Teaching Phonics-Virtual Learning

Phonics can easily be left out during virtual learning because it seems so hands on and teacher-directed at times. But I’ve got all the tools you need for teaching phonics during virtual learning! These ideas will make low effort on your part, but high engagement on the students part!

Image of a student working on a computer, for a blog post about phonics distance learning.

Introducing the Phonics Pattern

YouTube Video Library

I honestly love starting phonics with catchy songs! I think it helps the new sounds/patterns to stick. I created a list of my favorite YouTube videos to teach phonics (check out this blogpost for more specific videos on the list). This is a Google Slides presentations of a few of my favorite videos. Click the picture to get a FREE copy! It covers videos from letter recognition to long vowels. If you’re interested, you can check out my favorite YouTube channels for the primary classroom here too.

Another cool way to make YouTube videos more interactive is to use Edpuzzle (the tutorial is linked here for my blogpost).

Link to phonics video library can be found here.

Blending Practice

I know Zoom is all the rage, but it’s hard to get everyone on the call, so to make it as simple as possible, I create videos using the Screencastify Chrome extension and record my introductory phonics lessons using these blending PowerPoints (available in Google Slides versions as well). That way students can watch and learn even if it’s from a parent’s phone.

Video tutorial for phonics instruction online created through Screencastify. A tutorial on how to use Screencastify can be found on my blog about virtual learning tools here. The blending powerpoint slides can be found here.

Practicing Phonics Patterns at Home

Roll & Read Fluency Activity

Once students understand the new pattern and have practiced it in single words, we move to practicing it in sentences. I have Google Classroom with my students and am able to send out assignments that can be done digitally at home on iPads or Chromebooks. These Roll & Read Fluency Sentences are fun and the perfect practice. Even when we’d do these in the classroom, students would ask to take new ones home to play. These are available in print as well!

Digital Roll & Read can be found in my TpT Store.

Digital Word Work Activity

Independence is exactly what you are looking for during virtual learning. These digital word work activities have students practice, practice, practice their new found phonics skill. Here’s a (fast-motion) preview of all the activities students do during the work word time (this is an example of the beginning s-blends).