GATE for Phonics FAQs

Ideally, you will teach the lessons to small groups of six or fewer students with similar reading skills and needs. Teachers, tutors, or teacher-trained educational assistants can also teach these lessons to individual students.

Beginning readers who know the letters of the alphabet, have some knowledge of the letter sounds, and can recognize as few as 15 to 20 words can begin a Read Naturally program that uses GATE (Group and Tutoring Edition) level .8 materials (early first grade). That’s because GATE programs are designed for direct instruction of fluency and phonics in teacher-led small groups.

Students do not need to know the behaviors required for each activity before beginning the first lesson. The students will learn the process by participating in each lesson. However, the first few lessons may take longer than later lessons because the students will be learning behaviors required for GATE for Phonics during the early lessons.

Knowing 30–50 sight words is a good rule of thumb before students enter level .8 or 1.0 in ME and SE, since students in those programs work independently.

Which words should beginning readers be able to read? You can refer to one of several lists of the most frequently used words for beginning readers, such as the one on the
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning website.

Students that pass quickly can answer questions or write retells while waiting for the rest of the group to pass. You can also have a packet of previously passed stories ready for students who pass quickly to reread while waiting. If a student regularly passes enough before the rest of the group so that these activities do not provide sufficient challenge, the student probably belongs in a higher group.

A student that takes several timings to pass can skip the questions and the retell until his/her fluency improves. You may also want to send the other students back to their seats and work a few extra minutes with the struggling reader. If the student is holding the rest of the group back, he or she may belong in a lower group.

One full lesson generally takes three 30-minute reading periods or four 20-minute reading periods. (The first few lessons may take longer because the students will need time to learn the behaviors required in the lessons.) The lessons are set up so you and the students can complete as many parts of the lesson during a reading period as possible and continue the lesson during subsequent reading periods until the lesson is complete. You may begin a new lesson immediately upon finishing a lesson if time remains in your reading period.

Teacher Guides are sold in Starter Kits along with six consumable student books.
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