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Helping Little Readers Grow, One Skill at a Time

Practical, research-informed literacy resources designed to help Kindergarten and first-grade teachers build confident readers—without spending hours creating materials from scratch.

Created by a classroom teacher and literacy specialist who understands the real-world needs of teachers and students.

Less prep. Meaningful practice. Stronger readers.

Shop on Teachers Pay TeachersHow to Teach Phonics

Teach reading step by step

Beginning readers build each skill on the one before it. New to teaching phonics? Start with my How to Teach Phonics guide, then pick the skill your students are working on.

  1. Step 1AlphabetLetter names and letter sounds
  2. Step 2Phonological AwarenessHearing the sounds in words
  3. Step 3Phonics and Sound BoxesConnecting sounds to letters
  4. Step 4Read with SupportFirst steps into reading
  5. Step 5CVC WordsReading three-letter words
  6. Step 6Sight WordsHigh-frequency and irregular words
  7. Step 7SentencesBuilding and reading sentences
  8. Step 8FluencyReading smoothly and with confidence

What teachers say

  • “This is an excellent resource for a classroom center. It effectively allows students to apply their phonemic awareness skills to practice word construction, reinforcing the concepts taught in the Kindergarten curriculum.”

    Bengy E., on Magnetic Letters Template Mat

  • “My students beg me to play this BINGO game. They were blending the sounds and saying all the CVC words!”

    Meredith H., on CVC Bingo Game

  • “My students loved playing bingo today as our whole-group community builder. I liked the different skill levels that let me tailor the game to my resource classroom's needs.”

    Wendi G., on Bingo Game BUNDLE

  • “Great resource for 1st grade centers, the activities where simple and easy for students to complete independently if needed as well as nice supplemental activities to reinforce skills”

    Melanie L., on CVC Words Worksheets 200 NO PREP Cut and Paste

Reviews from teachers on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Find me on Teachers Pay TeachersMrsGalvan CVC wordsLook for this photo on my TpT store
Martha Galvan holding a CVC matching mat with the words map, net, pig, mop and sun

Martha Galvan, M.Ed.

Martha Galvan taught Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade in Brownsville, Texas for 13 years. Mrs. Galvan has a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She uses her experience as a teacher and literacy specialist to create resources for highly effective teachers.

Hi, I’m Martha!

I’m a teacher, literacy specialist, and educational resource creator passionate about helping young readers build strong reading foundations—and helping busy teachers save time along the way!

For 13 years, I taught and worked as a literacy specialist in Brownsville ISD, where I participated in many of the Texas Reading Academies. Those experiences shaped the way I create resources today. From Elkonin boxes and sound-symbol mapping to phonemic awareness activities, graphic organizers, and differentiated instruction, every resource is designed with real classroom needs and the needs of individual learners in mind.

I’ve been sharing my teaching resources on Teachers Pay Teachers since 2009. In 2018, I stepped away from full-time teaching to focus on creating practical, engaging, and effective materials for educators. But I never really left the classroom! I still substitute in Brownsville schools because I love working with students and staying connected to the everyday joys and challenges of teaching. Those experiences continue to inspire my ideas and shape the resources I create.

My resources are designed primarily for Kindergarten and first-grade teachers, with additional materials for grades 2–4. Homeschooling families, reading specialists, and special education teachers will also find resources to support their learners.

My goal is simple: to make teaching a little easier and help every child take another step toward becoming a confident reader.

Thank you for stopping by! I’m so glad you’re here, and I hope you find something that makes your teaching journey a little brighter.

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