Making Magic

WITH WORDS
Golden Key Guide

Orientation
Guide to
Venture into
Vowels
Reading
Intervention
Programme

Annemarie Roux
 Welcome
A Warm Welcome from Annemarie
You have just made one of the most meaningful decisions you can make for a
struggling reader. This guide is here to ensure that you can implement the
activities in your Venture into Vowels booklets with confidence and purpose.

Venture into Vowels is a structured intervention programme including five

richly resourced booklets — one booklet for each short vowel sound: a, e, i, o
and u.
These booklets contain multi-levelled and differentiated resources plus
engaging activities, including:

A4 posters with pictures and words

Differentiated reading texts and short reading chunks
Word cards representing the vowel sounds from the text
Word and Picture card games
A4 reading charts
Assessment tools
Writing activities
Word card game guides
QR audio stories

Whether you are a Learning support educator, remedial specialist, therapist,

or home-schooling parent — you are exactly who this programme was
designed for. The magic is in the doing. Let's begin!
 Before you Begin
Getting your materials ready
Everything you might need is already inside each booklet. A little upfront
preparation means every session will run smoothly and confidently — so you
can focus entirely on your students.

Preparation Checklist

✓ Print the pages Print on heavier paper or card stock for best durability

✓ Laminate Laminated cards survive multiple lessons and many hands

✓ Cut out the cards Use scissors or a paper trimmer along the card outlines

✓ Print one set per student Group games, 2–4 students each need their own set
✓ Get a stopwatch Required for the Reading Fluency and Word Race activities

✓ Print reading texts Every learner must have their own copy of the story text

✓ Prepare score sheets Keep Assessment Score Sheets on hand to record in real time

cat pig hut

hen pot
 Annemarie's Tip
Don't let laminating be a barrier to starting! Plain
paper cards work beautifully, especially to begin
with. The most important thing is that you begin —
your students are waiting for the magic to start.

Recommended Group Sizes

Setting Group Size · Notes

One-on-one (therapy / remedial) 1 student · Ideal for intensive support

Small group (classroom pull-out) 2–4 students · Maximum practice opportunity

Whole-class (straddling model) Up to 30 · Differentiate by story level

Home schooling 1–4 children · Parent-led; highly effective

Pre-Reading Activities Phase 1
1
Let's Talk — Level 1 Picture Discussion
Activating prior knowledge before a single word is read

Every lesson begins with a rich conversation — not optional, not a warm-up,
but a critical step grounded in the Science of Reading. Building schema (prior
knowledge) before reading, dramatically improves comprehension and
vocabulary uptake, especially for struggling readers.

Additional Pre-Reading Activities

Let's Talk Moments

Ask an open personal question connected to the story topic. For example: 'Have
you ever seen a cat do something funny?' This wakes up the brain before decoding
begins.

Mystery Bag

Fill a bag with 3–5 objects related to the story. Students touch, feel, describe, and
predict — a perfect multi-sensory starter that works for all ages!

Interactive KWL Charts

Set up floor stations: What I Know · What I Wonder · What I Learned. Students
physically move between stations. Brilliant for kinesthetic learners, who love to
move.

Word Splash with Movement

Write 8–10 key vowel words from the lesson on cards and place around the room.
Students walk, touch the words they recognise, then discuss them. Introduce new
words with quick images or demonstrations.
Using the Level 1 “Let’s Talk” Picture Page

Open the booklet on the Level 1 page. Point to each illustration and
ask students to name what they see.

This is not yet reading — it is visual vocabulary building. Ask: 'Can you
see something starting with c-sound? (Answer: cat)
Show the large vowel letter. Say the sound clearly — the
phoneme, not the letter name.
Ask students to echo the sound back. Celebrate every correct response
warmly.

Annemarie's
Level 2 Tip
Use a Mystery Bag for the very first lesson of each
new vowel sound. The surprise element hooks even
the most reluctant learner instantly. One small bag
— one enormous shift in engagement.

LET’
S TA
Level 1 LK

“LET’S TALK”
PICTURE PAGE
Reading the Differentiated Stories
Levels 2, 3 & 4 — The Same Story, Three Different Entry Points
2
This is where the magic of straddling comes alive. The same story is told at
three progressively more complex levels — so every student participates in
the same lesson while working at their own level. No one is excluded. No
one is embarrassed.

Level 2
Short sentences, large text, wide spacing. “Small reading bites”
or “chunks”. Ideal for early and emerging readers — not too
many words at a time - never overwhelming them.

Level 3

Slightly longer sentences with more descriptive language,

introducing a narrative arc. Students read connected paragraphs.

Level 4

A fully developed story with richer vocabulary, varied sentence

structure, and humour! Advanced readers can tackle this
independently.
 How to Design a Reading Lesson
Model first - Read the text aloud (several times) before asking students
to read. Let them hear correct pronunciation, fluency phrasing, and
expression. Explain all the difficult or unfamiliar words.

Do Paired Reading** - A more proficient reader (a parent, volunteer, or

peer) reads aloud simultaneously with a struggling reader.

Assign levels - Quietly place each student on their appropriate reading

level. This is straddling - meeting each learner exactly where they are.

Read together - Invite all students to read simultaneously. The blended

voices create a safe, low-pressure environment.

Read individually - Once confidence grows, invite volunteers to read

alone. Always celebrate the attempt - never the perfection.

Discuss the story - Ask simple comprehension questions. Enjoy the funny
moments — these stories are written to make children smile!

Repeat! - Repetition is the engine of reading progress. The same text can
and should be revisited across multiple sessions.

** Paired Reading: To begin, both partners read aloud together at the

student's chosen pace, with the tutor adjusting their speed to match the
learner. When students feel confident enough to read independently, they
give a pre-agreed signal — such as a tap or knock — and the tutor falls
silent, allowing the student to read solo.

If the student stumbles or hesitates for more than five seconds, the tutor
simply joins back in without correction or judgment, normalising the error
and maintaining flow. Praise is given frequently for signaling and for
independent attempts, reinforcing confidence alongside decoding skills.
The Card Games
4 Hands-on Games to Build Word Recognition through Play
3
Four Hands-On Games to Build Word Recognition Through Play.
Physically handling word cards activates cognitive pathways that worksheets
simply cannot reach. Each of these four games uses the same set of vowel
word cards but builds a different reading skill.

Before any game, lay all cards face-up and read through them together —
this warm-up ensures everyone knows the words before play begins.

bat fat bat fat

fat bat

Game 1: Matching Game

(Memory / Concentration)

Lay ALL cards face-down in neat rows on the table or floor.

Players take turns flipping two cards. Read each card aloud — every
time.

If the two cards show the same word, the player keeps the pair and
takes another turn.

If they don't match, turn them face-down again in exactly the same
position.

The player with the most pairs at the end wins!

 Game 2: Go Fish

Deal 5 cards to each player. Place remaining cards face-down in a

“pond”-pile in the centre.

Player 1 asks any other player: “Do you have the word [word]?” - the
word must be read aloud.

If that player has the matching card, they hand it over and Player 1 -
3
who places the pair down.

If not, Player 1 draws one card from the “pond” and the play passes
to the next player.

The first player to match all thier cards wins - but the rest of the
team players keep playing untill all cards are matched.

Game 3: Snap!

Divide all cards equally.

1

2Take turns flipping your top card face-up onto a central pile.

3
Shout "SNAP!" when two cards on the pile match. Matching means
4same word or picture.

5
The first to call "Snap" wins the pile.

Add the won pile to the bottom of your hand.

Run out of cards? You're out! Last player with cards wins
 rat
cat
hat ha
t Game 4: Word Race bat

1 Place all word cards face-up in a single row on the floor or table.

Students read all the words from left to right as quicky as they can.
3

4 Time them on a stopwatch. Record their timne on a personal score

sheet.
5
Repeat - students race only against their own previous time
score, never against others.

Track improvement across sessions - celebrate together when

students successfully improve on their previous score/s.

Annemarie's Tip
Word Race is one of the most powerful fluency-
builders in the programme. Never allow students
to race each other — only against themselves. This
removes performance anxiety and builds genuine
intrinsic motivation. Students who beat their own
time has won something truly meaningful.
Picture & Word Card
Matching Game
4
Connecting Image to Print - the Essesnce of Reading

Each booklet includes a dedicated set of picture cards and word cards
featuring the target vowel sound. This tactile matching activity builds the
fundamental phoneme-grapheme connection — what the letter sounds like
and what it looks like. This is not a bonus. It is the foundation of reading.

In the Classroom:
How it Works

cat mat

Print and cut out all picture and word cards from the relevant pages in
the booklet.

Lay all picture cards face-up in a row.

Shuffle the word cards and place them in a separate pile.

The student picks a word card, reads it aloud (sounding out is the
whole point!), then finds and places it beside the matching picture.

Once all the matches are made, read through the

complete set together from left to right.
For a challenge: turn all the cards face-down and
play as a Memory Game.

For independent practice: Students self-check by looking at

both the picture and the word - no adult required. This
builds independence and confidence.
 Annemarie's Tip

Picture cards are not just for younger students.

Even a Grade 6 student with serious reading delays
benefits enormously from picture-word matching.

The image is a retrieval cue — it reduces cognitive

load and lets the student experience immediate
success. Additionally, it enriches Vocabulary!

Why This Activity Works

Visual Children have strong visual recall. The picture

Memory anchors the word firmly in long-term memory.

Reduces Rather than decoding from scratch each time,

the picture provides immediate context.
Cognitive Load

All Learner Visual learners, ESL learners, and students

Profiles with dyslexia all benefit significantly.

Self-Directed Students can self-check, re-try, and build

Learning confidence completely independently.

Vocabulary Seeing image + word together strengthens

Depth meaning, not just decoding ability.
 Reading Fluency Charts
Building Speed, Accuracy & Automaticity -
One Minute at a Time
5
Automaticity means reading a word at a single glance — without sounding it
out letter by letter. It is the bridge between laborious decoding and fluent,
confident reading. These Reading Charts build automaticity through
repeated, timed practice.

a-sou Two Reading Charts

nd Re
ading
Chart
a-
hat cat so
un
dR
sat ra m at pan ea
din
gC
t at s a v a ha
rt
bat fat p n
ca n c a g a p lap
man da b
m map jam ham ban
cap da flat ram
d sad ash
ran fa
n tan flash dash glad
bad ha sa sp l cras
d has nd a sh h
ban g
d g ash READ T
rand HESE W
ORDS A
S FAST
AS YOU
CAN

hat cat
mat rat
fat sat
can ham
had ran
1-Minute Assessment Challenge sad map
man bat
dam at
cap pan
dad has
bad van
ram tap
gap jam
lap lad
ash sand
splash ad
d
 How to Use
Two Reading Charts & 1-Minute Assessment
The two Reading Charts and the 1-Minute Assessment Challenge have the same
words. The Reading Charts allow the student to practise first, without timing,
before being assessed using a stopwatch! Afterwards follow up with a 1-Minute
Assessment to determine whether the student can read these words successfully.

Reading Charts

Introduce the Reading Charts - Show the student the two Reading Charts.
Explain that today you'll practise to read all the words as fast as possible,
from left to right.

Model the task - The teacher reads through the first row to demonstrate
direction and pace. Use a ruler or finger to track line by line (if needed).

Allow time to practise - Encourage students to practice at their own pace,

while supporting where necessary.

1-Minute Assessment

Introduce the “Read These Words As Fast As You Can” sheet - This serves
as an assessment. Explain it as a fun activity to see how fast they can read
these same combined words.

First attempt - Start the stopwatch. The student reads from the first word
to the last word. Stop at 1-minute if they haven’t finished.

Record the score - On the Marking Sheet, note (a) the words read correctly
in one minute, and (b) the number of reading errors.

Plot the Graph - Transfer the score to the Word Frequency Scale Graph.
The visual record is deeply motivating - students can see their own
progress!

Repeat across sessions - Do this in every session. The goal is always to

beat the personal best.
 Annemarie's Tip

Tell students: 'You are not competing with anyone

else in this room. You are competing with
yesterday's you — and that is a race you can
always win.' Use these words every single session.
They reshape how children experience reading.

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Hear-With-Your-Little-Ear
Developing Rhyming, Listening and Phonemic
Awareness Skills - crucial for fluent Reading
6
Before children can read words, they must hear the sounds within them.
These auditory activities develop the phonological and phonemic
awareness skills that underpin all decoding. They are also genuinely fun
— often the part of the lesson students ask to repeat!

Activity 1
Which Two Words Rhyme?

Read three words aloud — slowly and clearly. Say the phonemes
(sounds), not alphabet letter names.

1 Ask: 'Two of these words rhyme. Which two?'

Give the student at least 5 seconds to think - do not rush.

If the students struggles, model the rhyme yourself: “Listen ... cat,
bat. Do you hear that? Same sound at the end.”

4 Confirm correct answers warmly. For incorrect ones, model gently

and try again without judgement.

Activity 2
Which Word Does NOT Rhyme?

The reverse challenge — three words are given and the student identifies
the odd one out. After answering, always ask: 'Can you explain in your
own words what rhyming means?' Checking for understanding reveals
whether the concept has truly been grasped.
 Practise Listening Skills
10 Structured Exercises

Syllable Children have strong visual recall. The picture

anchors the word firmly in long-term memory.
Clapping (Ex 1)

Word Counting Rather than decoding from scratch each time,

(Ex 2) the picture provides immediate context.

Word Position (Ex Visual learners, ESL learners, and students

3-4) with dyslexia all benefit significantly.

Phoneme Substitution Students can self-check, re-try, and build

(Ex 5-9) confidence completely independently.

Compound Word Seeing image + word together strengthens

Deletion (Ex 10) meaning, not just decoding ability.

Annemarie's Tip

These listening activities take only 10 minutes - do

them every single lesson. Phonemic awareness is a
daily practice, not an occasional exercise. Small,
consistent doses produce the biggest gains.

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The Adventure Trail Games
A Unique Vowel-Sorting Maze - one per Booklet 7
Each booklet features its own themed adventure trail — a grid of short
vowel words where the student traces a path using only the words
containing the target vowel sound. Use as a consolidation activity, revision
challenge, or fun warm-up.

a Lost-in-the-Woods
Follow the a-sound
words to find your way
to safety!

At-the-Beach
Follow the e-sound
words to find your lost
beach ball!
e
In-the-City
Follow the i-sound words
to find your way home
through city traffic!
i
o Under-the-Sea
Follow the o-sound words to
discover buried treasure!

Cycling-in-Nature
Follow the u-sound words along
a new off-road cycling trail! u
 How To Play

Begin at arrow marked START HERE at the top of the word

grid.

Read each word in the grid aloud, one at a time — every

word, even those not on the path.

When you find a word containing the target vowel sound,

colour it, circle it, or draw a connecting line.

Continue connecting only the target vowel words — they

form a pathway from start to finish.

At the bottom, compare your path against the Answers

page.

Revision Round: using the Answers page, read ALL words in

the grid from left to right as fast as possible — cross-vowel
discrimination in action!

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ODS GAM
OST-IN-THE-WO
L . If you oods
st in the w
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pup sa t s k id bat mu jo t pig
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 Fun Alternative

Bring more fun into the classroom by encouraging students to

place small tokens on their answers (instead of circling the
words or drawing conneting lines). These tokens could be
anything “small” - such as small buttons, tiny pebbles, shells
or even beans!

Annemarie's Tip

The revision version of the Adventure Trail — where all

five vowel sounds are mixed together is one of the
most powerful auditory discrimination exercises in the
programme. Students who can sort words by vowel
sound instantly are building the foundation of fluent
reading.
 Assessment Activities
Discovering where each learner is
- so you can meet them there
8
This programme includes four assessment tools that together build a
complete picture of each student's phonics and phonemic awareness profile.
Importantly, they also double as engaging practice activities in their own
right.
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Assessment 1
Auditory Skills: First & Last Sounds

Sit opposite the student. Assessment pages face you - not the
student.

Explain: “I will say a word out loud. Tell me: what is the FIRST
sound you hear?”

Read the first word clearly and wait. Students answer with
sounds, not letter names.

Record each response on the Score Sheet as correct or incorrect

in real time.

Repeat for the Last Sound assessment, then tally the total
score out of 24.

Use the Functioning Categories table to determine the student's

support level.
 Assessment 2
Spelling with a Twist

Not an ordinary spelling test - a phoneme manipulation task.

Students listen to a word, perform a mental sound swap or
deletion, then write the new word. This tests phonemic awareness
in depth.

Distribute blank paper. Students number 1–10 and write their

name.

Read each of the 10 statements slowly. Allow thinking time after

each.

Example: 'The word is “cat” — take away the “c”, replace it with
“r”. Write the new word.' (rat)

Mark by using the Score Sheet and tick-off the Observation

Checklist: Does the student understand the instruction? Is he
anxious? Does he present poor auditory memory?

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.. ...... t ……....
..
...... men
ent: sess
Stud e As .../n
o
e of g th es/..
Nam d u ctin .....y o
Con .../n
IST
n N / ..
TIO
o e s
Pers ....y
A TW
n no
V A uctio ...../
WITH ER s t r s /
OBS
e
T the
In ....y o
SME N nds tain es/..
.../n
SSES nde
rsta ncer ....y
ING A
.
and cl
early 1. U nd U ry s
SPELL
u s a m o k il l
owly the nxio Me ss S
teme
nts sl
k and
write 2. A itory war
ene
10 st
a thin Aud ic A
these ts to oor nem
reads uden 3. P o
acher the st n.
oor
P h
e for s dow
The te o u g h tim in g word 4. P
e en spell S
Provid
WER
“r”.
with

e “c” an
d rep
lace it
ANS ... /
...
.
away
th
. r at .. . / ..
take 1 ...
- but r: rat word
. t ... /
“cat” nswe of the 2. fa
ord is wn. A ning ...
The w d o
begin n ... /
1 Write this word
to th e 3. ta ...
dd “f” er: fa
t
4. an
d ... /
but a Answ word
. .
“at” - own. f the at . / ..
ord is ord d ing o 5 . h ..
The w w w eginn ...
is n e the b n ... /
2 Wri te th “t ” to 6. ra ...
dd a n at
but a er: ta 7. m ... /
"an" - own.
Answ ... ........
ord is ord d d ... / ........
The w ew w away. 8. sa ........
3 Write th is n
the “b
”
c a n .. . / ..
.
.. .. .. ........
take r: and 9 . .... ”
- but nswe ........ risk
and” ins. A t ES: “at
10. a ORI
"b a “h”. risk”
ord is m ith a 0-2
The w word
that re
“s” so
und w
CA TEG “at
4 Write the ce the NG kills 3-4
p la a t
ONI ry S
CTI
re er: h
- but . Answ dito 5-6
ord is
"sat"
word
down with
a “n”. FUN W e a k Au
7-8
The w sound ly ls il
is new e “t” eme y Sk s 9-1
0
5 Wri te th
lace th Extr Auditor ry Skill
10
re p
dito ills ....
...../
bu t
r: ran f the k
"rat" - nswe ing o Wea u ........
RE:
A
ord is wn. A eginn a ge y Sk ls ........
........
the b r r
SCO
The w rd do Ave dito Skil
........
to
w o u n d d Au itory L ..
6 Write this “m” so Goo ent Aud A ..
TOT
dd a at T: .... o r y
er: m
but a Answ ing o
f the
Exce
ll MEN in A
udit
"at" - own. eginn ESS ise
e w ord is w ord d the b ASS ract
nd p nt
TING
T h th is nd to
7 word. W ri te
add a
“s” so u
d ** U C rt a
ppo elopme
D s u
“add"
- but . Answ
er: sa
CON ive
tens Skills D
ev
ord is down a “c”. SON es in
PER
s
The w word quir arenes
te th is ” with = re w
8 word. Wri the “p risk” A
u t re place “at
-b n
"pan” er: ca
ord is Answ
The w own.
ord d
9 Write this w a w ay "b"
.
t
ut take Answer: a
"b a t" - b a in s. not
ord is at rem does
The w ord th lling
e w - spe
10 Write th w o rd only
of the here!
sound a role
t the play
abou
** It is
 Assessment 3
Test your Memory

After the lesson, close all materials and ask: “How many words with today's
vowel sound can you remember? Write as many as you can.”
This assesses orthographic memory and consolidation. Celebrate every word
recalled — every single one!

9
Writing Activities
Developing Writing Skills

Writing Activity 1
Make Your Own Sentences
MAKE YO
UR OW
N SENTE
NCES
Name of
Learner:
............
............
............
Choose ............
any 3 wo ......
the midd rds from
le of the the lesso
word an n, with
d write an “a-s
your ow ound” in
n full se
ntences
My first .
word: ....
............
Sentenc ............
e: ............
............
.

Choose any 3 words from the lesson and

............
............
............
............ ............
............ ............
............ ............
............ ............
............ ............ ............
............ .........

write a complete sentence for each.

............ ............
............ ............
............ ............
............ .........
............
............
My seco .........
nd word
: ............
Sentenc ............
e: ............
............
.....
............
............
............
............ ............
............ ............
............

Independent and unscaffolded - a true

............ ............
............ ............ ............
............ ............ .........
............ ............
............ ............
............ ............
............ .........
............
............

window into vocabulary depth.

My third .........
word: ....
............
Sentenc ............
e: ............
............
.
............
............
............
............ ............
............ .... ............
............ ............
............ .... ............
............ ............ ............
............ ............ .
............ ............
............ ............
............ .........
............
............
............
.........

Writing Activity 2
Write your own Story

Using a picture prompt, write a short

original story.

Guide length by age: 5 sentences (7–

9), 6 sentences (10–12), 8 sentences
(13–15).

Don't correct grammar while writing

- let ideas flow first. Example: Picture Prompt for a-sound
 Annemarie's Tip

Assessment in this programme is never about catching

a student out — it is about discovering exactly where
they are so you can meet them there. Every score is a
starting point, not a verdict.

Word Families
Pattern Recognition - the Last Lane
to Fluent Decoding
10
Each booklet closes with Word Families — groups of words sharing
the same ending pattern. Reading Word Families builds
orthographic mapping: the ability to store and instantly retrieve
whole letter patterns from memory. This is what makes reading
fast and fluent.

S
MILIE ords
OR D FA n w
d
W sou
e a-
thes
Read

o rd Family at
“-at” W at ma
t p
ca t fat h hat spat
t c
at ba t vat flat
rat sa o rd F amily ag
“-ag” W g rag sag t
g ag lag na flag drag
bag brag
wag
o rd F amily an
“-an” W an ran tan nv
a n m an p scan spa
can f clan plan
bran o rd Family
“-ad” W ad s ad gla
d
ha d lad m
ad
bad d
 How to Use Word Families

Read each word family group together in unison — teacher and student
simultaneously.

Then ask the student to read the group independently, as quickly as

they can.

Point out the shared ending pattern: “What do all these words have in
common?”

Challenge: Can the student think of another word from the same
family not on the list?

Design a new recording sheet together with the student to record

reading speed (in seconds) for each of the word families.

Revisit these lists at the start of subsequent sessions as a speedy

warm-up. Repetition is the key!

Annemarie's Tip
Word Families are particularly powerful for students
with dyslexia. Rather than decoding letter by letter,
students learn to recognise the pattern-chunk
dramatically reducing cognitive effort and building
both speed and accuracy simultaneously.
Bonus Activities: u-sound
3 Bonus Activities as final revision and consolidation
of all the vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) before moving on
11
to the next phase of phonics instruction

Listen-and-Guess-the-
Word Game
E
D GAM
E-WOR
ESS-TH ditory Synthesis Skill
s
D - G U
AN
LISTEN-p Auditory Closure an
d Au
lo ly enjoy! real
to deve udents ments an
d
e the st engage
ry gam d many ring this
r audito have ha and du
anothe now they l sounds
Here is th at by vo we tu al ly know
is is single at they
ac
on for th e short, over th
The reas these fiv they disc ws:
ions with s when as follo
interact e succes explains
perienc teacher

Develops auditory closure and

ex e
game th ey er s! Th certain
the answ ere are
aloud. Th at the
reading guess wh
se nt en ce I am an d yo u must ll guide
wi
fu lly to the e se ntences ce - as this
re th as soon
vocabulary depth across all five
en
"Listen ca rds left
out in of the se
nt
e word
in the wo meaning ll out th ."
sounds n to the may ca sentence
wo rd is. Liste in g wo rd. You e re ad ing the
missing miss plet
correct e to com
find the allow m

vowel sounds.
you to s it! Ju st
can gues
as you
swer: he
n er: fit
y. Answ house
r nest. An t get tired easil er: hut/
g on he es no gs. Answ
_ is sittin _ and do using lo
The h _ is very f_ th e woods er : rat
et e __ in An sw
The athl small h om.
built a ss the ro er: sip
The man ing acro ug. Answ : shut
_ _ runn m my m
saw a r Answer
The teacher reads sentences with one The cat
I slowly
We sh _
s _ _ my hot
_ the do
coffee fro
or when
comes af
it is co
ter five
ld outside.
is s _ _.
fferent
An er
sw
ingredien
: six
ts togeth
e s _ _.
er. Answ
Answer
er: mix
: sun

e nu m ber that m _ _ the di rs h ra ys of th er : cut

vowel word partially missing.

Th I sw
I ba ke a cake
el f fro m the ha sh ar p kn ife. An
When ect mys f with a
er I prot _ mysel
In summ and c _ : red feeds
potatoes is r _ _. Answer er: fed/
I peeled d od. Answ
of bloo althy fo
Students listen to the sentence
lo ur he t
The co
r f _ _ her ch
ild
_. An swer: co
he a c _ er: bi n
The mot sleeps in _. Answ
all baby in a b _ swer: ja
m
outside.
The sm sh away toast. An g _ _ very cold
w our tra _ _ on his
We thro will

context and call out the missing He love

In winter
s bu
th
: get
tte
e
r and j
te m perature
dr op

or with
s and it

an old
r _ _. An
sw er : ra g

Answer s the flo g s

her clean swer: do swer: bu
word.
: bag
My mot rk s at night. An b_ _. Answer ol by b
_ _. An
_ ba a brow n to scho
Our d _ eries in velling
ac e my groc an d pr efer tra An sw er: bed
I pl lking b _ _.
like wa n warm
I do not in my ow swer: fro
g
At night
I sleep pond. An er: desk wet.
into the Answ getting
jumped d _ _ _. prevent
A fr _ _ sit at a
___ _ _ to
study, I y um _
When I I open m

Example: 'The h__ is sitting on her ra ins ,

When it la
: umbrel
Answer

nest.' (Answer: hen).

VOWEL SOUNDS
e
GET-HELP-FROM-WORD
REVISION OF SHORT
!

Surprise

-FAMILIES LIST
o
u

i
GAME
a
GIVE-ME-A-WORD
Now, is a good time
in this intervent ion
to revise and consolida
prog ram me,
te the single vowel soun
before moving on to
the next part of
ds
a e i o u
again becomes fun.
Here, learning once
phonics instruction.
a hexagon (six sides
) with all the sounds
to be
cat hen sip pot
On the next page is
nate and cut out the large hexagon. Mak
e a small hut
revised. Copy, lami
insert a pencil through
it. Students then quic
kly
sat pen pip nod
hole in the middle and
spin the pencil arou
nd and wait for the
hexagonal to come
to a stop.
gam e can
rug
The vowel sound it land
s on then becomes the
focus and the
hat men bin hot
be played as follo ws. run
mat pet tin mom but
h the hexagon stops:
d the sound on whic
The student reads alou
a-sound." The stud
ent tries to generate
his/her
fat get pin dot
For example: "It's an
has that soun d in it, for example:
"rat" and earns 2
ents cannot
bun
own word that
marks for a wrong
answer). If the stud can ten fit got
points if correct. (0
think of a word, they
may sear ch for a word on the "GET-HELP-FR
OM-
nut
fan net
GAME 1

WORD-FAMILIE
A word is chosen
S-LI ST".
from the list and
shouted out loud for
everyone
pig hop sun
earns 1 point.
playing along, to hear
. The student now only
out, may not be jam set six cot
Important: Words
that have already
been calle
must be invented or
d
read each time. Play
ers do gut
repeated , but new ones
lenge themselves to
impr ove
tap gem big pop
not compete against
each other, but chal
each time they play this gam e! mug
on their previous atte
mpt
lap met give not
hexagon stops out loud
: For cup
sound on which the
The student reads the her consults the "GET
-HELP-FROM- sap end skid rod
example: It's an "e-s ound ." The teac
to choose a word on
the list that matches
the cut
WORD-FAMILIES-LIST"
d out. The student mus
t then write this word
. If
nap bend fin plot
sound the student calle
earn ed. If the word is misspelle d, the stud ent may
hunt
correct, 2 points are lly and then try to write
it
pan send fig
GAME 2

look at the word, try

to remember it visua
now written correctly,
1 point is earned! The forgot shut
again. If the word is
students try to impr
ove on their previous
attempts!
map rest first trot
NOTE: Just for fun, a
surprise element was
built into this game!
Should
a "surprise" token and
have plum
Surp rise Box, they earn
on the e
students land and the students decid The above list of words can
the game. The teacher also be used as a 1-minu
another chance to play
te reading activity to practis
wou ld be! word-decoding skills in order e quick
the "surp rise" elem ent for the day to read these words as autom
atisms.
ahead of time what
 Give-Me-a-Word Game
Hexagon Spinner

Copy, laminate, and cut out the hexagon spinner. Insert

a pencil through the centre hole. Students spin, read the
vowel sound it lands on, and generate a word containing
that sound.

Game 1: 2 points for an independent word, 1 point for

using the Word Families list.

Game 2: The teacher provides a word and the student

writes it. Includes a Surprise Box for extra fun!

a u
e
a u
e
i

rise!

o
Surp

rise!

o
Surp
 Final Assessment of Short
Vowel Sounds
Formal Spelling Assesment

A formal 20-word spelling test covering all five vowel sounds: rag, bus,
bed, lip, pot, dig, can, men, hut, fig, pet, tap, get, rug, map, jug, win,
bad, hen, dog. Each word is given in context (sentence). Results guide
the design of the student's Individual Support Plan.

L SOUNDS
NT OF SINGLE VOWE
FINAL ASSESSME
y
it is now necessar
tion programme,
g with this interven have not yet been
Before continuin e which sounds
ss and determin Test.
to pause to asse ws a Spel ling
d. Here follo
properly mastere es his/her name,
of paper and writ ASSESSMENT- STU
ives an A4 sheet
The student rece top and number
from 1 to 20. DENT ANSWER SHE
grade and date at the
ly and clearly and Name of Student: ....... ET
s the words slow ....... .............................Grad
The teacher read a next word. e: ....... Date: ..............
ent is ready for .
waits until the stud s. First the single wor
d, then Word ..../x....
e time
s the word thre then the ASSESSMENT - REC Error-Analysis
The student hear of the word, and ORDING SHEET
ence to expl ain the meaning 1. rag
follows a sent word only.
student writes the Name: ...........................
word again. The is. The spelling
......... ............ Grade: .........
uct an error-analys [Link] Date: ...................
responses and cond l Support Plan and
Mark the student Indiv idua INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT
guid e the design of the PLAN FOR SPELLING
errors mad e,
s.
[Link]
future intervention
Areas that require suppo
[Link] rt, according to the
Error-analysis
rag ........................................
e the table clean. [Link] ..........
t ........................................ ............................................................................
1. rag I use a rag to wip bus ..........
scho ol by bus . ........................................
We travel to bed ........................................ ....................................
2. bus m bed. [Link]..........
g ..............................
........................................
I sleep in my war
........................................
At nigh t lip ........................................ ......
3. bed bites his lip. ........................................ ........................................
He is scared and
......
pot [Link].......... ........................................
4. lip in a pot. n ........................................ ........................................
her makes soup
......
My mot dig ........................................
5. pot to plant a tree.
........................................
........................................
....................................

6. dig They dig a hole can [Link] ........................................ ........................................

can still walk. ........................................ ......
I was injured, but men ........................................
Name of the Teacher .....
7. can y the heavy boxes. [Link] ....................................
men The strong men carr by using logs. hut ..................................
8. hut in the woods
9. hut The man built a fig
[Link] TOTAL SCORE ........
fruit.
is a sweet-tasting pet ........./20
10. fig A fig
a cat as a pet. tap
11. pet I have n it. [Link]
the tap when I ope
12. tap Water flows from get FUNCTIONING CATE
GORY
milk from a cow. [Link] ....................................
We get our rug
beside my bed.
...............................
13. get
I hav e a rug on the floor map
14. rug find our way. [Link] Extremely Weak Spell
15. map We use a map to jug ing Skills
0-5
a jug.
16. jug I pour milk from the race.
win [Link]
was able to win Weak Spelling Skills
17. win The tired athlete stay indo ors. bad 6-9
n the wea ther is bad, we hen [Link]
18. bad Whe Average Spelling Skills
e eggs.
19. hen The hen lays thre dog 10 - 15
my dog for a walk. [Link]
20. dog I take Good Spelling Skills
16 - 18
[Link]
Excellent Spelling Skills
[Link] 19 - 20

T
HEE .....
.
GS
[Link]
.....
R DIN : ...
.....
O Da
t e [Link]
EC ....
-R .....
ENT
de:
M Gra NG
S . . . .
LLI
SES
.....
..... SPE
AS . ......
.....
F OR ysis
.. . . N nal
.....
..... PLA r-a ......
..... O RT eE
rro ......
: ... P h ...... ......
Na
me
S UP g to
t
.. ......
..
.. ......
L ord
in .. .. .. ......
UA
..
...... ...... ......
I D acc ...... ...... ...... ..
I V r t, .. .. .. .. .. ......
IND po ..
u p .. ...... .. .. ...... .. .. .... .. ...... ....
..
es uir ...... ...... .. ...... .. .... ..
.... ...... .... ..
req ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ....
at ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
s th ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
a ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
Are .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
......
.. ..
......
.. ...... .. .. ...... .. .. .... .. ...... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. ......
.
.. ..
.. .... ...... .. ...... .. .... .. .... .. ...... .. ...... .. ....
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .... .. ...
.....
.. .. ..
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
...... .. ...... .. .. ...... .. .. ...... .. ...... .. ...... .. .. ...... .. ...... . . . . .....
.. .. .... ...... .. .. .. .. .... .. .. ...
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... .....
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... .....
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... .....
...... ...... ...... ...... ...... .....
...... .. .. ...... .. .. ...... .. ...... .. .. ......
. . . . .....
.. .. .. .
...... ...... ......
..
...... ..... 20
...... ...... ...... ...... ..... .../
...... ...... ...... ..... .....
...... ...... ...... .....
...... .. ...... c her . . . . .....
.. .. .. a Y
..
......
....
eT
e RE OR .........
...... o f th SCO A TEG ..
Na
me TAL GC ......
......
0-
5
TO NIN ......
C TIO .... ......
FUN ...... 9
.. ......
..
ls 6-
...... Skil
...... ling
pel -1
5
a kS 10
We ls
m ely kil 8
tre gS -1
Ex l lin 16
Spe s
ak kill
We gS 0
llin -2
Spe 19
ra ge s
Ave kill
lin gS
pel
dS kill
s
Goo gS
llin
nt Spe
elle
Exc
A Note from Annemarie
Enjoy every moment with your special students as you journey
together through this exciting reading intervention programme.
Now you know where to begin, how to support them, and - of
course, you have your own specialised and differentiated
reading support material!

You are not just teaching children to decode words. You are
giving them the gift of language — and the confidence to use it.
That is the greatest magic of all.

With warmth and encouragement,

Master Remedial Specialist · Educational Psychologist

AnnemarieRoux
Yellow Tree Reading Academy

Annemarie Roux
 Making Magic
WITH WORDS
Annemarie Roux

© 2026 Yellow Tree Reading . All rights reserved.

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