Recently, first graders completed their second unit of study in phonics.  The topic was “The Mystery of the Silent E." For this unit, first graders were deputized as word detectives and received cases from the “Super Secret Detective Agency.”

These packages contained phonics mysteries for them to solve (or discover). It has been a marvelously, playful unit teaching the concepts of silent e, long vowel patterns, contraction and compound words under the guise of mysteries to be solved.  The clues, of course, were found in our books. The students had a grand time solving these mysteries, without even realizing they were learning. Their reading skills have grown exponentially.

To end this unit, students received one last package from the Super Secret Detective Agency with a final case to solve.  This time, instead of using their phonics skills, they used their taste buds to solve this mystery, as they needed to determine the four different flavors of Oreos in the package. Certificates promoting the first graders from “Word Detectives” to “Private Investigators" were also included in the package.

It was a delicious way to end this unit!