Routine · Phonics and decoding
Word sort by pattern
Sort word cards into groups by their spelling pattern and tell what each group shares.
- Time
- 4 to 7 minutes
- Skill
- Phonics and decoding
- In a session plan
- Review
When to use it
When a student knows two or more patterns for the same sound and mixes them up, such as ai and ay.
Materials
- Word cards for two or three patterns
- A header card for each pattern
Steps
Get ready
Lay out the header cards. Read them together.
I do
Take a card, read it, find the pattern and place it under its header, saying why.
Say: Rain. The two letters ai sit in the middle of the word, so this card goes here. Play. The ay comes last, so this one goes over here.
We do
Do the next two cards together: read, look for the pattern, place it.
You do
The student sorts the rest, reading each card aloud before placing it.
Student: Reads each word and puts it under the right header.
Check
Read each column from top to bottom. Ask what the student notices about where each pattern comes in a word.
If the student...
Places a card in the wrong column.
Have the student read the card and the header aloud and look at the pattern again. Model the right choice if needed, then let them move it and read the column.
Tips
- Add one odd word that fits no column. Spotting it keeps the student looking at every letter.
- In a group, give each pair a set of cards and compare columns at the end.
Original routines written by Literacy Trail. In the app, every routine is filled with your student's lesson.
Related routines
- Sound card reviewShow the sound cards taught so far, quickly, so every known spelling stays automatic.2 to 4 minutes · Review
- Spot the vowel pattern, then readFind the vowel spelling first, decide its sound, then read the whole word.3 to 6 minutes · Word reading
- Quick letter-sound drillFlash known letters for their sounds at a brisk pace, with fast fixes.2 to 3 minutes · Review
- Heart word review deckFlash the student's heart word cards, old and new, until each one is read on sight.2 to 3 minutes · Review, Heart words
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.