Word Work

What in the world is Mrs. Hagen doing with decoding and spelling?

The 26 letters in the alphabet make 44 sounds. Many letters have multiple sounds associated with them. Students are learning to use what they know about sounds and the letters the represent them in order to spell many words. They are not memorizing individual words, rather, they are learning the patterns that help them represent the sounds in words. The emphasis is always on sound first, then on matching sounds with letters and letter combinations.

Students are learning syllable patterns in order to think of longer words in syllable parts. The patterns help students to determine vowel sounds. Putting syllable patterns together helps to read and spell longer words. As we work with the syllable patterns, we also discuss the combinations of letters that produce different sounds (sh, th, ch, tch, ce, ge, dge ti (as in tion) the schwa sound . . .) We study words that don't follow that patterns (have, prey . ..) We explore homonyms and multiple meaning words. In the second semester we work with prefixes and suffixes. These skills help students to both read and write words accurately.

September Patterns:

  • Review: what are consonants, what are vowels? Vowels are symbols for sounds that your mouth must be open in order to produce. Almost all consonants close some part of your mouth in some way.

  • CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words most often produce a short vowel sound. These are called closed syllables at the final consonant 'closes the door' on the vowel, as in chest, plus, this.

  • Harder Consonant Blends: str, scr, spr, nd, nk, tr, dr, br, cr, gr, sw, qu

  • CVCCVC words have to syllables with short vowel sounds, as in picnic,

  • CV, CVV words produce a long vowel sound. In the CVV pattern, when y and w come after a vowel they are part of the vowel sound (day, snow). This is called an open syllable as the mouth ends with an open shape with the long vowel sound.

October Patterns:

  • CVCe words have a long vowel sound as a result of the e after the final consonant. The e is silent.

  • CVCCVCe words combine a short, closed syllable with a long vowel syllable.

  • CVCVC, CVCVCe patterns combine and open, long vowel syllable with short and long syllables, as in a robot and retape.

  • VV patterns often work together with the first vowel long second vowel silent as a 'helping' vowel, like in coat, beak

  • VV patterns also work together to create new sounds like in crawl, down, crouch and author

  • VV patterns can work with silent gh like in weight, caught, brought, and thought, through and though.

November Patterns:

  • CVCle: open syllable CV plus consonant le as in ladle, bridle, staple

  • CVCCle: closed syllable CVC plus consonant le as in paddle, little, wiggle

  • Add -s or -es for plural as in places or knocks; or for subject-verb match as in she boxes, he runs,

December Patterns

  • r-controlled patterns in which the r coming after a vowel affects the vowel sound

  • ir, er, ur, sometimes or, and ear: as in bird, fern, churn, world, and heard

  • or, our and ore: as in for, four, your, and chore

  • ar verses are: as in yard, star, and stare

  • oi and oy as in coin and joy

January Patterns

  • schwa sound in unaccented syllables

  • add -ed, -ing, -er to cvc and cvcc words

  • add -ed, -ing, -er to cvvc and cvce words

February Patterns

  • add suffixes -er and -est for comparison

  • add suffixes -er,-or or -ist for a person who does the baseword

  • add suffixes -ful and -ness

  • add suffixes -less and -ly

  • -tion