Sound-Spelling Wall Cards
“Don’t worry about spelling, just write.” This is what I used to tell students when they asked me how to spell a word. This is what I was told to relay to students because according to the experts, correcting a student’s spelling errors would take away their motivation to write.
When students turned in essays with countless errors, I just grumbled in silence.
Now, when I am working on reading skills with a student, we also practice spelling through dictation exercises. And if a student has a question about how to spell a word, I assist rather than say do not worry about spelling.
You can use the cards as flashcards at first and then gradually build your sound wall. I would post the cards on the wall as we learn them together.
Setting up Your Sound-Spelling Wall
The Sound-Spelling set is not an alphabet set. There are over 100 cards to post on a board or cut out and use as flashcards.
Students should be able to understand the sound (phoneme) and the way it is written down (grapheme).
The Sound-Wall Cards can be divided into the following sections.
This is how I organize my cards, but you do what makes sense to you.
Short-Vowel Sounds
Consonants
Digraphs
Long-Vowel Sounds
(includes Silent e and vowel teams)
R-Controlled Vowel Sounds
Other Vowel Sounds
(includes <aw> in “hawk”, and <oi> in “oil”)
I encourage you to trade out your word wall for a sound wall.
Help your students make the connection between reading and writing and strengthen both skills concurrently.
You can add words below each pattern as you introduce them throughout the year. You can also have your students replicate the wall in their reading/spelling journal.
Until next time, patience and practice!
Angelica Lima
Keep it Super Simple
