Dear Reader,

Yesterday I wrote about one of those frustrating reading moments:

A student reads a word correctly on a phonics drill...and then stumbles over that exact same word when it shows up in a sentence. 😩

This happens all the time, because being able to decode a word accurately doesn't necessarily mean that word—or the phonics pattern in it—is automatic yet. And for many of our struggling readers, that automaticity takes a LOT of repetition.

But here's the good news: working toward automaticity doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Here's a quick routine I use with my own students that targets decoding, fluency AND spelling in just a few minutes.

1️⃣ Start with accurate word reading.

• Choose a short list of words containing a phonics pattern your student has already learned. These are especially fun for fall.
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• Have the student read the words accurately first. Don't worry about speed yet.
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• If a word is difficult, stop and have the student decode it rather than simply supplying the word.

2️⃣ Do something with the missed words. (This is the part I think is easy to skip!)

• Jot down any words that caused difficulty. Then choose a few and have the student:
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• Decode it → Map it → Spell it → Read it again
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• Pull missed words into spelling or dictation practice.
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Now one little reading error has become an opportunity to strengthen both decoding AND encoding.

3️⃣ Move the same words into connected reading.

Once the words are becoming more automatic, don't stop at the word list! Incorporate those words into:

➡️ PHRASES ➡️ SENTENCES ➡️ DECODABLE TEXTS

This gives students repeated encounters with the same patterns while gradually increasing the demands of reading. And because they aren't starting from scratch at every level, they get to experience that wonderful feeling of:“Hey! I KNOW this word (or phrase or sentence)!” 🎉

4️⃣ Reread,but give the rereading a purpose.

We all know repeated reading is powerful, but reading the exact same material over and over can get old pretty quickly. 🥱 So change it up!

🎲 Turn the words, phrases, or sentences into a game.
🔎 Highlight or underline the target spelling pattern. I love invisible ink pens for this! 🤩
🧸 Use a tiny toy or game piece to track each word as it's read.
📈 Chart progress so students can actually see themselves improving.

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The goal isn't to race through the page as quickly as possible: It's to make accurate reading increasingly effortless and automatic.

This routine is actually what inspired my new resource.

When I created my new Short A Decodable Fluency set, I wanted all of those steps built in.

Students move from CVC words → cumulative review → heart/high-frequency words → phrases → sentences → decodable text, with the same patterns appearing again and again. The words appear in the phrases, the phrases in the sentences, and the sentences in the decodable text.

And because I know none of us needs another resource that can only be used one way, I included:

📘 flip books
🎲 word, phrase & sentence games
📄 single-page practice
📖 foldable readers
📈 teacher scoring pages and student fluency trackers

So you can use the flip book during intervention one day, put a game in a center the next, or send the foldable reader home for extra practice.

My students absolutely LOVE using the tracking sheets to watch their skills grow. 🤩 It's one of my favorite parts of fluency practice!

👉 Check out the new Short A Decodable Fluency resource here 👈

And if you use UFLI Foundations, this first set was created to align with the scope and sequence for Lesson 35. If you don't use UFLI, that's okay too. The practice can be used with any systematic phonics or structured literacy program once students have learned the target skills. I'm reviewing short vowels with my students now, and this set is perfect for that!

⚠️ Just one thing: Don't buy this resource today, even if you love it! 🤣

The TPT Bonus Back to School Sale begins tomorrow! 🎉On August 25 and 26, you can save up to 25% when you use the code: BTSBONUS26

That applies not only to my new Short A resource, but to everything in my store, so if you've been waiting to grab one of my larger fluency, multisyllable, word wheel, or heart word bundles, this is a great time to stock up.

Have questions about this new resource or anything else? Just ask!

P.S. What WOULD be a good thing to do today? Visit TPT and review all your previous purchases. Doing so earns you free credit to use on future buys. Who knows? You might even be able to score this new resource for free! 😊

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