Can your kids spot the Secrets in text around your classroom?
These free shape anchors with highlighted Secrets in the text will help them make the connection between the "secrets" they know about the letters and how they can help them to read (and write!) the words that they see every day in the classroom. You can download the entire pack FREE here!
And to all those who subscribe to the Secret newsletter (or follow me on Instagram) you should have received the free download link for the Secret Stories® Calendar Secrets, which are similar to the Shape Anchors in that they also contain highlighted Secret Stories® phonics patterns in the text. Below are a few pictures from the pack, along with the link. But grab them fast, as they will won't be in the free subscriber window much longer!
Did you happen to notice in the calendar pics above that the letter Y appears to be making every sound possible except for the ONE SOUND that kindergartners and first graders would likely expect it to?
That's because there are "grown-up" reading and writing Secrets in those words! You can learn them here, and then check out the video clip (below) for more! I promise that it will make you "re-think" your "calendar time!"
"The LIE About Y"
(and why we keep telling it in kindergarten and first grade!)
And as for sound that Y makes in words like: May, play, day and they... that's not Sneaky Y®, that's ey/ay, and they are just too cool!
EY & AY are just too cool..... "Aaaayyyyyyeeeee!"
Just like this kindergarten teacher from Washington State who does a fantastic job bringing the "ey/ay" Secret to life in this video!
Secret Stories® Phonics Secrets— The "Best Betting-Odds" in Las Vegas!
I've said this before, but it always worth repeating! The prize for memorizing a sight word is ONE word.... but the prize for knowing one Secret is HUNDREDS of words!!! Secret Stories® give kids the "best betting-odds" in Las Vegas when it comes to predicting the most (and next most) likely sounds of letters in text.... like, for example, Y! Underscoring existing reading curriculum and instruction with the Secrets allows you to break down the grade level walls of phonics skill introduction that limit early learner-access to code— which they need ALL of to read and to write!
And the proof lies in the fact that all of the above sounds (i.e. Secrets) for Y (with the exception of "yuh") fall on second grade's scope and sequence for introduction (as per traditional core reading/phonics programs). Just think about that for a minute..... pretty ridiculous, huh? We literally spend ALL YEAR LONG in kindergarten teaching and assessing kids on the ONE sound that the letter Y is the LEAST likely to make—"yuh!" They won't learn its MOST likely sounds until the SECOND grade!!!! So what are they supposed to do until then? You guessed it! Memorize lots and lots of sight words!
But the good news (for kids who know the Secrets) is that you don't have to memorize what you can READ! And this is something that the first graders in this video know. They spot Secrets everywhere! In fact, they are finding so many in their guided reading, that they're convinced that their book is "throwing-up" Secrets.....
When you spot SO many Secrets, it's like the book is just "throwing them up!"
