Blog - Mrs. Winter's Bliss

Socially Distanced Word Work Centers

These socially distanced word work centers allow students to engage in meaningful literacy center work while maintaining safety & distance. Make sure to download free socially distant word sort and word building activities in the post! “Social distancing” and “literacy centers” are two things I never expected we’d hear together! So much of center time has always been about sharing materials, working together, and partnering up, ... read more

Using Word Building for Phonics Instruction

Word building is a critical phonics activity. Students will develop word awareness skills as they explore and play with letter sounds to build words. Make sure to download the letter building cards and word building activities in this post. One thing I love about teaching is that there is always the opportunity to learn, grow and become better. This past year I have spent a lot of time reading the work of Wiley Blevins. I’ve ... read more

Using Word Sorts for Phonics Instruction

Word sorts are an engaging phonics activity for K-2 students who are learning how words work while developing word awareness skills. Make sure to download a FREE sample of these differentiated word sorts in this post. When we first introduce a new phonics skill it is best to keep the instruction explicit, clear, and to the point. But as I discussed in my last blog post, in order for students to truly master the phonics skills we teach ... read more

A Common Problem with Phonics Instruction & How to Fix It

Explicit and systematic instruction is key for phonics instruction however, once we teach phonetic skills students must have multiple opportunities for review. I've shared meaningful practice ideas that make learning phonetic skills fun! Make sure to download the free word building activities! We know phonics instruction is an integral part of literacy instruction, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start and how to adequately cover ... read more