Kinney Brothers Publishing

ESL Teaching & Publishing

Emergent Readers

CVC Interactive Notebook Templates

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Everything you need for emergent readers! CVC Interactive Notebook Templates are a step-by-step program that includes writing, reading, and spelling exercises, as well as review, puzzles, game boards, and folding activities. Interactive Notebooks offer flexibility in curriculum design and an excellent way to shape students’ notebook habits and student accountability.

Based on Phonics & Spelling, Book 2, by Kinney Brothers Publishing, the CVC Templates are built on a 45-word vocabulary base with nine words for each a-e-i-o-u vowel set. Each vowel set is restricted to three word families. With the goal of moving emergent readers toward reading fluency, the differentiated exercises take students step by step with reading, writing, and spelling exercises, as well as an introduction to primary sight words. Teachers can purchase each vowel unit or all five units bundled together!

You can check out the full bundle and individual units here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Word-Interactive-Notebook-Template-Bundle-ESL-ELL-Newcomer-4622892

Be sure to check out my blog post Teaching CVC Words – What, When, & How

CVC I Have Who Has Activity Set

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Discover the fun of CVC I Have Who Has games, tailored for your little ones! Perfect for reading, listening, and speaking, these best-selling cards are designed to empower emergent readers. Unleash the magic of language with an 80-word vocabulary base featuring 16 CVC words for each AEIOU vowel group. For each vowel group, there are three versions: cards with picture prompts, cards with picture prompts on half the card, and cards with words only. Included are 15 captivating games in total – print, cut, and laminate for endless fun! Dive into an engaging world that fosters language development and literacy skills.

Download this activity set now! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Word-I-Have-Who-Has-Activity-Set-Short-Vowels-ESL-ELL-Newcomer-Game-1026459

Embrace the versatility of I Have, Who Has activities, perfect for both large and intimate groups. The simplicity of play ensures a delightful experience – just deal the cards, arrange them face-up, and let the language adventure begin! Elevate learning with this thoughtfully crafted activity designed to captivate and inspire. Be sure to check out my blog post about making I Have/Who Has activities walk across the room!

I loved using this resource and plan to continue! I used them with my newcomer students- it keeps them engaged and we are able to read, write, and speak using this activity! — Mallory B.

So much learning is taking place in this one activity: reading, taking turns, comprehending to just name a few. — Sandra C.

Kinney Brothers Publishing I Have Who Has activity set.

CVC Sentence Fishing Activity

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Fishing isn’t just for the ABCs! Your emergent readers will love this game! This Sentence Fishing activity set corresponds to the reading lessons in Phonics & Spelling, Book 2, but is also compatible with any phonics curriculum! The print-ready pdf file includes a 102-word vocabulary bank plus blank fish for creating your own sentences! Also included are instructions and a set of 18 CVC sentence flash cards.

Download this activity set now! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CVC-Sentence-Fishing-Activity-ESL-ELL-Newcomer-Game-460008

My kiddos LOVED playing this game!! Totally engaged and so proud of themselves for making sentences (by matching the words). Thanks! – Patti S.

This is such a fun and engaging way to have students practice putting sentences together during center time! – Nicole F.

To play, make “fishing poles” with a stick, string, and a magnet. Fix paperclips to each fish and voila! Instant fun! I recommend laminating the fish and you’ll have this activity set for many years. The fish can be put into a sensory bin, behind a low barrier, or scattered in a pond-like defined space. The fish cards can do double duty as flash cards and decoration on a classroom board!

The sentences in this activity are not exclusive to but include flash cards with the following sentences:

  • A cat on a mat.
  • A fan on a van.
  • A hat on a lap.
  • A cat on a bed.
  • A red pen and a red cap.
  • A wet pet in a net.
  • A big pig in a wig.
  • My pet hen is in a big pit.
  • I win the big van!
  • The pot on the log is hot.
  • The dog and the cat are in the van.
  • The top and the cap are on my lap.
  • I like to jog in the sun.
  • A red and green bug is on my mug.
  • The cat and the dog run on the rug.

Easy Sight Words – A Closer Look

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Whether you call them sight words, popcorn words, or high-frequency words, they are, by definition, “commonly used words that young children are encouraged to memorize as a whole or by ‘sight,’ so that they can automatically recognize these words in print without having to use any strategies to decode.”

In addition, high frequency words can be abstract, difficult if not impossible to represent using pictures, and especially difficult to understand where meaning may have an inferred understanding through context (something a second language learner doesn’t have the advantage of in early language development.)  It can be very elusive to create a clear mental model of words like have and get, both of which can cross several different word choices in a language learner’s native language.

This is why students of English need to be exposed to the patterns of speech and inferred meaning of sight words early on in oral and writing exercises.  Inevitably, as you move children from decoding individual words to decoding language in connected text, sight words should be a regular part of your ESL program.

As your emergent readers display rudimentary reading ability and become capable of decoding and deriving meaning from connected text, including sight-word practice is imperative. The habits that you build into the children’s learning activities will help them to acquire new words more quickly, build on their knowledge base to infer meaning, and progress more confidently in their studies.

Interactive Notebooks – CVC Templates

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As a followup to my last post, I developed a series of CVC Templates to help teachers get up and running with their interactive notebooks.

Why Interactive Notebooks?

As an independent teacher offering my services in a variety of kids’ classes, one thing is a constant: no two places are the same. Interactive notebooks, though not a replacement for textbooks, offer me the flexibility to design a curriculum with the classroom resources and time restrictions I have to work with. They’re also an excellent way to shape students’ notebook habits; an intervention that became imperative considering the shabby state of some of my students’ notebooks. In turn, this extends their learning and creates a personalized resource where students can take ownership and track their progress.

Interactive Notebooks CVC Templates 2 - Kinney Brothers Publishing

The Program

Based on my textbook, Phonics & Spelling, Book 2, the CVC Templates are built on a 45-word vocabulary base with nine words for each a-e-i-o-u vowel set. Each vowel set is restricted to three-word families. With the goal of moving emergent readers toward reading fluency, the differentiated exercises take students step by step with reading, writing, and spelling exercises — as well as an introduction to primary sight words.

Interactive Notebooks CVC Templates 3 - Kinney Brothers Publishing

The Deal

These CVC Templates can be purchased as individual units or as a bundle. Click on the image below to visit my online store where you can download previews for each unit.

Again, if you have questions about setting up an interactive notebook, check out my previous blog post. With the help of these Templates, you’re going to create some awesome interactive notebooks!

As always, best of luck in your classes!

Donald Kinney

Kinney Brothers Publishing