We had a great session! We started with a review of short and long vowel sounds for /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/. We reviewed the short vowel pattern and used the CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) pattern. Jayne listed and spelled words independently on a whiteboard. We also reviewed the long vowel sound with CVCe (consonant-vowel-consonant-e) pattern. Again, Jayne spelled, the target words on a whiteboard. She spelled all the target words with 100% accuracy.

I brought an informational book called "The Little Butterfly" today to appeal to Jayne’s love of Science. Jayne read the text, and we discussed two key vocabulary words "molt" and "chrysalis”. Next, she worked on a sequencing activity and wrote the life cycle of a butterfly. At times, Jayne was reluctant to write but I encouraged her to finish this task. She was proud of the results and asked that I take a picture of the book to send to her parents, so they could read it to her. While reading the text she decoded a number of words that followed the vowel patterns we had reviewed. She was also able to read some difficult words in this text including the word “nectar” which she described as the center of the flower. When I asked her how she knew that word, she replied, “Its simple – my brain just tells me!”. I asked her to explain the key details and vocabulary after the reading, and she demonstrated good mastery. Using key details, illustrations, and text features to understand informational texts are key learning standards for first grade. Jayne is a bright student and is already demonstrating confidence in her ability to master these standards.