Teaching Reading Level 2
Once children can recognize and say the names of all the letters, make their sounds, and read one letter words (A, I), they are ready to learn the primary sounds and then begin putting sounds together.
Keep your consonants short and unaspirated (especially B’s, H’s and P’s where it’s common to spray it rather than say it).
Start with long vowels only. These are more logical for young children as they say their name, and will more quickly lead to reading one-letter (A, I) and two-letter (ME, HE, GO) words, thus building up children’s confidence that they are “real” readers early on.
Start with the hard C (cat, not circle) and G (goat, not giraffe) sounds only.
Use all kinds of manipulatives such as Easter eggs, game pieces and clothespins to help children match lowercase and uppercase letters. Use index cards to create a game of Memory, starting with only two sets of letters, and gradually adding more as they are mastered.
The goals at this second level are for your child to be able to:
❖Name the uppercase letters when pointed to and say their sounds
❖Locate a named letter within a group of lowercase letters (Where is w?)
❖Match lowercase and uppercase letters
❖Recognize their own first name when written with initial capital and lowercase letters
❖Trace their name in capital letters
❖Recognize and read two-letter long-vowel words in texts
After all the letter sounds have been mastered, children can begin putting two-letter words together: be, he, me, we, go, no, so.
Phonics Level 2 Schedule
Each PDF has a separate book for each week. Print these books double-sided, flipping on the short edge, and staple in the middle.
Week 1: Review A, B, C, D, E
Week 2: Review F, G, H, I, J
Week 3: Review: K, L, M, N, O
Week 4: Review P, Q, R, S, T
Week 5: Review U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Week 6: Review Word A
Week 7: Review Word I
Week 8-10: Word BE
Week 11-13: Word HE
Week 14-16: Word ME
Week 17-19: Word WE
Week 20-22: Word GO
Week 23-25: Word NO
Week 26-28: Word SO
Week 29-31: Word BY
Week 32-34: Word MY
Flash Cards
Print and cut these flash cards (laminate for greater durability), and use them as a teaching tool. While flash cards often get a bad rap, if introduced properly they can be lots of fun. When children get the sound/word correct, they may collect the card, or place it in a special location. Some children respond to earning points (make sure they are given just the right number to be challenging without being so hard they become frustrated). As each word is taught, add its flash card to the pile for daily review. Note that different borders are used for words and sounds, to keep them in separate piles.
Level 2 Flash Cards“You are a reader now!“
Together, hunt for the word “be” in your child’s books and highlight it. When you read to your child, point to the words and each time you reach be, say, “Look, it’s yellow. That means this is a word you know. You can read this word.” Help your child to sound out the word and give lots of praise. Continue in the same way each time a new word is added. This method allows children to begin reading “real” literature as early as possible, rather than relying solely on basal readers.
Teach Grow Sow 