Routine · Phonics and decoding
Stretch and read
Hold each sound and slide into the next without a break, then say the word.
- Time
- 2 to 5 minutes
- Skill
- Phonics and decoding
- In a session plan
- Word reading
When to use it
For the first words in the sequence, while every sound taught can be stretched. Also for a student who chops sounds apart and cannot join them.
Materials
- The word list
- A finger or arrow to slide under the letters
Steps
Shown with example words: word am.
Get ready
Show am. Rest a finger just below the opening letter.
I do
Slide your finger slowly under the letters, holding each sound until you reach the next so there is no gap. Then say the word at normal speed.
Say: I hold each sound and slide: am. Now fast: am.
We do
Slide your finger again while you and the student stretch the word together, then say it together.
You do
The student slides and stretches each word on the list, then says it fast.
Student: Stretches the sounds without stopping, then says the word.
Check
Point to a word without sliding. The student reads it, stretching only if needed.
If the student...
Stops between sounds, leaving gaps.
Model the word again with no breath between sounds, as one long noise. Do it together, then the student stretches the same word alone from the first letter.
Say: No stops. Keep your voice on. Again with me.
Tips
- This works best when the word starts with a sound you can hold, such as /m/, /s/ or /f/.
- When a word has a short sound like /t/ at the end, stretch up to it and add it quickly.
Example words
- Word
- am
Original routines written by Literacy Trail. In the app, every routine is filled with your student's lesson.
Related routines
- Sound-by-sound blendingRead a new word one sound at a time, joining each sound to the ones before it.3 to 6 minutes · Word reading
- Phoneme blendingHear a word said one sound at a time and put the sounds together into the word.2 to 4 minutes · Warm-up
- Spot the vowel pattern, then readFind the vowel spelling first, decide its sound, then read the whole word.3 to 6 minutes · Word reading
- Count the beats before readingSay a long word, count its beats, then match each beat to a vowel in the written word.2 to 4 minutes · Word reading
Have this routine filled in for every lesson
In Literacy Trail, the session plan picks a routine for each block and fills it with the words, sounds and sentence from your student's lesson. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial.