Phonetic Words

Phonetic Words can be sounded out. Students have learned to sound words out by tapping them out. Students should be tapping words out to read them and also when trying to spell them. Below is a video explaining how to tap out the different sounds.

What patterns are learned in Grade 1?

Short Vowels - vowels that make the sound that begins each word on the poster below

Diagraphs - two letters that make one different sound

Bonus Letters - consonants that follow short vowels that get an additional duplicated letter (f, l, z, s - fizzles) One tap for the double letters.

Glued sounds - letters that stick together and may slightly alter the vowel sound (from the short sound)

Suffix /s/ /ing/ /ed/ - makes words plural or changes tense - do not tap suffixes

Blends - two consonants that blend together nicely but make their own sound and receive their own tap

Long Vowels - Magic/Final e makes the previous vowel long - it says its own letter name

Students are also introduced to but not tested on r-controlled vowels and vowel teams

How do I help my child practice/learn these?

Students should be tapping out words whenever they can't read it automatically. Students should be tapping out words to spell them, as long as they're not trick words. Tap, Tap, Tap.

Give your child mock spelling tests using words that follow the patterns they've learned.

Search for words that follow the patterns in books, newspapers or magazines.

Have your child recite the chants that go along with each patterns - "a, n, k, bank /ank/"