Bobcats - Tip Sheet

- IT IS ESSENTIAL TO PRE-TEACH THE CONCEPTS INTRODUCED IN EACH BOOK PRIOR TO READING! -

Bobcats - Teacher Tip Sheet

Blue Series - Book 10 - Bobcats

Orthographic Conventions/Patterns and Generalisations

Tips and Activities to Try

Introduced in This Book

  • <ild> /īld/, <ind> /īnd/, <old>/ōld/, <ost> /ōst/

Previously Introduced

Vowels

  • all short vowel, <u>/o͝͝o/
  • <o>/ō/, <e>/ē/, <y>/ī/, <ee>/ē/, <ay>/ā/, <ai>/ā/, <y>/ē/

Consonants

  • all single consonants and clusters
  • <ng>/ng/, <nk>/nk/
  • <s> /s/ and /z/, <c>/s/

Digraphs/Trigraphs

  • <th>/TH/ voiced, <th>/th/ unvoiced, <ck>/k/, <ff>/f/, <zz>/z/, <ss>/s/, <ll>/l/, <sh>/sh/, <ch>/ch/, <qu>/kw/, <-tch>/ch/, <-dge>/j/, <wh>/wh/

Additional Concepts

  • <al> (<a> as short /ŏ/ before <l>)
  • <wa> (<a> as short /ŏ/ after <w>)
  • <er>/er/, <or>/or/

Key Concepts to Understand

  • many words that have <-ild>, <-ind>, <-old> <-ost> are pronounced with their “long” vowel sound (this is unexpected as they contain a single vowel and do not end in marker <e>)
  • the words <roll>, <stroll> and <troll> are also pronounced with their “long” vowel sound, as well as words with <-olt>
  • “Bobcats” introduces <-ild>, <-ind>, <-old> and <-ost>, however we have included <-oll> and <-olt> words in the practice below

Key Concepts to Understand

  • a picture (the students can create them) of “kind, old, wild ghosts bolt and roll” can be helpful for students to remember this pattern

Words and Phrases for Reading and Writing

Here is a list of words that can be used for phonemic awareness activities, reading, dictation, games cards, etc.:

  • kind, mind, blind, find, grind, old, cold, fold, hold, gold, sold, told, host, most, post, bolt, colt, jolt, roll

Here is a word chain you could complete with blending cards:

  • old → cold → fold → hold → gold → sold → told

Here are phrases that can be used for reading and/or dictation practice. These phrases can be combined to create sentences. A good opportunity arises to address syntax if the resulting sentence is not grammatically correct (e.g., The teens in the dorm was so cold. → The teens in the dorm were so cold.)

Noun Phrase

Verb Phrase

Prepositional Phrase

the kind old king

hid the gold

in the city

the host

was so cold

under the porch

a baby colt

bolted from her

by her folded socks

the teens in the dorm

rolled the most corn

in the old tray

 

You can differentiate for your students by dropping some of the words in these phases (e.g., “the teens in the dorm” can just be “the teens”).

Morphology

Tips and Activities to Try

Previously Introduced

  • suffix <-s> third person singular, plural, and possessive
  • suffix <-ing> as present participle
  • suffix <-ed> as past tense of a verb
  • compound words

Key Concepts to Understand

  • Note: It is important to ask students to cover the suffix with their finger in order to focus on the base when consonant clusters are in final position and have an attached suffix. When reading drifting, ask students to cover the <-ing> and read drift, ask them to release their finger and reread the entire word with the <-ing> - drifting.

Comprehension Corner - Bobcats

Vocabulary Development

  • How did bobcats get their name?
  • What is a baby bobcat called?

Making Connections

  • How are bobcats and house cats similar and how are they different?

Inferencing

  • Why do you think bobcats would not make good pets?
  • Why do you think bobcats love trees?

Retelling/Summarizing

  • What is your favourite page in this book? Why?

 

Tip Sheet written by Shari Kudsia and Helen Maclean - April 2023 - ©SyllaSense Inc.