Garden Map: Sight Word By in 4 Clever Positions

Look closely at the location cards picture

The letter y gives the long i sound in by. My has the same vowel sound with another first letter. Be starts with b as well but has a different last letter and sound. Help the child compare both positions in the search, then listen to the same word in a short sentence about the flower.

Two more turns from the location cards

Put a stuffed animal by a chair and another by a door. Have the child write one line that helps a reader choose an animal without seeing you place it. Move just the animal or just the landmark for a second check. Ask whether the same sentence still fits, then read the original bee line and point to the object that gives it a location.

Move a landmark instead of the bee

A print check before the crayon comes out · by

The printable offers these six choices: but, by, by, be, my, by. Have the reader read a candidate under their breath and then compare it with the big spelling. Keep a finger on the spot until the reader can explain the decision. The choices but and my give the group two things to check before committing to a color.

Wait for three matches. If a child colors any good-looking shape without reading the word, give them a separate page for decoration and use a pointing turn here. Ask a new reader to verify one of the chosen by labels afterward. The crayon should leave the word readable.

Pair the printed lines with a listener’s job · by

The bee is by the flower.
I sit by the garden.

By describes a position near a landmark in both worksheet sentences. It can identify the flower that the bee is near or the garden a person sits beside. Change the landmark while leaving the distance much the same. Then try reading the new sentence and ask what the listener should point at.

Start by having a listener tell which line would help them act out part of the scene. A partner reads the other line and asks a different question about the message. When the words are clear, find the target and circle it. Give the reader one more turn to say the full line with by included.

Take the location cards to a home or classroom table

At home. Move a paper bee around a flower cutout as the child gives instructions. Draw one position together and have a partner say where the bee is. Ask how precise the word by is when the bee can move a little and still be near.

With classmates. Ask one child to draw a garden and another to describe where a paper figure sits. Let a partner place the figure based on the words. The group can choose where by fits and offer another sentence for a different spot.

Move the conversation to a figure sitting by a window. A child can draw two possible positions that still match the description. Have them explain why this is different from giving someone an exact seat number, and return to the bee to make a complete sentence.

A handwriting sample worth keeping · by

The y says long i in by and my. Check the first letter to separate those spellings, then compare the different vowel sound in be.

Find the heavy print of by at the start of the guide. Read it once before putting a pencil down. Use a card under the guide if the other examples draw the eye away from the first copy. Let the learner give one copy all of their attention. Then ask what they would like a later reader to see more easily.

On a fresh slip, ask for one independent by. Compare the direction, height and spacing of that attempt against the model. Bring the slip to a new reader afterward, since a good check is whether someone can read it without help from the writer.

Use the last line as a message to a new reader · by

Draw a bee near a flower. Write "by" to finish the sentence. The printed frame is The bee is ___ a flower.. Give the illustrator a moment to pick one essential part of the picture. Have a partner say the finished line from start to finish before the child adds the missing spelling in pencil.

Bring the picture to a new reader and give them time to read the line unaided. Ask which marks in the location cards scene support the sentence and which information is supplied by by. Let the illustrator clarify the caption by reading it aloud.

What to listen for during by practice

• Read the whole word. Ask the reader to distinguish by from one nearby label without relying on the outline of its picture.
• Check a sound. Listen to by in the spoken example. Pick one part to read slowly, then practice saying it with the other words at ordinary speed.
• Guide a movement. Help the child steady the worksheet, make a careful copy of by, and look for a specific shape they can identify again later.
• Explain the message. Let a partner explain why the location cards scene makes sense after hearing one printed line. Give the first reader a chance to adjust their interpretation.
• Give the reader a choice. Invite them to return tomorrow with an object, sketch, or message of their own that uses by.

Suggested for first graders around six or seven. A child who can already use by in conversation may want to read a sentence before tracing. Another child may want to point at the location cards picture or try the word with an adult first. End a short visit after one clear read or copy. Let the learner choose what they want to show a family member or classroom partner the next time they see the page.

Print the original sheet 25 for another reading

Download the free worksheet for by. Eligible members can get the clean PDF without site markings. In the printer dialog, check portrait US Letter and look at one copy for the readability of the pale guides.

The $4 collection has this page at position 5 in the combined file. Look for the matching printed number to select a single page for a later visit.

Choose another reading turn if time permits, or read and match the word eat. To compare a different sound or spelling, try a family of words with AP or practice reading leg in a new activity.

Teachers and families can browse the UF Literacy Institute’s word activities and the Reading Rockets guide for frequently used words.