(Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of “The More We Get Together”):
- “Gather around together, together, together. We’re going play a quiz game, a quiz game, a quiz game. We’re going to play a quiz game to check what we’ve learned.”
Distribute Question and Switch Cards. Each card should include one of the following:
- A letter or digraph from this or a previous cycle (“b,” “o,” “j,” “x,” “w,” “a,” “s,” “d,” “g,” “f,” “r,” “i,” “t,” “sh,” “l,” “n”)
- One word that can be decoded (“box,” “dog,” “pot,” etc.)
- One of the high-frequency words from this or a previous cycle (“from,” “wants,” “says,” etc.)
Begin the Question and Switch instructional practice:
1. Teacher says: “Question and Switch is a way for us to review the graphemes, phonemes, and words we have learned. You each have a card. Your card has either a letter or a word on it. Look at your card. Raise your hand if your card has a letter.”
2. Students with Question and Switch Letter Cards raise their hands.
3. Teacher holds up a Question and Switch Letter Card, shows it to students, and models saying the corresponding sound and skywriting the letter with proper letter formation.
4. Students with Question and Switch Letter Cards take turns saying the sound and skywriting the letter on their card.
5. Teacher says: “Raise your hand if your card has a word (decodable and high-frequency).”
6. Students with Question and Switch Word Cards raise their hands.
7. Teacher holds up a Question and Switch Decodable Word Card, shows it to students, and models reading the word automatically. Teacher explains that if students do not know the word automatically, they can use the thumb-tapping technique to decode each of the phonemes in the word. Teacher models the thumb-tapping technique. Students with Question and Switch Decodable Word Cards read the word on their card.
8. Teacher holds up a Question and Switch High-Frequency Word Card, shows it to students, and models reading the word automatically. Teacher explains that if students do not know the word automatically, they can identify the sounds they do know and look at the Interactive Word Wall or anchor charts to help them figure it out.
9. Students with Question and Switch High-Frequency Word Card take turns reading the word on their card.
10. Teacher says: “Now you are going to find a partner with a different card. You will show each other your card. Your partner will read your card aloud, then you will read your partner’s card. Then you will switch and find a new partner and do it again.”
11. Teacher models this process with a student volunteer.
12. Teacher tells students it is okay to help each other if they are not sure how to read a word or say a sound: “That’s something effective learners do.”
13. Students find a partner and begin.
14. Teacher circulates and supports as needed.

Lesson 29 Overview