Wild Tales Instructor

Wild Tales

Wild TalesĀ gives students opportunities to study words in the context of factual passages about animals and allows students to mark various letter patterns, copy passages, and produce their own compositions or drawings. In this level, students also practice writing passages from dictation with assistance. This level is designed for a student who knows letter sounds and can spell many common words correctly.

Wild TalesĀ continues your studentā€™s journey through the Skill Development stage. Each lesson features a nonfiction passage about a different animal. These passages will allow students to build their vocabulary and learn how to spell in an interesting context.
This level:

  • Features carefully researched nonfiction passages about animals. The content introduces non-phonetic and high-frequency words.
  • Involves Spelling You Seeā€™s core activities:
    • Shared Reading
    • Chunking
    • Copywork
    • Dictation
  • Gives students opportunities to show creativity and develop their interest in writing, listening, storytelling, and illustrating on ā€œNo Rule Day.ā€

Is my child ready for Wild Tales?

ReadĀ the passage below to your student, asking them to follow along.

Some sheep are wild. Bighorn sheep live on mountains and high hills. Male sheep are called rams. They use the horns to fight other rams. Flocks of sheep eat grass in the meadows. They climb steep hills to find more food.

AskĀ your student to read the passage aloud by themselves.

DictateĀ the following list of words, one at a time, to your student, asking them to write the words on a piece of paper.

sheep, eat, called, grass, horns, hills, they, find, fight, food

If you can answer ā€œYesā€ to these three questions, your student is ready to beginĀ Wild Tales.

  • Can my student write two or three sentences at a time?
  • Was my student able to read the paragraph aloud without sounding words out or pausing? Note that the paragraph is written at the minimum reading level forĀ Wild Tales.
  • Was my student able to spell correctly eight of the ten listed words?

If you answer ā€œNoā€ to any of the questions above, try the readiness guidelines for the previous level,Ā Jack and Jill.

Lessons contained in Wild Tales

Lesson 3: Consonant Chunks

A Typical Week:

Days 1-3:

Parts A-C

  • Read the passage together
  • Mark Letter Patterns (Chunking)
  • Student Copies Passage for 10 Minutes and Chunks Their Work

Day 4:

Part D

  • Read the Passage Together
  • Mark Letter Patterns (Chunking)
  • CompleteĀ No Rules DayĀ activity which is designed for creative self-expression to get students excited for and comfortable with writing.

Day 5:

Part E

  • Read the Passage Together
  • Mark Letter Patterns (Chunk)
  • 10 Minute Dictation

Wild Tales Set

Includes everything you need for a continued focus on skill development stage, with 36 lessons of Wild Tales:
  • Instructor’s Handbook
    • Introduction to the philosophy of Spelling You See
    • Getting Started guide
  • Student Pack
    • 2 Student Workbooks
    • Erasable colored pencils

Wild Tales Individual Items

The updatedĀ Wild TalesĀ Student Pack includes two Student Workbooks and a pack of erasable colored pencils. Each of the 36 lessons is divided into five parts, A through E, that are designed to be completed in 10 to 15 minutes. Each day, the instructor reads the passage together with the student. Students will also “chunk” the appropriate letter patterns and have opportunities for copywork, free writing, and writing from dictation throughout the week.
The updated Instructor’s Handbook contains a brief introduction to the philosophy behind Spelling You See and the five development stages of spelling. The handbook contains a “Getting Started” guide with detailed information about each of the five core activities of the program. Each lessonā€™s instructions include a ā€œWeek at a Glanceā€ chart, details on things to watch for in that lesson, chunking key, and tips and guidance on the lessonā€™s daily activities. The handbook also includes answers to frequently asked questions.