In my quest to further my knowledge of phonics, one name kept showing up. Whether it was in teacher Facebook groups, reputable teacher websites, course lists, or simply in bookstores, the same name was everywhere. That name is Wiley Blevins.
Wiley Blevins has been in the education realm for a long time. He holds an M. Ed. from Harvard and has taught elementary school in the United States and South America.
Wiley Blevins has been publishing books since the late 90s for both students and teachers. In fact, he has about 75 books for students and about 15 books for educators!
One thing that I love about his books is how simply he presents the facts. We all know from the many books we read in college that some teacher books spend too much time going into the history of something or getting into the nitty, gritty details.
In Wiley Blevins’s books, not only does he give you the imperative details of phonics, but he also gives you actionable steps and examples. His books are packed full of interesting ideas and activities.
Quick Links
A Fresh Look at Phonics
The first book I found by Wiley Blevins was A Fresh Look at Phonics. It was the first time I sat down and read an entire professional development book in one sitting. His writing is just that good!
I started highlighting in the forward. The book doesn’t sit well on my bookshelf because of all the sticky notes peeking out the sides.
The best thing about this book is that he addressed failure. As a perfectionist, failure is not something I ever want to see through my own actions… but we are all human and unfortunately, we fail ourselves and our students from time to time. Reading about common failures helps you know that it isn’t just you that struggles with teaching a particular concept.
The second best thing about this book is the example scope and sequence. Every classroom moves at its own pace (in an ideal world), but it is great to have a starting point when planning lessons.
Phonics from A to Z
The second book I picked up from Wiley Blevins was Phonics from A to Z. The cover of the book says “A Practical Guide” and not only is it practical, but it is also phenomenal!
This book is a must-read for anyone who is new to planning phonics instruction. I’m pretty sure I used an entire pack of sticky notes in this book – and I promise I’m not one of those people who highlight and flag entire pages. I really only try to highlight or bookmark the important stuff!
This book is different than the first in that it is full of actual activities to do with your students. It also includes fantastic word lists for vowel sounds, word families, compound words, and more! This is the book you want next to you when writing your lesson plans.
From what I have read of Wiley Blevins’ work (and yes I’ve read more than these two!), I don’t think you can go wrong with consulting his books. They give you great insight from an experienced teacher and are full of ideas for you to use in your classroom.
Creation Castle
Heather is the author of Creation Castle. She has experience with general education, special education, and ESL students in kindergarten through fifth grade. She specializes in early elementary math and literacy, as well as organization.
