Resource List 5.3 Of The Letrs Manual < 2024-2026 >

| Tool | Purpose | Frequency | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) | Self-report (don’t know → can use) | Pre/post for target words | | Morphology Cloze | Apply root/affix to new word | Weekly | | Oral Retell Rubric | Measures use of target vocabulary | After each text | | Quick Write (2–3 sentences) | Productive use of 2 target words | 2–3 times per week |

Resource List 5.3 serves as an essential toolkit for any teacher implementing structured literacy. By systematically using magnetic letters, word sorts, diagnostic screeners, and dictation routines, educators can ensure that all students develop automatic word recognition—a prerequisite for reading comprehension (the Simple View of Reading, discussed in LETRS Unit 1).

Next Step: Review your current classroom materials against List 5.3. Identify which resources are already available and which need to be created or purchased to close phonics instructional gaps. resource list 5.3 of the letrs manual

Note: Specific page numbers and exact wording of the resource list vary by LETRS edition (e.g., 1st, 2nd, or 3rd). For verbatim content, consult your official LETRS manual, Volume 1, Unit 5, Section 3.

The error: Showing the word and asking for a "fast answer." The fix: LETRS emphasizes slow, deliberate decoding first. Speed comes from practice with the pattern, not the specific word. Use List 5.3 for "sounding out," not sight reading. | Tool | Purpose | Frequency | |

While the exact words may vary slightly between LETRS editions (3rd vs. 4th), the organizational logic remains universal. Resource List 5.3 is usually divided into columns or sections representing the following phonics phases:

  • CVC Words with Stop Sounds (e.g., cat, dog, top)
  • Consonant Blends (CCVC & CVCC) (e.g., stop, fast, frog)
  • Digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck) (e.g., ship, chat, thin)
  • Long Vowel Silent-e (VCe) (e.g., cake, home, ride)
  • R-Controlled Vowels (e.g., car, bird, fern)

    • Note: In some LETRS editions, List 5.3 also includes a column for "Phonetically Irregular Words" (high-frequency heart words) to contrast with the regular words. Note: Specific page numbers and exact wording of

    Target Skill: Consonant blends (CCVC) – focusing on /st/ and /sp/

    Materials: Resource List 5.3 (blends column), whiteboards, markers.

    | Time | Activity | Action | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 2 min | Phoneme Review | Say /s/, /t/, /p/, /l/, /r/. Students write the letter. | | 3 min | Auditory Sorting | Say "stop," "spot," "top," "pot." Students stand up for /st/ words, sit for /sp/ words. | | 5 min | Word Reading | Display 5 words from List 5.3 (stop, spot, spin, step, skip). Students decode aloud, tapping fingers for each phoneme. | | 3 min | Dictation | Teacher says "step." Students map it: /s/ /t/ /e/ /p/ → s-t-e-p. | | 2 min | Transfer | Students read a sentence: "The frog can stop on the log." (uses words from List 5.3 and known high-frequency words). |

    Notice that List 5.3 progresses from continuous sounds (easier to hold in working memory) to stop sounds (harder). This mirrors how the brain’s phonological loop works. A struggling reader who can blend /sss-uuu-nnn/ may fail at /k-a-t/ not because they don't know the sounds, but because stop sounds require more rapid processing.