Highly Recurring Phonic Elements
and Phonic Pattern Hopscotch
with Phonic Pattern Word Lists

These strategies help learn how to decode words using patterns.  

Prior to teaching the strategies students need to have mastered the sound symbol relationships for letters and highly occurring phonics patterns.  They should also be familiar with the words you are decoding.

Over a period of a week the Highly Recurring Phonic Elements Chart is introduced to students.  Explain all the chart’s letter patterns and their corresponding sounds and key pictures.  As each pattern is introduced several examples are given of words that have the same pattern in the initial, median or final positions.  After the overview of the chart is completed, lead the students in a recitation of the names of the reference pictures and the sounds for each of the phonic elements.  Start with /er/, /ir/, /ur/, and /st/ and add 2 to 5 sounds a day.  Continue to review the sounds already introduced as your lead students through the recitation of the entire chart.  Refer to chart whenever a new word is introduced using Phonic Pattern Hopscotch. 

Phonic Pattern Hopscotch is a process for decoding words starting with patterns that students know from the Highly Recurring Phonic Element chart.  The patterns that are familiar are present first and then the remaining consonants and vowels are added in either direction, to front and back to complete the word.

The above strategy is from Augusta Mann. The video examples below are part of the Miss Augusta Collection and Touching the Spirit™. Learn more at www.successfulteachers.com.