learn it by heart
Heart Word Videos
Short explainer videos for the heart words in UFLI Foundations, in lesson order. Students map the sounds in each word, then find the part they need to learn by heart.
What is a heart word?
Heart words are high frequency words with irregular spellings. Part of the word breaks the phonics patterns students know, so that part gets taught explicitly and learned by heart.
The rest of the word still gets mapped sound by sound. Students connect every sound to its letters, even the tricky ones. That connection is what makes a word stick, and rote memorization skips it.
Each video below takes about a minute, so it fits right into the heart word part of your UFLI lesson. Want the full routine? Read The Heart Word Method for Teaching Sight Words.
You’ll notice a few flash words in the list, like and and see. UFLI includes them in its heart word lessons, but every sound is regular, so those cards have no heart.
No video for that word yet. More heart word videos are on the way.
UFLI Lessons 1 to 11
6 videosThese are the first words on the UFLI heart word list, taught during the alphabet lessons. They show up in almost every early decodable sentence, so students need them right away.
the
The th is regular. The e spells /ŭ/, so that is the heart part.
Try it: The cat naps.
I
Flash word. The letter I says its name, /ī/, so there is no heart part.
Try it: I am sad.
and
Flash word. Every sound is regular, so there is no heart part.
Try it: Mom and dad sit.
a
Flash word. The letter a says its name, /ā/, so there is no heart part.
Try it: A dog naps.
is
The i is regular. The s spells /z/, so that is the heart part.
Try it: It is fun.
as
The a is regular. The s spells /z/, so that is the heart part.
Try it: The cat is as big as a fox.
UFLI Lessons 13 to 23
8 videosThis set covers the middle of the alphabet lessons. He, be, and me follow the same pattern, so they’re easy to teach as a set. Point out the e at the end of each one.
said
The s and d are regular. The ai spells /ĕ/, so that is the heart part.
Try it: I said no.
to
The t is regular. The o spells /oo/, so that is the heart part.
Try it: I ran to dad.
do
The d is regular. The o spells /oo/, the same heart part as in to.
Try it: I do not sit.
of
Both letters are heart parts. The o spells /ŭ/ and the f spells /v/.
Try it: Six of us fit.
see
Flash word. The ee spells /ē/, a regular pattern.
Try it: I can see it.
he
Flash word. The e at the end says its name, /ē/.
Try it: He is mad.
be
Flash word. Same pattern as he.
Try it: He can be fun.
me
Flash word. Same pattern as he and be.
Try it: He got me a pen.
Practice heart words after the video
Heart Word Practice Page
A practice page template you can use with any heart word on this page. It comes inside my free Science of Reading Quick Start Guide.
IN THE SHOP
UFLI Heart Words Bundle
Practice sheets and flash cards for every UFLI heart word, organized by lesson. Teaching slides and an assessment are included too.
Want to watch them back to back? Open the full playlist on YouTube.