One of the most common questions I get from parents and teachers is some version of this:
“I understand phonics in theory, but what does a real phonics lesson actually look like day to day?”
If you have ever wondered how all the pieces fit together or why phonics lessons can feel intense but effective, this post walks through a full 45-minute phonics block exactly as it looks in my second grade classroom.
This is not a scripted program. It is a structured routine grounded in Science of Reading principles that builds skills intentionally and cumulatively.
Step 1: Phonemic Awareness
At the beginning of the school year, we dedicate daily time to phonemic awareness, separate from reading and spelling.
We use Heggerty routines to practice:
- Hearing sounds
- Blending sounds orally
- Segmenting sounds
- Manipulating sounds
This work happens orally and without letters. The goal is to strengthen students’ ability to hear and work with sounds before expecting them to read or spell.
A typical phonemic awareness prompt sounds like: “Say coat. Now change the /c/ to /b/.” Students listen to my instructions and orally respond.
After a few months, once students show strong mastery, we gradually reduce this portion of the lesson. Phonemic awareness does not disappear, but it becomes embedded in other routines instead of standing alone.
Step 2: Orton Gillingham Sound Deck Review (5 minutes)
After the holidays, when we ease out of phonemic awareness, our phonics block begins with a review of previously taught sounds and spelling rules using an Orton-Gillingham card sound deck.
This includes:
- Letter sounds
- Digraphs
- Vowel patterns
- More advanced phonograms as they are introduced
We move quickly through most sounds, but we intentionally slow down and repeat any sounds or spellings students are still struggling with or that have longer, trickier rules. This review is not random. It reinforces what has already been taught and keeps old skills from slipping.
If I am introducing a new sound, I incorporate my Feelings-Based Phonics character cards. Click here to read more about that routine.
Step 3: High-Frequency Words (5 minutes)
Next, we work on high-frequency words, but we separate them into two groups:
Decodable high-frequency words
These follow phonics rules students already know. We do not spend much instructional time on these because students should be able to decode them using their phonics knowledge.
Irregular high-frequency words
These words contain spellings that do not follow the typical rules.
For these, we do a short, focused lesson, usually no more than five minutes. We explicitly teach:
- Which part is regular
- Which part is irregular
- What students need to remember by heart
We typically introduce two irregular words per week.
Here is an example of how I would show the kids the regular and irregular parts of the word. I also always try to explain to them the meaning behind the spelling or reason why it is different.
Step 4: One-Minute High-Frequency Word Drill
After instruction, we build automaticity.
Students do a one-minute drill where they read as many high-frequency word cards as they can in sixty seconds. This builds fluency and confidence and they love the challenge of seeing how many they can get each time.
Step 5: Blending Practice (5-10 minutes)
Blending is where many students struggle, so this part of the lesson is non-negotiable.
We use a blending board from our curriculum and practice:
- Four lines of words
- Three to four words per line
In second grade, this is often vowel-focused blending, since students are learning multiple vowel spellings and sounds. When the skill includes consonants, such as the ph spelling, we focus blending on that specific sound instead.
Blending helps students move from knowing sounds to actually using them to read words accurately.
If you want to see blending routines in action, I share examples on TikTok and Instagram at @feelingsbasedphonics.
Step 6: Sentence Blending (5 minutes)
After word-level practice, students blend two short sentences.
This step matters because:
- Reading is not just individual words
- Students need practice reading connected text
- Sentence reading supports fluency and comprehension
Students must be exposed to both isolated words and strings of words to become confident readers.
Step 7: Dictation (10 to 15 minutes)
Dictation is where everything comes together.
Students use a worksheet divided into:
- Sounds
- Words
- Sentences
Sound dictation
I say a sound, and students write the spellings they know.
For example:
“Your sound is /j/. Write all the spellings you remember for /j/.”
Ideally, students write:
- j
- dge
- gi
- gy
- ge
Sometimes I simplify the task by giving a keyword, such as:
“Your sound is /ch/ like in chair.” With this example, they would only write the one spelling for /ch/, instead of including the tch spelling as well.
I adjust this based on the skill and the day.
Word dictation
Students spell words using the sound spellings (called graphemes) they just wrote. This is intentional. It reduces guessing and helps students narrow their choices when they are unsure.
For example, if /ch/ is in their sound box, I might include chip but not catch.
I typically give my second graders six words.
Sentence dictation
Students write one or two sentences that use the same sound spellings as the words.
The routine stays consistent:
- Say the sentence
- Act it out as I say it
- Students repeat the sentence
- Students count the words in the sentence
- Students say it quietly as they write independently
Saying words out loud and tapping the sounds out are critical parts of this process with both word and sentence dictation.
I will be sharing a separate post soon with the exact language I use during dictation.
If you want a sample dictation sheet or updates on upcoming posts, you can sign up for my email list below.
Step 8: Decodable Text (5-10 minutes)
We finish with a decodable text that matches the phonics skill from the lesson.
Students:
- Whisper read
- Choral read
- Partner read
- Check for understanding
This is where students see the payoff of the entire lesson.
Why This Works
This routine works because:
- Skills are reviewed daily
- New learning builds on old learning
- Reading and spelling are taught together
- Students practice at the sound, word, sentence, and text level
It is structured, but not rigid. And yes, it is intense. The entire block takes about 45 minutes, so we take short brain breaks along the way.
But when phonics is taught this way, students are not guessing. They understand what they are doing and why it works.
If you are interested in adding SEL to your phonics routine, check out this post that includes more details about FBP in action.