Our reading program takes the following information at a much slower pace. It incorporates each item with: reading sentences and word lists, writing words according to their sounds and rules, and writing sentences.  This is done with repitition for reinforcement.

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Step 1  - Start with the short vowel sounds:

Have the child associate the sounds with words with pictures.  Whenever they get stuck on a short vowel, ask them what word goes with that particular vowel. 

 

 

 

 

                                                         

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 Step 2  - Go over all of the consonants sounds. 

Make sure your child knows that ‘x’ makes the /ks/ sound.  Then put short vowels and consonants together (do this different ways; write them out, or use letter tiles, or plastic refrigerator letters), having the child read the sounds.  Have them make up sounds and you read them. 

 

Example:  pa, ti, gu, ga, mi, am, ot, it, ud

 

* Note that at this stage all vowels are short,  for example, "do" is not pronounced as "due", instead it should be pronounced with a short 'o' as in "octopus".

 

When this is learned, add a consonant to make a "short vowel sandwich", such as "dag"" or "mab".  Have the child read and write these out.   Remember, these are just sounds, they don't need to be real words.

 

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Step 3 - Teach the consonant blends:

 

Add short vowels to the consonant blends, and have your child read those sounds. 

 Example:  fla,  stra,  stri,  spla

 

Have them make up words using the blends, a short vowel and another consonant: 

Example: flat, strap, strip, splat

 

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Step 4 - Teach long vowels: a, e, i, o, u

Show words with long vowels. (c = consonant, v = vowel)  

 

1.     c-v-v-c  as in pail, green, dream, goal  In this case, when 2 vowels are next to each other, the first one is long and the second vowel is usually silent.  

 

2.     v-c-v    as in game, time, tune   Here, when 2 vowels are separated by a consonant, the first vowel (on the left) is usually long.  The second vowel can be any vowel (not just the letter ‘e’).   Example : rhinoceros - here the ‘i’ is made long by the ‘o’. 

 

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Step 5 - Teach the following sounds: 

Put them on index cards for reviewing, have the child write as many words as possible with these sounds, or make up nonsense words.

 

 

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Step 6 - More Sounds

Teach the following sounds; put on index cards and have your child read each sound, using short vowels (except for ‘ang’ and ‘ank’, where the ‘a’ is long as in “bang” and “bank”).

 

 

* Note that 'er', 'ir' and 'ur' sound the same.

 

'tion' and 'sion' = /shun/

The vowels are long in these, except for ‘ition’ and ‘ision’, where ‘i’ is short:

 

 

 

'tial' and 'cial' = /shal/ (again, vowels are long, except for the 'itial' and 'icial',

where the 'i' is short:

 

 

Put these sounds to words; have the child make words or pick them out of a book. 

 

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Step 7 Teach the following rules:

1.     When ‘c’ is /s/:  'c' has the /s/ sound when c is followed by an ‘e’, ‘i’ or ‘y’ (this is always true) as in "place" and "chance"

 

2.     When ‘g’ is /j/:  'j' has the /j/ sound when g is followed by an ‘e’, ‘i’ or ‘y’ (not always true) as in "gem" and "cage"

 

3.     The letter ‘y’: At the beginning of a word sounds similiar to a long ‘e’ as in “yes”. In the middle of a word 'y' has a short or long ‘i’ as in “myth” or “hyper”.  At the end of a word, 'y' has a long 'e' sound, or long ‘i’ sound as in “happy” and “try”

 

4.     Words ending in a vowel (or vowels):

 a = /ah/ as in “Africa” ·       

ia = long ‘e’ followed by short ‘a’ as in “dyslexia” and “bacteria” ·       

o = long ‘o’ as in “halo” ·       

u = long ‘u’ as in “snafu”

 

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Step 8 - High Frequency Words

Teach the high frequency words, especially the ones that aren’t spelled the way they sound: