Here's a Fun Phonics Lesson for Summer Review

Summer school might not be for every little guy or girl, but you really should help your child review reading over the break.  You can try this fun lesson at home with your child; it's so fun, and they won't realize it's educational!  Smile through it, and make sure to laugh a lot.  Your enthusiasm and sense of fun will be contagious.

Materials:

1. Assorted magazines suitable for cutting up- select child-friendly issues full of pictures.
2. A large sheet of paper- you can use butcher paper, a poster board.  Use whatever you have to make a poster.
3. A big marker
4. scissors
5. glue

Directions:

Explain to your child that you are going on a vowel hunt.  Divide the poster into two main categories:  Long Vowels and Short Vowels.  Remember long vowels say their name- A,E,I,O,U (don't worry about y).  Now, under each category make a section for A, E, I, O, and U for both sides.

Example:

Vowels	Long	Short
A
E
I
O
U

Now, have fun cutting pictures.  Say the words out loud and categorize the sounds as long or short vowels.  Glue the picture in the correct category.  You will find that almost every word fits right into one of the sounds clearly.  Every syllable has a vowel sound.

Here is a picture of the project I completed with a small group of second and third graders.

This review helps with developing an awareness of sounds; teachers call this phonemic awareness.  Vowel recognition is important for breaking apart words and analyzing new vocabulary.  You will find that categorizing the sounds helps to make children think more critically about the word.    This project will also help your child spend more time on fine motor skills- cutting and gluing.  This is a skill that children really lack nowadays.  Overall, the project will take about an hour to finish and review.  It will be an hour well spent!


Have fun learning this summer.

Family Blessings,
Abi