Free ‘Read It, Build It, Write It’ Mat
Grab our free printable Read It, Build It, Write It mat — a phenomenal tool designed to nurture your child’s phonemic awareness and spelling skills.
I’m a huge supporter of phonics-based instruction when it comes to assisting children on their path to literacy, and for the most part we have followed the Scope & Sequence that Maria Montessori put forth (read more here) and then was later adapted by Muriel Dwyer specifically for the English language.
Recently, though, my kindergartener has been writing notes and letters to her friends and family members. Subsequently, she’s expressed a strong desire to learn the correct spelling of words.
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What is a Read It, Build It, Write It Mat
A ‘Read It, Build It, Write It’ mat capitalizes on kinesthetic learning. Using the mat, children are able to, first, practice reading a word, then they are able to build the word using a moveable alphabet, and, lastly, practice writing the word using the penmanship lines as guides.
What you’ll love about the ‘Read It, Build It, Write It’ mat:
I should note that we haven’t formally studied sight words at this point — the ones she knows are either phonetically spelled or, for the ones that are not phonetic, she’s learned them through reading the Dick & Jane books, which, in my opinion, are great for working on reading fluency with children.
Thus, I made some sight word cards she can use to practice reading and writing.
After spending a little time with the work, she quickly discovered it’s much more fun and challenging to read the card, flip it over, and then try to build and write the word from memory!
Of course the ‘Read It, Build It, Write It’ mat can easily be used with any other word cards. You can even use our free CVC cards and blends cards that are also available in the Resource Library!
How to Present the ‘Read It, Build It, Write It’ Mat
Tips
- The child should be an emergent reader and show an interest in handwriting.
- Pair the mat alongside a manipulative so your child is able to build the words. This helps develop kinesthetic memory. A manipulative could be a moveable alphabet, magnetic or foam letters, WikkiStix, or even Play-Doh.
- Provide either a dry-erase marker or a Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 pencil alongside a cloth wipe.
How to Download
The ‘Read It, Build It, Write It’ mat is available for you to download in the Resource Library. Just subscribe to the newsletter below and grab your FREE copy today!
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