10 Tips for Using the Fundations Phonics Curriculum

Hey everyone!  Today's post is to share a few tips and tricks that I've implemented while using the Fundations Phonics program over the past 7 years.  While I LOVE the program, its components and materials can be very overwhelming for someone just starting it.  I hope this post is helpful.  

TIP #1: Dry Erase Bags

Your students will be using dry erase markers and erasers almost daily.  You'll want to think about where they will store those items.  I decided on these zipper bags a few years ago and I'll never go back.  I used number labels from Just a Primary Girl.  I laminated the numbers, hole punched them, and attached them with small binder rings.  Inside the bags are these erasers and one EXPO marker.  The erasers, bags, and markers are all numbered.  I'm not a huge fan of numbers, but for times sake, numbering these materials was much faster than names.  Find a marker on the floor?  Who is number ___?  Find a pouch on the floor?  Who is number ___? 

In addition to daily practice for Fundations, we also use our dry erase materials for our Math curriculum, Illustrative Math.  Having the pouches makes carrying these supplies around the room a breeze!

TIP #2: COOKIE SHEET MAGNET BOARDS

Fundations takes a multi-sensory approach to teaching Phonics.  Magnet boards are a big component of this.  Our TITLE I dept. created these cookie sheet magnet boards vs. purchasing the Fundations mats.  This is a good thing, I've heard, because the mats that come with the program don't hold up.  You want to get cookie sheets large enough to fit all of magnets, as well as ones that provide a little space for building a word).  Storage for these cookie sheets is simple: stack them in a central location in your classroom.

TIP #3: MAGNET TILE STORAGE

If you're familiar with Fundations, you know that there are one million magnet tiles!  Hahaha!  Seriously, there are a lot of magnets.  Distributing and collecting them can be daunting.  Grab a box like this one and sort your magnets.  This makes the process so much smoother.  

TIP #4: ALLOW SPACE FOR AN INTERACTIVE WORD WALL AND/OR SOUND WALL 

You'll want to find space for an interactive word wall and/or sound wall.  Both of these walls are huge and take up a lot of space, so it may be a challenge.  These walls are not decorative; you should be referring to them and your students should be using them daily.

My mom evenly spaced this beautiful trick words wall for me 7 years ago, and you best believe its never coming down!  Haha!  Wall space is very limited in my classroom, so this huge bulletin board serves as my word wall.  I start the year with all of the Level 1 trick words up.  As I introduce them, they are flagged with a colored sticky tab.  I use different colors to help students find the words (This is an old picture from the first year, and I used all green for some reason).  

TIP #5: FIND SPACE FOR POSTERS/VISUALS

In addition to the word/sound wall, you'll need space for supplemental posters.  Fundations provides posters but they are GIGANTIC.  HUGE.  If you have enough wall space to display these posters, you get a round of applause!  As mentioned above, I don't have much wall space (praise to all the cabinets), so I created a few smaller versions of the posters to display.  

I will say that when I'm first introducing a new concept, I do get out the giant poster and keep it up for a few days, but there is no possible way it can stay out all year long.

TIP #6: SUPPLEMENT AS NEEDED

Fundations is a fantastic program, but it can be a bit dry.  I absolutely love supplementing with products that align to the skills I'm teaching.  Check out my favorite supplemental activities HERE.

TIP #7: PROVIDE TIME FOR STUDENTS TO PRATICE SKILLS YOU'VE TAUGHT

Fundations introduces new skills throughout the entire year.  While each skills is taught explicitly and systematically, cumulatively, it can be a lot for beginning readers.  

Providing a "center" or "work station" time for students to practice skills that have been taught helps them retain the information.  Students LOVE working in small groups with their peers!  During this time, I pull a group to my table to work on orthographic mapping and beginning Phonics/Phonemic Awareness skills.

To check out my top-selling, Level 1 Fundations game and activity pack, click the cover below.

TIP #8: CREATE FLUENCY FOLDERS

Within most units of Fundaitons, there is a "story" included.  The stories contain previously taught trick words and word patterns.  They are supposed to be used to practice decoding and fluency.  To me, reading the story once or twice throughout the unit wasn't enough, so I created fluency folders.

To make the folders, grab a class set of 3-prong folders.  Place sheet protectors inside of each (one per story).  As a story is introduced, students mark it up and put it inside a sleeve.  As the year progresses, students add more and more stories.  

We love going back and practicing fluency with old stories.  We also love partner practicing our stories!  I use the stories as a quick check for oral reading and take notes of how each child does with each story as they are introduced.

TIP #9: PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH COPIES OF PERSONAL TRICK WORD WALLS

As mentioned above, the trick word wall should be interactive and you and your students should be referring to it daily.  One way I like to do this is by giving kids their own copies of the word wall.

Inside the fluency folders, I place one extra sheet protector.  I place an individual copy of our trick word wall in it.  As a new trick word is introduced, we color it with a yellow crayon.  Students use their folder/personal word wall daily, during dry erase practice and during assessments.  

TIP #10: PICK ONE OR TWO THINGS TO IMPLEMENT

This post may have overwhelmed you, so my final tip is to choose one or two things to implement for the upcoming school year!  Personally, I gradually incorporated the above tips throughout my seven years teaching the program.  Problems arose and I came up with solutions.

I hope this post was helpful!  Feel free to email me at meganwheeler44@yahoo.com with any additional Fundations questions!

xo

Megan