Silent e and bossy r are two of my favorite phonics skills to teach! Once students have mastered these skills, there is SO many more words students can decode! Reading authentic text is an important element of phonics instruction, and helps students develop their reading skills more quickly. While we may introduce phonics skills in an isolated way, at least half of a phonics lessons should be dedicated to students reading real texts.
Finding texts that are both decodable and engaging can be a huge challenge– especially for our early readers! That’s why I developed these Winter Decodable Readers. They are the perfect tool if your students are being introduced to, or refining, their understanding of both silent e and bossy r phonics patterns.
Need texts that can be used at any time of the year? Check out these Decodable Reading Passages.
Four Reasons You’ll Love These Bossy R and Silent E Decodable Passages:
Fun Texts Your Students Can Relate To!
Your students will love reading these books! They contain familiar topics, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time building background knowledge. Topics such as decorating a Christmas tree, making cookies, sledding, playing in the snow, and wrapping gifts. The books contain a real story line with characters and a beginning, middle, and end. The books also contain cute illustrations to aid the understanding of the stories.
The Bossy R and Silent E Reading Passages are Loaded with Phonics Skills!
Each book focuses on one phonics skill, either silent e or bossy r. The texts have multiple words on each page to practice the phonics skills, but the texts don’t seem forced or choppy. After the first read of the text, students can do a word hunt where students revisit the text and highlight all the words they can find with the phonics focus pattern. The back of the books also includes a phonics word list for students to practice.
There is also a words to know page at the beginning of each book. This page helps introduce words with more complex phonics patterns that students haven’t yet been taught.
Print-and-Go Format with Easy to Plan for Resources
The bossy r and silent e reading passages are so easy to make and use! Copy the books double-sided, cut and fold, add a quick staple and the books are ready to go! In addition to the book, you also receive three activity pages with each book: a phonics sort, a sequencing activity, and a written retell page. There is enough activities for three days of instruction on each book.
Increase Comprehension, Fluency, and Writing
The books not only increase phonics skills but also help increase comprehension, fluency, and writing skills. All key reading areas for our early readers!
Here is my suggested teaching sequence:
Day 1: Introduce the story, students read the text and highlight words with the phonics pattern. Then, they complete the phonics sort worksheet.
Day 2: Students reread the story. Have a comprehension discussion with students. Then, they complete the sequencing cut-and-paste activity. Perfect for building reading comprehension skills!
Day 3: Students do a quick reread focusing on reading fluency. Then, they complete a written retell of the story.
Try a Sample Silent E Reading Passage
Want to try a sample book with your students? You can download a free copy of The Gift. It includes the book, instructions, the three activity pages, and answer keys. I hope your students love it!
The full Winter Reading Passages set is available in my TPT store.
