Science of Reading: Guided Phonics + Beyond Program – UNIT 2 CVC WORDS

In part 1, we learned to define Science of Reading as a framework. We know that the Science of Reading can offer incredible results but it can also cause immense challenges. How do we implement these amazing practices when we don’t have a curriculum that encompasses all of the best practices? What do we do to make sure all of our learning material spirals and exposes our students to words in which all sounds have been explicitly taught, a program that embeds high frequency words, a program that embeds phonemic awareness, and how do you have time to be this meticulous with just one subject and still have time to dedicate to all the other learning throughout the school day? I had all of these same thoughts as I pondered about the many “big box” curriculum programs I was given/told to implement. I know that if I was to use those same “big box” programs for a Science of Reading approach, I would literally have to change EVERYTHING. The high frequency order would need changed, swapping “leveled” texts for decodables, adding in phoneme grapheme mapping routines, and honestly completely gutting the scope and sequence.

I set out to make this a much EASIER mission for teachers. I wouldn’t be able to completely wash out every task when it comes to implementing a Science of Reading approach, but I could lessen the burden. I reached out to my fabulous Facebook community and created what I call a “Think Tank” group. This is a group of 25 teachers. These teachers range in location, grade levels, and have varying training including LTRS and OG. These teachers have been your VOICE. The program I share below wouldn’t be the same it is today if it wasn’t for these amazing teachers. Why aren’t teachers asked for their opinion more when it comes to curriculum? After all, YOU are the ones implementing it and YOU are the ones seeing the results (or lack of) each and every day!

Science of Reading Centered Guided Phonics + Beyond: An Introduction

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is so much more than a phonics curriculum or even a small-group curriculum! This program has thought about all the best practices when it comes to a Science of Reading approach and carefully plugged them in. The program is SYSTEMATIC. A lot of people can get the word systematic swapped with boring. Sure, it might be boring to someone if they repeat the same routine each day. However, some can also say school is “boring” but it’s still good for us, right ; )

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program was written with special detail to every lesson and each included component. This program was designed to include the best practices for a Science of Reading approach.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program is designed to include all needed material to lead your whole-group phonics block and your small-group learning block. Each lesson plan has designated components and routines for both whole-group learning and small-group learning. The program includes a scope and sequence. This scope and sequence can be applied to any time frame. You can teach a new lesson every day, a new lesson every two days, and so on. Adjust the units to fit your students at that moment in time.

Anytime you read about a Science of Reading approach you will be sure to see the word SYSTEMATIC attached to it. What does a systematic approach mean when it comes to the Guided Phonics + Beyond program? This program is carefully designed to include the most effective routines that are precise and timely. You do not need to flash through sound cards for 5 minutes or build words for 25 minutes. With the program being explicit, you know exactly how to run each routine to maximize its impact. By having a systematic program, you get the opportunity to become REALLY great at teaching the routines. Compare this to making thirty new recipes in one month or repeating the same recipe thirty times. You will be really great at that one recipe with so much practice. You’ll learn right away what works, what doesn’t work, and how to differentiate it as well. The Guided Phonics + Beyond program is just that – -systematic and explicit! The program includes your phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program consists of 6 units. This particular post will focus on one of those units- – Unit 2: CVC words. In my opinion, Unit 2 offers all the heart eye emojis when it comes to implementing a Science of Reading approach. Unit 1 is amazing at constructing that solid base first needed with letter sounds and phonological awareness. Let’s jump into learning more about Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Overview

In Unit 2: CVC Words of the Guided Phonics + Beyond program, students will progress through the alphabet a second time. Students will learn sounds the second time though in an order that lends itself to building and reading words right away. Students will build those words, write those words, read those words in isolation, and read those words in context.

UNIT 2 CVC WORDS: BULLET POINT COMPONENTS

• detailed scope and sequence (editable)
• 50 lesson plans ( 2 lessons per skills – editable)
• 26 sound cards
• high frequency cards (2 versions)
• 25 decodable review drill sheets
• map it mats template
• dictation mats template
• 25 decodable text drill sheets
• 25 decodable all-in-one decodable sheets
• 25 decodable readers
• 25 home connection sheets
• 25 printable practice sheets
• 25 nonsense word drill sheets
• sound blending strips
• 25 word chain mats (2 versions)
• 25 word chain letter tile sets
• 25 lesson word/picture match-up cart sets
• 25 vocabulary practice sheets
• rime cards
• vowel stick cards
• word building letter cards (multiple sizes)

Below is a visual overview of the Guided Phonics and Beyond Unit 2 set up in a classroom.

1. Lesson plans
2. Sound cards
3. Blending cards
4. Irregular and decodable high frequency word cards
5. Rime hunts display and flashcards
6. Unit characters poster
7. Decodables
8. Vowel sticks
9. Blending drills
10. Phoneme grapheme mapping drills
11. Word chains drill
12. All-in-one decodable text drill mat (printed full size as a poster)

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Components 1-10

Let’s discuss all the components that are part of Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2. This program really intends to give you all necessary material. There are a few minor supplies that you will need to add in. The following would be items you would need to have on hand to complete the lessons:

• dry erase markers -STUDENT AND TEACHER USE
• dry erase surface (laminated unit mats or unit mats placed inside dry-erase pouches) -STUDENT USE
• magnetic letters (or use the included unit paper tiles) -STUDENT USE
• small manipulatives for pushing up sounds in words (plastic chips or circle magnets) -STUDENT AND TEACHER USE
• visual word building surface (pocket chart, chair rail, card holder) -TEACHER USE
• visual writing surface (interactive whiteboard, chart paper, whiteboard) -TEACHER USE

Yes, that’s it! The remaining material will all be included within your unit. Let’s take a look at the included components within Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2.

COMPONENT 1: Phonemic Awareness
Each lesson contains built-in phonemic awareness oral routines. The routines are set up as an I do, we do, you do. They are found in the whole-group and small-group learning.

COMPONENT 2: Sound Card Drill
Each lesson contains a corresponding sound introduction. The sound card contains the sound icon and the matching letter. Varying styles and sizes are included.

COMPONENT 3: High Frequency Words
Each lesson contains decodable and/or irregular high frequency words. Students will map the high frequency words. Flashcards are including for high frequency word fluency drills.

COMPONENT 4: Focus Skill Decodable Mat
Each lesson contains a decodable all-in-one review mat. This mat will cover only previously taught sound words.

COMPONENT 5: Blending Drills
Each lesson has built-in opportunities for students to practice blending words. Included letter cards and blending strips are used to practice and master the skill.

COMPONENT 6: Phoneme Grapheme Mapping
Each lesson contains word mapping routines for decodable/irregular high frequency words and skill-based words. Students will map and write each word.

COMPONENT 7: Dictation Practice
Dictation practice is embedded into the lesson. Students will listen and write the letter sounds, skill-based words, and skill-based sentences. 

COMPONENT 8: Decodable Pre-Reading
Decodable pre-reading practice is embedded into the lesson using the all-in-one mat. Students will review letter sounds, high frequency words, and skill-based words.

COMPONENT 9: Decodable Reader
Decoding and reading fluency is embedded into the lesson using the printable decodable book. Option: Use the All-in-One Decodable Text Sheets in place of the decodable books.

This unit includes 25 custom written decodable books. Each decodable book contains ONLY skills that have been explicitly taught. There are no tricky/skill-based words that the students won’t have been taught within their explicit phonics lessons. Each decodable contains a back cover that guides students through a skill-based review and includes comprehension questions for the teacher.

The decodable texts integrate SPEECH BUBBLES to offer a unique reading experience for students.

Each decodable text is also offered in an all-in-one sheet. This is perfect for giving the students a copy of the decodable without them taking the actual book. This is also great for easy set up. If you don’t have time to print and prep books, simply print these sheets. These sheets are also a great alternative if you have a group that is still relying on the pictures. This sheet will remove any temptation to guess-read by using pictures.

Included within the unit is a characters overview poster. The students will enjoy getting to meet the characters in Unit 2. These characters will continue throughout future units along with new characters.

COMPONENT 10: Home Connection
Each lesson contains a home connection sheet. This sheet can be sent home with students to review skills from within the lesson. Home Connections also contain the typed texts.

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Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Components 11-20

COMPONENT 11: Printable Practice Sheet
Each skill contains a printable practice sheet. This sheet reviews decoding skills and high frequency words.

COMPONENT 12: Nonsense Word Drills
Nonsense word drills are embedded into the lesson. Students will be introduced to a nonsense word and follow-up with the nonsense word drill mat.

COMPONENT 13: Rime Hunts
Rime drills are embedded into the lessons. Students will be introduced to a new rime and/or review previous rimes. Wall display cards will be printed and displayed.

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COMPONENT 14: Vocabulary Practice
Each lesson contains a vocabulary practice sheet. The students will review a vocabulary word from the day’s lesson.

COMPONENT 15: Word Chains
The lessons contain word chain mats and letter tiles. Students will follow your oral cues to build and manipulate sounds in words.

COMPONENT 16: Word Match-Up Cards
The lessons contain word match-up cards for additional blending and fluency practice.

COMPONENT 17: Vowel Sticks
The unit vowel sticks are used for identifying the matching vowel sound in oral vowel fluency drills.

“I love the vowel sticks and feel like that activity has helped my students so much to distinguish those tricky middle sounds. Once we were using all 5 sticks the management became a little tricky, so I made vowel strips to use instead. They lay their strip in front of them and place a marker on the vowel they hear (polar bear mini erasers are a favorite!). Easy for me to look around the group and see who’s got it correct.” -Joscelin

Download the vowel sticks alternative- strips HERE!

COMPONENT 18: Handwriting Mats
The unit contains a variety of styles and sizes for handwriting mats. The mats can be laminated or placed into a dry-erase pouch.

COMPONENT 19: Handwriting Practice
The unit contains writing handwriting practice sheets. The practice sheets follow the unit’s scope and sequence of letters.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Assessments Overview

COMPONENT 20: Pre and Post Assessment
The unit contains an assessment tracker. This tracker is used for pre and post assessing of the unit.

Let’s discuss the assessment component in more detail. The program includes a pre and post assessment. Below you will have the chance to watch an assessment in action. However, it is important that I note all of the assessment opportunities that are already built into the unit. Each lesson has the decodable drill sheet, nonsense drill mat, all-in-one decodable text sheet, and the pre-reading text sheet. Each of these could be used to gather data on students throughout the unit. These types of assessments are also natural and do not disturb your systematic routine. (You are not having to stop learning for a day or more just to assess students.)

Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Assessment IN ACTION

Let’s take a look at the pre-assessment for Unit 2 in action with this video.

Norah is 5 years old and will enter kindergarten in the fall. She enjoys learning and has been in a part-time preschool program for 2 years. Norah has been exposed to the alphabet in a print-first method, but she does have a solid understanding in letter sounds. You will note that when Norah answers in the phonemic awareness section she will do so with the letter name instead of the sound. If Norah had learned the majority of her letter sounds and letter names from Unit 1 of Guided Phonics + Beyond she would have most likely answered with the letter sound as Unit 1 is a sound-first program.

After watching the video you will hear that Norah has mastery in her phonemic awareness. However, you can still take into account what we discussed above. Norah has confusion with the letter sound /d/ in which she answered with /b/. However, she does self-correct this error. This is an age appropriate error. Norah also responds with /y/ in place of /u/ and /j/ in place of /g/. These are common errors for this age.

In the decoding section you will note that Norah will decode verbally and in her head. Norah does confuse her /b/ and /d/ sound once again in the word “pad”. She is unable to self-correct this error. On the word “bug,” Norah is unable to make her /u/ sound in order to stretch the word. She struggles with this sound again in the word “sun”. This is also the letter sound that Norah struggled with in isolation. It is not of concern at this point in a pre-assessment that she was unable to identify that sound in isolation or context. U as in /u/ will be introduced in Lesson 11. Norah will have several lessons to master that sound in isolation and in context.

At the bottom of the assessment, I left it open-ended for Norah to identify any irregular words that she knew. I did not force the issue by going through each word one-by-one as I was worried this could cause frustration. This is a pre-assessment and I know that she will have 25 lessons to gain these irregular words. It is very possible that she did know some of these words and was just taken aback by the assessment. All in all, Norah did very well for a pre-assessment. Norah would have no issue proceeding into the start of Unit 2.

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Guided Phonics + Beyond: Unit 2 Lesson Plans

Let’s turn our focus to the lesson plans after all these are the MEAT of the Guided Phonics + Beyond program. We have discussed prior the importance of a systematic approach. It is also vital that the lesson plans are followed as planned. I wanted to make sure that you are comfortable with the lesson plans and truly understand the careful thought process behind each part. In the detailed video below, I will walk you through EVERY section of the lesson plan for days one and two. If you plan to implement this program, I urge you to watch this video as it will for sure help. As teachers, we are the best adapters so do feel free to adapt the lesson plans to fit your needs and your students. However, keep in mind that any changes will need to be consistent. You can use the editable lesson plans or sticky notes to remind yourself of these newly implemented routines.

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Keeping on the some page, let’s discuss setting up your lesson plan book. You can print the lesson plans front/back and place them into a binder, bind them, or use them loose. Included in the unit, is a custom PDF that I have made for you. This PDF combines drill mats, printable practice sheets, and the decodable in a thumbnail format. This sheet can be printed and placed directly behind each lesson. This thumbnail sheet is an excellent visual for your lesson plan book.

Guided Phonics + Beyond: The Complete Program

The Guided Phonics + Beyond Program is designed to include all needed material to lead your whole-group phonics block and your small-group learning block in a Science of Reading focused approach. Each lesson plan has designated components and routines for both whole-group learning and small-group learning. The program includes a scope and sequence. This scope and sequence can be applied to any time frame. You can teach a new lesson every day, a new lesson every two days, and so on. Adjust the units to fit your students at that moment in time.

You can view the program’s FULL scope and sequence in the TPT preview HERE. I am very transparent with exactly what skills will be taught and what high frequency words will be embedded. This will help you with planning. Watch the video below to hear me explain in detail what went behind Unit 2’s scope and sequence.

The Guided Phonics + Beyond program includes 6 units. View a short overview of each unit below. Keep in mind that the components you read above for Unit 2 will be carried across all remaining units. The largest of those components being the decodable readers. This program will include 125 decodables (25 additional decodables if you include the alphabet readers).

• UNIT 1: Pre-Readers Alphabet Aa-Zz
• UNIT 2: CVC Words
• UNIT 3: Digraphs, Double Endings, Blends
• UNIT 4: CVCE Words + Silent C/G
• UNIT 5: Ending Blends, R Controlled, Silent Sounds
• UNIT 6: Vowel Teams + Diphthongs

This is a Science of Reading growing bundle and will wrap up by the end of first semester. You can view the release dates in the TPT preview HERE.

View this program on TPT HERE. The Guided Phonics + Beyond Curriculum is on MAJOR DISCOUNT! * * * SAVE BIG, BIG, BIG WITH THE GUIDED PHONICS + BEYOND BUNDLE! THIS BUNDLE IS ON SALE FOR $100 OFF ($50, VALUE $150) * * *

Guided Phonics + Beyond: The Sound Wall

Yes! The Guided Phonics + Beyond program contains all of the necessary components to create a sound wall in your classroom. The bundle includes the vowel valley and your consonants display as well! This included packet is designed to offer an engaging way to showcase your vowel valley and consonants displays. This packet includes 3 differentiated levels: Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginning. This download also includes sample displays, sound guide, labels/signage, and multiple color schemes.

Option 1: Advanced This version displays all (most used) sounds. If students are not yet ready for that sound you can use the included cover cards or use post-it notes. This version is best used for first and/or second grade.

Option 2: Intermediate This version includes limited sounds. This version can be used second semester of Kindergarten and/or first semester of first grade.

Option 3: Beginning This version includes only vowels and basic consonants. This version can be used first semester of Kindergarten and/or preschool.

The sound wall packet also includes “cover up” cards so that you can hide future skills.

Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2 Helpful Links

I have shared some amazing information and videos links for the Guided Phonics and Beyond program! Use this one-stop for all of the important video links! If you need additional assistance of you course you can reach out to me at li******************@gm***.com

• PRINT TIPS VIDEO ACCESS HERE
• DECODABLE PRINT TIPS VIDEO ACCESS HERE
• CREATE CUSTOM THUMBNAILS VIDEO ACCESS HERE
• UNIT 2 CLASSROOM OVERVIEW VIDEO ACCESS HERE
• UNIT 2 DETAILED OVERVIEW VIDEO ACCESS HERE
• UNIT 2 DETAILED LESSON PLAN OVERVIEW VIDEO ACCESS HERE
• UNIT 2 ASSESSMENT VIDEO ACCESS HERE
• UNIT 2 SCOPE AND SEQUENCE VIDEO ACCESS HERE
• UNIT 2 FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEO ACCESS HERE*
  *This video might contain expired pricing. Catch all of my Facebook Lives in the Facebook Group HERE!

If you are wanting to see where I have purchased some of the material I used in the Guided Phonics + Beyond program you can check out my Amazon Shop.

Amazon Disclosure: This is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

Guided Phonics + Beyond Unit 2 Organization Tips

Let’s take a look and see how your fellow teacher besties are organizing the units!

“For unit 2 the left side holds day 1 small group and the right side holds day 2. I like to keep the cards in baggies in my small group cart. For the word chain mats, I decided to print front to back and put them all in a sheet protector. Then I’ll just flip the page over and have students take magnetic letters from a cookie sheet and place them on top. The map it mat and dictation mat are printed front to back.” -Micheyla

Melissa is organizing her unit 2 in a binder!

Guided Phonics Unit 2 FREE DOWNLOADS

I have several aligned free downloads for Unit 2. Snag those free downloads below!

Science of Reading: A Blog Series

Be sure to follow along with the Science of Reading blog series here on the site. You can catch up on all of the linked blog posts HERE.

Recap part 1 if you missed it by clicking HERE or on the image below. Guest writing, Lindsay Kemeny, takes us through the first steps to transitioning into Science of Reading.

CONTACT: TARA WEST – – LI******************@GM***.COM