A weak foundation in phonics will affect a student’s ability to read with appropriate fluency and comprehension. Students must be able to automatically identify common words and recognize phonics patterns within words to read with proficiency. With struggling readers, especially, it’s important to dig deeper with assessments to determine if phonics is an area that needs targeting. If it is, there are many phonics interventions you can incorporate into your small group instruction to boost these skills and develop their phonics knowledge.
Many school districts have formal research-based programs they use for phonics interventions and lessons, but if you’re an educator researching your own interventions or looking to supplement your current phonics program, I’ve compiled a few phonics activities and interventions that can help you during small group intervention groups or guided reading. These activities are perfect for reviewing phonics skills and developing a stronger foundation with phonics.
5 Phonics Interventions for Small Group Instruction
There are many interventions you can use to reinforce phonics skills with your small groups. Not all interventions fit all, so be sure to choose activities that are appropriate for the grade-level, group size, and instructional target you’re working with. Below are a few interventions and tools to add to your literacy toolbox!
NOTE: This section includes affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you purchase using these links, but it doesn’t cost you anything more!
1. Making Words
Letter Manipulatives – Making words is an effective and hands-on way for students to practice phonics. You can use foam letters, magnetic letters, or even word building templates. Sometimes the word building will be guided (e.g., “add a /t/, take away the ending sound, change the /m/ to a /n/, etc.), and sometimes I’ll just see how many words my students can build using the letters provided.
“If I Can Spell” Word Family Activity – To take word building one step farther, students can record the words they build on graphic organizers or in writing notebooks. If we’re focusing on specific phonics patterns or word families, the students can record the words using an “If I Can Spell” page (see below). This is a great way for students to make connections between the different words they are building and see how they can be sorted into word families. Grab a FREE “If I Can Spell” graphic organizer by completing the form at the bottom of this post or visiting my free resource library for subscribers!
Build a Word Buddy Bags – If you’re looking for an alternative to foam letters or magnet letters, check out “Build a Word” Buddy Bags. This printable resource is great for making words, especially if you have larger groups of students or you want to send the word-building activity home. Students can build words in partners or independently.
2. Word Hunts
Word hunts provide students with the opportunity to search for different phonics patterns in context. The best part about integrating this activity into your instruction is that you can pretty much use any text. Students can use books they’ve read throughout the week or you can provide them with a specific text. Depending on the level of my students, I sometimes choose texts for them that showcase the specific phonics patterns.
My district purchased a site license for Reading A-Z, giving us access to some great decodable books that feature a variety of sound patterns. You can also purchase some great phonics poetry books, like this resource (affiliate) which focuses on word families. I love using phonics poetry, even if many of the poems sound silly due to the over-use of the specific target sound patterns. Any poetry would work though, especially if they’re hunting for common sounds like consonant blends and short vowels.
Have students highlight the words using highlighters, or if students can’t highlight the text, they can use highlighting tape! They can also just tally up the number of words that feature the target phonics pattern or “finger frame” the words to show a partner or the teacher. Students love using reading tools such as finger lights and reading pointers for word hunts, as well!
Typically, I have the students hunt for the words, highlight them, and then record them on a graphic organizer (see example below). The students can create their own graphic organizer in their writing notebooks, or you can provide one for them!
3. Color & Sort
Phonics “Color & Sort” pages are great for sound pattern reinforcement. Students color the words that showcase the phonics pattern and then record the words in the correct columns. You can print the page, upload to Google Classroom, or project on a screen for students to complete together!
4. Phonics Mats + Activity Pages
Phonics + Spelling Word Work Mat – Students can practice breaking apart words using this phonics intervention. With these print and digital word work mats, students break apart words into their word parts, like compound words, prefixes, suffixes, and root words which will help them to read multisyllabic words. Use it to pre-teach words before introducing a new text or use it to break apart words that students get stuck on while they’re reading. Learn more about how to use this mat as a phonics intervention in my blog post: Break Apart Words with Phonics and Spelling Word Work Mats.
Daily Phonics Word Work – Daily Phonics is another ready-to-use resource for reinforcing phonics. I use this resource as a warm-up for my phonics group and have found that each week the students are getting quicker and stronger with their phonics identification skills. Once the students know how to complete the pages, they can complete independently within 5-10 minutes. If I feel they need more guidance, I may just display a page on the SMART Board for students to work together and complete.
5. Word Ladders
Word Ladders – Word ladders are a fun activity for students to complete to reinforce making words and manipulating sounds in words. Students start with a word and add, take away, or change letters to create new words. You can do this activity with letter tiles or on paper. For ready-to-go word ladders, I love to use Tim Rasinski’s Daily Word Ladders (affiliate) to guide students through word ladder activities. You can also guide students through word ladders using words you come up with on your own!
Word Ladder Dominoes – This is a fun alternative to traditional word ladders. You can create your own using DIY popsicle sticks or you can download my print + go Word Ladder Domino resources for different phonics patterns. The goal is to match up the word pairs vertically using the word families. Directions are included for each resource!
Additional Websites + Resources
- FCRR – If you’re looking for additional intervention activities to add to your literacy toolbox, this website has a ton of FREE resources for phonics instruction. All of the activities are research-based and will support your students in their progress with literacy skills.
- Clip-It Cards – Reinforce common phonics patterns with these practice cards for phonics and spelling. Digital and print versions are included in each resource. Read more about this resource in my blog post: 3 Reasons to Use “Clip-It” Phonics Task Cards to Reinforce Common Spelling Patterns
- More Phonics Resources – Check out the resources listed in this post by clicking the images in the post or in the slider below. Additional phonics resources can be found in my shop and in my resource library!
FREE “If I Can Spell” Phonics Activity
Grab a FREE “If I Can Spell” graphic organizer from my resource library (current subscribers) or by completing the form below! A print and digital version is available.
