Teaching Long O Words with OA and OW Spelling Patterns

Teaching Long O Words with OA and OW Spelling Patterns

Hey, y'all! This week in phonics, we're working on reading long o words with the oa and ow spelling pattern. With our phonics centers and games, my first graders are picking up this skill super quickly and they're having fun with phonics! 

One of the best things I've done as a primary teacher is to research when to use different spelling patterns. I'm sure as I was learning to read, these rules came up. But looking at my spelling from back then, I definitely didn't know when to use which spelling pattern when I was writing. 

If you're learning these things too, know that we use "oa" in the middle of a syllable, like in "boat" or "float." We use "ow" at the end of the syllable, like in "grow" or "flow." Words like "grown" have the "ow" because the base word is "grow." This is different than the other "groan" which does not have a base word that ends with the long o sound. When your students know and understand the rules, their reading and writing become so much better!

During our reading rotations, my students go to four centers: read to self, teacher table, computers, and phonics centers. They use these phonics centers to practice the skills we are currently working on during our structured literacy time. We also use some of these centers during our small group time at the teacher table. 

The kids love these games because there is a mix of independent centers and partner games. Plus, it helps them build their confidence as readers since we are working on the exact skills they are practicing. I also like to leave the previous few week's centers out for students who need additional practice. 

In these centers, students can play matching or memory games, do a reading race, play roll and read, use the read and write cards with dry erase markers, play Bump games, and do word sorts and sentence scrambles. There's also a Scoot game we play as a class on Fridays, or whenever I feel students are ready for it, that serves as a quick assessment of their learning. We also use the cards for quiz-quiz-trade games during our morning meeting as a fun review. 

The kids love these games and so do I! I can see their reading skills growing quickly and they enjoy playing with a partner during our phonics time. The roll and read games also make great quick assessments during small groups. 

You can find these phonics games in my TPT store here. It's also part of a larger, growing bundle designed to last you an entire school year. You can check out the full bundle here. While you're on TPT, be sure to follow me so you don't miss anything new. I'm always adding something!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you found some things to help make your phonics block a little more engaging. Have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon. 

Stay cozy,