MACTE-ServeMinnesota Early Literacy Teacher Development Initiative

Word Study: Phonics and Fluency

These classroom videos and lesson materials offer examples of word study lessons that develop phonics and fluency skills of children in grades K-2. These are real teachers using the Bridge2Read curriculum. These are not meant to be examples of "perfect lessons" nor are they meant to offer examples for all components of reading instruction. We encourage faculty and teacher candidates to review the components and scope and sequence of the Bridge2Read curriculum prior to working with the materials on this page.

Bridge2Read Word Study Videos and Lesson Materials
(Videos are password protected. Please click here for information about how to obtain the password.)  

Kindergarten Word Study Lessons and Videos

Video: Kindergarten Word Study Lesson 23
(Lesson Materials - K#23 - the letter "g")       

Video: Kindergarten Word Study Lesson 82
(Lesson Materials - K#82 - the word family "it") 

Video: Kindergarten Word Study Lesson 117
(Lesson Materials - K#117) 

First Grade Word Study Lessons and Videos

Video: Grade 1 Word Study Lesson 53
(Lesson Materials - 1#53 - digraph "ng")       

Video: Grade 1 Word Study Lesson 72
(Lesson Materials - 1#72 - long vowel+silent "e") 

Video: Grade 1 Word Study Lesson 94
(Lesson Materials - 1#94 - vowel team "oa") 

Two Day Sequence of First Grade Fluency Lessons with Decodable Passages:

Video: Day 1 - Lesson 87
(Lesson Materials - 1#87) 

Video: Day 2 - Lesson 88
(Lesson Materials - 1#88) 

Second Grade Word Study Lessons and Videos

Video: Grade 2 Word Study Lesson 78
(Lesson Materials - 2#78 - r-controlled vowels)       

Video: Grade 2 Word Study Lesson 89
(Lesson Materials - 2#89 - mastery activity) 

Video: Grade 2 Word Study Lesson 128
(Lesson Materials - 2#128 - morphology/suffixes) 

Two Day Sequence of Second Grade Fluency Lessons with Decodable Passages:
Please note: The fluency procedures in second and third grade are different from the fluency procedures in first grade.

Video: Day 1 - Lesson 90
(Lesson Materials - 2#90) 

Video: Day 2 - Lesson 91
(Lesson Materials - 2#91) 

Third Grade Word Study Lessons and Videos

Video: Grade 3 Word Study Lesson 105
(Lesson Materials - 3#105 - consonant+le syllable)       

Video: Grade 3 Word Study Lesson 115
(Lesson Materials - 3#115 - schwa) 

DELETION PENDING

***Archived Materials (original project materials):  Bridge2Read has been updated, and these materials are no longer current.  These materials will be available through fall sester 2025. Beginning in January 2026, these links will no longer be active. Please update all course materials to include the videos and lessons available above. ***

Kindergarten

Video: Kindergarten Word Study: Lesson 21
     (Lesson Materials - K #21)

Video: Kindergarten Word Study: Lesson 22
     (Lesson Materials - K #22)

Video: Kindergarten Word Study (Lesson #128)
     (Lesson Materials - K #128)

First Grade

Video: Grade 1 Word Study (Lesson #114)
     (Lesson Materials - Gr1 #114)

Video: Grade 1 Word Study (Lesson #115)
     (Lesson Materials - Gr1 #115)

Video:Grade 1 Word Study (Lesson #116)
     (Lesson Materials - Gr1 #116)

These video demonstrate a series of the the Bridge2Read lesson focused on vowel teams.  Lesson #114 introduces the ai vowel team. Lesson #115 is a mastery lesson that reviews the vowels teams that were learned in the previous lessons.  Lesson #116 is focused on developing fluency reading the ai and ay vowel teams.  

Second Grade

Video: Grade 2 Word Study (Lesson #94)
     (Lesson Materials - Gr2 #94)

Suggested Readings

Duke, N. K., & Mesmer, H. A. E. (2019). Phonics Faux Pas: Avoiding Instructional Missteps in Teaching Letter-Sound Relationships. American Educator, 42(4), 12–16.

Mesmer, H. A., & Kambach, A. (2022). Beyond Labels and Agendas: Research Teachers need to Know about Phonics and Phonological Awareness. The Reading Teacher, 76(1), 62–72. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2102

Suggested Assessments to Meet PELSB Standards

To meet the PELB standards related to phonics and fluency listed below, MACTE recommends that teacher candidates:
1.) Read about and participate in class presentations and discussions to build foundational knowledge in phonics and fluency. This knowledge can later be assessed via quiz/test, dicussion forum, or another written assignment; and
2.) Review the Bridge2Read lesson materials for the word study lessons, connecting each piece of the lesson to the foundational knowledge acquired from readings and class discussion; and
3.) View the Bridge2Read word study videos and discuss. We recommend that part of this discussion includes a conversation about the routines that needed to be built in order for the lessons to run smoothly; and
4.) Practice using/teaching the Bridge2Read word study materials with classmates; and
5.)  Write a lesson plan that includes the elements in standard 3.D.1.c.
MACTE recommends that all elementary teacher candidates complete a clincial experience in an early literacy setting. In course work connected to this setting, candidates should reflect on the implicit and explict attention given to phonics and fluency development in the clinical classroom.  Ideally candidates will lead a small or large group word study lesson.
 
3.C. A teacher of children in kindergarten through grade 6 must have knowledge of the foundations of reading processes, development, and instruction, including:
3.C.4. phonics and other word identification strategies and fluency, including:
3.C.4.a : - systematic, explicit phonics instruction that is sequenced according to the increasing complexity of linguistic units;
3.C.4.b : - word identification strategies and common, irregular sight words;
3.C.4.e : - the development of reading fluency; (Note:  MACTE sees this standard as only partially met by these activities)
3.D. A teacher of children in kindergarten through grade 6 must have knowledge of and ability to use a wide range of instructional practices, approaches, methods, and curriculum materials to support reading instruction, including:
3.D.1. appropriate, motivating instruction, both explicit and implicit, in

3.D.1.c : - the teaching of phonics, sight words, spelling, and fluency, including the selection, design, and use of instructional programs, materials, texts, and activities