For teachers and families using Nellie Edge Heart Word Program

New TpT and NEOS resources include:

32 “heart word” spelling songs with QR Codes
Over 40 additional new and updated resource pages for distance or classroom learning

Build Circles of Kindergarten Writing Mastery
with Heart Word Sentences

1. Write and Read Skinny Books provide additional support for young writers. “I love you” is the First Circle of Writing Mastery in kindergarten. Learning this powerful message turns every child into a proud writer! Then, feel-good brain chemicals build writing motivation, stamina, and fluency!

2. A reminder: Teach all students to fingerspell and isolate phonemes using the FREE Family ABC Phonics Reference Chart and free videos. Fingerspelling provides powerful memory hooks for letter/sound recognition.

3. Discover how to make and use magnetic Word Walls and magnetic “heart word” trays to build writing independence. When you teach students to use the environment and hold them responsible for spelling new “heart words” correctly, they grow as independent writers!

4. “Heart word” wall charts, floor posters, and small “heart word” sets provide crystal-clear learning targets at home and at school: Give families our newest set of charts in color or black-and-white. Tip to save preparation time: Ask for parent help to cut and assemble small “heart word” sets, or find a die-cut machine. Parent volunteers are happy to prepare “heart words” over the summer. Consider having a “Back-to-School” or Kindergarten Work Party!

5. “Heart word” assessment and celebration go together. Introduce our new “Hip, Hip Hooray!” class book printables collection. Children LOVE this book!

6. New master "heart word" lists and CVC word lists make writing fluency practice easy. Families appreciate knowing their children will be writing words “by heart” and learning to write phonics-based words—both with fluency! Great for distance learning practice!

7. Celebrate “heart word” mastery with new adhesive labels. Thank you to kindergarten teachers who share some of their best ideas with us. Notice how one teacher made badges to honor the “experts” of pink, purple, yellow, and green “heart words.” Young writers love collecting each celebration badge!

8. Use the Optimal Learning Model with White/Erase Boards at home and school to keep engagement, motivation, and support high! Make sure you have a good set of boards with erasable black pens and black socks, attached by rings. Sitting in rows, students quickly learn how to pass out boards: take one and pass the rest back! When gathering in a circle, students pick up a board before they sit down. At home, these writing boards go in the student’s writing tote.

9. Always teach for transfer with DAILY “heart word” sentence practice and phoneme segmentation. Provide the reason for practicing “heart word” sentences. Your new “heart word” sentence writing pages remind students “If I practice writing "heart word" sentences every day, my writing will get really good!” We have demonstrated that when students have writing mastery of several "heart word" sentence starters, their brains have the memory space and writing stamina to use their phonics-based spelling on new words.

10. Have you discovered “heart word” playdough mats yet? In the classroom, make 2 sets each and laminate. Students can play memory games in addition to rolling coils of playdough over words for multisensory learning. Give families the playdough recipe and copies of "heart word" playdough mats. Ask a volunteer to enclose the first 16 pink “heart word” mats in plastic sleeves or laminate them. YES! All 4 sets of "heart word" playdough mats are now available as a TPT Bundle.

Check out this BONUS on TPT: Heart Word Songs with QR Codes PLUS Distance Learning Resources!

Never used a QR code before?
We give you directions to scan and listen to the songs on the very first page!

Spelling Songs with QR Codes thumbnail(1)

We give you directions to scan and listen to the songs on the very first page! Includes all of the songs from Sing, Sign, Spell, and Read! Sight Word Program on TPT, which is part of the Kindergarten Sight Word Bundle.

Prepare for the best kindergarten year ever: Make your "heart word" program even stronger! Study Nellie Edge Online Seminar #3: Authentic Sight Word Work. All of the "heart word" resources are included with registration.

Why is the Nellie Edge high-frequency "heart word" program so successful? Read Dr. Hatti’s research from "What Is the Research Base for Nellie Edge Online Seminars?" (FREE eBook on TPT)

See our latest blog for more support: The First Circle of Writing Mastery from August 11, 2020