5 Simple Ways To Incorporate Science of Reading Activities (If You’re Not Following an SoR Program!) -

If you’ve been curious about how to incorporate more Science of Reading (SoR) activities in your classroom, I’ve got you covered! I usually share tips, strategies, and activities for teachers who are using a structured literacy curriculum (my school district uses UFLI Foundations, for example), but today I wanted to touch on 5 simple ways you can incorporate SoR best practices into your existing phonics curriculum.

Truly, these activity swaps are manageable for teachers using any literacy program. The point is to use a few of these activities alongside what you already do, or swap out an existing activity with one that’s rooted in SoR research (P.S. I’ve got dozens more just like this in my shop). Do what feels comfortable to you, and try more swaps as you feel ready.

Just don’t be surprised if you see your students “magically” becoming better readers – it’s not magic, it’s the Science of Reading!

5 Simple Ways To Incorporate Science of Reading Activities:

Teach High-Frequency Words With Mapping, Not Memorization
Start with Explicit Phonemic Awareness Instruction
Teach Vocabulary Explicitly and Consistently
Pair Decoding (Reading) with Encoding (Writing)
Use Decodable Texts For Practice

Before we dive into the activities, I encourage you to brush up on your Science of Reading knowledge just a bit. If you’re not actively using an SoR-based program, you might not fully understand the basics or the reasons why structured literacy works.

Here are a few great resources to start with (just don’t forget to come back to this post to grab the activities!):

1. Teach High-Frequency Words with Mapping, Not Memorization

How it aligns with SoR: The Science of Reading emphasizes the importance of teaching high-frequency words through orthographic mapping. This approach helps students connect sounds to letters, enabling them to decode even those tricky, irregular words.

Why it’s different: Traditional instruction often encourages students to memorize long lists of sight words without truly understanding how to decode them. This approach doesn’t align with the way our brains naturally learn and retain information. By focusing on decoding strategies, we support long-term retention and reading proficiency.

My Top Recommendation: 260 High-Frequency Words / Heart Words

When I train teachers on transitioning to an SoR-based curriculum, I tell them that this activity is hands-down the first swap they should make. Teaching high-frequency words the correct way has become a soap box of mine… I truly can’t believe how many years (almost three decades) I was teaching “sight words” and not realizing why some of my students just couldn’t grasp it.

I am so passionate about this topic, I wrote an entire blog post dedicated to this one product. Seriously, if you only check out one Science of Reading activity today, let it be this one!

2. Incorporate Explicit Phonemic Awareness Instruction

How it aligns with SoR: Phonemic awareness – the ability to hear and work with sounds in spoken words – is one of the most important building blocks for learning to read and write. The Science of Reading encourages us to teach these skills explicitly and in a step-by-step way, so all students have a strong foundation to build on.

Why it’s different: In more traditional settings, teachers might help kids develop phonemic awareness through read-alouds or shared reading experiences, but they often don’t teach it directly. With SoR, we take a more intentional approach. This gives students plenty of practice with things like blending, segmenting, and manipulating sounds. These skills are key for helping them become confident decoders and spellers.

My Top Recommendation: Letter Sound Sorts

This activity is designed for students who need practice sorting sounds. Each page has a sorting activity with 4 sounds (example: a, m, s, t) where students match pictures to each given sound. This activity comes in two differentiated levels.

3. Teach Vocabulary Explicitly and Consistently

How it aligns with SoR: A strong vocabulary is essential for understanding what we read. The Science of Reading encourages us to teach word meanings directly – especially tier 2 words that students will encounter often in both reading and conversation. Using kid-friendly definitions, real-life examples, and visual supports makes those new words stick.

Why it’s different: In non-SoR classrooms, vocabulary is often picked up incidentally during read-alouds or lessons. While that can help, structured literacy takes it a step further. It calls for intentional and repeated exposure to new words across different settings, so students don’t just recognize them – they really understand and use them.

My Top Recommendation: Science of Reading Vocabulary Cards ULTIMATE BUNDLE

When I first transitioned over to the UFLI Foundations program, I quickly saw amazing improvements in my students’ ability to decode new words. However, some students (especially English Language Learners) were struggling to understand the meaning of these new words simply because they did not have the necessary vocabulary.

So I created these vocabulary cards as a supplemental resource. This bundle includes over 4,500 words that you can print, cut, and provide to your students who need to build their vocabulary!

→ Want to start with some freebies? Check out my collection of free resources here.

4. Pair Decoding (Reading) with Encoding (Writing)

How it aligns with SoR: Encoding (writing) and decoding (reading) go hand in hand because both depend on understanding how sounds connect to letters. When we teach students to spell the words they’re learning to read, it strengthens their grasp of phonics patterns and boosts their ability to map words in their memory.

Why it’s different: In other instructional methods, reading and writing are taught as separate subjects – or spelling might just mean memorizing weekly word lists. With the Science of Reading, these skills are intentionally connected. By linking reading and writing, we help students see the patterns and structure of our language more clearly and retain what they learn.

My Top Recommendation: Dictated Sentences

Using Dictated Sentences (guided writing) is one of the most valuable activities you can do with your students. It is the link between isolated phonics instruction and authentic practice. Requiring students to encode (write) is taking student knowledge to the next level!

5. Use Decodable Texts for Practice

How it aligns with SoR: Decodable texts are carefully matched to the phonics patterns students have already learned, giving them a chance to apply their decoding skills in real reading. This not only supports orthographic mapping, but also helps students feel successful and confident as readers.

Why it’s different: Traditional reading instruction often gives students leveled texts that encourage guessing based on pictures or memorizing words. The Science of Reading takes a different route – prioritizing texts that align with phonics instruction. This way, students learn to read by actually reading, using the tools they’ve been taught to figure out words on their own.

My Top Recommendation: Write the Room – Decodable Sentences Edition

This activity combines encoding, decoding, and comprehension! “Write the Room” is a great way to get your kids up and moving while practicing phonics skills. My students get a clipboard and walk around the classroom looking for the decodable sentences. After they write (encode) the sentences, students read (decode) the words and match the meaning to the picture.

→ If you’re a Kindergarten teacher, check out this post that shares 10 Fantastic Science of Reading Activities categorized by ability level!

Your Next Steps

I hope this list of Science of Reading activities was helpful to you, and not overwhelming. I want you to understand that you can truly supplement any reading program with these SoR-based activities. Start small with what makes the most sense for your students.

And if you’re looking for more, check out my shop – I’ve created dozens of evidence-based literacy resources just like these!