Wilson 1.3 Digraphs

This week I introduced the concept of digraphs.  This is nothing new for the students and the same digraphs and keywords are used in FUNdations.  However, digraphs can still be tricky because they contain 2 letters, but they only make one sound.  As you can see from the clip we are still working on letter-sound relations, but I have been impressed with the classes' ability to "tap" unknown words.  Don't judge my videography skills too harshly, but I thought this would give a little insight into the wonderful world of Wilson.  In the clip a student says the wrong sound for a letter.  When that happens, always direct them back to the letter and keyword combination. 9 times out of 10 this will lead to self-correction.

We will also be incorporating Secret Stories into our reading class as a way to make digraphs more memorable. Secret Stories are pictures of digraphs that are related to a story.  I'll add a post about Secret Stories when we get deeper into that.

The Words Their Way sorts are connected to the Wilson rule we are covering, and it is another way students can connect with words in a tactile and authentic way.  When working with the word sorts at home, encourage your child to explain why he or she put their word in that particular pile. Being able to verbalize the rational behind the sort, and teach another about it is an excellent way of remembering the material.  Homework has been pretty skimpy this week, but it will pick up some next week once the class is back in the habit of marking words and self-correcting.


I'm curious how many parents are comfortable "tapping" at home, would a primer clip about tapping be helpful?