Book excerpt: Theme-Based Phonics is a unique collection of enrichment activities for your student. Using popular themes and proven phonics techniques, activities practice grade-appropriate phonics skills such as letter recognition, consonant and vowel sounds, and consonant blends. For meaningful learning to occur, it is important that skills being taught are linked to student interest, background knowledge, and experience. Using research-based vocabulary, themes, and other experiences that directly relate to classroom themes can make all the difference in developing excellent language and reading skills. Theme-Based Phonics also includes a Pre/Post Assessment test. This two-page reproducible covers the basic skills that are presented in the activities. It can easily be used as a pre-assessment, to help determine the skills that should be focused on or as a post-assessment, to help determine the success of the lessons and if further practice is needed. An added feature in Theme-Based Phonics is the set of full-color flash cards. Focusing on grade-level appropriate phonics rules, these cards can be used in a variety of ways within the classroom and by individuals.