Phonics is making a comeback, so if it has worked its way into your curriculum here are a few books to help in that department. Naturally Four Blocks is the way to go. Get hold of The Teacher's Guide to the Four Blocks: A Multimethod, Multilevel Framework for Grades 1-3, Month-by-Month File-Folder Word Walls (Grades PreK-2), and Month-By-Month Phonics for First Grade: Systematic, Multilevel Instruction. The Month-by-Month Phonics books have activities for teaching phonics that will carry you month-by-month from the beginning of the school year until the last month of school.
In addition to everything else, you should also make sure that your students have a secure knowledge of at least 100 new sight words by year end. 100 Write-And-Learn Sight Word Practice Pages ("Engaging Reproducible Activity Pages That Help Kids Recognize, Write, and Really LEARN the Top 100 High-Frequency Words That are Key to Reading Success") has ideas for using your word wall to help reinforce their sight word recognition skills. You are pretty much ready to meet your students head on at this point. You're well prepared, and I am confident that you will manage to get through the school year with your sanity intact.
Edited: PC
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