Part 3 – Guidance linked to vowel patterns
There are explanations and rules linked to the vowels, which help the children with their spelling. Several are dealt with in this section.
There are explanations and rules linked to the vowels, which help the children with their spelling. Several are dealt with in this section.
Part 3: Guidance linked to vowel patterns
Influence of ‹w› on the vowel sound
The letter ‹w› has a strange effect on three of the vowel sounds that come directly after it [demonstration].
Interestingly, ‹qu› has the same effect on ‹a› and ‹ar. For example, in squash, quarrel, squadron, quality, quarry, quantity, quad, quandary and quash, the letter ‹a› has an /o/ sound. Similarly, in quart, quartz and quarter, the ‹ar› has an /or/ sound. This is because ‹qu› is actually two sounds – /kw/ – and so the vowels ‹a› and ‹ar› are affected in the same way as before.
It makes it easier for the children to master these so-called rules when they are shown the groups of words that follow these patterns.
Rules linked to the vowels
A statement like ‘rules linked to the vowels’ should come with a warning. Nearly every rule linked to the vowels has some exceptions. Therefore it is only worth mentioning the most robust ones and then learning the exceptions. Here are some of them:
Spelling patterns linked to the short vowel
It helps the children if the following patterns are chanted and sometimes dictated:
‹ck›
/-ack/ /-eck/ /-ick/ /-ock/ /-uck/
black neck sick clock duck
‹tch›
/-atch/ /-etch/ /-itch/ /-otch/ /-utch/
catch fetch hitch notch hutch
‹dge›
/-adge/ /-edge/ /-idge/ /-odge/ /-udge/
badge sledge fridge dodge fudge
‹stle›
/-astle/ /-estle/ /-istle/ /-ostle/ /-ustle/
castle nestle whistle jostle bustle
Soft ‹c› and soft ‹g›
As explained in Step 5, it is the vowels ‹e›, ‹i› and ‹y› that create soft ‹c› and soft ‹g›, changing the /c/ sound to a /s/, as in face, pencil and cycle, and the /g/ sound to a /j/ as in cage, magic and gyrate.
Information is provided about consonants and vowels, starting with simple short vowels and…
Explanations are given about the way knowledge of the vowels can help the…
Guidance is provided about the more complicated rules, described as ‘Drop, swop and…
The advantages of synthetic phonics and knowing how the vowels work are summarized…
This is a useful set of words for blending practice. Care should be taken to give the children only the words that use the letter sounds that have been taught.
This is a useful set of words for blending practice. Care should be taken to give the children only the words that use the letter sounds that have been taught.
These pages can be downloaded and made into a booklet. On some printers each page has to be printed one at a time and back-to-back.
This is a useful set of words for blending practice. Care should be taken to give the children only the words that use the letter sounds that have been taught.
This is a useful set of words for blending practice. Care should be taken to give the children only the words that use the letter sounds that have been taught.
This is a useful set of words for blending practice. Care should be taken to give the children only the words that use the letter sounds that have been taught.
This is a useful set of words for blending practice. Care should be taken to give the children only the words that use the letter sounds that have been taught.