Welcome to …

THE answers to spelling and the WAY to empower a reader.

The Plan and the History

Who said ‘older is wiser’?

• 21 years old

• Company believes that ‘playing’ games is one of the fastest ways to learn.

• By the way – wiser – when ‘s’ is surrounded by vowels it makes a /z/ sound.

Let’s get started (to begin 1A/1B)

First things first!Even with 4th graders, it is wise to start with Game 1A/1B – Here’s

why…To learn that there are…• two kinds of letters, vowels and consonants• 5 short vowels• actually 2 more ‘sometimes’ vowels that are main sounds• 16 ‘one-sound’ consonants• 4 ‘untouchables’• 3 ‘copycat’ sounds, AND>>>

Every word must have at least one vowel.

Don’t leave…

• a, e, i, o, u are vowels and sometimes ‘w’ and ‘y’• 4 untouchables are /ch/, /sh/, /wh/, and /th/ (‘th’ has two

sounds – this and thin)• 3 copycats – c, g, s

c copycats ‘k’ and ‘s’g copycats ‘j’s copycats ‘z’

• w is /w/ at the beginning of the word but a ‘two vowel go walking’ also

• y is a /y/ at the beginning of a word but a ‘two vowel go walking’ as well as functioning as a long ‘e’ or long ‘i’ at the end of a word

Parts to the Game

• Cards - only game 1A and B can be combined by stacking Game A on top of Game B face down

• Bone Pile – at least 4 cards at all times• Vowel Mats – sort by vowel• Cheat Sheets - a piece of paper bearing written notes

intended to aid one's memory• ‘Peek’ rule cards, jokers, and letter cards for players to

view. • Most of the games – the players with the most cards

win

Rules for 1A/1B

You are ready to play! (see ‘y’ in ready and play?)

Game 1A/1B1. Bone Pile – first player builds till 4 cards and then

plays the 5th card2. Players ‘take’ from the bone pile only if the sound

is in the same position – beginning, medial, or end.3. Players always have to sound out. Then say the

word. Then take by saying the sound and telling where it is.

What students say in Game 1A/1B…

catsad

I can take the /a/ in the middle of cat with the /a/ in the middle of sad.

shutsip

NO!

whipsip

I can take the /i/ in the middle of whip with the /i/in the middle of sip…and I can take the /p/ at the end of

whip with the /p/ at the end of sip.

What happens if… …a Joker comes up but there are no letter cards

yet? >>> bury it back in the deck…Give and Take cards come up but it is too early

in the game>>>bury it back in the deck

(In all of the above examples, the player gets another turn.)

…a Rule card comes up? >>>> Player reads the rule and explains it back in his/her own words.

For doing so, the player keeps the Rule Card and gets another turn.

However, if …

…the player has a ‘play’ card and cannot take any cards from the bone? >>>> this is how the bone pile gets larger – so feed it to the Bone pile.

Special Cards and Common Core

• Letter Cards__a__ or m__ __ or __ __t

(once played, ‘peek’ the card so others can see it and steal it if they get a Joker)

• Jokers = wild card. Take any letter card and all the cards it will take (Common Core Strategy)

Variation

• As the kids get more experienced with the game, allow them to start stealing from other players as well as the bone pile.

• This is helpful to those kids that are in the game longer.

When is it time to move on?

• Assessments occur to move to the next game. Each passage is to be read in 3 minutes or less with 3 errors or less.

• The one exception is Game 1A/1B. This passage can be read in 5 minutes or less but vowel errors cannot exceed 3.

The Pet Vet(1A/1B)

Ruff is Jan and Ken’s pet dog.Ruff is sick.Ruff hid in the shed. The pet vet can help.Yes, quick, get Ruff to the vet in the van.The vet checks Ruff.Ruff has a bad bug. Which bug is it?It is a tick!Sit, Ruff. The vet has a shot.Yip! Yip! Ruff has a fit.Ruff is mad at the vet.This is not fun.Jan and Ken hug Ruff.Get back in the van, Ruff.When Ruff gets in, Jan sets a rug in a box.Ken and Jan pet Ruff and tuck in his pet bed.Ruff naps. Z – Z – Z

Gem Problems(3B)

As a citizen of Philadelphia, Tom seemed quite civilized, but since this latest phone call, he felt much less civil.

The call was made by Drake, a gem dealer in Africa. Tom’s shipment of diamonds

had been lost in transit! This was a gigantic problem! Tom was quite upset. He had a huge list of orders to fill.

The city shone in the sun as the plane lifted off the runway and gained altitude. Tom

used the cellular phone on the back of the seat to call a gentleman in Cape Town to check if a photograph was taken of the gems before they had been loaded at the dock. Yes, the photo had been taken. It was possible to track the shipment!

Tom felt less tense. He slid back in his seat and the quiet hum of the plane helped

him relax. He decided not to dwell on the chronic problems he had had with his gem dealer. He nodded off to the gentle sway of the plane.

Game 2A – THE Magic E

• Builds on all the skills in Game 1A/1B• Do not move a child on if they have not

assessed or they are new. • Game 1A/1B is the foundation of moving

quickly through the games for advanced students.

• ‘Grayed out’ e – it’s all about they eye. Why?• Magic e jumps over a sound (this includes

untouchables) > made and bathe

Rules for 2A

• Use only Deck 2A• First player builds the bone pile by COVERING the

magic e with their finger and sounding out the short vowel word. Lift the finger and say the rule.The magic e jumps over the consonant to make the

vowel say its’ name.• Now the students says the long vowel word.• Again, sounds have to be in the same position to

take from the bone pile. (The magic e is out of play because every card has a magic e)

Game 2A Rules

To ‘take’ cards;1. The sound must be spelled with the same

letter in the same place. (choke came)2. Take consonants and vowels from the bone

pile like in game 1.3. However, same vowel sounds can be taken

from other players as well.4. As you take, you must say how and why you

are taking.

Extra Fun Cards

• starts in 2A1. Take cards – just do as it says. Example…

Take all the long ‘a’ words from all players and the Bone pile.

2. Give cards – just do as it says. Example…Give all your long ‘o’ cards to the player to the left.

*if the player can not play the card, just ‘peek’ it. All take and give cards ‘peek’ out of the mat.

***The word ‘give’ is an oddball. Here’s why…

There are no American words that end in ‘v’ so you always add an ‘e’.

lovegive

Imaginative

*And the Magic ‘e’ is only magic to jump one letter.

Students have to….

…say all the rules as they take cards.

shakeshame

1. ‘sh’ is an untouchable at the beginning of shake and shame.

2. I can take the /sh/ at the beginning of shake with the /sh/ at the beginning of shame.

3. I can take the /a/ in the middle of shake with the /a/ in the middle of shame.

Game 2B Silent Partners

• To learn how silent partners work. ex. boat, peel, glue• To learn when ‘y’ and ‘w’ act as silent vowels. ex. pay, key, yellow

Students say…..When two vowels go walking, the first one

does the talking.

To Play 2B

• First player builds the bone pile to 4 cards by sounding out.>>>> ex. fl – oa – t, float

• Just like 2A, the consonants only take from the Bone but vowels patterns can take from other players as well.

boat/float meet/seat reach/teeth• Blends are not broken apart (pl, fl, sp, etc.)• Special Cards play exactly like 2A.

2B Reminder

Just like in 2A, the consonants will take only from the Bone Pile, but the vowels spelled

alike take from both the Bone Pile and from other players.

Again….In Silent Partners, vowel sounds take from the

Bone Pile and other players. Consonants take only from the Bone pile.

3A – Copy Cats

• You got this!Rules

1. When e, i, or y follows ‘c’, it makes a /s/ sound. cent

bicycleAccident

One exception – soccer (this is a made up from the original reference > Association Football)

Copy Cat 3A Rules

2. When e, i, or y follows ‘g’, it makes a /g/ sound.

gentlegigantic

gym3. When s is surrounded by vowels, it makes

a /z/ sound. ex. rose, surprise

More on copycat /z/

• In plural words, ‘s’ copies /z/, UNLESS the letters are ‘f’, ‘k’, ‘p’, or ‘t’ (no voice sounds)

caves sags cabs finskids

cuffs sacks caps catslips

4. ‘Y’ copies long ‘i’ or long ‘e’ at the end of a word when it is the only vowel in the word.

myshy

5. ‘Y’ copies long ‘e’ at the end of a word when it is a syllable by itself.

babyitchy

* ‘y’ asks like a magic ‘e’ and jumps over the consonant to make the vowel say its’ name.

6. dge = /j/ Why?

fudge midget

Rule: The ‘d’ blocks the ‘e’ from being magic and when e, i, or y follows ‘g’ it makes a /j/ sound.

3A Rules

• The first player forms the Bone Pile.• Every player has to sound out each sound one

at a time. Then say the whole word. Then explain every sound you can hear. (By doing this, the brain takes apart the sounds and puts them back together.)

• Players can ‘help’ by asking questions only.• Players can take from the Bone and other

players – they will all RHYME!

What Students ‘say’ in 3A

• Ex. face/lace

I can take face with lace because they rhyme. When ‘e’, ‘i’ or ‘y’ follows ‘c’, it makes a /s/ sound. And, the magic e jumps over the consonant to make the vowel say its’ name.

What students say in 3A

ex. fancy/chancy

I can take fancy with chancy because they rhyme. When e, i, or y follows ‘c’, it makes a /s/ sound. When y is a syllable by itself at the end of a word, it copies a long e sound. And, the ‘n’ blocks the ‘y’ from being a magic e.

Where’s the Vowel Boards in 3A?

Words get sorted in rhyming groups. Vowel boards do not belong with 3A.

As always, if a card will not take anything, feed it to the Bone pile.

All other special cards are played the same.

Wait! Plurals don’t rhyme with singular words!

• Remember this is a rhyming game. So….

edge pledges…because the ‘s’ followed by an ‘e’ will add a

syllable.

cages pages

3B Copy Cats

New Copy Cats in 3B1. ‘ph’ always copies /f/ > phone2. ‘ch’ sometimes copies /k/ > chrome chord

Rule: When ‘ch’ is near an ‘r’, it makes a /k/ sound.

3. ‘qu’ copies /kw/ and ‘u’ always follow ‘q’

More 3B Rules

Syllables• When one vowel is in the middle of a word or

syllable, it is usually short. gym gymnast

• When a vowels is at the end of a word or syllable, it is usually long.

my cy clone pho to graph

More 3B Rules

ED has 3 sounds > ‘d’ ‘t’ ‘ed’

packed = /t/ capped = /t/ blocked = /t/

saved = /d/ sagged = /d/ stayed = /d/

Only ‘t’ or ‘d’ at the end of the word will = /ed/hunt ed need ed plant ed

Rules for 3B

• Play the same as 3A• However, this is not a rhyming game so … take

as many word cards from all players and the Bone.

• Must have the same sound spelled the same way (/ce/ cannot take /ci/)

• Special cards are played the same as previous games.

Thank you for your time!

The teachers and students at ….

appreciate you!