not to be printed for commercial sales.
You can look at the Step Charts and Flow Chart to see which books are used at each level. The books are listed in the Summary Of All Of The Phonics Books with a brief description of each book. The books are described in more detail in the individual sections for each of the teaching levels under Program Overview.
You can look at the Step Charts and Flow Chart to see which books are used at each level. The books are listed in the Summary Of All Of The Phonics Books with a brief description of each book. The books are described in more detail in the individual sections for each of the teaching levels under Program Overview.
Materials For Level 1
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Materials For Level 1
Learning The Alphabet, Book 1 Learning The Alphabet, Book 2 Alphabet Flashcards Large Level 1 Wall Charts (For a classroom) Children's picture books to read aloud, you can purchase them or borrow them from the library, scroll down for more information |
Materials For Level 1
Alphabet Lotto Game Plastic Letter Match Activities Small plastic capital and lower case letters, scroll down for more information Apple Alphabet Game - Sequential Sets Apple Concentration Game |
What Other Materials Will I Need?
You'll need the following additional items.
Children's picture books (trade books)
You will need to purchase children's picture books from bookstores or online sellers or you will need to check them out of the library. You can see the list of books that you will need here. You will need as many of the books as possible. You don't have to get them all at once. Get the ones you need to get started, and then go from there. At the higher reading levels, you can skip some of the books if necessary. You should be able to find most of the books from used book sellers, if you wish. Fortunately, you can use the same group of books for both purposes. I have created a list of popular and classic children's picture books for students to read. You will begin by reading and rereading aloud the easiest books to the whole class. You will continue by reading the remaining books in order over a period of time. Generally speaking, this order goes from the easiest to read to the most difficult.
You will need to purchase children's picture books from bookstores or online sellers or you will need to check them out of the library. You can see the list of books that you will need here. You will need as many of the books as possible. You don't have to get them all at once. Get the ones you need to get started, and then go from there. At the higher reading levels, you can skip some of the books if necessary. You should be able to find most of the books from used book sellers, if you wish. Fortunately, you can use the same group of books for both purposes. I have created a list of popular and classic children's picture books for students to read. You will begin by reading and rereading aloud the easiest books to the whole class. You will continue by reading the remaining books in order over a period of time. Generally speaking, this order goes from the easiest to read to the most difficult.
The books will serve two purposes. Fortunately, one set of books will serve both purposes.
- You will use the books to read aloud to the students for about thirty minutes daily. This develops oral language, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. This is an essential part of the daily instruction.
- You will use the same book for students to read. The sequence of books is arranged carefully to match the sequence in which the phonetic patterns are taught, so that students will be able to read every book phonetically. Students become very excited when they begin reading "real" books. They will be able to read most of the most on their own, and will be able to read the rest of the words with a few hints from the teacher about the structure of the word. There are two factors that lead to this success. First, students have specifically practiced reading words phonetically. Second, they have already heard the teacher read the story aloud. This leads to a high degree of success for the students.
The first books students read are "beginning reader" books that use the most common words in our language, put together to form high interest stories. Many of the books are rhythmic and rhyming, with a repetitive sentence structure, big print, and engaging illustrations, perfect for beginning readers. As students progress, the books gradually become more advanced.
The books you will need for the students to read are listed with the instructions in the level four and five student books and also in the Sequence Charts book. Or click here to open a PDF file showing a list of the books. If you are working with a single student, you may be able to check one book at a time out of the library. If you're working with a class, it would be wonderful if you could order enough books so that there would be enough for each student to have his or her own book to read during the small group rotations. If that is not possible, you could have each pair of students in the small group share a book, so that you would only need three or four books. Otherwise, students could pass around a single book during small group instruction, and then reread the book independently or with a partner.
Try to get all of the recommended books for level four and the earliest books for level five, if possible. It is not necessary to get every book at level five if that is beyond your means. Choose as many as you can.
Small plastic letters for spelling words
This website has letters at a very good price. You'll be able to purchase all you need for a classroom. You don't need the letters with magnets; the plain ones are fine and they are less expensive. For levels one and two, I recommend purchasing one set of capital letters and one set of lower case letters for each student in the largest small group you will teach . For levels three, four, and five, you will only need lower case letters. Purchase two sets of red lowercase letters and two sets of purple lowercase vowels for each student in the largest small group that you teach. Each set of letters should be placed together in a small plastic box with a lid, like the small sandwich sized boxes found at the grocery store. If you can find boxes that are rectangular rather than square that will make it easier for students to find the letters they need.
This website has letters at a very good price. You'll be able to purchase all you need for a classroom. You don't need the letters with magnets; the plain ones are fine and they are less expensive. For levels one and two, I recommend purchasing one set of capital letters and one set of lower case letters for each student in the largest small group you will teach . For levels three, four, and five, you will only need lower case letters. Purchase two sets of red lowercase letters and two sets of purple lowercase vowels for each student in the largest small group that you teach. Each set of letters should be placed together in a small plastic box with a lid, like the small sandwich sized boxes found at the grocery store. If you can find boxes that are rectangular rather than square that will make it easier for students to find the letters they need.
Pencils
The links below are for pencils that are triangular shaped instead of round. I highly recommend them. Using these pencils makes it much easier to hold the pencil and keep it steady while writing. These pencils don't have erasers, and that is a good thing. During the daily dictation period, if students make a mistake, have them put brackets around the error, and then rewrite the letter, letter pattern, or word. Model how to do this at the beginning of the year. This saves an enormous amount of time and prevents torn paper from erasures.
Try-Rex Pencil B21, Extra Thick, Red, use this pencil for younger students.
Try-Rex Pencil, Regular Thickness, B23, use this pencil for older students.
If you prefer to use regular pencils, I recommend the Ticonderoga brand, which is readily available.
The links below are for pencils that are triangular shaped instead of round. I highly recommend them. Using these pencils makes it much easier to hold the pencil and keep it steady while writing. These pencils don't have erasers, and that is a good thing. During the daily dictation period, if students make a mistake, have them put brackets around the error, and then rewrite the letter, letter pattern, or word. Model how to do this at the beginning of the year. This saves an enormous amount of time and prevents torn paper from erasures.
Try-Rex Pencil B21, Extra Thick, Red, use this pencil for younger students.
Try-Rex Pencil, Regular Thickness, B23, use this pencil for older students.
If you prefer to use regular pencils, I recommend the Ticonderoga brand, which is readily available.
Lined Handwriting Paper
For early elementary students, you will need paper with a top line, middle dashed line, and bottom line. The youngest students will need the lines to be widely space. In first and second grade the lines should be closer together. For these students the papers will be shorter than they are wide. Older students will write on regular lined notebook paper. However, when entering the program for the first time, they may need handwriting instruction to get started, using lined paper with a dashed line in the middle.
For early elementary students, you will need paper with a top line, middle dashed line, and bottom line. The youngest students will need the lines to be widely space. In first and second grade the lines should be closer together. For these students the papers will be shorter than they are wide. Older students will write on regular lined notebook paper. However, when entering the program for the first time, they may need handwriting instruction to get started, using lined paper with a dashed line in the middle.
Chalkboard
Students of any age who are not able to write all the letters of the alphabet accurately and efficiently will receive handwriting instruction. Each letter of the alphabet will be introduced separately. Students start by tracing very large lower case and capital letters on a chalkboard. Then they trace large lower case and capital letters in a handwriting book. Next they trace and copy smaller letters on lined handwriting pages. Finally they write the letters from dictation on lined paper. In a classroom, a large portion of the chalkboard will need to be available so that six to eight students at a time can line up and trace the letters. Several groups of students will go to the board so that every student will have a turn. If you are tutoring a small group or home schooling, you can use a 24 inch by 36 inch chalkboard on an easel or attached to the wall.
Students of any age who are not able to write all the letters of the alphabet accurately and efficiently will receive handwriting instruction. Each letter of the alphabet will be introduced separately. Students start by tracing very large lower case and capital letters on a chalkboard. Then they trace large lower case and capital letters in a handwriting book. Next they trace and copy smaller letters on lined handwriting pages. Finally they write the letters from dictation on lined paper. In a classroom, a large portion of the chalkboard will need to be available so that six to eight students at a time can line up and trace the letters. Several groups of students will go to the board so that every student will have a turn. If you are tutoring a small group or home schooling, you can use a 24 inch by 36 inch chalkboard on an easel or attached to the wall.
Click Program Overview to see more information about each level in the Sound City Reading program.
Click PDF Files to see links to PDF files for all of the books and teaching materials available on this site.
Click PDF Files to see links to PDF files for all of the books and teaching materials available on this site.
