Decodable Stories

The word “nag” is not very common with young students, but take the opportunity to teach them vocabulary as you teach them how to decode.  One can explain that it means “to scold” or “give someone a hard time.”

The next word in Orton’s scope and sequence is the phonogram g as in the word “gate.”  Although the g has two sounds – /g/ and /j/, only the most common hard /g/ is taught this early in the scope and sequence.   Note that the “w”  and the “th” found in the word “with”…

Some struggling students have challenges reading words with the final “s.” June Orton left the final -s for later in her scope and sequence; I made it green so that caregivers can assist the child in reading this word if necessary.

Be sure to check your student’s letter formations!  Struggling readers often make the letter r from the bottom up. (They often do the same formation with the n and m).  It is important to remind them that the English language goes from top to bottom, left to right.  The r, n, and m letters are…

The next phonogram in June Orton’s scope and sequence is the r. Students will learn this as a beginning sound only until later.  (When the r follows a vowel, it creates a different syllable type, known as r-controlled, which is more complex).  Since the word ran is now in the student’s word bank, an appropriate…

The above chart uses remaining words and nonsense syllables from June Lyday Orton’s Phonics Lesson 1 and 2 from “A Guide to Teaching Phonics.”  Again, the student can read the words across the chart, then down, then randomly.  The goal is to become fluent with each word and not sound them out.  Typically, the nonsense…