FREE UPDATE on 2-23-23
170+ more words/short stories have been added to this resource! Please download the file again to access the free update
Heart words is a strategy for teaching high frequency words (sight words) that aligns with the Science of Reading. These decodable short stories each focus on one heart word so your students can practice reading high frequency words in context.
Finally, a resource that allows your students to practice one targeted high frequency word (heart word) in the context of reading!
Every page (273 pages/words included) utilizes the same consistent, research-based practice so that your students can focus on the word at hand, and not new directions/activities.
What do students do on each page?
- Say the target high frequency word/heart word
- Tap the number of sounds in the word
- Write the number of sounds in the word
- Map the number of sounds in the word and add a heart where necessary
- please note that hearts are not added for you - they're meant to be added by students during instruction.
- Find the targeted high frequency word/heart word in the story and circle it. Heart it if desired.
- Read the short story three times - coloring a numbered heart each time they read.
How short are the short stories?
- The stories range from 2-5 sentences in length. They are short and decodable to provide a quick - yet meaningful - win for your students.
How decodable are the short stories?
- These short stories include only
- 1 - the targeted word;
- 2 - VC and CVC words, and
- 3 - pre-reading high frequency words as necessary
-
The 10 pre-reading high frequency words are as follows: a, and, for, I, is, of, the, to, was, you
What grade is it for?
- While these are ideal for Kindergarten and first grade, they can be used with any student(s) who can decode VC and CVC words and need(s) to learn high frequency words.
What words are included?
- I’ve combined multiple lists of high frequency words and found 273 of most common irregular/temporary heart words. The words are as follows:
- a
- about
- after
- again
- all
- also
- always
- am
- an
- and
- another
- any
- are
- around
- as
- ask
- at
- ate
- away
- back
- ball
- be
- because
- been
- before
- best
- better
- big
- black
- blue
- boo
- both
- boy
- bring
- brown
- but
- buy
- by
- call
- called
- came
- can
- carry
- clean
- clue
- cold
- come
- could
- cut
- did
- do
- does
- don’t
- done
- down
- draw
- drink
- each
- eat
- eight
- end
- every
- fall
- far
- fast
- find
- first
- five
- fly
- follow
- for
- found
- four
- from
- full
- funny
- gave
- get
- give
- glue
- go
- goes
- going
- good
- got
- gray
- great
- green
- grow
- guy
- had
- has
- have
- he
- help
- her
- here
- him
- his
100. hold
101. hot
102. how
103. hurt
104. I
105. if
106. in
107. into
108. is
109. it
110. its
111. jump
112. just
113. keep
114. kind
115. knew
116. know
117. large
118. laugh
119. let
120. light
121. like
122. line
123. little
124. live
125. long
126. look
127. made
128. make
129. man
130. many
131. may
132. me
133. means
134. men
135. mind
136. moo
137. more
138. most
139. much
140. must
141. my
142. myself
143. name
144. need
145. never
146. new
147. nine
148. no
149. not
150. now
151. number
152. of
153. off
154. old
155. on
156. once
157. one
158. only
159. open
160. or
161. orange
162. our
163. out
164. over
165. own
166. part
167. people
168. pick
169. pink
170. place
171. play
172. please
173. pretty
174. pull
175. purple
176. push
177. put
178. ran
179. read
180. red
181. ride
182. right
183. round
184. run
185. said
186. same
187. saw
188. say
189. see
190. sentence
191. set
192. seven
193. shall
194. she
195. should
196. show
197. sit
198. six
199. sleep
200. small
201. so
202. some
203. soon
204. sound
205. start
206. stop
207. take
208. talk
209. tell
210. ten
211. thank
212. that
213. the
214. their
215. them
216. then
217. there
218. these
219. they
220. thing
221. think
222. this
223. those
224. these
225. through
226. time
227. to
228. today
229. together
230. too
231. true
232. try
233. turn
234. two
235. under
236. up
237. upon
238. us
239. use
240. very
241. walk
242. want
243. warm
244. was
245. wash
246. watch
247. water
238. we
249. well
250. went
251. were
252. what
253. when
254. where
255. which
256. white
257. who
258. why
259. will
260. wish
261. with
262. word
263. words
264. work
265. world
266. would
267. write
268. years
269. yellow
270. yes
271. you
272. your
273. yours
About “Temporary” Heart Words
- Many high frequency words are phonetic, while some are truly irregular.
- Phonetic high frequency words can be known as a temporary heart word if students have not learned the skill. (For example, he and me are phonetic, but would be temporary heart words if students have not learned long vowel sounds/open syllables.)
- This resource does include temporary heart words/flash words.
File Organization - Just for You!
I know this resource includes A LOT of high frequency words. For your convenience, you'll find the download organized the following 3 ways. Click on the file that is most convenient for you.
1. Old & New PDF
- Did you own this before the huge update and you only want to download your print the new additions? You'll be looking for the PDF's that start with 1A and 1B. 1B - 175 New Heart Words Short Stories.pdf is the one you'll want to download and print!
2. Organized by Phonics Skill & Irregularity
- You'll want this PDF: 2 Heart Words Short Stories By Skill.pdf. This includes a clickable table of contents.
3. Organized Alphabetically
- You'll want this PDF: 3 Heart Words Short Stories Alphabetical.pdf This includes a clickable table of contents
Included in this Instant Download:
- PDF with 273 heart words short stories
Buy the bundle and get this resource at a discount!