Teach the most common phonic rules with simple words from these
Starfall books.
This practice can be started as soon as a reader knows all short and long vowel sounds.
Explain that some words won't follow the rules you are teaching, but most words will.
Make sure the reader knows the difference between consonants and vowels. The C stands for consonant and the V stands for vowel.
Start with following words and rules. The reader is expected the pause at the hypen and blend sounds together without the hypen. You can copy these words, write the words with a space instead of a hypen, or use magnetic letters making a space and sliding together as needed.
CV = long vowel
ay = long a y = long i
m – e me m – e me
sh – e she sh – e she
g – o go g – o go
n – o no n – o no
w – ay way w – ay way
m – y my m – y my
CVC = short vowel
c – a – n ca - n can c – an can
r – e – d re - d red r – ed red
y – e – s ye - s yes y – es yes
b – i – g bi - g big b – ig big
th – i – s thi - s this th – is this
w – i – ll wi - ll will w – ill will
n – o – t no - t not n – ot not
b – u – t bu - t but b – ut but
f – u – n fu - n fun f – un fun
VC = short vowel
a – t at a – t at
i – n in i – n in
i – s is i – s is
i – t it i – t it
o – n on o – n on
u – p up u – p up
2V and SE = long vowels
Two vowels together usually make the first vowel long. An e at the end of a word will sometimes make the single vowel before it long.
s – ee see s – ee see
b – l – ue bl – ue blue bl – ue blue
m – a – ke ma - ke make m - ake make
t – a – ke ta - ke take t -ake take
h – e – re he - re here h - ere here
l – i – ke li - ke like l - ike like
r – i – de ri - de ride r – ide ride
Have the beginning reader listen to each story at least once before looking at the words in the stories. The first fiction and the first nonfiction
Starfall books have an ear you can click on to listen to the story read fluently. Have the reader listen to these books thinking about the story, enjoying the picture, and monitoring for
comprehension. Then read the other books to the beginning reader. Have conversations about the stories. You could plan to practice five words and read one book to the learner each teaching session. The five words can and should be practiced more than once. This type of practice trains the eye and brain to read a word from beginning to end.
Make flashcards for the following words and practice. An explanation follows words with bold letters.
a schwa sound "uh" Good examples for placement of sound are : ( b
anan
a, c
ome, and
away)
and
are ar sounds like ar in car
at
aw
ay schwa sound, ay makes long a like in day
big
blue
but
can
c
ome schwa sound
did
d
o long u sound as in too
d
own ow sound like in cow
find ind is a pattern that makes long i like in kind, mind, grind
f
or or
fun
funn
y y at the end of a two syllable word sounds like long e
go
giv
e most English words don't end in a v, so it could be short or long i, the short sound is right
hav
e most Engligh words don't end in a v, so it could be short or long a, the short sound is right
here
how
house
I
in
is
it
like
little
look
make
me
my
no
not
now
oh
on
one
out
play
pretty
red
ride
run
see
she
s
ome
so
take
the
that
this
there
thing
to
too
up
w
alk
w
ant
who
wh
at
will
with
way
work
we
yellow
yes
you
Some words will not follow phonic rules. Expect a new reader to look at the word while reading. Decoding skills break down when a reader looks away and tries to remember the shape of a whole word to read it. Some parts of the word will match a letter, group of letters, or a pattern with sounds the reader knows.
After all the books have been read once, read the stories a second time pointing under each word as you read. Ask the learner to read the same page as you pointing under the words and looking at each word while reading.
Starfall sells these books from an online store if you want your own copies. The nonfiction books have extra higher level content at the end.
Practice Phonics With Sight Words and Online Books
