Feature #38: Phonics & Stuff

Phonics & Stuff - https://phonicsandstuff.com - offers a variety of useful literacy materials. Upon entering the site, visitors will find tabs for ‘Games,’ ‘Read-Alongs,’ ‘Decodable Readers,’ ‘Teaching Tools,’ ‘Articles,’ and a link to their TPT Store. By clicking on the ‘Games’ tab, users will discover a variety of phonics and reading games, including sound blending, sound-letter matching, reading words, short vowels, spelling, ABC order, and more. These games can serve as valuable tools for students who may need assistance with basic literacy skills but could benefit from a change in activity. The website offers a good variety of resources that support ongoing literacy practice. The site also features decodable readers that students can use for practice. These readers highlight specific short vowels, consonants, word types, and tricky words. Additionally, they can be downloaded and printed, which is particularly helpful for extra practice when students do not have online access. Another key feature of the website is its collection of Read-Along Stories, which are excellent for classroom use or individual student access. These stories allow students to listen to books while reading along, making it a valuable resource for enhancing literacy. PhonicsandStuff also provides various tools for teaching phonics, including resources for graphemes, phonemes, building word lists, creating decodable sentences, and a phoneme reference guide, among others. The website’s phonics articles are particularly useful for teachers who are focusing on the fundamentals of reading and literacy with their students. Overall, PhonicsandStuff offers a wide range of materials that can significantly aid in improving literacy for children and students. The site includes activities for students and provides resources for teachers and parents to help their children advance and enhance their literacy skills. 

*Contribution by Jane Ponce

Feature #37: Word Game Time

Word Game Time (https://wordgametime.com/) is a free website that offers language arts games and homework help. The games are fun and have been approved by educators. The goal of Word Game Time is to help students succeed. The site provides content for kindergarten through 7th-grade students in spelling, typing, reading, geography, and language arts.

Word Game Time features a user-friendly site with content organized by grade, subject, and type. The language arts section includes activities that help students with letter-sound recognition, parts of speech, subject-verb agreement, and other essential skills. Another noteworthy feature is the educational videos, which are fun and engaging for all grade levels. Some videos are animated, while others offer instruction from a teacher.

Word Game Time is similar to websites like ABCYa.com and Funbrain.com. However, what sets it apart is the variety of free worksheets available for teachers, parents, and students. While some sites offer worksheets, the ones on Word Game Time cover a wide range of topics, including poetry, homophones, and dictionary practice.

Word Game Time is an excellent online resource for teachers, parents, and students seeking more variety in online learning and practice. The variety sets this website apart from other online learning games and resource sites. The materials are well-organized and easy to find, making it a site that makes learning fun and engaging.

*Contribution by T. Leon Guerrero