After teaching my students the phonics skills they need to start decoding words, I want them to use those skills to practice reading and writing decodable sentences. This is a big step for our young learners, and they need a lot of practice.
Not only do I want my students to use the literacy skills they have been taught, but I also want to ensure that they are engaged and having fun while doing it! This is why I created my Make a Silly Sentence literacy center.
Decodable Sentences
A decodable text is something that students can read using the phonics skills that they have been taught. This means they do not have to guess or use a picture to read the words on the page.
This is why it’s so important to use a scope and sequence – you want to use decodable texts that your students have the skills to read.
For example, if you have taught your students the sounds for the letters S, A, T, P then they can start decoding words like: at, tap, sat, pat, sap. They do not yet have the skills to read a word like dog or sun.
I am oversimplifying the process here- students need to learn a variety of skills to become readers (e.g. phoneme awareness). Make sure your language program incorporates all the strands of Scarborough’s Reading Rope.
Make a Silly Sentence
This activity was a beneficial literacy center after I had taught my students the consonant and vowel sounds using my phonics routine. We practiced reading and writing CVC words, then started reading sentences.
When they were ready, the Make a Silly Sentence activity was a great way to challenge them. Not only do they have to read the sentence, they have to write it and comprehend it enough to illustrate it.
This would be a great activity in small groups, as a whole group lesson or for independent practice. You can use it however is most beneficial for your students!
You can find Make a Silly Sentence here:
