In the world of literacy instruction, phonics serves as a vital foundation for reading success. For special education and primary teachers, understanding and explicitly teaching phonics rules is crucial in helping students unlock the complexities of written language. Phonics instruction allows educators to systematically guide their students from simple to more complex rules, ensuring that each learner builds a solid understanding of how letters and sounds work together.
In this blog post, we will explore several essential phonics rules that every teacher should know. It is important to explicitly teach each rule. Teachers must model, guide, and provide opportunities for practice, allowing students to master each rule before progressing to the next. By implementing these strategies, educators can create a supportive learning environment that caters to diverse learners, enabling them to decode and comprehend text with confidence. Join us as we delve into the fundamental phonics rules that will empower your students on their literacy journey!
Whiny a- Whenever ‘a’ is next to ‘m’ or ‘n’, she turns into a crybaby and whines. Say am or an. If you notice the sound ‘a’ makes in each of these words is different from the short sound. It sounds like ‘a’ is whining. Students love to find ‘crybaby a’ in words. Examples: man, fan, Sam, than, clam
‘oa’ vs. ‘ow’- Both ‘oa’ and ‘ow’ make the long o sound. Usually, ‘oa’ is used in the middle of a word or syllable, and ‘ow’ is used at the end of a word or syllable. Examples: coat, toad, loaf, mow, slow, grow
‘ai’ vs. ‘ay’- Both ‘ai’ and ‘ay’ make the long a sound. Usually, ‘ai’ is used in the middle of a word or syllable and ‘ay’ is used at the end of a word/syllable. Examples: rain, train, sail, hay, lay, ray, rainbow
‘w’ vs. ‘wh’- Most words are spelled with ‘w’. Question words and sound words are often spelled with ‘wh’. ‘Wh’ only comes at the beginning of a word. Examples: water, well, wish, who, what, when, whack. There are a few words that do not follow this rule such as whisker, white, whiff, whale, wheat, and wheel.
‘ou’ vs. ‘ow’- (that makes the sound in ouch). When the ‘o’ is next to ‘u’ or ‘w’, they pinch each other and always yell, “Ouch!” ‘Ou’ is in the middle of a word or syllable and ‘ow’ is at the end of a word or syllable. Examples: ouch, pound, cow, how. You will also find ‘ow’ with n such as in clown.
‘c’ vs. ‘k’ vs ‘ck’- All of these letters make the /k/ sound. This rhyme helps my students remember the rule: ‘K’ takes ‘i’ and ‘e’ and ‘C’ takes the other three. Examples: kit, Kim, keep, Kevin, cat, cop, cup. ‘Ck’ comes at the end of a word or syllable with a short vowel sound. Examples: rock, tick, black.
‘ar’- When ‘a’ and ‘r’ get together they love to play pirates. You will hear them yell, “Arrr! Matey!” ‘ar’ can be in any part of the word. Examples: car, farm, arm, barn, shark, tar
‘er’ vs. ‘ir’ vs. ‘ur’- All three make the /er/ sound, and there isn’t a hard and fast rule. ‘er’ is the most frequently used spelling. It can come in the middle or end of a word. Examples: her, teacher, fern. ‘ur’ is the next most frequently used. It usually comes in the middle of a word. Examples: burn, nurse. ‘ir’ is used the least. It comes in the middle of words. Examples: shirt, dirt, bird.
‘ee’ vs. ‘ea’- There is not strict rule, but ‘ee’ is more commonly used than ‘ea’. Many words spelled with ‘ee’ are related to nature such as free, bee, sleep. Words related to food are often spelled with ‘ea’ such as meal, meat, leaf, bean.
How do you know if the word has a short vowel sound or a long vowel sound? Check to see how close the vowels are to each other. If the vowels are one consonant apart, then it usually has a long vowel sound. Examples: riding, dimes, began, human. If the vowels are two or more consonants apart, it usually has a short vowel sound. Examples: clapping, running, magnet, backpack, forget.
No words in English end in the letter ‘v’. We always add an ‘e’ to these words even though they have a short vowel sound. Examples: have, give, above, massive, love.
A strong understanding of phonics is essential for fostering literacy development in students. As teachers, it's our responsibility to create an inclusive environment where every student can thrive. By systematically guiding learners through phonics instruction, from the foundational rules to the more complex ones, we ensure that each child builds a solid literacy foundation. Let us embrace these phonics rules and empower our students on their journey to becoming confident, skilled readers. Together, we can unlock the code of written language and inspire a love for reading that lasts a lifetime.
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