Livro Phonics Teoria e Passos

Teaching
a Preschooler
to Read
(2nd edition)
R-K
Royce-Kotran Publishing
Boston
Teaching
a Preschooler
to Read
Phonics for Parents
and Other Care-Givers
(Second Edition)
Stephen Parker
Second edition copyright © 2020 by Stephen Parker
First edition copyright © 2017 by Stephen Parker
Royce-Kotran Publishing
55 Westchester Road
Boston, MA 02130
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form for commercial purposes without
written permission from the publisher. This book may be reproduced by parents for
use with their own children, and by anyone who volunteers his or her time to teach
someone else how to read.
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
Last digit is the edition number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
ISBN 978-0-9994585-4-9
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020904995

Table of Contents
Foreword: Sir Jim Rose ...............................................................................................9
Introduction .............................................................................................................11
Table 1: Sounds of American English ........................................................................16
Preparation for Teaching
Chapter 1: Why Teach a Preschooler to Read?...........................................................19
Chapter 2: The Alphabetic Code ................................................................................27
Chapter 3: Synthetic Phonics ...................................................................................34
The Reading Program
Stage 0: Letter Recognition ........................................................................................43
Stage 1: Sounds of A, E, I, O, U, M, N, S; Reading Begins .........................................50
Stage 2: Sounds of D, G, P, T; Consonant Blends ......................................................60
Stage 3: Sounds of B, F, C/K; Spelling Begins ...........................................................69
Stage 4: Sound of L ...................................................................................................72
Stage 5: Sound of R ...................................................................................................74
Stage 6: Sounds of H, J, Qu, V, W, X, Y, Z ................................................................76
Stage 7: Sounds of CH, SH, TH; Forming the Plural ..................................................84
Stage 8: Reading Sentences (Part I) ...........................................................................92
Stage 9: Sounds of NG, NK; Multi-Syllable Words ................................................... 105

Stage 10: Long Vowel Sounds ................................................................................. 111
Stage 11: Reading Sentences (Part II) ......................................................................118
Stage 12: More Vowel Sounds ................................................................................. 132
Stage 13: Words Ending in Long Vowel Sounds; Y as a Vowel .................................146
Stage 14: Reading Sentences (Part III) .....................................................................155
Stage 15: Unusual Spellings; Open and Closed Syllables ........................................171
Stage 16: Soft C, Soft G, Contractions .....................................................................180
Stage 17: Independent Reading ...............................................................................189
Appendices
A: Supplement to Stage 1 ....................................................................200
B: Supplement to Stage 2 ....................................................................201
C: Supplement to Stage 3 ....................................................................203
D: Supplement to Stage 4 ....................................................................205
E: Supplement to Stage 5 ....................................................................206
F: Supplement to Stage 6 ....................................................................207
G: Supplement to Stage 7 ....................................................................209
H: Supplement to Stage 9....................................................................211
J: Supplement to Stage 10 ..................................................................214
K: Supplement to Stage 10 ..................................................................216
L: Supplement to Stage 12 ..................................................................219
M: Supplement to Stage 13 .................................................................223
N: Supplement to Stage 15 ..................................................................228

O: Supplement to Stage 16 ..................................................................233
P: The Code: Sounds to Letters ........................................................... 238
Q: The Code: Letters to Sounds ........................................................... 240
R: Consonant Blends ..........................................................................244
S: The Tricky 50 .................................................................................. 245
T: Supplement to Stage 17 ..................................................................246
U: The 100 Most Frequent Words ........................................................ 251
Bibliography ...........................................................................................................252
9
Foreword
“Why Teach a Pre-schooler to Read?”
This question will no doubt provoke mixed reactions from parents and teachers alike.
Some may argue that the direct teaching of reading, especially those skills associated
with ‘phonics,’ is too early by far. Further, even if it were thought to be desirable, they
may challenge the assumption that parents are capable of taking on such a demanding
task - one which may risk setting young children up for failure. In other words, this
crucial undertaking is best left to the professionals in the schools.
However, others may say that many if not most parents nowadays are tuned into the
debate about early reading and already purposefully engage their pre-schoolers in
decoding, sounding out and building words from the simple to the more complex.
Moreover, up to and throughout the pre-school stage, we would do well to remember
that establishing good attitudes and thus fostering the enjoyment of reading is also key
to securing success.
All of which suggests that reliable guidance for parents is warranted. Stephen
Parker argues the case for the engagement of parents convincingly and robustly: this
book provides them with highly valuable guidance on the ‘what and how' of the
undertaking.
Jim Rose
January, 2020
Sir Jim Rose chaired the influential report Independent Review of the Teaching of Early
Reading (also known as The Rose Report) in 2006. The report has, since that time,
changed the teaching of reading in primary schools throughout England.
10
11
Introduction
I would not have written this book but for the plight of my first child, Kate. As she
approached her second birthday, she chattered constantly; the trouble was, my wife
and I couldn’t understand most of what she said. When we realized that trying to learn
her language was not helping the situation, and perhaps making it worse, we decided
to get her some professional help. But after five months of weekly meetings with a local
speech therapist, Kate showed little progress.
Frustrated that nothing seemed to be helping, I sat down with her and our collection
of colorful plastic letters. She could already identify most of the letters, so I started to
teach her something new: letters symbolize specific sounds. I kept it simple: S says
“sss,” N says “nnn,” U says “uh.” Once she mastered a half-dozen or so letter/sound
relationships, I showed her how she could take a simple three-letter word like SUN,
blend the sounds of the 3 letters together, and thus pronounce and recognize the word.
Words she learned to read in this manner – words built from the ground up – she spoke
flawlessly.
Much encouraged, the two of us kept at it. Each time she learned a new letter/sound
relationship, I would show her that letter in some simple words and then help, as
needed, with the blending of the word’s sounds. I started to write individual words she
could read (MOM, MESS, KISS, MAN, CAT) on index cards so we could daily review
them. Within 6 months, her speech problems vanished and our collection of index cards
grew into a stack a foot tall. By her third birthday, she could read any one-syllable word
which had only short vowels. By the time we completed our letter/sound studies, she
was in her mid-threes and she could read any age-appropriate book independently. She
went on to read all of Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House books, and most of Carolyn
Keene’s Nancy Drew Mysteries, before kindergarten.
Kate’s younger twin brothers, Dan and Tom, didn’t have any speech problems. Still,
seeing what had been possible with Kate, I decided to teach them to read as well.
Starting around the time of their 2nd birthday, I went through the process again, this
time with two enthusiastic students – neither one shy about correcting his sibling’s
pronunciations. Both boys were reading children’s books independently by their early
threes.
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That was more than a decade ago. Now, all three of them are in college. It seems to
me that for a parent to take on a project as significant as teaching their own preschooler
to read, the parent must come to 4 conclusions:
• My preschooler is capable of learning to read.

• It will benefit my child to do so.
• I have (or can make) the time to teach my preschooler.
• I have the necessary skills to perform this task.
I may have already convinced you (if you needed it) that preschoolers are capable of
reading. See Chapter 1 for why early literacy is an enormous advantage for them. I
assure you: as long as you’re a reasonably competent reader yourself, you do have the
necessary skill. All you need is a guide – precisely what this book provides.
If you don’t make time for this project, your only alternative is to allow a local school,
public or private, to do it for you. But there’s a problem with that plan. Go to the web
site www.nationsreportcard.gov and start looking through the data on the reading
ability of United States 4th and 8th graders. You’ll discover that for the past quarter-
century of nationwide testing, only 1 in 3 students was classified as a “proficient” or
“advanced” reader. All the rest of the students (2 out of 3!) were classified “basic” or
“below basic.” In other words, 1 in 3 students is being prepared for college and for the
highly competitive job market; 2 out of 3 students are barely getting by, or they’re
illiterate.
By taking on this project and using this book as your guide, you’ll be teaching your
preschooler to read phonetically. The specific method you’ll be using is called Synthetic
Phonics. Synthetic Phonics is fully compatible with the “systematic phonics” that was
endorsed by the US National Reading Panel, in its year 2000 Final Report. Congress
convened this group of 14 scholars in 1997 “to assess the effectiveness of different
approaches used to teach children to read.” The Panel concluded: “Systematic Phonics
makes a bigger contribution to children’s growth in reading than alternative programs
providing unsystematic or no phonics instruction.”1
Six years later, another national panel, this one across the pond in England and
chaired by Sir Jim Rose, concluded that phonics, even if “systematic,” was still not
optimal for teaching reading. The specific type of systematic phonics endorsed by
England’s Rose Report was Synthetic Phonics.2
One reason schools are doing a poor job teaching children how to read is that most
of them use a method other than Synthetic Phonics. One such method, popular in the
13
80s and 90s, was called Whole Language; another, popular now, is called Balanced
Literacy. It’s puzzling to me that educational leaders are so resistant to Synthetic
Phonics. They avoid it despite the findings of the National Reading Panel and the Rose
Report, despite the poor results of their own methods, and despite the fact that written
English is based on an alphabet in which every letter symbolizes sound.
That alphabet is one of humankind’s greatest achievements. Our version of it, the
modern English alphabet, consists of 26 letters, each symbolizing one or more of the 44
elemental sounds of the English language. (See Table 1.) But any alphabet, from the
Greek or Latin version up to our own, enables its users to perform two tasks which,
upon reflection, are astonishing: drawing speech sounds on paper (writing) and
absorbing language through the eyes (reading).
By simply rearranging the 26 letters of our alphabet in various ways, we can depict
the million spoken words of English, easily and elegantly, as print. The alphabetic code
(see Chapter 2) encompasses about 100 letter/sound relationships. While complex, this
code is logical, and therefore teachable. To master it is to master two essential skills at
once: encoding speech into text and decoding text back into speech. The Synthetic
Phonics program in this book will guide you as you teach your child all the intricacies
of this code, in an explicit and carefully sequenced manner.
You may be wondering about the time necessary to complete this ambitious and
exciting project. Can your child already identify the 52 upper and lowercase letters of
the alphabet? If “no,” you’ll need to start with Stage 0, and this program will take 18-24
months. If “yes,” you can start with Stage 1 and it will take 12-18 months. In estimating
these times, I assume you’ll devote about an hour per day to the task: 30-45 minutes
for explicit teaching, and another 20-30 minutes for reading children’s literature to your
child. I know this is a considerable time commitment, but by the end of this program,
your child will be on par with the best readers in any third grade across the country.
Reading is a complex skill, and like any other complex skill, mastering it takes time and
effort.
You may also be wondering how early this reading program can begin. Here are
minimum age guidelines: for Stage 0, focusing only on letter recognition, a child can be
as young as two; for Stage 1, when reading begins, the child should be in her mid-twos.
Any age older, of course, is fine.
You’ll find no gimmicks in this program. There are no other workbooks to buy, no
costly software, and no web sites where, for a monthly fee, you can log on. You’ll need
only this book, pencil and paper, blank index cards, and some magic markers. While I
14
wrote this book primarily for parents who wish to teach their preschool child to read, it
can easily be adapted to teach older children, home-schooled children, or even adults.
The method I use here, Synthetic Phonics, is the most effective way to teach anyone to
read.
A word about pronouns and inclusive language. Every time I see “his or her,” “he or
she,” or “s/he” when I am reading, it distracts me. In this book, I freely switch back and
forth between masculine and feminine pronouns. I don’t know which pronoun I used
more often, however I tried not to switch in the middle of a paragraph. By alternating
pronouns, I hope to include everyone.
There are 3 preliminary chapters to read if you intend to use this phonics program
with your child. In Chapter 1, I discuss multiple reasons for teaching your preschooler
to read. In Chapter 2, I discuss the coded nature of both reading and spelling, along
with the two skills you’ll need to acquire before beginning the program. In Chapter 3, I
discuss, in some detail, the Synthetic Phonics program you’ll be using, and I contrast it
with how reading is taught in many of our local schools.
To teach reading to a preschooler you need time, patience, humor, and a sound
strategy. This book provides the strategy; the other items are up to you. After food,
shelter, and love, I believe the gift of literacy is the most important gift you can give a
child. Best wishes as you begin this rewarding project – you’ll never regret doing it!
Stephen Parker
January, 2020
15
Parent Note: If you are using the complimentary pdf edition of this book and you decide
you would like a printed copy as well, they are available at Amazon.com.
I would appreciate any suggestions or feedback – positive or negative. You can contact
me at [email protected] or on Twitter @ParkerPhonics.
A Note to Homeschoolers: This book can easily be used to teach children older than
five. You’ll simply need to adapt the book a bit, depending on what your older child
already knows. You can skip Chapter 1 (not Stage 1) because that chapter is not relevant
for you and your child.
Read Chapters 2 and 3 and then do as much of Stage 0 as is necessary. Then jump
right into the program at Stage 1.
A Note to Volunteers: This book, with some common-sense adaptations, could easily
be used to teach reading to an illiterate adult as well.
1. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf
2. https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/5551/2/report.pdf
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Table 1
The 44 Sounds (Phonemes) of American English
20 Vowel Sounds
Name of Notation for Words Using

the Sound the Sound the Sound
short A /a/ ax, apple, cat
long A /A/ acorn, labor, date
short E /e/ end, bed, pet
long E /E/ evil, begin, she
short I /i/ in, kiss, with
long I /I/ idea, hiker, mild
short O /o/ ox, not, bother
long O /O/ ocean, omit, go
short U /u/ up, gum, mud
/oo/ good, book, wool
/ew/ new, stew, true
/oy/ boy, toy, coin
/ow/ cow, allow, south
/aw/ law, hawk, fraud
r-controlled A /ar/ arm, cart, shark
r-controlled E /er/ perch, birch, church
r-controlled O /or/ for, corn, sport
/ear/ near, beer
/air/ hair, care
/oor/ poor, lure, sure
Depending on where you’re from, there are 42-44 basic sounds in English.
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24 Consonant Sounds
Name of Notation for Words Using

the Sound the Sound the Sound
/b/ bat, bird
/d/ dad, deck
/f/ fun, fast
/g/ gift, girl
/h/ hat, hope
/j/ jet, jam
/k/ kiss, keep
/l/ lip, last
/m/ mom, most
/n/ nut, note
/p/ pet, past
/r/ rug, reach
/s/ sun, surf
/t/ top, time
/v/ van, vine
/w/ win, went
/y/ yard, yellow
/z/ zip, zest
/ch/ chip, chase
unvoiced SH /sh/ ship, sheep
voiced SH /SH/ Asia, vision
/ng/ king, song, bang
unvoiced TH /th/ thin, thrift, path
voiced TH /TH/ this, then, those
For a discussion of these sounds, see Chapters 2 and 3.

For a summary of the entire English code, see Appendices P and Q.
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19
Chapter 1
Why Teach a Preschooler to Read?
I suspect many of us underestimate the intellectual capabilities of preschoolers. We’re

amazed at how quickly toddlers master their primary speaking language, and if
offered, a second language as well. Yet most of us do not teach our children to read.
Instead, we rely on our local schools to perform this vital task for us, starting in
kindergarten or first grade. For many reasons, I believe this is a mistake.
First, early reading instruction enhances the child’s brain development. By “early
reading instruction,” I mean teaching letter recognition during the child’s twos, and
starting actual reading instruction by the late twos or early threes. Brain development
in early childhood defies belief. A baby is born with all the brain neurons she’ll ever
have: around 100 billion. Each one of those 100 billion neurons is capable of forming
thousands of links (synapses) with other neurons, giving the brain the potential of over
100 trillion synaptic connections.1
The synapses already present at birth govern the use of the five senses and such
automatic processes as heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, sleeping, and digestion.2
Most brain development, however, takes place after birth, through the creation,
activation, and use of new synapses brought about by the child's environment and early
experiences.3 A loving and intellectually stimulating environment leads to greater brain
development; an abusive or neglectful environment results in less brain development.
Biology need not be destiny. The child’s early environmental experiences are literally
“brain-shaping.” Intelligence is not wholly fixed at birth by genetics; it “also depends on
the environmental experiences the child is exposed to on a consistent basis.”4
The first three years of life are especially important in this process of brain
development. The brain nearly triples in size during the first year of life – and by age 3,
it has 85 percent of its future adult weight. The increase in weight is not due to growth
in brain cells, but to synaptic growth and to myelination.5 During this time, synaptic
formation occurs at an astonishing rate: up to 10 billion connections per day.6 The 14-
18 hours of sleep infants and small children need each day is required to preserve
metabolic energy for this enormous task of brain development. “In these earliest years,
the way information flows through the brain’s structures, and gets processed, is largely
established. These pathways and structures will be used and reused as learning
continues throughout life.”7
Synaptic density reaches a peak in the child's third year of life at around one
quadrillion connections, double the number she’ll have as an adult. After this critical
20
three-year period, the brain gradually begins to discard unneeded and unused synapses
through a normal process called “pruning.” The synapses not pruned are those she
strengthens through repeated use.8
This excess production of synapses during the first three years of life makes the
brain particularly responsive to external stimuli. During this period, the child can learn
more easily and more efficiently than she’ll be able to learn at any other time in her life.
Her brain acts like a “black hole,” voraciously sucking in novel information and new
experiences. This helps explain why young children can easily learn to speak a second
language, while older children and adults often find this task disagreeable and difficult.
To be sure, it’s never too late for a parent to influence the wiring of a child’s brain –
certainly not at age 3, and not even at age 13. “The brain has a remarkable, lifelong
capacity to reorganize itself in response to the information it receives from its
environment. Researchers call this neural plasticity and it takes place at all ages… A
child of any age benefits from the ABC’s.”9 What is true, however, is the older one gets,
the longer it takes the brain to “rewire” in response to what it experiences.
There is no make-or-break time for teaching a child to read. However, given the
phenomenal way the brain develops in the preschool years, it seems to me a more
appropriate title for this chapter might be: “Why Not Teach a Preschooler to Read?” Why
would a parent not add reading instruction to all the other new experiences which are
creating, activating, and strengthening synaptic connections in the child’s young brain?
Beyond enhanced brain development, what other reasons are there for teaching a
preschooler to read? Let’s suppose it is indeed possible for parents to teach their 3, 4,
or 5-year old how to read, and that doing so will take about a year. Alternatively, the
parent can leave this task to the local school. Let’s assume that school will perform this
task competently, and it will take the school’s teachers 3 years (grades K, 1, and 2) to
get your child, by age 8, to the point of reading independently. My question is this: what
benefits accrue to a child who has a 3 to 5-year head start in a skill as fundamental as
reading? Well, once a child can read independently, he becomes capable of both self-
entertainment and self-learning. Preschoolers who can read, quickly become passionate
readers. They spend hours with children’s books, allowing those books to transport
them to other real and fantasy worlds. Their brains are constantly stimulated by their
reading, an activity they now control. Their knowledge, fluency, vocabulary, and self-
confidence grow exponentially.
If you grant the gift of reading to your preschooler, you might suppose his peers will
eventually catch up to him once he goes to school. This is not the case. Instead, a
phenomenon, known variously as “Cumulative Advantage,” or “The Matthew Effect,”
starts to unfold. The reference is to a verse in the Bible (Matthew 25:29) which has, over
time, become a maxim: “the rich get richer while the poor get poorer.” The effect, studied
in such diverse fields as science, economics, sociology, psychology, and education,10 can
21
occur when an advantage, conferred at the beginning of some process, becomes a

resource that leads to skills and opportunities – skills and opportunities which in turn
produce even further relative gains over time.
It’s not difficult to see how the Matthew Effect would apply to an early reader. A child
given such an advantage makes an early transition from “learning to read” to “reading
to learn.” His vocabulary explodes. His independent reading skill provides opportunities
in other subjects as he begins amassing knowledge on his own. He spends little time
and effort, relative to his peers, in word recognition, leaving more time and energy for
comprehension and higher-level thinking. Due to his reading skill, he is regarded as
being “smart,” and consequently, he receives lots of praise and attention from
meaningful adults. His self-confidence expands, and his teachers have lofty
expectations for him – expectations that serve to propel him along even further and
faster. To keep such positive feedback flowing, he is motivated to read even more, thus
assuring an ever-accelerating cycle of effort and reward. If you decide to teach your
preschooler how to read, the head start you give him will not only persist over time, it
will grow, and it will have enormous implications in all his future academic pursuits. It
is a gift that will last a lifetime.
A third reason for giving your child an early start in reading is this: if you don't do
it, then by default, you’ll be relying on your local school to perform this critical task for
you. However, there is serious risk with this strategy. Many of the nation’s schools,
public and private, do a poor job teaching reading. You’ll be playing a form of Reading
Roulette, hoping your local school is not using the latest iteration of a teaching method
that has repeatedly failed millions of children. That method, generically called Whole
Word, has been around for close to a century. In the 1980s and 90s it was called “Whole
Language,” now it’s known as “Balanced Literacy.”
Consider the fact that nearly 50% of American adults are either illiterate or they are
functionally illiterate.11 That represents about 90 million Americans who can’t read the
Sunday newspaper or enjoy a good novel. Recently, the National Center for Education
Statistics evaluated the reading level of 8th graders across the nation. It found that 34%
were proficient (or better) at reading.12 Stated differently, 66% of 8th graders (2 out of 3!)
were deficient readers. What academic future does a child have if he is struggling with
reading in 8th grade?
I just outlined three reasons for parents to make it a priority to teach their own child
to read before sending them off to school. Maybe you’re convinced, but you doubt you
have the time. This is a real concern for many families, especially if both parents work,
or if the household is run by a single parent. In such cases, your only choice may be to
do what you can, in whatever time you do have. Perhaps more can be done on weekends
22
than on weeknights when everyone is tired. The pace is yours to set in this reading
program. What does it matter if it takes 2, 3, or even 4 years? Your preschooler will still
benefit if you choose to instruct her yourself.
If your child is not yet two years old, what can you do now, specifically, to help
prepare him for this reading program? That’s easy. Do what any responsible parent does
for her child, whether she intends to teach reading or not:
• Spend lots of one-on-one time playing with him and cuddling him.
• Respond promptly and predictably to his needs.
• Speak to him, early and often.
• Sing to him.
• Read to him.
In short, interact positively with your child. All the above activities significantly
contribute to synapse creation and to the wiring of a healthy brain. While these activities
fall under the category of “common sense” for most parents, here are some useful facts
you may not already know.
“The effect of language spoken to the child cannot be over-emphasized. There is a

direct correlation between the number of words heard by a child during early
development, and the cognitive abilities of the child even into the late preschool years.
The more words a child hears, the faster she or he will learn language.” 13 The time to
start speaking to your baby is Day One. “From the very first moments of life, early brain
structures begin to change, wiring up according to the language heard in each child’s
particular environment.”14 Your newborn won’t verbally respond to your speech for most
of her first year of life. Nonetheless, by speaking to her, you are literally shaping her
brain, causing synapses to grow and to strengthen. Her brain processes every word you
say, and the 44 sounds of the English language that you articulate, quickly become
deeply rooted in her brain. (I’ve listed these sounds in Table 1 in the front of this book.)
At birth, a baby’s brain is genetically capable of discerning the unique sounds of any
of the world’s languages. Each language has its own cadence, rhythms, stress patterns,
and intonations. Collectively, these characteristics are called prosody. The prosodic
pattern of English is termed “stress-time,” meaning certain syllables receive more stress,
and are held for a longer time, than other syllables. In the first month of life, a newborn
“is capable of discriminating different prosodic patterns and can recognize utterances
in their native language from those in languages with different prosodic patterns… By
5 months, infants can discriminate their own language from others with the same
prosodic patterns.”15 By 10-12 months of age, this amazing ability on the part of the
infant brain, to discriminate the sounds of any language, has vanished – the unused
synapses have been pruned away – leaving the child primed and ready for speech, in
his particular native language.16
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So, during your child’s first months of life, speak frequently throughout the day. You
are reinforcing the prosody and the sounds of English in her brain. It doesn’t matter
what you talk about – you can read Tolstoy aloud or you can simply narrate your day.
Whenever the child is alert, interact with her, make eye contact, respond to her facial
expressions and her sounds with your own. In her book, Bright from the Start, Dr. Jill
Stamm devotes an entire chapter to the importance of speaking to a child, from birth, if
a parent wishes to enhance the child’s brain development. “The more words spoken in
the home, the higher the IQ scores were at age three – regardless of socioeconomic
status. By age 4, children in the language-richest homes had heard thirty-two million
more words than those in the more language-impoverished homes. Kids who are
exposed to more language, from birth, wind up, on average, smarter… Talk may be
cheap, but for young children it is priceless.”17
At around 4 months of age, you can start to supplement your speaking with a daily
ritual of reading to your child as you hold her. She can now comfortably sit in your lap,
and she has the visual acuity to see the pages clearly. Start with colorful cloth and
cardboard books. Read expressively, adding your own story line and questions to the
simple plot. Do lots of pointing to characters, colors, shapes, and objects. Read the same
book multiple times; the repetition is beneficial at this age. Make the reading interactive
as she grows older and becomes capable of it. In other words, get her involved as you
read: have her point to the dog, the balloon, or to other objects on the page. As she
grows older still, get her to speak as you read: “What color is that balloon?” “How many
animals do you see on this page?” And when she is older still, encourage her to make
conjectures and discuss emotions: “Why do you think the dog did that?” “What do you
think will happen next?” “How does that make you feel?”
What follows are some useful guideposts18 as you speak and read to your child over
his first two years of life. The times are only approximate.
• Age 4 months: Your baby starts responding to signals. A bottle or a breast

becomes a signal to eat.
• 5-7 months: The infant begins to respond to high-frequency words like “mommy,”
“daddy,” and “bye-bye.”
• 9 months: Babies begin to imitate adult vocalizations and they begin to use
gestures to communicate.
• 12 months: The child begins to speak. These first words show the beginnings of
symbolic thought. A spoken word, “doggie” for instance, is a symbol for the actual
dog. At this age, however, the dog must be present for the symbolism to work.
• 13-18 months: The child builds a large receptive (or listening) vocabulary. He
understands many more words than he speaks.
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• 18 months: The child is well on his way to full symbolic thought. Now he can
produce and understand words like “doggie” even if the dog is not present. He is
beginning to understand cause and effect.
• 19-24 months: Language acquisition explodes. The child starts using short
sentences. Expressive (or speaking) vocabulary starts growing at a rapid pace.
Overall vocabulary, receptive and expressive, grows at a rate of 7-12 words per
day!
• 24 months: In 2 short years, the overall cognitive changes have been
monumental. “The child has moved from sensorimotor intelligence to truly
symbolic thought.”19 This symbolic intelligence now allows the child, through
speech, to communicate with anyone else who shares the common language.
Symbolic thought, already in place for most children by age 2, is one of the main
requirements for learning how to read. A symbol is something that “stands for,” or
“represents,” something else. A two-year old fully understands that the spoken word,
MAN, symbolizes a living, real man. What is to stop that same two-year old from
understanding that, if the letter M symbolizes the sound “mmm,” the letter A symbolizes
the sound “ahhh,” and the letter N symbolizes “nnn,” then the letter string M-A-N
symbolizes the spoken word, MAN, as well as an actual man?
There are other requirements for learning how to read. The child must have the
visual acuity to distinguish between small, similar-looking symbols like “b” and “d,” and
a large enough receptive vocabulary to make learning to read worthwhile. (All those
receptive vocabulary words will quickly become expressive in the course of learning to
read.) The child must have the desire and the opportunity to learn to read. And finally,
the child needs a willing, patient, and knowledgeable teacher.
If your child is not yet two, here are a few other suggestions for preparing him for
the reading program in this book. Once the language explosion has begun, at 18
months, deliberately teach him 3 new vocabulary words per week. This simple step will
provide him with 150 more known words than he would otherwise have by age 30
months. Once you’ve decided on the word, use it repeatedly throughout the day and
review it the following day. Encourage your child to use it as well. Look through the
early appendices in the back of this book for lots of suggestions.
Finally, sing to (and with) your child. It relaxes her, it’s pleasurable, and it gets
endorphins flowing through her brain. It teaches her patterns, rhythms, and rhymes –
and it reinforces the 44 sounds of English in a novel manner. Be sure to include in your
repertoire the singing of the alphabet, which has many of the sounds your child will
soon have to master. If you want to get a little head start on Stage 0, get (or make) a
poster featuring the 26 uppercase letters. As you sing or recite the alphabet, point to
the individual letters.
25
Don't yield to the temptation to sit her down with a TV, tablet, or computer screen.
I encourage you to read the Policy Statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics on
this issue.20 Here are that Policy Statement’s main points:
• Children younger than 18 months need hands-on exploration and social

interaction with trusted caregivers to develop their cognitive, language, and
social-emotional skills. No screen media is recommended other than video-
chatting with a close relative.
• If parents want to introduce digital media to children 18-24 months old, the
media should only be high-quality programming and/or apps. The parent should
watch or use the digital media with the child and reteach the content of that
media. No solo use, on the part of the child, is recommended at this early age.
• Children 2-5 years old can learn words from live video-chatting with a responsive
adult or from an interactive touchscreen interface that tailors its response to what
the child does. However, time should be limited to no more than 1 hour per day.
• Children 2-5 years old can also benefit from well-designed television programs
like Sesame Street. Most programs found under the “education” category in app
stores have no evidence of efficacy and they target only rote academic skills.
• Early use of media is a significant predictor of cognitive, language, and social-
emotional delays.
• Parents’ background use of television distracts from parent-child interactions
and child play.
• Heavy parent use of smartphones is associated with fewer interactions between
parents and children.
These are tough-to-follow guidelines. I am in full agreement, however, with the first
one regarding children under 18 months of age. Such a child is trying to make sense of,
what is for him, a brand-new world. What are its rules? How does such a young child
distinguish between real and virtual worlds? How is he to understand a world where a
scene can instantaneously change? Why should he pay attention to something that can
simply disappear, without warning? All too quickly, an infant or a toddler can be over-
stimulated by the sights and sounds of media. In the first two years of life, what he
needs more than anything else is your voice and your personal, loving interaction with
him. Nothing substitutes for this – and nothing better prepares him for reading.
1. Robert Owens, Language Development: An Introduction (Boston: Pearson Publishing, 2005), 125.
2. Jill Stamm, Bright from the Start (New York: Penguin Group, 2007), 20.
3. Owens, Language Development, 125.
26
4. Stamm, Bright from the Start, 11-13.

5. Myelin is a fatty substance that surrounds a brain cell’s finger-like projections called axons. It facilitates the
transmission of electric signals across synapses.
6. John Medina, Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five (Seattle, Pear
Press, 2010), 33.
7. Stamm, Bright from the Start, 15.
10. Daniel Rigney, The Matthew Effect: How Advantage Begets Further Advantage (New York, Columbia
University Press, 2010), 25-81.
11. “Adult Literacy in America,” 3rd ed., National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Department of Education,
April 2002, xvi – xviii. <https://nces.ed.gov/pubs93/93275.pdf> (Accessed 14 Feb 2017).
12. “The Nation’s Report Card,” National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2015.
<https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_2015/#reading?grade=4> (Accessed 14 Feb 2017).
13. Owens, Language Development, 130-31.
16. Hence the importance, if the child is to be bilingual, of hearing that second language throughout the first
year of life.
18. Owens, Language Development, 140-41.
20. “Media and Young Minds,” American Academy of Pediatrics, October 2016.
<http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/10/19/peds.2016-2591> (Accessed 14 Feb 2017).
27
Chapter 2
The Alphabetic Code
A marvelous code underlies all skilled reading and spelling. You and I are using this
code now. I encoded some thoughts onto this page using various alphabetic
characters; you’re decoding those characters and reconstructing my thoughts. It’s as
though I were speaking to you directly. For mature writers and readers, this encoding
and decoding is quick and effortless. Because most of us were quite young when we
learned to read, we’ve probably forgotten the multi-year effort that was required to get
us to this point. And because reading and writing are so easy for us now, we may take
these skills for granted, failing to appreciate how extraordinary it is that we can draw
sound on paper and absorb language with our eyes.
By itself, the alphabet is only part of the code. If its letters aren’t explicitly linked to
individual sounds, the alphabet is simply a group of 26 abstract, meaningless
characters. What follows are the first two sentences of this paragraph repeated, using
letters that don’t symbolize sound for you. (I simply shifted my fingers one key to the
right as I retyped these 2 sentences.)
Nu oydrag, yjr saqjsnry od pmau qsty pg yjr vpfr. Og oyd aryyrtd strm’y
rcqaovoyau aomlrf yp omfobisa dpimfd, yjr saqjsnry od dozqau s htpiq pg 26
sndytsvy, zrsmomhardd vjstsvyrtd.
This is how all text must have once appeared to you and me, before we learned the
sound value of letters. It’s how text appears to every beginning reader. It must be
intimidating for a child, especially if her reading instructor starts with whole words.
(While most reading programs in today’s elementary schools do start instruction with
whole words, this reading program does not.)
There are 26 letters in our alphabet and 44 elemental sounds (also called phonemes)
in spoken English (see Table 1). The code is what specifies how these letters and sounds
are connected: how each of the 26 letters symbolize one or more of these 44 elemental
sounds, and how each of the 44 sounds can be spelled. Understanding the code is the
key to learning both spelling and reading because these 2 skills are the opposite of one
another. To spell (or write), one encodes sound onto paper using various alphabetic
symbols. To read, one decodes those written symbols back into sound. Armed with the
alphabet, and knowledge of the code that animates it, we can depict the million words
of English on paper, using only 26 symbols.
28
Phonics is the study of this code for the express purpose of learning to read and spell.
Without phonics, the alphabet is simply a collection of strange characters, but with it,
the alphabet is a powerful tool for recording sound on paper – even the sound of our
private thoughts. By teaching your child to read phonetically, you’ll make reading and
spelling logical for her. Once she discovers this logic, it will fascinate and delight her.
Seeing that reading and spelling are based on reason (rather than on rote memorization
of “sight words”), she’ll be motivated to make the year-long effort required to master
these two critical skills. By using this book’s 17-stage program to teach your child how
to read and spell, you’ll be using phonics from start to finish – and your child will become
a confident, skilled reader and a capable speller.
I don’t mean to imply you must master phonics (the full code) before you start
teaching your child. On the contrary, unless you’re a linguist, I expect you’ll be learning
(or re-learning) phonics along with your child as this program progresses. I’ll be guiding
you through each step – so don’t be concerned that you don’t already know everything
that will be necessary. You’ll learn (and then teach) as you go. A summary of the full
code, from opposite perspectives, can be found in this book in appendices P and Q.
That said, there are two items you’ll need to learn before starting this program. The
first is the definition of the word phoneme and the second is the notation I’ll be using to
discuss those individual phonemes with you.
Phonemes are the unique sounds that constitute any given language. For modern
European languages, the number of phonemes vary between 28 and 52. For English,
the number is 44. All 44 English phonemes (20 vowel phonemes and 24 consonant
phonemes) are listed for your convenience in Table 1. Every English word you’ve ever
spoken consists in two or more of these phonemes blended seamlessly together
(exception: the words ‘I’ and ‘a’ which consist of a single phoneme each).
Think of these 44 phonemes as the equivalent of the 118 chemical elements or atoms
in the Periodic Table. Just as those atoms form the basis of all the matter in our physical
world, the 44 sounds in Table 1 form the basis of all the words we’ll ever speak. (The
analogy is not perfect because, under extraordinary conditions, atoms can be split; these
44 phonemes, however, are un-split-able!)
The second item you need to understand is the specialized notation for phonemes
involving slash marks, / /, which you can find throughout Table 1 and throughout this
book. I’ll make you two promises. First, it won’t take you long to get comfortable with
this notation, and second, you won’t have to teach it to your child. The notation is only
29
to facilitate accurate communication between you and me. (I’ll be discussing Table 1 for
the remainder of this chapter, so you may want to bookmark it.)
So why do we need a special notation to deal with these 44 unique sounds? After all,
when teaching them to your child you’ll always speak them. So why the notation? Here’s
the problem. Suppose I want to discuss the short O sound with you. That’s the first
sound you can hear in the word OX or ODD. Since I’m not physically present to you, I
can’t speak it. I could try to spell the sound for you, OH perhaps, but OH is commonly
viewed as the spelling for long O, as in “Uh-oh! I dropped your priceless vase!” or “Oh
my! There’s a fly in my tomato soup!” Maybe I could spell the short O sound using AH,
as when a doctor says, “Open your mouth and say ah.” But then how would I spell the
short A sound (the first sound in the word APPLE)? Further, how would I spell the sound
of a consonant like D: DEH? DAH? DUH?
I think you can see that spelling these phonemes would lead to confusion. On the
other hand, the notation I use in Table 1 is precise. Right next to each phoneme are 2
or 3 words using the sound. When I refer to the phoneme /oo/, for example, later in
this book – and if you’ve temporarily forgotten how it sounds – you can quickly look it
up in Table 1 where you’ll see it occurs in the words GOOD, BOOK, and WOOL. In most
cases, the letter(s) between the slash marks will remind you how to pronounce the
sound. For instance, /ew/ is pronounced like the word NEW, but without the N.
(Throughout this entire 17-stage program, whenever you see something surrounded by
slash marks, I strongly encourage you to speak it aloud rather than read it silently.)
Here are some examples to help you get accustomed to phonemes and their notation.
As you examine Table 1, you’ll probably notice I designate short vowels sounds with
lowercase letters (/a/ /e/ /o/) and long vowel sounds with uppercase (/A/ /E/ /O/).
With that in mind, look at these two statements:
HAT = /h/ + /a/ + /t/

HATE = /h/ + /A/ + /t/
On the left are the spellings of two common English words; on the right are the exact
3 phonemes you can hear in each of these words. Simply blend the 3 phonemes together,
quickly and smoothly, and you’ll inevitably produce the word. The E in HATE is only a
spelling convention (covered in Stage 10 in this reading program) and, as such, it has
no sound.
Here’s another example:

30
WAG = /w/ + /a/ + /g/

WAGE = /w/ + /A/ + /j/
Again, the spelling is on the left while the actual phonemes present in the word are on the
right. The notation again makes clear these two words have different vowel sounds. In
addition, it demonstrates that, although both words are spelled with a G, the second
word ends in a J sound rather than a G sound. GE is a common spelling convention for
the sound of J (see Stage 16).
English spelling can sometimes be confusing, partly because there are so many
homophones (words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings):
WAIST = WASTE = /w/ + /A/ + /s/ + /t/

TO = TOO = TWO = /t/ + /ew/
And, of course, there are a few English spellings that make no sense whatsoever,
given the actual sounds present in the word’s pronunciation:
ONE = /w/ + /u/ + /n/

OF = /u/ + /v/
Reading and spelling are necessarily complex in English for a simple reason: our
language has more phonemes (44) than it has letters (26) to symbolize those phonemes.
This results in a more complex code than is found in other alphabetic languages like
Italian and German. In the above HAT/HATE example, you saw how the single letter A
can symbolize 2 different phonemes: /a/ and /A/. The opposite is also true. A single
phoneme can be spelled in more than one way:
ZOO = /z/ + /ew/

NEW = /n/ + /ew/
BLUE = /b/ + /l/ + /ew/
FRUIT = /f/ + /r/ + /ew/ + /t/
This example shows the sound /ew/ can be spelled OO, EW, UE, and UI.
Though this final example is a little trickier, it shows a number of phonics topics
that will be covered in the reading program later in this book. Let’s take the two words,
PHONICS and CITY, and using this new notation, again state the precise phonemes that
can be heard in each of them. Try to do this yourself before reading any further. (Hint:
there is no /c/ among the 44 phonemes of English.)
31
PHONICS = /f/ + /o/ + /n/ + /i/ + /k/ + /s/

CITY = /s/ + /i/ + /t/ + /E/
Three important phonics topics are illustrated here. First, the phoneme /f/ is
sometimes spelled PH rather than F. Second, the letter C always spells either the
phoneme /k/ or /s/. Finally, the letter Y can act as a vowel. When it does, it usually
spells the phoneme long E (/E/).
Note: If the notation across from CITY (above) looks like the word SITE to you, it’s
because you are confusing spelling with sound. The slash mark notation has nothing to
do with spelling; it simply specifies sound. Here are 11 similar-sounding words that
differ from each other only in their vowel sound(s):
SIT = /s/ + /i/ + /t/

SITE = /s/ + /I/ + /t/
SET = /s/ + /e/ + /t/
SEAT = /s/ + /E/ + /t/
SAT = /s/ + /a/ + /t/
SATE = /s/ + /A/ + /t/
SUIT = /s/ + /ew/ + /t/
SOT = /s/ + /o/ + /t/
SOOT = /s/ + /oo/ + /t/
SOUGHT = /s/ + /aw/ + /t/
CITY = /s/ + /i/ + /t/ + /E/
My only goal in providing the above examples was to get you more accustomed to
this slash mark notation for phonemes. Everything else will be gradually presented to
you (and thus to your child) during the course of this program’s 17 stages.
One more thing: if you looked through Table 1 carefully, you may be wondering why
/c/, /q/, /x/, and /U/ are missing. You may also be puzzling over those two uppercase
versions of /th/ and /sh/. While these apparent omissions and additions will be fully
explained in the program which follows, here’s a quick preview:
• There is no unique sound /c/ because the letter C itself is unnecessary. CAT
could be spelled KAT. CITY could be spelled SITY (as it is in UNIVERSITY). Since
the sounds /k/ and /s/ are already listed in Table 1, including /c/ would add
nothing new.
32
• I omit /q/ for the same reason. Every word spelled with QU could instead be
spelled with KW (compare QUACK and KWACK). Since /k/ and /w/ are already
on the list, /q/ is unnecessary.
• The same reasoning holds for /x/. Every word ending in X could instead be
spelled with KS (compare BOX and BOKS). Since /k/ and /s/ are already on the
list, we don’t need the sound /x/.
• The sound /U/ (long U) can easily be produced by phonemes already on the list:
/U/ = /y/ + /ew/.
• The /th/ sound (lowercase) is a phoneme made with air only. You can hear it in
the words THIN, THICK, and MOTH. The /TH/ sound (uppercase) is a similar
sound, but it’s made with the vocal cords. You can hear it in the words THIS,
THAT, and MOTHER. Try it yourself! While the phoneme /TH/ is voiced, /th/ is
voiceless.
• Similarly, /sh/ is voiceless. You can hear it in SHIP, CASH, and MISSION. /SH/
is voiced. You can hear it in the words VISION, PLEASURE, and ASIA, even
though these words are not spelled with the letters SH.
This voiced/voiceless distinction occurs for many letter pairs in English, as you can
see (or hear) in this table:
Voiced Unvoiced
/TH/ /th/
/SH/ /sh/
/b/ /p/
/d/ /t/
/g/ /k/
/j/ /ch/
/z/ /s/
/v/ /f/
Notice for each of these pairs, the mouth and tongue are in the same configuration in
order to articulate the sound – the only difference is voicing versus air alone. Happily,
in most cases, English uses a different letter for the voiced and unvoiced version of a
sound. It is only in the case of TH and SH that English does not have a unique spelling
for the voiced and voiceless counterparts.
33
Don’t stress over this notation. Once you can look through the list of the 44
phonemes in Table 1, and out loud, correctly pronounce all (or most) of them, you are
ready to move on to Chapter 3. Table 1 is always there for reference if you need it later
on. When working with your child, the two of you will always speak these sounds; he’ll
never see this written, specialized notation. Nor will he ever need to know the definition
of phoneme.
Parent Note: The above understanding of English phonemes and their notation is all
you need to know to use this book successfully to teach your child how to read.
If, for one reason or another, you’d like to know more of the theory behind reading
instruction, including the history of reading instruction, you can easily download my
free book for teachers called Reading Instruction and Phonics, also available at
www.ParkerPhonics.com.
34
Chapter 3
Synthetic Phonics
Y ou should be aware that this book’s method, Synthetic Phonics, is not the only
method for teaching a child to read. Since 1920 or so, there has been another
widely-used method for teaching reading. It’s called ‘Whole Word’. During the middle of
the previous century, Whole Word was known as the Look/Say method. During the 80s
and 90s, it was called Whole Language. Now it’s known as Balanced Literacy. Synthetic
Phonics and Whole Word are not compatible.
Using Synthetic Phonics, a teacher starts with individual phonemes and the letters
that symbolize them, and then she carefully shows the child how to blend those
individual phonemes into familiar words. Unknown written words are decoded, that is,
they are “sounded out” by blending their individual sounds into a full pronunciation
based on their constituent letters. Synthetic Phonics is a bottom-up approach to reading.
The child is taught the entire alphabetic code in a carefully sequenced and explicit
manner, from the very start of instruction.
Using the Whole Word method, a teacher starts, not with phonemes and the letters
that represent them, but with, as the name suggests, whole words. Since these words
can’t be read by the beginner, they must be memorized visually as sight words. When a
child encounters an unfamiliar word (a word not previously memorized as a sight word),
she is encouraged to guess its meaning. The guessing is based on the word’s context
within the sentence, or on a picture accompanying the text, or on the word’s first letter.
Whole Word is a top-down approach to reading. The alphabetic code, if taught at all, is
taught over a period of many years, using various “discovery” methods, after the child
has mastered a large cache of sight words.
When I taught reading to my three preschool children nearly two decades ago, using
Synthetic Phonics, I was unaware Whole Word methods were being used in most of the
local schools. It was clear to me then – and it’s clear to me now – that if we want to teach
a child to read an alphabetic script (as opposed to Mandarin or Japanese), and if we
want to respect that child’s need to understand why words are spelled as they are, then
we need to teach the code explicitly from the start of reading instruction.
What follows are the main characteristics of the Synthetic Phonics program you are
about to use with your child.
35
Defining Characteristics
Synthetic Phonics is not a tool to help a student with word-guessing in a Whole Word
reading program. Instead, it’s a singularly effective method for teaching both reading
and spelling. As you use the program in this book, you’ll find Synthetic Phonics has all
the following characteristics:
• The code is taught explicitly because most children can’t discover how it works
on their own and because “discovery” teaching methods simply take too long.
• The entire code is taught, not only parts of it.
• Instruction begins with individual letters and the sounds (phonemes) those
letters symbolize. It does not start with whole words.
• The skill of blending individual phonemes into whole words is explicitly modeled
and taught from the beginning of instruction.
• Instruction is systematic. The code is presented in a carefully sequenced and
logical manner with each new topic building on what the child has already
mastered.
• Memorization of sight words is kept to an absolute minimum. (In this program,
you’ll teach only 5 such words.)
• The child is taught to identify an unknown word by decoding it (sounding it out
into a full pronunciation based on its constituent letters) rather than using
context or pictures to guess what it might be.
• Spelling is taught as the reverse of decoding.
• The child is asked to read only decodable text, that is, text for which he already
has the skills needed to succeed. This eliminates guessing.
Synthetic phonics programs can differ from each other, not in the above
characteristics, but in some other, less essential areas. These include: the order in which
the teacher presents the full code, how early blending (and therefore reading) is
introduced, how and when spelling comes into play, how to handle irregular words, what
notation to use, how many rules to feature, and whether to reserve significant daily time
for reading to the child. How I handle these less essential areas is detailed below, and
of course, in the following 17-stage reading program itself.
Rules
A primary goal in this program is to get your child to independent reading as quickly
as possible. In pursuit of this goal, we’ll keep the vocabulary, the rules, and the sight
words your child must memorize to an absolute minimum. While your child will soon
36
need to know the meaning of vowel and consonant, she’ll not need to learn the meaning
of phoneme or the specialized notation for phonemes that you’ve already mastered.
This version of phonics gives special attention to 14 common letter combinations

that are not phonetic, that is, their actual pronunciations are at odds with their
spellings. I list them at the end of Appendix Q. Knowing them, however, makes
thousands of additional words perfectly phonetic. You’ll explore all 14 of these letter
strings with your child at various stages in this reading program. Here is an example of
one of them: both TION and SION are pronounced “SHIN.” With this simple rule,
ACTION, MISSION, TENSION, and hundreds of similar words become “phonetic.”
Sight Words
A sight word is a word whose spelling, meaning, and sound (pronunciation) are
recognized instantaneously by the reader. No decoding or “sounding out” is necessary.
For a mature reader like yourself, most words are sight words. But how are sight words
created for the beginning reader? There are two ways it can be done:
• Consciously. A child can be required to visually rote-memorize a word based on

characteristics other than the sound value of its individual letters. So, for
instance, a child might remember the word ‘look’ as having two “eyes” in the
middle, ‘yellow’ as having two “sticks” in the middle, ‘mother’ as the long word
that starts with an M. With additional effort, a child might memorize the exact
sequence of letters for a given word. But this is difficult to do. It’s similar to what
we adults do when we memorize a sequence of meaningless symbols that act as
a password.
• Unconsciously. In a Synthetic Phonics program like this one, sight words will be
created easily, automatically, and unconsciously by your child as she makes
explicit the connections between the letters she sees in a word’s spelling and the
sounds (phonemes) she hears in that word’s pronunciation. Every time she
decodes or “sounds out” a word into a full pronunciation based on the word’s
letters, her brain is making the connections necessary for that word to become a
sight word. Astoundingly, only 2-5 correct decodings of a given word are enough
for it to become a sight word for most new readers.
37
Irregular Words
English has more spelling irregularities than most other alphabetic languages. These
irregularities complicate the task of teaching someone to read. I estimate, however, that
95% of the words a student will see and use through high school are perfectly regular,
based on the phonics I present in this program. That still leaves quite a few irregular
words. I studied various lists featuring the 500 most-used words in the English language
(easy to find online) and picked out the words that might still be considered irregular,
even after having mastered all the phonics in this program. I found 50 such words and
listed them in Appendix S. If you look at that list, the Tricky 50, you’ll see I also provide
a spelling that would make these words regular.
When these 50 tricky words start showing up, in Stage 8 of this program, you’ll
simply call your child’s attention to them. You’ll focus, not on the word’s irregularities,
but on what is regular about them. For example, HAVE, ARE, WERE, and GIVE are
perfectly regular if we simply drop the final E. Other tricky words are regular in both
their first and last letter (COULD, WANT, FRIEND). You’ll sometimes ask your child how
the tricky word would be spelled if we lived in a perfectly phonetic world. For instance,
SAID would be spelled SED in such a world.
The only thing you won’t do is have your child memorize these 50 words as sight
words – unless it’s unavoidable. It becomes unavoidable when a word is spelled so
wildly, given its sounds, there is no choice but to simply memorize it. I count only five
such words on the Tricky 50 list: EYE, ONE, ONCE, EIGHT, and OF (I, WUN, WUNS,
ATE, UV). (As promised, this phonics program will keep memorization of sight words to
a minimum!)
What happens when a young reader comes across the occasional irregular word not
included among the Tricky 50? Similarly, what happens when she meets a homograph
like WIND – a word which has two correct pronunciations and two different meanings?
(WIND can be the noun you experience in a storm or the verb you do to a clock). In such
cases, she’ll improvise. She’ll make an educated guess based first on her phonics skills,
and then on the context of the word. She’ll learn from experience doing actual reading.
Further, she is unlikely to encounter many such exceptions during her first year or two
of independent reading, because her focus will be on material written primarily for
younger children.
38
An Illusion
I’ve uniquely structured this phonics program in such a way that for the first 6
stages, you’ll be able to teach reading as though English is a perfectly phonetic language:
one without spelling irregularities or exceptions. You’ll act as though each letter in the
alphabet has a single sound, and each sound is symbolized only by a single letter. You’ll
be able to sustain this illusion until midway through Stage 6, when Q, X, and “silent”
letters first appear.
I’ve done this because, in the earliest stages, I want your child to become firmly
convinced reading is easy and logical – and therefore worth the effort. You won’t present
your child with any “complications” until well after he has concluded “Reading is fun,”
“Reading makes sense,” and “By darn, I can do it!” Only when these critically important
convictions are firmly entrenched in his mind will you slowly start to reveal the
“anomalies” of English. By then, these anomalies will cause him little concern or
confusion because he’ll be confident in his reading ability and because he’ll understand
the overwhelming logic of the code.
Motivation
Some long-running complaints of Synthetic Phonics are that it’s boring, that it
involves tedious drill work, and that a child will lose interest in it long before he ever
gets to read a simple poem or story. I suppose this could be true if reading was needlessly
delayed, if the instruction was unimaginative and humorless, and if the teacher used
all available instructional time for nothing but repetitive drill work. That will not be the
case here. Powerful motivation in this phonics program will derive primarily from three
factors:
1) Reading starts early. It’s not delayed until the middle or end of the program,
rather, it starts right at the beginning, in Stage 1. There, with only 8 (of the 44)
phonemes mastered, your child, with your help, will start blending those
phonemes into words like MOM, MAN, and SUN. And when I say “reading,” I
mean decoding the words, not memorizing them as sight words. Based on my
experience teaching preschoolers, I can confirm that once authentic reading
begins, motivation is not an issue. A child becomes proud and enthusiastic –
perceiving herself as starting to master the skill all the significant adults in her
life can do.
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2) Your child begins to understand the logic that underlies the skill of reading. She
starts to glimpse what linguists call the Alphabetic Principle: written words are
distinguishable from one another, not by their overall shape or by their individual
letters, but by the sounds those individual letters symbolize. She begins to
appreciate print is simply coded sound, and that insight makes her eager to learn
more about the code.
In this program, and in any phonics program worth mentioning, you’ll spend time
each day not only teaching phonics, but also reading classic children’s literature to
your child. You’ll read to him daily, not that he might acquire a few sight words, but
that he’ll become enchanted by the stories you tell. You won’t simply read, you’ll
facilitate a discussion: “Why do you think Jack did that?” “What do you think the
giant will do next?” Listening to quality literature provides enormous motivation for
any phonics student. He’ll want to continue his phonics lessons because he wishes,
one day soon, to read such stories on his own.
Time Frame
In the Introduction, I said the time needed to complete this 17-stage program would
be (roughly) one to two years. The biggest variables are the time needed for letter
recognition (Stage 0 in this program) and the individual child’s aptitude, interest, and
motivation. Children vary enormously in this regard.
My best advice is to not worry about time. Stick with each stage until it’s clear to you
that your child has mastered the material that’s there. Some stages are more challenging
than others, so don’t expect to spend equal amounts of time per stage.
This program can logically be viewed as having two distinct parts. A Basic Code,
comprising Stages 1 through 6, and an Advanced Code, encompassing Stages 7 through
17. The Basic Code is that initial part of this program that presents reading and spelling
as regular and exceptionless – an illusion to be sure – but one that is important in
helping to convince your child that the effort spent learning to read is worthwhile.
Here’s a helpful rule of thumb: the Advanced Code will take about twice as long to
teach (and learn) as the Basic Code.
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Phonemic Awareness
Illiterate people, both children and adults, are usually unaware of the 44 phonemes
of English I’ve listed in Table 1. That’s because in speech, these individual sounds are
coarticulated, that is, they seamlessly blend into one another. Neither the speaker, nor
the listener, need be aware of them because the brain’s language center handles these
coarticulated sounds automatically and unconsciously.
However, for skilled reading and spelling to occur, these 44 phonemes must be
brought into full, conscious awareness. The phonics program you are about to use does
this explicitly and systematically. It must do so because Synthetic Phonics depends
upon the reader’s ability to match letters with the sounds they symbolize. Such
matching can’t occur until the reader becomes consciously aware of these 44 sounds.
You’ll start bringing these sounds to your child’s attention in Stage 1 when you teach
her “A says /a/.” (Remember: when you see something surrounded by slash marks,
speak it aloud rather than read it silently.)
The main point I want to make about phonemic awareness is that Synthetic Phonics
starts with phonemes, and then teaches the new reader how to blend them into words.
Your child can’t possibly avoid becoming aware of phonemes. You’ll be training her to
hear them – and to match them with appropriate letters – throughout this entire
program.
The hardest way to teach phonemic awareness is to start with whole words. Since
phonemes are already coarticulated in whole words, they are notoriously difficult for a
beginner to pick out. A one-syllable word like CHANCE, for instance, which can be
spoken or heard in a fraction of a second, has 4 phonemes: /ch/ + /a/ + /n/ + /s/. All
Whole Word methods must teach phonemic awareness by introducing phonemes that
are already in their coarticulated form. This is precisely backwards – and it makes
teaching phonemic awareness, reading, and spelling far more difficult than it needs to
be.
Spelling
A competent speller is one who can hear the coarticulated phonemes in a spoken
word and then match each of those phonemes with an appropriate letter (or letters). For
a Synthetic Phonics student, hearing those phonemes is relatively easy. That’s because
each word he can read, he has previously built from the ground up. For him, each word
begins as a collection of individual phonemes. He then blends them into a whole word.
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Naturally, if he first assembles a word in this manner, he’ll find it easier, upon hearing
the word, to take it apart, sound by sound, match those sounds with appropriate letters,
and thereby spell it.
[Note: Spelling begins in Stage 3 of this reading program. Throughout the program, you’ll
ask your child to spell only those words he can already read.]
Some Final Observations
In the 17-stage reading program that follows, you won’t find a series of carefully
scripted lesson plans. Rather, my purpose is to provide you with the overall structure
and logical sequence of a program that uses Synthetic Phonics as a method to teach
reading and spelling. That said, I do offer hundreds of suggestions for how to present
the alphabetic code to your child. You can use my suggestions verbatim or you can
modify them as you see fit.
I hope you’ll take the time to read through the entire 17-stage program before
starting to teach. Doing so will answer many questions you may now have, and it will
provide you with a broad overview of what constitutes a genuine synthetic phonics
program. At a minimum, read each individual stage completely before starting it with
your child. I tend to combine discussion meant only for you, with suggestions for how
to approach your child. Doing an initial read of the entire stage should help to clarify
which is which. In all cases, anything surrounded with slash marks is meant to be
spoken aloud, not read silently.
Where to Go From Here
If you’re teaching a preschooler, you’ll likely need to proceed now to Stage 0 where
you’ll have 2 options for teaching upper and lowercase letter recognition.
If you’re teaching an older student (homeschooling) – or if you’re teaching an adult –

you’ll likely skip Stage 0. You can now proceed directly to Stage 1.
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A Synthetic Phonics Program
for
Reading and Spelling

43
Stage 0
Letter Recognition
R eading and spelling both depend on symbols for sound called letters. There are 26
of them in our Latin alphabet, and since each has an uppercase and a lowercase
version, there are 52 symbols that need to be recognized by name. Add in the 10 symbols
of our counting system (0 through 9) and you quickly arrive at 62 symbols, many of
them quite similar, that need to be distinguished by the new reader.
If your child does not already know these 62 symbols you must teach them – but
you still have a choice to make. Should you teach all of them as a prerequisite to starting
the program at Stage 1, or, as an alternative, would it be better (easier) to teach only
those symbols needed at each stage as you go through the following program?
Here’s what I mean. Stage 1 uses only the letters A, E, I, O, U, S, M, N, and their
lowercase counterparts. That’s 16 symbols. And since S and s, O and o, U and u, M and
m, and I and i are identical (or nearly so), there are really only 11 different symbols that
your child needs to master before beginning Stage 1. And note: armed with just these
11 symbols and their corresponding sounds, your child can still be reading by the end
of Stage 1.
This jump-starting of Stage 1 may be advisable because your goal is to get your child
reading as quickly as possible. To wait until she masters all 62 symbols before beginning
Stage 1 might require that reading, which is of course, the purpose of these symbols, be
too-long delayed. Your child may lose interest in the task of letter identification before
that task is complete. Actual reading, and understanding the logic behind this skill, is
what motivates most children.
What may be preferable then, is that you explicitly teach only the eight needed
letters before starting Stage 1, then four more letters before starting both Stage 2 (D, G,
P, T) and Stage 3 (B, F, C, K), a single letter before Stage 4 (L) and Stage 5 (R), and the
final 8 letters prior to starting Stage 6 (H, J, Q, V, W, X, Y, Z). Thus, letter recognition is
spread out for your child over the first 6 stages of this program – and during this entire
time, he’ll be reading, spelling, and gradually learning the code.
Naturally, for some children, this spreading out the process of letter recognition over
many stages will not be necessary. Your child may enjoy the task of learning letter
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names for its own sake, may love singing the alphabet, and may excel in letter
recognition and in matching lowercase and uppercase letters together – all without the
external motivation of actually using those letters to read. You know your child best, so
you must make this decision: letter recognition all at once (before beginning Stage 1) or
letter recognition over the first 6 stages.
Whatever you decide, the remainder of Stage 0 has my suggestions for teaching letter
recognition.
However you choose to do letter recognition with your child, teach both the upper
and lowercase version of a given letter at the same time. Get him accustomed right away
to the fact that all letters can be written “big” (B) or “little” (b). While many upper and
lowercase letters look nearly identical (K and k), quite a few do not, for example, N and
n, or D and d. I think it preferable not to use terminology like “uppercase” and
“lowercase” with your child – just say “big A” and “little a” to keep things simple.
It will help your child’s learning if he can hold and manipulate the letters, and
arrange them on the floor. The letters can be plastic, foam, or wood, and they can lay
flat, stand on their own, or stick to a magnetic surface. They can be the classic wooden
cubes that have a letter or a picture painted on each of the 6 sides. Whatever route you
choose, get a set large enough so your child can lay out the entire alphabet at one time.
Doing a search on Amazon, I found many possibilities from (among other companies)
Uncle Goose, Imaginarium, Melissa & Doug, Alex Toys, Lakeshore, Schylling, Hape, We
Sell Mats, Maxim, Roscoe, Magtimes, and Pixel Premium.
As an alternative to buying something, and especially if you’re doing letter

recognition gradually over the first 6 stages, you can create your own letters. Get a stack
of 4 x 6 index cards and some colorful, broad-tipped magic markers. Cut each card in
three equal parts, resulting in a pile of 2 x 4 cards. Then, using a pencil, lightly divide
each 2 x 4 card into three equal zones as illustrated. From top to bottom, I’ll call them
zones 1, 2, and 3.
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Now, using the magic markers, draw a letter on each card, using only zone 2 for
lowercase letters without stems (a, c, e, m and so on). Those with stems can be drawn
in zones 1 and 2 (b, d, k) or in zones 2 and 3 (p, q, g). All the uppercase letters can be
drawn in zones 1 and 2. Alternate the colors if you like. Now you have a 52-card deck
of both upper and lowercase letters your child can manipulate. You can also create a
deck of number cards (0-10) as well. Conveniently, all these cards are easy to replace if
one gets lost or damaged.
Now, when your child sings the alphabet, she can lay out the letters on the floor,
surrounding herself as she places them in order – sometimes using uppercase, other
times using lower.
Parent Note: For the fonts used in most books, lowercase A and G look like this:
a g
However, most children, at least initially, learn to recognize these letters when they are
drawn this way: a g

There’s no way around this problem, so deal with it directly. Point it out and discuss it
with your child. He needs to recognize both versions of these letters.
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There are many other activities the two of you can do together to help him learn his
letters. Get, or borrow, alphabet books for your daily reading sessions. Some particularly
helpful ones are:
• ABC (Dr. Seuss)

• Alphabet Under Construction (Fleming)
• Alpha Oops: The Day Z Went First (Kontis)
• The Alphabet Tree (Lionni)
• The Construction Alphabet Book (Pallotta)
• The Alphabet Book (Eastman)
• Eating the Alphabet (Ehlert)
• Numbers Colors Shapes (Priddy)
• ABC (Carle)
• Alphablock (Franceschelli)
• Alphabet Adventure (Wood)
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Martin)
• Best Word Book Ever (Scarry)
As you read to him, start pointing out that sentences always start with a big letter and
end with a period. In using these books, you are interested in letter recognition only;
avoid encouraging him to memorize whole words.
If you are dealing with an older child whose motor skills allow it, encourage him to
write the letters and numbers on paper. With a younger child, you can set the font of a
word processor to the largest size available and let him try to type the letters, in order,
on a screen. Comic Sans font works well for this activity because the letters look hand-
drawn: A a, B b, G g.
There are some free (or at least inexpensive) worthwhile apps your child can use on
a smartphone or tablet that can help with letter recognition. Do a search on “alphabet”
or “alphabet tracing” and you’ll find hundreds of them. The most useful apps for this
stage are those that have the child trace the letters and numbers on a touch screen. I
rejected most of the 50 I tested because they committed one or more of the following
offenses:
• Obtrusive full-screen pop-up ads that could not be eliminated.

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• Tracing that is unforgiving (too picky) and is therefore likely to frustrate your
child.
• Associating unhelpful words with letters, such as “chicken” with C, “ship” with
S, and “orange” with O. These words may start with the correct letter, but they
have a misleading initial sound.
• Associating unhelpful sounds with letters, such as “buh” for B. “Buh” is a helpful
sound for B if you’re trying to read BUS; it’s unhelpful if you’re trying to read
BIG, BAG, BED, or BOG.
In general, avoid apps whose primary focus is sound. The goal for now is letter
recognition only. Here are 4 apps I found useful and well-structured: Writing Wizard,
Alive Alphabet Letter Tracing, ABC 123 Tracing for Toddlers, and Draw Letters and
Numbers ABC. If you choose to use some apps during this stage, keep in mind the
guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, discussed earlier in Chapter 1.
According to those guidelines, up to an hour per day of supervised time with high-quality
programming or apps, is appropriate for the 2-5 age group.
Purchase or make a large colorful alphabet/number poster for the wall, hung low
enough so your child can reach it. Ask him to point to various letters or numbers you
specify, and then reverse roles and allow him to quiz you. (Deliberately make some
mistakes so he gets the pleasure of correcting you.)
Count things with him wherever you go. Have him use his fingers to show he
understands the meanings of the numbers 1 through 10. It won’t be long before he’s
counting independently. If he is old enough to use a crayon or a pencil, have him draw
2 stars or 3 circles or 4 triangles or 6 rectangles and so on, teaching shapes as well as
quantities. If he shows the slightest interest, show him what comes after 10. He can
show his age on his fingers. You can show him your age by writing down all the numbers
needed to count from 1 to whatever that figure might be.
When you go for a walk, encourage your child to “read” car license plates. These
plates typically mix uppercase letters with numbers. Children love to recite these letters
and numbers when walking or riding in a stroller. This activity can't be done at the start
of Stage 0, but as your child starts to make progress, she’ll begin to enjoy this challenge.
Also, if you’re doing shapes, point out the octagons (stop signs) on your walk and have
her count the number of sides in this common shape. Do the same for signs shaped like
rectangles, circles, or triangles.
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With only 12 different shapes, your child can “build” each upper and lowercase letter
side by side. For this more ambitious project, you’ll need some real or homemade clay.
To find the real stuff, google “Sculpey Clay” or “Crayola Clay” on Amazon. The Sculpey
clay needs oven-drying for your shapes to cure and harden; the Crayola version will air
dry. For homemade versions of “clay,” google it and you’ll find multiple sites and recipes.
Some use salt and flour, others use baking soda and cornstarch. For under 10 dollars,
the real clay works better than the homemade (because it’s more durable) but both will
do the job.
The 12 shapes and their sizes are shown below. You’ll need to make 3 of each stem
and 2 of everything else (except for the small S – you need only one of that shape). Thus,
the 12 pictured shapes become 27 individual pieces. For the 2 half-circles, start with
stems 6 and 13 cm long and then curve them into the size indicated on the drawing.
For the 2 J’s, start with stems 8 and 10 cm long; for the two C’s, 10 and 20 cm long.
The small R starts out at 6 cm while the small S starts at 8 cm. Each piece should be
about the width of a pencil.
I chose these quantities and shapes so an upper and lowercase version of any letter
can be built at the same time. All uppercase letters will be 8 cm high. Lowercase letters
without stems (a, e, u) will be 4 cm high; those with stems will be 6 or 8 cm high,
depending on the length of the stem chosen. I suggest giving your child a blank piece of
paper with a single line drawn on it so she can practice correct placement of the letters
she builds. (Some letters must extend below the line.) There’s nothing like piecing
something together in order to remember its shape forever!
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If you don’t immediately see how these shapes can be formed into any upper or
lowercase letter, some clarifications might help. The small R shape in the above drawing,
besides being used for small R, is also used in the construction of small H, M, N, and
U. Large S can be made from 2 half-circles. The small C is used for small A, B, D, E, G,
P, and Q as well. Either J can also be used as the stem for small G. If you prefer complete
O’s without piecing them together from the half-circles, use a piece of clay 24 cm long
for the large O and 12 cm long for the small. For dotting the small I and the small J, use
Cheerios.
You may have other ideas as well; use whatever works to help your child learn to
identify his letters and numbers. You’re done with Stage 0 when your child knows all
the letter names and can match the upper and lowercase version of each letter. If you’re
doing letter recognition gradually with your child, you can move on as soon as she can
identify the upper and lowercase version of the 8 letters needed for Stage 1.
Parent Note: Stage 0 is preliminary to this reading program. A beginner should be able
to distinguish the letters before he can learn what sound each letter symbolizes. Stages
1-17 constitute the core program. You’ll notice I don’t include any guidelines for how
much time to devote to each of the forthcoming stages. But keep this in mind: these 17
stages are going to take roughly a year. For some children, it may be only 9 months; for
others, a year-and-a-half.
Let’s assume a year. That’s 52 weeks divided by 17 stages – or roughly 3 weeks per
stage. But here’s the problem with such a tidy calculation. The stages are not of equal
length or difficulty. Some stages may go faster than 3 weeks; others will most certainly
go slower. My advice is to not concern yourself with time. Stay with the topics in a given
stage until you are convinced your child has mastered what is presented there.
Topics within stages are divided by horizontal lines. These lines simply signal the next
topic. They do not mean all the material between horizontal lines should be done in a
single lesson. They are simply logical breaks.
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Stage 1
Sounds of A, E, I, O, U, M, N, S
Reading Begins
Y ou’re ready to get started with this reading program if your child can identify,
minimally, the letters A, E, I, O, U, M, N, and S, as well as their lowercase
counterparts. I recommend using terms like “big” and “little” rather than “uppercase”
and “lowercase.”
It’s important to do all 17 stages in order. This Synthetic Phonics program is carefully
sequenced; every stage builds on all the previous stages and no stage uses information
or knowledge from a future stage. Stages 1 through 6 lay the foundation for everything
that follows. In these initial stages, you’ll teach individual letter sounds, as well as the
critical skill of blending.
Parent Note: For this and the following stages, you’ll need a large stack of blank 4 x 6
index cards (for making flash cards) and a few magic markers.
I would like to re-emphasize here what I said in Chapter 3. In these initial stages,
you’ll be presenting an illusion to your child: that English reading and spelling are
regular. In other words, you’ll be acting as though each letter in the alphabet symbolizes
a single sound, and each sound (phoneme) is spelled by a single letter. You want the
learner, especially if the learner is a young child, to conclude that reading is a logical,
rational skill – like any skill worth pursuing. Only after he has started reading with some
competence and confidence will you gradually start showing him that English has some
spelling (and therefore reading) irregularities. In Stages 1 through 6, everything you
teach him will be reasonable, logical, and without exception.
Another reminder: daily reading to your child is an important motivational part of

this program. Whatever time you make available for reading lessons, I recommend you
devote about half that time to teaching the phonics specified in this book, and the other
half to reading high-quality children’s literature to your child. Phonics can sometimes
be challenging and it often requires significant concentration. On the other hand, the
time your child spends listening to your stories is enjoyable and relaxing for him. Your
story-telling is not for the purpose of teaching “sight words.” Rather, it’s to hook your
child on the beauty of literature, to enhance her language skills and her vocabulary,
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and to help engage both her mind and her emotions through discussions about the
book’s plot and characters.
First, let's deal with some preliminaries you, as the teacher, need to understand now,
and your child will need to understand a little later. All the vowels – A, E, I, O, and U –
symbolize two primary sounds: one “short” and the other “long.” (If necessary, review
for yourself the list of all 44 phonemes in Table 1.) The other letters of the alphabet,
called consonants, have a single primary sound. Of course, that's not entirely accurate.
For example, G can have a J sound (GENIUS), C can have an S sound (CITY), and S can
have a Z sound (HIS). But these are nuances you’ll deal with later. For now, until midway
through Stage 6, you’ll be acting as though each of the 26 letters of the alphabet
symbolizes a single sound. This means that for now, the five vowels will have only their
short sound. Long vowel sounds will start appearing in Stage 10.
As the teacher, you need to be clear in your own mind precisely what these five short
vowel sounds are before you can teach them to someone else. The consonant sounds
are straightforward, but the short vowel sounds can be tricky to master, for you and for
your child. (Don’t refer to these sounds as “short” with your child. As far as he is
concerned, all letters, including the vowels, have only one sound at this point in the
program.) Let's look at these short vowel sounds first. You can hear them at the start of
the following words:
Vowel Word Sound

A at /a/
E end /e/
I in /i/
O ox /o/
U up /u/
To firmly lock these five vowel sounds in your memory, practice saying them with a
CK attached: ACK, ECK, ICK, OCK, UCK. Then begin saying them without the CK
attached: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/.
These 5 individual vowel sounds are critically important in this and the next 6 stages.
As you practice saying these vowel sounds to yourself, notice the shape of your mouth.
You’ll find the sounds /a/ and /o/ both require a fully-opened mouth. The sound /e/
requires a half-open mouth; both /i/ and /u/ require the mouth to be open only slightly.
Once you have these 5 sounds mastered (can you do them backwards? in any order?),
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you’ll be ready to begin this stage with your child. As you do, remember that the
specialized notation using slash marks is not for him – he need only produce the correct
sound, verbally, when you ask for it.
In this stage, you’ll initially teach your child the sound of 8 letters: A, E, I, O, U, M,
N, and S. Why these 8 letters to start? The 5 vowel sounds must be learned at the outset
because there is a vowel sound in every syllable of every word. I picked the consonants
M, N, and S because their sounds, /m/, /n/, and /s/, are sustainable, just like the
sounds of the 5 vowels. Your child can make the sounds of each of these 8 letters for as
long as he pleases, until his breath gives out. This will make teaching the skill of
blending much easier. As soon as your child has mastered these 8 sustainable sounds,
you’ll teach him how to blend those sounds into familiar words such as MOM, MAN,
SUN, MESS, SAM, US, and IN. In other words, he’ll start reading!
Blending non-sustainable sounds is a little trickier; you’ll delay doing that until
Stage 2. Examples of sounds that are not sustainable are the sounds of the letters B,
D, G, J, K, P, and T.
OK, time to start working with your child. The first goal is to teach her the 5 vowel
sounds you just taught yourself. How might you go about doing this? Initially, simply
tell her:
“A says /a/”
Don’t show her anything written – simply tell her what A says. You might try this: Dogs
say “woof,” cats say “meow,” A says /a/. Now ask her:
“Do you know a fruit that is red and that starts with the sound /a/?”
If she comes up with the word, fine. If not, tell her:
“Apple begins with /a/” (exaggerate the A sound in apple.)
Ask her if she can hear that same A sound, /a/, at the beginning of these words:
ALLIGATOR, ACT, ANT, ASK, AFTER, AX, ASHES, ATLAS, ATTIC, ANIMAL, ADD,
ANTLERS, ACTION, AFRICA, ALLEY, AMBULANCE, ALPHABET, ASTEROID. You can
come up with others if you like; maybe she can too. Stay away from words that do not
have the correct short A sound even though they begin with A – words like AUTO, ALIEN,
and AHEAD. Now ask: “What does A say?” and let her answer correctly: /a/.
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Next, tell your child E says something much different from A. Ask if he knows what
an ECHO is. See if he can say only the first sound in the word ECHO, namely, /e/. Ask
him if he can hear that same sound, /e/, at the start of these words: ELEPHANT,
ENTER, END, ED, ELBOW, EXIT, EXTRA, ESCAPE, ELK, EDGE, ENJOY, ENGINE,
ELEVATOR, EMPTY, EVERY, EXERCISE. Once he’s got it, review both letters covered
so far: “What does A say? What does E say?”
In a similar manner, teach your child the sounds of I, O, and U. Tell her what these
sounds are, and ask if she can hear the sound in some words. Here are suggestions:
• I: in, igloo, iguana, if, imp, itch, insect, inch, ignore, inside, invent, India, Italy,
ink, icky, ill
• O: ox, octopus, October, otter, olive, odd, omelet, object, opposite, ostrich,
oxygen, opera, obstacle
• U: up, umbrella, ugly, under, uncle, usher, us, udder, ulcer, ump, unfair, unless,
ugh!
To review,
whenever you ask: what you want to hear is:

“What does A say?” the first sound in the word AT
“What does E say?” the first sound in the word EBB
“What does I say?” the first sound in the word IN
“What does O say?” the first sound in the word OX
“What does U say?” the first sound in the word UP
It doesn’t matter if this process takes 2 days or 2 weeks. These 5 phonemes are
crucial. Everything you’ll do with your child through Stage 9 depends on his quick
familiarity with these 5 short vowel sounds. Review them with your child throughout
the day. Sometimes ask for these sounds one at a time; sometimes ask for them all at
once: /a/ /e/ /i/ /o/ /u/. Don’t always do them in the same order. Reverse roles and
let your child ask you what these letters say. Give an occasional wrong answer and see
if he corrects you. Sometimes, ask the question in reverse: “What letter says /e/?” and
so on. Make it a game and keep it fun, but keep at it until your child knows these 5
sounds cold.
Next, tell your child she needs to learn what 3 more letters say – and then she’s going
to start reading. That should help keep her motivated! The 3 letters, mentioned earlier,
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are M, N, and S. Try to keep a single, common word associated with each letter as an
aid for your child to remember the correct sound. I suggest the following:
A – apple
E – elephant
I – igloo (or iguana)
O – ox (or otter)
U – umbrella (or underwear)
M – man (or moose)
N – nose
S – snake
Point out to your child that the name of each of these 3 new letters (EM, EN, and
ESS) suggests its sound:
EM says MMMMM (M says /m/)

EN says NNNNN (N says /n/)
ESS says SSSSS (S says /s/)
Here are some words that have the target sounds:
• S: sun, soup, Santa, sip, step, spin, see, slurp, stick, smile, snot
• M: me, my, mouse, man, map, mad, middle, munch, mist
• N: no, never, new, net, near, nickel, napkin, news, nest
You’ll find your child masters these 3 new sounds quickly compared to the 5 vowel
sounds. Once you are sure she knows all 8 sounds, it’s time to start blending and
reading!
At this point, not only does your child recognize the upper and lowercase versions of
A, E, I, O, U, M, N, and S, he knows what these letters “say,” and he knows a common
word associated with each of them. Next, you’re going to teach him how to blend the
sounds of these 8 letters into one-syllable words. Initially, there are three questions I’d
like to discuss with you:
• How many one-syllable “words” can be formed with only these 8 letters?
• How many of these “words” are actual words, and how many are only pseudo
words?
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• Is it worth blending sounds if the result is only a pseudo word?
Mathematically, it’s easy to answer the first question. Let’s assume a “word” will have
this configuration: a consonant sound, followed by a vowel sound, followed by another
consonant sound – CVC for short. For the first consonant sound, there are, currently,
4 possibilities: M, N, S, or a blank (no letter at all). For the vowel sound, there are 5
possibilities, and for the final consonant sound, 3 possibilities: M, N, or S. Therefore,
the total number of CVC combinations, using these 8 letters, is 4 x 5 x 3, or 60 one-
syllable words. I’ve listed these 60 “words” in Appendix A.
If you look at this appendix, you’ll notice about half are actual words (in boldface),
and the other half are only pseudo words. However, all 60 are embedded in more
complex words. For example, MUN, by itself, is not a real word, but it’s part of larger
words, such as MUNCH and MUNDANE. In addition, two of the pseudo words (UN and
NON) are important prefixes and one (NESS) is an important suffix. So, my answer to
the third question (above) is a qualified “yes.” Your child will blend sounds into pseudo
words here, in Stage 1, because one of your main goals right now is to give him
“blending” practice with sustainable sounds. However, there’ll be no need to keep
blending sounds into pseudo words after this stage; there will be more than enough real
words to keep both you and your child busy!
Appendix A is for you, not for your child. Important note: The actual word SON (the
opposite of DAUGHTER) is not in boldface in the appendix. That’s because SON is an
irregular word. To be regular, it would have to be pronounced as it is in SONIC or
SONNET – with the sound /o/. Instead, as a stand-alone English word, it’s pronounced
SUN. Since you are not dealing with exceptions right now, you want your child to
pronounce S-O-N with a short O sound – so it rhymes with CON.
In Appendix A, I use a single final S for some of the “words” and a double final S for
others. Here’s my explanation: I always use a double S if it makes a pseudo word into
an actual word – MESS and MASS for instance. I use a single S when that results in an
actual word – US and SIS for instance. I use ISS instead of IS because the latter is an
irregular word (due to the final Z sound). You’ll cover the word IS in Stage 6.
I could have listed either AS or ASS because both are actual words. But the English
word AS, like IS, is irregular due to the final Z sound. At this point in the program, you
should write it with a double S and it should be pronounced like it is in the word PASS
– where the S says /s/. Let’s get back to instruction…
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To start teaching the skill of blending, pick words from Appendix A that are already
in your child’s vocabulary, like MAN, MEN, MISS, SUN, SAM, AM, IN, US, AN, MESS. In
fact, you can begin with everyone’s all-time favorite word: MOM. (Outside the US, MUM
is probably the better word to start.) Sitting at a table with your child, write the following
on a blank piece of paper, with the letters spread out as indicated:
M O M
Now, ask your child to make the sound of a letter for as long as you’re pointing to it.
(This will be possible for her because all the letter sounds, so far, are sustainable.) When
she’s ready, point to the first M for about two seconds. When time is up, immediately
point to the O for another 2 seconds, and then to the final M, for 2 seconds more. So
far, so good. Now ask if she’s ready to do it a little faster. This time point to each letter
for about one second. Then ask if she’s ready to go even faster. Do it a third time,
pointing at each letter for about a half-second each. Now ask if she’s ready to go really
fast! When she’s ready, sweep your finger smoothly across all the letters, taking only
about a half-second for the entire sweep. As she says the word, does she recognize it?
Does she hear that these 3 sounds, when blended together quickly and smoothly, form
the word MOM? Congratulate her for reading (decoding) her very first word.
Write the word MOM again, 3 times, on the paper, but this time in the normal way,
reviewing uppercase, lowercase, and mixed case. The paper now looks like this:
M O M
MOM
mom
Mom
Make the point that this is the word MOM and it can be written in any of these three
ways. Your child should now be eager to try a new word:
M A N
Repeat the entire MOM exercise, pointing just as you did above, but now with this new
word. Once he sees what’s going on, write the word in the normal way:
M A N
MAN
man
Man
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Get out your blank 4 x 6 index cards. On a single card, write “MOM” in uppercase
on one side and “mom” in lowercase on the other. Use a magic marker for this, making
it nice and large. Take a second card and do the same with MAN. Show both cards to
your child and then place the cards to the side. Tell him that you’re going to collect all
the words he can read on these cards. While only 2 words now, this stack will grow
quickly as you progress through the early stages.
Do MESS next. Set it up on the sheet of paper this way:
M E SS
If your child asks about the two S’s, tell him sometimes words that end in the sound
/s/ have one S, and sometimes they have two. If he persists in wanting to know why,
tell him the double S means to hold the S sound a tiny bit longer. You don’t want to
make a big deal or an exception of these double-S words! (In fact, the double S is only a
spelling convention.) When you are done with the word MESS, pointing, just as you did
above with MOM and MAN, make up your 3rd flash card.
Next, tell your child you’re going to take away the M from MAN and create a brand
new word:
A N
Again, use the pointing procedure from above. Once she is comfortable with the word,
write:
A N
AN
an
An
Make a 4th index card. You’ll use these index cards later as flash cards for the purpose
of review. Use this word in some sentences for her. Don’t write these sentences; do it
verbally:
“I would like to have AN apple.”

“AN alligator just ran through the kitchen.”
“She dropped AN egg on the floor.”
In general, if you’re not sure your child understands the meaning of a word, discuss it
with her and use it in some (amusing) sentences. See if she can come up with her own
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sentences. At this point you might also tell her that, with an additional N, the word AN
becomes a common girl’s name: ANN.
Next, do SAM in the usual way, and afterwards, eliminate the S for the word AM.
Discuss these two words and use them in sentences as well. Now you have 6 flash cards
(7 if you include ANN). Mix them up and see if your child knows all six. Note: your child
is not memorizing these as sight words, he’s reading them based on his knowledge of
the sounds of the component letters. This is precisely what distinguishes Synthetic
Phonics from all Whole Word methods.
Over the next period of time (it doesn’t matter how long), go through all 60 “words”
in Appendix A with your child. Do the words he knows first. Then do the words he
probably doesn’t know, like SIN, MASS, and NUN. (I sure knew these 3 words in Catholic
grade school in the 50s!) This will give you the opportunity to teach him some new
vocabulary. Define words that are new and use them in colorful sentences. Finally, do
the pseudo words. If your child can read SEN now, in Stage 1, then reading SEND and
SENT in Stage 2 will be trivial for him. Similarly, if he can read NUM now, he’ll more
easily read NUMBER and STERNUM later. When he reads something that is not an
actual word, tell him a “big” word that does use that sound (see Appendix A for
suggestions).
Parent Note: In no stage beyond this one will it be necessary for you to ask your child
to read pseudo words. You’re doing so here because there are only 60 “words” possible
with her current 8-letter toolkit and because the primary skill you’re trying to teach in
this stage is blending individual phonemes. Practicing this skill is independent of
whether the result is an actual word. Also, I have shown all 60 “words” are important
parts of longer words your child will eventually need to read.
You’re done with this stage when your child can read all 60 flash cards without
struggling. This will take time. However, the blending skill learned here will be
invaluable to what follows. I’ll end this stage by trying to anticipate some questions you
may have:
• For the time being, O always says /o/. Therefore, make sure your child
pronounces SON so that it rhymes with CON. The letter O actually symbolizes
many different sounds (see Appendix Q). You and your child will deal with all of
them later in the program.
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• You may find at some point, it becomes unnecessary to spread out the letters of
a word on paper and point to the letters individually. If this happens, simply show
your child the word on an index card, written normally, and let her sound out
(decode) the word on her own. This is a good sign!
• Both AS and ASS are actual words in English. However, at this point in the
program, S says only /s/, not /z/. You can share as many of the multiple
meanings of ASS with your child as you see fit: a member of the horse family, a
foolish person, slang for buttocks.
• You’re purposely avoiding the English words IS and AS (for now) because the S
in those 2 words has a Z sound. This is not only an undesirable complication,
but it’s also a sound you have not yet covered. (You’ll do so in Stage 6).
• The two and three-syllable words in the appendix marked as examples are
definitely not for your child to read. They are there only to convince you that even
the pseudo words are worth decoding.
• In the US, the English word ON is actually pronounced /aw/ + /n/, not /o/ +
/n/. However, your child has heard and has used this word many times; simply
help with the correct pronunciation. You don’t want to make this simple word an
exception.
• EN and EM are actual words but they are rarely used. Their definitions involve
units of measurement in type-setting. I suggest you treat these two words (and
ESS) as words that are simply the names of the letters N, M, and S (just as SAM
and ANN are the names of people).
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Stage 2
Sounds of D, G, P, T
Consonant Blends
Y our child now knows how to spell 8 of the 44 sounds of English. Alternately, you
could say your child now knows how to sound 8 of the 26 letters in the alphabet.
In addition, she knows how to blend these sounds into words she understands. This is
already an enormous accomplishment. By any standard, she’s beginning to read.
You’ll be adding only 4 new letters and their sounds in this stage, but that will greatly
expand the number of words she can decode. To see why this is so, consider the fact
that the 60 “words” in Stage 1 had either the structure VC or CVC (where V stands for
vowel sound and C for consonant sound). Now you’ll be expanding her toolkit to 12
sounds: the 8 already mastered plus 4 new sounds: /d/, /g/, /p/, and /t/. With these
4 newcomers, however, words having consonant blends become possible for the first
time: 4 beginning blends (SM, SN, ST, and SP), as well as 7 ending blends (ST, SP, MP,
ND, NT, PT, and MPT). I have all the consonant blends listed in Appendix R.
So, besides the simple VC and CVC structures that you covered in the previous stage,
you’ll now help your child decode more complex structures like CCVC (STOP), CVCC
(DAMP), and CCVCC (STAND). You might be wondering how many single-syllable
“words” are possible now, with these 4 new letters. Let’s do the math again. To begin
the word, you can now choose from 7 single consonants, 4 beginning consonant blends,
or a blank (total: 12). For the middle of the word, you still choose from among 5 vowels.
For the end of the word, you can pick from 7 single consonants and 7 ending consonant
blends (total: 14). Therefore, the total number of possible “words” expands to 12 x 5 x
14 = 840 possibilities! This is a huge jump from the 60 possible words in Stage 1.
This math dictates that I not attempt to list all possible “words,” including pseudo
words, as I did in the previous stage. If you look at Appendix B, you’ll see I list only that
subset of these 840 possibilities that are actual words. There are about 160 of them. So,
in this stage, you’ll gradually be adding up to 160 new words to your child’s stack of
index cards. The reason I say “up to” 160 is that your child can master the new sounds
and the new consonant blends in this stage without covering every single word in
Appendix B. You may wish to eliminate some of the more obscure words like TAD, SOD,
and SUMP. Doing so will not have any serious effect on the learning process. I hope,
however, you’ll use this opportunity to continue expanding your child’s vocabulary.
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You probably noticed none of these 4 new sounds are sustainable. Therefore, the
method from the previous stage, of pointing to a letter for a second or two while your
child makes its sound, won’t work here. That’s okay. It simply means you’ll now start
teaching the topic of blending in a different manner.
What exactly does a consonant like D say? Well, it symbolizes the first sound
(phoneme) you can hear in each of the following words: DAN, DEN, DIP, DOT, DUG.
What is that sound? Traditional phonics holds that “D says duh,” but that’s neither
accurate nor helpful. “Duh” is the combination /d/ + /u/. To teach your child that D
says “duh” is useful if the word he’s trying to decode is DUCK. However, if the word is
DAD, DECK, or DOUGHNUT, “duh” is unhelpful, even misleading.
Let’s plan to deal with this problem directly. With non-sustainable sounds starting
to appear, I suggest you now start teaching him that to decide how to pronounce a
consonant, he should always look at the vowel that follows it. In other words, don’t ask
him “what does D say?” because D’s sound can’t be sustained and it’s difficult to answer
such a question accurately. Instead, ask “what are the 5 sounds of D?” The answer you
want is /da/, /de/, /di/, /do/, and /du/ – the D sound blended with each of the 5
short vowel sounds he already knows so well. (I am using /da/ as shorthand for /d/ +
/a/; /de/ as shorthand for /d/ + /e/, and so on.)
The idea here is that when he attempts to decode a word like DEN, he won’t think
“duh + eh + nnn” (trying to blend 3 sounds, one of which, “duh”, is incorrect), but simply
“/de/ + /n/.” Since he already knows the 5 short vowel sounds, /a/ /e/ /i/ /o/ /u/,
it’s a simple additional step to ask him for those 5 sounds with the D attached to them:
/da/ /de/ /di/ /do/ /du/. You’ll see how easy this will make the blending he must do
later on in this stage. Keep in mind, that at this point in the program, /do/ is not to be
pronounced as in the sentence “DO your work,” but as it is in the word DOT, with a
short O sound. The word DO is irregular and it will be covered later.
Ok, let’s get back to instruction. In this stage, your child first needs to understand
the difference between a vowel and a consonant. After reviewing the 5 vowel sounds with
her, tell her A, E, I, O, and U are the most important letters in the alphabet. Allow her
to examine a book (or magazine or newspaper) and ask her to look at as many words as
she pleases. Does she see why these 5 letters are so important? If not, help her out:
(almost) every word she sees has at least one of these 5 letters. They are the most-used
letters (and the most-used sounds) in our language. Tell her we call them vowels. Let
her look again at the flash cards from Stage 1 to verify that all the words she can already
read have a vowel.
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Explain that all the other letters in the alphabet are called consonants. Remind her
that she already knows the sounds of 5 vowels and 3 consonants. Then let her know
what’s coming next: the 4 new sounds of the consonants P, T, D, and G.
Parent Note: You might think that to teach a child the letters DO say /d/ + /o/, as in
the word DOT, only to later teach her DO says /d/ + /ew/, as in DO YOUR WORK, will
cause confusion. That has not been my experience. In any case, many letters have more
than one sound. DO says /d/ + /o/ in many words such as DOCK, DON, DOT, DOLLAR,
DOMINATE, DODGE, DOFF, and ADOPT. DO also commonly says /d/ + /O/ (long O)
in words like DONOR, DONUT, DOMESTIC, DONATE, DOSE, AVOCADO, TORNADO,
and TORPEDO. In fact, the least common way to pronounce DO is /d/ + /ew/ as in the
common English word DO. The word DO is an exception that will be covered in Stage 8.
The mismatch between the sounds and the letters in the word DO is serious enough
that DO is on the Tricky 50 list in Appendix S.
Start your child off with the letter P. Tell him you’ll say some words that start with
the P sound and he should listen closely. As you speak these words, exaggerate the
sound of P: PICKLE, POT, PENCIL, PAN, PINK, PRETZEL, PIZZA, PEE, PUZZLE. Next,
tell him you have 5 words that start and end with P: PEP, POP, PEEP, PUMP, POOP.
Now ask him: What do you think P says?
His response is likely to be a combination of the P sound and some vowel. If he says
“peh,” tell him that sounds like P with an E attached: /pe/. If he says “puh,” tell him
that sounds like P with a U attached: /pu/. It’s difficult to isolate the P sound from the
vowel sound that follows it. As the two of you try to do so, the sound of P becomes almost
inaudible – like a puff of air. Discuss this fact with him, as well as the fact that the P
sound, unlike the M, N, and S sounds, is not sustainable. (We can’t hold on to it. It
quickly disappears!)
Now, hold up one of your index cards with the 5 vowels spread out from left to right:
a e i o u
Reviewing, ask for all five sounds. He’s an expert on these by now, so his verbal response
is: /a/ /e/ /i/ /o/ /u/. Now hold up a second index card with the following written on
it:
pa pe pi po pu
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Ask: “What does P say with the vowels attached?” or “What are the 5 sounds of P?” What
you want to hear, of course, is /pa/ /pe/ /pi/ /po/ /pu/. Help him get to the 5 correct
sounds. He simply needs to attach that puff of air – the P sound – to the vowel sounds
he already knows. Don’t let him say any of these sounds using 2 syllables, for instance,
“puh, eh” instead of simply /pe/ for the second one. What you want to hear is PAT, PET,
PIT, POT, PUTT – but without that final T sound. (Reminder: /a/ is the first sound in
APPLE not the sound you hear in the word PASTA.)
Once your child is comfortable with the 5 sounds of P, prepare similar index cards
for M, N, and S:
ma me mi mo mu
na ne ni no nu
sa se si so su
M, N, and S are the consonants you already did with him in Stage 1. Their sounds are
sustainable. However, going forward, you want him to habitually notice the vowel
following the consonant before he decides how to articulate it, even when the consonant
is sustainable.
When you hold up the M card, ask him for all the sounds of M. What you want to
hear is /ma/ /me/ /mi/ /mo/ /mu/ – MAD, MED, MID, MOD, MUD – but without the
final /d/ sound. Coach him as much as necessary to get to this point. It shouldn’t take
long. Note: ME, of course, is an English word, but that is not the pronunciation you
want here. Here you want /m/ + /e/: the sound of the word MET but without the T.
You’ll get to the word ME in Stage 7. Next, do the same with the N and S cards you
prepared above. Stay with it until your child can respond with the correct sounds:
/na/ /ne/ /ni/ /no/ /nu/ and /sa/ /se/ /si/ /so/ /su/
Same word of caution here: NO and SO are English words. Nonetheless, the
pronunciation you want here should use the short O sound – as in the words NOD and
SOD – but without the D.
Next, what you did above with the letter P, you must do with the remaining 3 letters:
D, G, and T (DEE, JEE, and TEE). For D and T, the name of the letter suggests its sound;
for G, that’s not the case. Take all the time you need. Choose some good words that
start with these letters in order to introduce your child to the new sounds. Here are
some suggestions:
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• G: girl, goose, gift, gum, get, gap, gas, grief, game, God, giggle, gust, gal (but not
GEM or GYPSY or any other word where the G has a J sound! You won’t cover
that situation until Stage 16).
• D: dog, dad, dirt, danger, Dan, doughnut, dinosaur, dip, don’t, damp, done, dead.
• T: Tom, tap, tender, tip, tree, turtle, toy, tent, trip, top, taste, tooth, tub, tiny,
two.
Once you’ve introduced each of these new sounds, prepare index cards similar to the
ones you did above:
ga ge gi go gu
da de di do du
ta te ti to tu
As you hold up each card, once again ask for the 5 sounds of the letter. Just as before,
note that GO, TO, and DO are actual English words. For now, however, your child
should pronounce all of them with a short O sound (as in GOT, TOT, and DOT). The
English words GO, TO, and DO are exceptions and you’ll deal with them later.
Your child shouldn’t need these specially prepared 5-sound cards for long. It’s easy,
throughout the day, to simply ask her for all the sounds of any of the consonants already
covered. Again, encourage her to quiz you as well. You’re finished with the above when
she knows the 5 sounds of each consonant covered so far: M, N, S, D, P, T, and G. Take
all the time you need.
Now, look again at Appendix B. Initially, focus only on the CVC words with your
child; you’ll do the VC words and the consonant blends later. There are about 90 such
CVC words. (Notice that words in Appendix B, like PASS and PUTT, are listed with the
CVC group instead of the CVCC group. That’s because SS and TT are not blends. They
represent a single sound. All the words in the CVC category have exactly 3 sounds.)
Eliminate some words if you wish, and then place the remaining words on index cards
as before: lowercase on one side and upper on the other. Now you’re ready to focus once
again on blending, but in a manner different from what you did in Stage 1.
Pick one of the cards for your child – let’s say it’s the card with PET written on it –
but hold it in such a way as to hide the T with your finger. He should say /pe/ as a
single syllable, correctly blending /p/ and /e/. This is precisely what the two of you
were doing earlier when you practiced the 5 sounds of P. Your job now is to make sure
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he produces the correct single-syllable sound. Once he does, take your finger off the T
and ask him to read the whole word. What does he do?
• Does he read the word PET and recognize it? If so, congratulate him and see if he
can use the word in a sentence.
• Does he not recognize the word because he holds the PE sound too long before
he adds the sound of the T, making it sound like a two-syllable word? (He can do
this because the E sound is sustainable.) Tell him to speed it up!
• Does he say PET smoothly as a single pulse of sound, but still look confused?
Define the word PET for him! Tell him he’s done it!
Discuss with him what just happened: he correctly pronounced the P sound by
looking at the vowel that followed the P. Then he simply added on the /t/ sound to read
the whole word. Easy, right? Place the PET card off to the side where he can still see it
and pick another card. Let’s say it’s the card with POT written on it. Once again, hide
the T. Once he correctly pronounces /po/ as a single syllable, uncover the T and let him
read the whole word. Place the POT card next to the PET card.
You could similarly do PIT, PAT, and PUTT. (You may need to define PUTT.) By the
end of this session, you could have these 5 cards neatly lined up so that your child can
see them all. Now let him read all 5 cards. Once he’s done so successfully, rearrange
the order of the cards and have him read them again. This forces him to look carefully
at the vowel.
Next time, let’s assume you pick the card with MUD written on it. Show it to your
child with the D covered. Stay with her until she says /mu/ as a single syllable (/m/ +
/u/). Then reveal the D and she should read the whole word: MUD.
Plan, at least initially, to go through all the CVC words from Appendix B in the above
manner. I say “initially” because at some point, it may become clear that she no longer
needs you to hide that last letter. She can simply read the whole word at once, the way
you and I do. I suggest you start testing this theory after 20 words or so. Hold up the
card with the next new word, but this time without the last letter hidden. Ask her if she
can simply do all the blending silently, in her head, and then say the entire word as a
single pulse of sound. If she has trouble with this, simply go back to hiding the last
letter with your finger in order to help her out.
Each day, review the stack of Stage 1 and Stage 2 cards that she has already
successfully decoded. Until she can read the whole CVC word as a single pulse of sound,
the blending should always be CV + C: the first consonant and vowel as a single sound,
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blended with the final letter. Define and discuss words as necessary, and have her use
the word in a sentence to be sure she understands it. Take the time to build vocabulary.
When you finish with the CVC words in Appendix B, do the 10 or so VC words next.
Three of them are high-frequency words: UP, AT, IT. These 3 words (plus DID) combined
with US, AM, AN, IN, and ON from Stage 1, give your child 9 of the most frequent words
in English. High-frequency words are always boxed in the appendices. In doing these
short VC words, you don’t have to hide the last letter. Since these words start with a
vowel, she can hold that initial sound for as long as she wants. When she gets tired of
holding it, she need only make the sound of the second letter. Tell her to speed it up
and she’ll be saying the word automatically!
Finally, you can focus on the consonant blends in Appendix B. Your child is ready
to do these only if he has reached the point of being able to handle most of the CVC
words in Appendices A and B without the help of you covering up the last letter. In other
words, he can read these CVC words like you and I read them – not as fast certainly,
and with some hesitancy no doubt – but he can read most of these words as a single,
smooth sound.
If he is not yet at this point, delay moving on until he masters this skill. You have
over 100 CVC (and VC) words on index cards from Appendices A and B. Keep reviewing
these with him. Perhaps, more importantly, keep reviewing the 5 sounds of each of the
consonants M, N, S, P, T, D, and G.
For the consonant blends in Appendix B, you’ll be hiding letters with your finger
again – but in a different manner than above. Place these words on flash cards as usual.
Keep the double blends (CCVCC) for last. Explain to your child that she has not yet
blended two consonants together – and that she must learn this because it happens a
lot! Two consonants that flow together easily are S and T. Can she figure out how ST
might sound?
Ask if she wants to try reading a 4-sound word. (Every word up to this point has had
only 2 or 3 phonemes.) Have a word ready to go from the beginning ST group in the
appendix (there is an ending ST group there as well). Let’s say you pick the word STEP.
Show her the word, but with the S covered by your finger. So for her, it’s simply another
run-of-the-mill CVC word. At this point, she should be good at these, so she reads TEP.
Now reveal the S and ask her to read the entire word smoothly and quickly: STEP. If she
doesn’t recognize the word, it’s because she’s holding the S sound too long.
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Next, have her do the same with the word STOP. Have her first read the CVC word
TOP. Once she does, reveal the S: STOP. Does she see how easily S and T blend together?
Tell her most consonants do not blend nicely at all. Have some fun with her trying to
blend MN or DG – it can’t be done without inserting a vowel. Now finish up the ST group
with her. Do the other groups of beginning blends (SM-, SN-, and SP-) in the same
manner. As you go through these 4 groups of words, start probing to see if she really
needs you to hide that initial S in order for her to read the word. She should not need
that help for too long. There are some amusing words in these 4 groups that should
make her laugh: SPIT, SPAT, SNIT, SNOT.
For the various groups of final blends in Appendix B, do the opposite of the above.
Let’s say you pick the word SEND from the -ND group. Now, cover the final letter, D, so
your child can again focus, just as above, on the simple CVC sound, SEN. (This is one
of the pseudo words from Stage 1.) Once he reads SEN, uncover the last letter: SEND.
Help by covering letters with your finger only if he needs this aid. Discuss unfamiliar
words and use them in sentences to help build vocabulary. Cycle through all the ending
blends in the same manner. Over time, you’ll notice your child starting to get good at
this.
Finally, tell him there can be consonant blends at both ends of a word! Such words
have 5 separate sounds. He should find this exciting! There are 7 such words in the
appendix. Take one of them, STAMP for instance, and hide both the S and the P with
your fingers. Have him read the CVC pseudo word: TAM. Show the S and he reads STAM
– now show the P: STAMP. Do it the other way as well. After he reads TAM, show the P:
TAMP. Then show the S: STAMP. It works either way. Enjoy the other six! For that single
example of a three-letter consonant blend, TEMPT, start by showing the first 3 letters,
then add P, then add the final T.
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Since you’ll continue using this stage’s methodology through Stage 7, let’s take the
time to sum it up here:
• Using the flash cards you’ve been creating, spend the first 5-10 minutes of each
day’s lesson reviewing words your child already knows how to decode.
• Introduce all the new consonant sounds by saying words beginning with those
sounds, as you did with the letter P above.
• Make sure your child can express all the new consonant sounds properly with
each of the 5 short vowels, as you did earlier with P: /pa/ /pe/ /pi/ /po/ /pu/.
• Then go to the appropriate appendix and begin with the CVC words, transferring
each of them to their own flash cards. If your child has trouble with a CVC word,
hide the last letter with your finger and help him read the CV part of the word as
a single syllable. Thus, the vowel always informs how the beginning consonant is
articulated. Once he does that, reveal the last letter and he should be able to read
the entire word.
• Do the VC words. You don’t need to hide letters for these short words.
• Do the consonant blends: CCVC, CVCC, or CCVCC. If your child is having trouble
with these words, allow her to see only the CVC part of the word. Once she reads
that properly, show the other letter(s).
• Hide letters only if she is having trouble. The goal is to have her read without
help; do whatever you can to move her toward this goal as soon as possible.
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Stage 3
Sounds of B, F, C/K
Spelling Begins
D uring this stage, you’ll be adding 4 new letters and 3 new sounds to your child’s
phonics toolkit. In addition, you’ll start asking her to spell simple words she can
already read. Let’s discuss the spelling first. It’s possible to teach a child to read without
ever once asking her to spell something. To do so, however, would be to waste a
wonderful opportunity to provide her with an additional important skill. Spelling also
has the advantage of reinforcing the “connections” between phonemes and letters
needed to automatically create sight words (See Chapter 3.) I strongly recommend you
now start to include daily spelling practice.
The Spelling Corner: Since you’re teaching your child to read phonetically, teaching
him to spell is an easy and valuable add-on to this program. Reading and spelling are
reverse processes. As your child spells, he encodes sound into text; as he reads, he
decodes text back into sound.
The spelling can be done orally or by having your child write the words on paper. When
you ask him to spell a word like PET for instance, speak it normally, and then if you
think it necessary, exaggerate the two sounds (/pe/ + /t/) as you repeat the word. You
can even ask him to spell the sound /pe/ first. Once he gets it (PE), ask for the spelling
of the full word, PET. As you start out, keep to the simplest VC and CVC words in your
stack of flash cards. Then, as your child begins to get better, start including the CCVC
and CVCC words. If necessary, help him with the blends in a step-by-step manner: “Can
you spell TAM? Now can you spell TAMP? Now can you spell STAMP?” When you ask
him to spell a word like PASS, does he include the second S?
Ask your child to spell only the words he’s already decoded. Here in Stage 3 then, you’ll
ask him to spell words only from Stages 1 and 2. Going forward, the words you use for
spelling practice should always lag one stage behind the new words and sounds that
are currently being studied. While working through Stage 4, you’ll ask him to spell Stage
3 words, and so on.
Before you present the new letters and sounds of this stage to your child, let’s
discuss the letters C and K because these 2 letters have an unusual relationship. They
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often have the same sound, /k/, when they start a word: CAB, KEG, KID, COB, CUB.
Note that when the vowel is E or I, the letter K is used to start the word, not C. In
English, when C is followed by E or I, the C has an S sound, as in CITY or CENTER. If
you were to spell KID with a C you would have to pronounce it SID as in the words
LUCID and PLACID. This is a complication you’ll handle later (Stage 16). For now, you
still wish to sustain the illusion that English is 100% regular. Note that when the sound
/k/ comes at the end of a word, C and K are used together to symbolize it: BACK, DUCK,
NECK, KICK.
Ok, let’s get back to reading instruction. Explain to your child the letters C and K
have the same sound. She may want to know “why?” At this point, you can say that you
don’t know, or you’ll explain later, or you can tell her the truth: the few people who could
read and write in the past, pretty much spelled words any way they pleased. Then, in
1806, Noah Webster published his first dictionary. In it, he attempted to reform and
standardize English spelling. Some of his suggestions were accepted (CENTER instead
of CENTRE, PLOW instead of PLOUGH), and some were not (TUNG instead of TONGUE,
WIMMEN instead of WOMEN). One of the innovations that was accepted was the manner
in which C and K now interact. Whatever you say, leave the fact that C can sometimes
symbolize /s/ for Stage 16.
The name of the letter K (KAY = /k/ + /A/) suggests the sound of both C and K. Here
are some words you can use to introduce the new C/K sound: CAT, KETTLE, KIT, CORN,
COB, CUT, CRAB, CREEPY, KEEP, COIN, KID. Here are some words that have the same
C/K sound at the end: DUCK, BACK, QUICK, LICK, NECK, CLOCK.
Once your child is happily making K sounds, ask her to state the 5 sounds of K when
a vowel is attached. The answer you want, of course, is /ka/ /ke/ /ki/ /ko/ /ku/. Then
ask for the 5 sounds of C as well. The answer you want is again /ka/ /ke/ /ki/ /ko/
/ku/. Remind her that the sound of a consonant is influenced by the vowel that follows
it. This may be an appropriate time to review the 5 sounds of the earlier consonants
from Stages 1 and 2.
Now do the same for the letters F (EFF = /e/ + /f/) and B (BEE = /b/ + /E/). Again,
the names of these two letters suggest the sound of the letters. Here are some words for
introducing the sounds to your child:
• F: fix, fat, fun, frog, friend, farm, fart, feet, fog, fire, stuff, puff, cliff, life, laugh
• B: boy, box, bed, bean, bite, bug, bag, bone, brown, job, rib, gab
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Once your child knows the 5 sounds of C/K, F, and B, ask him which of these new
sounds is sustainable. (Only F’s sound is sustainable.) Take some time now to review
all the consonant sounds to date. This is important because the new words in Appendix
C mix all those consonant sounds together. Before asking him to start reading those
words, make sure he is confident about the 5 sounds of each of these consonants: M,
N, S, D, G, P, T, F, B, and C/K.
Approach the new words in Appendix C much as you did in the last stage. (See the
summary in the box at the end of Stage 2). Take special note of the following:
• A few words have an exclamation point. I call them “excitement marks” with my
students and tell them it means they should read the word with emotion.
• Point out that words starting with the sound /k/ sometimes use C and sometimes
use K – but a word ending in the sound /k/ is always spelled CK.
• CK is not a blend; it spells a single sound: /k/. In that sense, it’s similar to SS.
• Once you finish Appendix C with your child, she’ll already be able to read over
300 words!
• Final F sounds in a word are usually spelled FF, just as final S sounds were
spelled SS in Stage 1.
• Upon finishing Stage 3, take the 300 or so index cards you’ve made from the
words in appendices A, B, and C and review them with your child. If you notice
any problems, go back and spend time with that issue.
• The only new consonant blends in this stage are the beginning blends SK- and
SC-, and the ending blends, -SK, -CT, and -FT.
• I placed CANT, without an apostrophe, in the appendix. You’ll cover contractions
(with proper apostrophes) in Stage 16. Until that time, I see no harm here; it’s a
word children use all the time, and it’s perfectly phonetic.
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Stage 4
Sound of L
Y ou’ll be adding only a single letter and sound in this stage. That’s because the
letter L adds 13 new consonant blends: 7 beginning blends (BL, CL, FL, GL, PL,
SL, SPL) and 6 ending blends (LT, LF, LM, LP, LD, LK). If you examine Appendix D, you’ll
see this single sound, /l/, adds 150 more words your child, with a little practice, will
easily read.
The Spelling Corner: Spelling during this stage should focus on words from Stage 3.
Remind your child that words ending in the sound /f/ are spelled FF, words ending in
the sound /s/ are usually spelled SS, and words ending in /k/ are spelled CK. Expect
spelling mistakes on words beginning with the sound /k/: should they be spelled with
a C or a K? At this point, you could accept either spelling or, preferably in my view, you
could share this simple rule with your child: use K when the following vowel is E or I.
Let’s get started. The name of the consonant L (ELL = /e/ + /l/) suggests its sound.
Introduce it by asking your child to listen to some L words: LOVE, LAUGH, LACE,
LICORICE, LIKE, LIP, LAP, LATER, LITTLE, SPILL, FILL, BALL. Once he is accurately
producing this phoneme, ask if he can explain where the tongue must be in order to
correctly make the sound. (The tip of the tongue must be touching the upper front teeth.)
Ask if the sound is sustainable. Now see if he can produce the 5 sounds of L when a
vowel is attached: /la/ /le/ /li/ /lo/ /lu/. (LACK, LECK, LICK, LOCK, LUCK without
the final K sound.)
Once he can accurately produce the 5 sounds of L, transfer the CVC words in
Appendix D to flash cards. Can he read most of them without the help of you covering
the last letter with your finger? Point out that words ending in the L sound, /l/, are
usually spelled LL (similar to SS and FF).
There are a lot of consonant blends in Appendix D. Weed out the more obscure words
if you like, and then use the template at the end of Stage 2, to see how he does. Point
out how easily the L sound blends with other consonants. Only if necessary should you
use your fingers to hide letters on the flash cards. SPLINT is an unusual word with a
CCCVCC structure. Use you fingers to hide letters, showing only the CVC part of the
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word: LIN. Then reveal the other 3 letters, one at a time. You’ll likely need to define the
word SPLINT.
Parent Note: At some point, perhaps as early as this stage, but certainly in one of the
following stages, it’s going to become clear to you that it’s no longer necessary to transfer
every single word in the appendix to its own individual flash card. Flash cards are useful
and desirable only for as long as your child needs the support of you covering some
letters with your fingers.
Once your child no longer needs that help, it might be more efficient to transfer whole
groups of related words to a single sheet of paper for decoding. For instance, in this
stage, you might transfer all the BL blends in Appendix D to a single sheet of paper, and
then have your child decode the whole group at once. You need to make this call.
Parent Note: Word Walls are commonplace in reading classrooms. You may wish to
consider having a dedicated space in your home for a Word Wall where you will post
“noteworthy” words for your child. From a Synthetic Phonics viewpoint, there is no
reason for any word that is regular (and therefore decodable) to be on a Word Wall – and
that includes every word your child has seen so far. Walls should feature words that are
in some way “tricky” or irregular. Going forward, I’ll mention the words I believe merit
the special attention of placement on a Word Wall.
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Stage 5
Sound of R
J ust as you did in Stage 4, you’ll be adding only a single letter and sound in this
stage. That’s because R, like L, blends with so many other consonants. In this case,
there are a total of 26(!) such blends: 10 beginning blends (BR, CR, DR, FR, GR, TR, PR,
SCR, SPR, STR) and 16 ending blends (RB, RD, RF, RG, RK, RL, RM, RN, RP, RT, RST,
RCH, RSH, RTH, RVE, and RSE).
For now however, you’ll only do the 10 beginning blends with your child. That’s
because when R follows a vowel, it automatically changes the sound of the vowel. You
can hear this for yourself if you compare the vowel sound in each of the following pairs
of words:
cat car
hen her
sit sir
not nor
fun fur
For the first word in each of the above pairs, the vowel has the short sound that you
and your child have been working on since Stage 1. However, for the second word in
each pair, not a single vowel has its short sound. When R follows a vowel, you get some
new vowel sounds that are neither short nor long. These new sounds, /ar/, /or/, and
/er/, are among the 44 unique phonemes of English listed in Table 1 and in Appendix
P. You’ll cover these new sounds, and the above ending blends, in Stage 12. So why
aren’t /ir/ and /ur/ included on the list of the 44 English phonemes? They’re not
unique. You can verify this fact for yourself by noting that HER, SIR, and FUR all rhyme.
The sounds, /ir/ and /ur/, are indistinguishable from /er/.
The Spelling Corner: Spelling should now focus on the L words from Stage 4. Remind
your child that most words ending in the sound /l/ are spelled LL. Also, the blended
sound /k/ + /l/ is always spelled CL (CLASS, CLAP), not KL. As usual, if she has trouble
spelling a blend (like PLANT), ask her to spell only the CVC part of the word (LAN). Then
ask her to spell PLAN, and finally, PLANT.
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Look at Appendix E. There aren’t a lot of CVC words, but there are 120 words that
begin with new R blends or end with blends your child has already seen. To introduce
this new sound, have him listen for it in words like RUN, RIP, RED, RUG, ROCK,
RAILROAD, READ, REACH, ROPE, RAIN, RAKE, RIDE. Once he is pronouncing /r/
correctly, ask if the sound of R is sustainable. Get him to describe how the lips must be
puckered to produce this sound. Then ask for the 5 sounds of R: /ra/ /re/ /ri/ /ro/
/ru/. Once he can accurately articulate these 5 sounds, he should be able to read the
20 or so CVC words in the appendix without too much difficulty. Just help with new
vocabulary.
The consonant blends are going to take some time. If you find your child is struggling
with these words, you have no choice but to move slowly, covering letters with your
finger in order to isolate the CVC sound existing in every one of them. There’s no rush.
The goal is to have your child achieve mastery.
Parent Note: Here’s something you may find interesting. For each of the 5 pairs of words
at the beginning of this stage, the initial consonant is the same, but the vowel sound
following that consonant is different. Now, note the shape of your mouth and lips as you
prepare to say the word HEN. Do the same for the word HER. Note that even though
both words start with the same phoneme, /h/, your mouth and lips are in a radically
different configuration for these 2 words, even before you make a single sound. Rather
amazing, no? The same is true for each of these 5 pairs of words.
This phenomenon is not due to the presence of the R (compare HIM and HOT and you’ll
notice it as well). Instead, it’s a tribute to the speed and power of the human brain. For
skilled readers, the brain registers every letter in a word at once, matches the letters
with appropriate sounds, and then, on an unconscious level, gets our mouth, lips, and
tongue ready to coarticulate the 3 phonemes into a single pulse of sound: HOT.
This is one of the main reasons you’ve been training your child to look at the vowel
following a consonant before deciding how to pronounce that consonant. You’re training
him to do consciously, something that will soon become utterly automatic for him. This
is a good example of the power of phonics!
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Stage 6
Sounds of H, J, Qu, V, W, X, Y, Z
O nly one sound in each of the prior two stages and now 8 letters and their sounds
in a single stage! As you probably recognize, these are among the less frequent
consonant sounds in the English language. Some of these letters are restricted to only
the beginning or end of a word: English words don’t end in J, Q or V, and only a few
obscure words start with X. While many words end in Y, you’ll postpone looking at them
until Stages 12 and 13 because, for those words, Y acts as a vowel, not as a consonant:
BOY, DAY, EARLY. Similarly, in Stage 12, you’ll see that a final W also acts as a vowel:
LAW, FEW, COW, SNOW. H is an important and frequent letter, but this is due to its
combined sound with S (SHIP), with C (CHIP), and with T (THINK). These two-letter
combinations (SH, CH, and TH), called digraphs, will be covered shortly, in Stage 7.
By postponing all the above complications until later stages, you’ll be able to sustain
the illusion that English spelling is regular through most of this stage. The topics you’ll
teach here include:
• Words that begin with H, J, V, W, Y, and Qu

• Words that begin or end with Z
• Words that end in X
• Some new beginning consonant blends: SW, TW, DW, SQU
• Words that start with WR, WH, or KN (these are not blends)
• Four high-frequency words in which a final S has a Z sound
The Spelling Corner: During this stage, you can focus spelling practice on words from
Stage 5. Remind your child these will all be R words – so she can expect lots of beginning
R blends. Consider doing related words together: have her spell RUM, followed by RUMP,
GRUMP, and TRUMP. Follow the spelling of RAN with RANT and GRANT. Tell her you’re
going to have her spell three words that differ only in the vowel: TRICK, TRACK, TRUCK
and RAMP, ROMP, RUMP. By doing such spelling exercises, you’re teaching her to listen
closely to individual sounds, and you’re increasing her phonemic awareness.
As I mentioned in Chapter 2, X does not have a unique sound; it’s simply shorthand
for the ending consonant blend KS (SIX = SIKS, FOX = FOKS). Also, the letter Q, always
accompanied by U, is simply an alternate way of spelling the beginning consonant blend
KW (QUIZ = KWIZ, QUEST = KWEST).
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The consonant combinations WR, WH, and KN are not blends because each of them
spells only a single sound:
• For WR, the W is silent. WR says /r/ (WRIST = /r/ + /i/ + /s/ + /t/).
• For WH, the H is silent. WH says /w/ (WHEN = /w/ + /e/ + /n/).
• For KN, the K is silent. KN says /n/ (KNOB = /n/ + /o/ + /b/).
Let’s discuss how you might approach the above topics with your child. Ignoring Q
and X for the time being, you can start this stage by introducing him to the sounds of 6
new letters: H, J, V, W, Y, and Z. Here are some suggested words to help in that process:
• H: hat, hot, hello, happy, hen, hippopotamus, hope, hug, hip

• J: jelly, juice, jet, jar, jam, Jack, Jill, job, jug, jazz, jerk
• V: van, vest, very, vine, visit, vanilla, voice, volcano
• W: wet, win, worm, wing, walnut, wipe, wise, wall, week, west, William
• Y: yard, yellow, yes, yell, year, yawn, yuck, yodel, yum
• Z: zoo, zebra, zipper, zero, zest, zap, zone, buzz, fizz, snooze, sneeze, jazz
As is true in the case of most letter names, the names V (VEE), J (JAY), and Z (ZEE)
suggest the sound of the letter. (The names of the other 3 letters are no help whatsoever!)
As usual, make sure he can give you the 5 sounds for each of these 6 new consonants:
/ha/ /he/ /hi/ /ho/ /hu/

/ja/ /je/ /ji/ /jo/ /ju/ …and so on.
When you’re sure he knows these sounds thoroughly, do the CVC words from Appendix
F with him, followed by the consonant blends. I think you know the drill by now. Once
he can read all the words on the first page of the appendix, continue with what is below.
With the Z sound fresh in his mind, you’re now going to introduce 4 key words that
have a slightly different spelling than he might imagine. Write the following on some
paper:
ISS HISS ASS HASS
ASS and ISS are from Stage 1, HISS is the sound of a snake, and HASS, though a pseudo
word, should now be readable. Once he can read all these words, tell him you’re going
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to drop an S from each of them and form 4 new (and really important!) words. Your
paper now looks like this:
ISS HISS ASS HASS

IS HIS AS HAS
Explain that for these important words, the final (single) S has a Z sound. Knowing
this odd fact (or so it must seem to your child!), get him to identify these 4 words. Help
him use each of these new words in a sentence. You might also discuss how odd it is
that these 4 new words are not spelled IZZ, HIZZ, AZZ, and HAZZ – as JAZZ and BUZZ
were just spelled earlier in this stage. Further, for the earlier important word, US, in
Stage 1, the S says exactly what we would expect: /s/. Explain that sometimes, English
spelling is a little tricky. These are high-frequency words that show up everywhere; make
sure your child knows them well. (These 4 key words are the first words that I would
place on a Word Wall.)
The only topics remaining in this stage are grouped together in the box marked
“Some Anomalies” in Appendix F. You’ve finally reached the point where you can no
longer sustain the illusion that English is a regular language, with a simple one-to-one
correspondence between letters and sounds. Just above, you showed your child that S
can have a Z sound. Next, you’re going to show him other oddities in the code: not only
“silent” letters, but also a Q that sounds like the blend KW, and an X that sounds like
the blend KS. Reading is about to become more interesting and more challenging!
But look how far you’ve brought him with this carefully constructed illusion. He can
read over a thousand words, and better yet, he’s convinced reading makes sense and is
rational, and better still, he’s sure he can do it and it’s fun! He’s becoming adept at
blending sounds. Looking at some complications and anomalies now will barely slow
him down. It’s time to start showing him all the complexities of the English language.
Let’s continue with the box marked “Some Anomalies” in Appendix F. Ask your child
for the names of the only 2 letters in the alphabet that have not yet been discussed: X
and Q. To help her master the sound of X, write the following word on some paper:
FOK
She should be able to read this simple CVC construction. Now write it again with an S
and let her read it:
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FOK
FOKS
Does she recognize the word? After agreeing with her that it’s a small, furry animal, tell
her the little critter could be spelled this way – perhaps should be spelled this way – but,
in fact, it’s incorrect. It’s spelled FOX. Write it as well:
FOK
FOKS
FOX
Explain that in English, X is often used to take the place of the KS blend. In other
words, for reading purposes, X = KS. You might take a moment here to help her spell
the name of the letter X: EKS. Doing so, she can see the name of the letter (EKS) suggests
the letter’s sound (/k/ + /s/). Help her pronounce KS correctly. It’s a little tricky to get
that sound isolated.
Now do the above FOX exercise again, but with MIK, MIKS, MIX and with SIK, SIKS,
SIX. Then place all the X words from the appendix on index cards (or on a single sheet
of paper) and see if she can read them without the above help. You may have to define
some of these words for her. For the words, NEXT and TEXT, it might be helpful if you
initially hide the final T with your finger.
If she asks why English replaces KS with X, congratulate her for asking such an
excellent question, and then do one of 4 things:
• Admit you don’t know.

• Tell her it’s time for lunch.
• State that English is sometimes unfathomable. We must learn to live with these
charming oddities!
• Tell the truth. Many Greek words end with a /k/ sound. Often, these words have
an S added in order to form the past tense. The Greeks invented X to take the
place of, what was for them, a common ending sound: /k/ + /s/.
It's important for your child to know X does not always replace KS. Write this word
on the board:
STIX
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Given what she has just done, she’ll probably read it correctly and say STICKS. Now
give her the bad news: the correct spelling is STICKS, not STIX. In this word, we do not
replace the KS with X.
STIX
STICKS
She may now ask the obvious question: When can X replace KS, and when can it
not do so? The simplest answer is that we can’t use X to form the plural of something.
(You’ll need to define “plural” here as “more than one”). Tell her English uses S, not X,
to form the plural and give her some examples: POT/POTS, HAT/HATS, LIP/LIPS, and
STICK/STICKS – not STIX!
Now ask her: which is correct? ROX or ROCKS? Discuss why the second is correct:
since ROCKS is plural, meaning “more than 1 rock,” X can’t be used. Other examples
you can use are CLOX, FLOX, and FIKS. (All 3, of course, are spelled incorrectly.) If she
still seems a little confused, admit that this entire X situation is… (let her read it):
COM-PLEX
Next, move on to the last letter: Q. To help your child master the sound of Q, show
him this word on some paper: WIT. He should be able to read this simple CVC
construction. Now write the word again, but with a K at the beginning and let him read
it:
WIT
KWIT
Does he recognize this common word? Now give him the surprising news: no word in
English starts with the spelling KW (or CW). If an English word starts with the blended
sound, /k/ + /w/, the correct spelling is QU. Write it with the other 2 spellings:
WIT
KWIT
QUIT
Acknowledge this is a perplexing situation in English – but we’re stuck with it. Point out
that Q is always attached to its buddy, U, and that QU is the correct spelling of the
sound /kw/. In other words, for reading purposes, QU = KW.
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Do another example with him. Write WACK on some paper and let him read it. Then
write it again, but with a beginning K: KWACK. Does he recognize the word? When he
does, see if you can get the correct spelling from him:
WACK
KWACK
QUACK
To combine the last two lessons, show him the following on some paper:
DUX KWACK
DUX QUACK
DUCKS KWACK
DUCKS QUACK
After agreeing that all 4 phrases say the same thing, discuss which one is correct and
why. (The last one is correct because no English word starts with KW and because X
can’t be used to form the plural of DUCK. (Boston Red Sox fans will undoubtedly
disagree!)
Now place the dozen or so QU words from the appendix on index cards (spelled
correctly) and see if your child can read them without the above help. You’ll likely need
to define some of these words for him. If he has trouble with any of these words, SQUID
for instance, replace the QU with KW on the card: SKWID. Then cover the SK with your
finger and let him read the CVC word WID. Uncover the K: KWID. Uncover the S: SKWID.
Define the word (if needed) and remind him that in English, QU always replaces KW.
Note: If he asks why English replaces KW with QU, this time the truthful answer is
more complicated. Basically, it’s the fault of the Romans. In Latin, U is a semi-vowel,
meaning, that at the start of a word, U acts as a consonant rather than a vowel. In this
situation, it’s sound value is /w/. For the /k/ sound, Latin uses Q if it comes before the
sound /w/, and C otherwise. Thus, for Romans, /k/ + /w/ was spelled QU.
Next, you’re going to introduce your child to “silent” letters. This is a large topic. As
you likely already know, a silent E at the end of a word often changes that word’s
pronunciation and meaning. (Your child will see this in Stage 10). What you’re after here
is the less frequent situation of silent letters at the beginning of a word. Start by showing
your child the word WRIST. It’s likely she won’t be able to read it. Discuss with her the
fact that WR can’t be a consonant blend because there’s no way to blend /w/ + /r/
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smoothly without adding a vowel. Have her try to do so if you need some comic relief.
Now, hide the W with your finger and ask her to read the word: RIST. Let her show you
her WRIST.
Acknowledge that the spelling should be RIST, but, in fact, it’s WRIST. The W is
“silent.” You might appreciate how odd this must seem to a beginning reader. If a letter
is silent, why use it in the first place? Worse yet, RIB, like WRIST, is another body part
that starts with an R sound. Why isn’t it spelled WRIB? (If she asks this question, I can’t
help you!) Happily, there are only a few words that start with the sound /r/ yet begin
with W. Discuss the other 3 examples (for now) that are in the appendix and then sum
it up: for reading purposes, WR = R.
Do KN as you did WR. KN can’t be a blend because the sounds of these two letters
don’t flow together unless a vowel is placed between them. Show your child the word
KNOB and tell him, once again, the first letter is silent. If necessary, hide the K with
your hand. Once he reads it, see if you can get him to use the word in a spoken sentence,
for example, “To open a door, turn its knob.” So, for reading purposes, KN = N. Have
him read the other 4 examples in the appendix. Let him know there are only a few words
that have a silent K. (KNIFE, KNAVE, and other such words will show up when you cover
long vowel sounds in Stage 10.) Compare the two words NOT and KNOT with him,
making sure he understands the 2 different meanings. Point out that two of the 5 words
in the appendix (KNOB and KNOCK) involve doors.
The third and final example, WH, is a little more common than the other two – and
in this case, it’s the second letter, not the first, that is silent. Place the following words
on some paper and have your child try to read them:
WHEN WHIP WHIM
W and H can’t be blended. To be consistent with what just happened above, he is likely
to assume the first letter again must be the silent one. If he does, he will read HEN, HIP,
and HIM. If this happens, congratulate him on his clever decoding skills, but remind
him he already knows (from earlier in this stage) how to spell HEN, HIP, and HIM.
Explain that, in the case of WH, it’s the second letter that is silent. Now ask him to try
again. Hide the H if necessary and help with the meaning of WHIM. Then have him read
the rest of the WH words in the appendix. You might point out that for some reason,
many of these WH words are great sound effects: WHAM! WHACK! WHOMP! WHUMP!
WHAP! So, for reading purposes, WH = W.
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You’ve arrived at the point where your child knows a sound for every letter in the
alphabet. Not only that, she can blend these sounds into hundreds of words – words
she fully comprehends. Look at that stack of flash cards! To finish this stage, sum up
all the anomalies. You might prepare 5 index cards as follows:
SIX QUIT WRIST WHEN KNOCK
On the back of each of these cards, write the incorrect, but phonetic spelling:
SIKS KWIT RIST WEN NOCK
Let your child see the back of the card only if she needs help to pronounce the word.
You might also consider placing these 5 words on your Word Wall to remind her of these
5 special situations. I would spell the word correctly, but with the phonetic
pronunciation right next to it on the word wall: SIX (SIKS), and so on.
As a final exercise before moving to Stage 7, pick 3-5 words from each of the 5 groups
listed as “anomalies” in the appendix, write them on index cards, shuffle them, and then
use them to conduct fast-paced drills. Stay with this topic until it is clear that your child
knows these 5 not-so-logical pronunciations.
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Stage 7
Sounds of CH, SH, TH
Forming the Plural
L et’s take stock. You and your child have now studied all 26 letters of the alphabet.
Those letters have provided a spelling for 23 of the 44 phonemes listed in Table 1.
(As you’ve seen, the letters C, Q, and X only provide alternate spellings: C is an alternate
spelling for /k/ or /s/, QU is an alternate for /k/ + /w/, and X for /k/ + /s/.) That
leaves 21 phonemes still to be studied, but no remaining single letters for symbolizing
those sounds. So now, you and your child are going to begin a new phase in your study
of phonics. Since there are more sounds (44) in English than there are letters (26) to
spell them, the remaining sounds will have to be symbolized by pairs of letters called
digraphs. A digraph is simply a two-letter representation (spelling) of a single phoneme.
As such, a digraph is much different from a blend.
Let’s look at an example. In the word STOP, ST is a consonant blend. Both sounds
in the blend, /s/ and /t/, can clearly be heard when you say the word aloud. Now
compare this word to SHOP. In the word SHOP, the SH is a consonant digraph. When
you say this word, neither /s/ nor /h/ can be heard. Instead, you hear a new, single
sound: /sh/. The sound /sh/ is one of the 44 phonemes listed in Table 1. To spell this
phoneme, the digraph SH is used. Note that while STOP and SHOP both have 4 letters,
SHOP has only 3 phonemes:
STOP = /s/ + /t/ + /o/ + /p/ (ST is a blend)

SHOP = /sh/ + /o/ + /p/ (SH is a digraph)
You certainly won’t need to get this detailed with your child. In fact, I suggest you
not use the word “digraph” with him at all. In its place, I recommend you use the more
colorful term “two-fer,” as in “two letters fer one sound.” The main point you’ll need to
emphasize with your child is that two-fers are something new – they’re not blends.
Instead, they must be read as a two-letter unit that symbolizes a single sound.
In this stage, you and your child will encounter 3 important two-fers: SH, CH, and
TH. None of these two-fers are blends of the 2 letters that compose them. Rather, they
spell 3 brand-new sounds: /sh/, /ch/, and /th/. These phonemes are among the 44
unique, indivisible sounds of the English language.
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The Spelling Corner: Spelling practice can now focus on all those new sounds
represented by the letters H, J, V, W, Y, Qu, X and Z from Stage 6. Do the easy CVC
words and consonant blends first. Stay with those words if your child finds the spelling
challenging. For those who find spelling easier, include the words in the box labeled
“Anomalies” in Appendix F. In this case, caution your child that you’re going to ask for
spellings of words with “silent” letters. Be sure your child can spell the 4 high-frequency
words IS, HIS, AS, and HAS.
Start your child with the two-fer SH. Ask him if he wants to learn a new sound. When
he enthusiastically responds that he does, place your finger up to your lips and tell him
SHHH! Explain that /sh/ is precisely the new sound you want to cover. Have him listen
for that sound in some words: SHIP, SHOP, SHOE, SHELF, SHOUT, SHORT, SHEET,
SHARK, SHIVER, SHUT, BUSH, FISH, TRASH. Then ask him to produce the sound
himself. Once he can accurately do so, ask him if he thinks it’s sustainable. (This one
is.)
Present him with this dilemma: “How can we spell this new sound if there are no
letters left?” (Remind him he has already studied the sound of every letter in the
alphabet.) If he suggests S, tell him that’s the sound of a snake: SSSSS. Verbally
contrast the two sounds /sh/ and /s/ – they are clearly different: SIP, SHIP.
Discuss with him that one of the problems with English (there are many!) is that it
has more sounds (44) than letters (26). So now he must start placing 2 letters together,
as a unit, to spell a single sound. Repeat the sound, informing him that it is spelled SH,
and then write it on some paper. Explain that SH is not a blend because the two sounds,
/s/ and /h/, can’t be blended. (Let him try to blend S and H; it won’t work!) Here is
where you can tell him that since SH is not a blend, you’re going to call it a two-fer
because it’s “two letters fer one sound.”
Have him review the 5 sounds of S and the 5 sounds of H. Then ask if he can say
the 5 sounds of the new two-fer, SH. What you want to hear is /sha/ /she/ (as in SHED)
/shi/ /sho/ /shu/. Write these 5 sounds on paper:
SHA SHE SHI SHO SHU
Now have him read the 5 sounds of SH from the paper. When you’re convinced he knows
these 5 sounds, add some letters to make them into full words:
SHACK SHED SHIP SHOP SHUT

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Ask him to read each word. Help if necessary by covering the last sound of these 5 CVC
words with your fingers. In the case of SHACK, this means covering CK. Note that I’m
still referring to these 5 words as CVC. Each of them consists of a single consonant
sound, followed by a vowel sound, followed by another single consonant sound (CVC).
You may also wish to discuss with your child the following 3 words which clearly show
the difference between the sounds of S, H, and SH: SIP, HIP, and SHIP.
Once he knows the 5 sounds of SH and can read the above 5 words, it’s time to look
at the 50 SH words in Appendix G. There you’ll find a mix of simple CVC words, and
words which include the various blends your child has already encountered. (I’m no
longer separating simple CVC words from consonant blends in the appendices.) I would
transfer most of these words to flash cards. Two-fers are new for your child and you
may have to hide letters a lot, at least for awhile, in order to help him with the decoding.
Don’t be in a hurry. This is an important new topic and more two-fers are on the way.
Parent Note: Here’s an example of faulty instruction. You child is having trouble reading
the word SHACK, so you hide the S and your child reads the CVC word HACK. You then
reveal the S. The mistake? HACK has a clear H sound; SHACK has no H sound
whatsoever. You separated a digraph. Digraphs (two-fers) like SH have a single sound.
They can never be separated. Had the word been BLACK, separating the B from the L
would be no problem. BL is a blend; SH is a digraph.
SQUISH is a difficult word. If necessary, replace the QU with KW (SKWISH) and hide
the leading SK. Once your child reads the CVC blend, WISH, uncover the K (KWISH),
the S (SKWISH), and then rewrite the word as SQUISH, reminding him, that in English,
the KW blend is always spelled QU.
Next, focus attention on the digraph CH. This time, simply write CH on some paper
and tell your child it’s another example of a two-fer. Let her try to blend the sounds /k/
and /h/ – it won’t work. Tell her CH spells another new sound and she should listen for
it at the beginning of these words: CHIN, CHEST, potato CHIP, CHEW, CHILD, CHEAP,
CHASE. This sound is also at the end of the words ITCH, SCRATCH, MUNCH, and RICH.
It’s at both ends of the word CHURCH. Ask her to state the 5 sounds of CH: /cha/ /che/
/chi/ /cho/ (as in CHOP) /chu/ (as in CHUMP). Write them out on paper:
CHA CHE CHI CHO CHU

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Now have her read the 5 sounds of CH right from the paper as you point to each one in
random order. When you’re convinced she knows these 5 sounds, add some letters to
make full words:
CHAP CHECK CHILL CHOP CHUG
Have her read each word. You might also add the words CAT, HAT, and CHAT to the
paper – words which clearly show the difference between the sounds of C, H, and CH.
Also, compare and contrast word pairs like CHIN/SHIN, CHOP/SHOP, and CHIP/SHIP
so that she hears and sees the difference between these 2 new sounds and their
spellings.
There are 4 different groupings involving CH in the appendix. Again, be careful not
to separate the C from the H when doing these with your child. If she is having trouble
with the CVC word CHICK, for example, hide the CK with your finger, thus revealing
only the CV part of the word. If she is having trouble with CHAMP, hide the P and show
just the CVC word CHAM – then reveal the P.
Two of the groups in the appendix involve new consonant blends: -TCH and -NCH.
If she is having trouble decoding a word in these groups, DRENCH for instance, go back
to basics. Progressively show her RE (CV), REN (CVC), RENCH (CVCC), and finally
DRENCH (CCVCC). In addition, be aware of this GLITCH in English spelling: SUCH,
MUCH, DUTCH, and HUTCH all rhyme. Yet a T occurs in some of the spellings but not
in others. Can you hear the phoneme /t/, separate from the phoneme /ch/, in any of
these words?
Now, compare the two words WHICH and WITCH with your child, defining both, and
acknowledging they have identical sounds but different spellings and meanings (thus
they are homophones). Also point out that WHICH, like WHEN, is a question word, an
interrogative – and both have a silent H. Post these two question words together on
your Word Wall where she’ll see them often. You’ll be adding about 6 more interrogatives
as this reading program continues. All the interrogatives are important words.
The two-fer TH is trickier than either SH or CH. If necessary, go back to Chapter 2

and review (for yourself) the fact that TH spells 2 different sounds: one voiceless, /th/,
and the other voiced, /TH/. You’ll explicitly teach your child the voiceless sound,
although the appendix has both. Should you make this voiced/voiceless distinction
explicit with your beginning reader? I’ve never done so. Young children pronounce the
words THINK (voiceless TH) and THEM (voiced TH) without any trouble. Simply help
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with the correct pronunciation as they decode each TH word in the appendix. Even if a
child pronounces the word THEM with the voiceless TH, he would still be quite close to
the correct pronunciation – and he would probably recognize the word in context.
If you do wish to deal with this issue explicitly, I would first have your child compare
/s/, which is voiceless, to /z/, its voiced counterpart. This would allow you to make the
point that some sounds need voicing while others do not. Then demonstrate for her how
the two-fer TH can go either way: voiced (as in THIS) or unvoiced (as in THIN). Once she
understands that TH can be spoken in 2 different ways, it will make sense to her, when
she decodes a word like THIS, if you tell her “Give the TH a little voicing.” Just be aware
that for about 75% of the TH words that she’ll see when reading, the TH will be voiceless.
Back to instruction: tell your child you have one more two-fer. Write it out and show
it to her: TH. Here are some words to introduce the (voiceless) sound: THIN, THICK,
THUD, THINK, THING, THAW, THREE, THRILL, BATH, BOTH, WITH, EARTH, TOOTH.
Once you’re sure she can accurately produce the 5 sounds of TH, /tha/ /the/ (as in
THEFT) /thi/ /tho/ /thu/, compare and contrast the words TUG, HUG, and THUG. You
might also use THIN/CHIN/SHIN to compare and contrast the 3 new sounds of this
stage. Then do the TH words in Appendix G. THRIFT is a tricky word (6 letters, 5
sounds). You can progressively do: RI (CV), RIF (CVC), RIFT, THRIFT if she has trouble.
I have many words boxed as high-frequency words in the TH group. Note that most of
these have the voiced TH sound.
Parent Note: If a word ends in TH, the TH is usually voiceless. A word that ends in THE,
on the other hand, is usually voiced. Compare: BATHE and BATH, TEETHE and TEETH,
SOOTHE and SOOTH, BREATHE and BREATH, CLOTHE and CLOTH. Your child is not
yet ready for this distinction due to the fact that many of these words have long vowels.
These will be covered in Stage 10.
Next: In Appendix G, you’ll find two groups of rhyming words: the E/EE group and
the ALL group. The E/EE group has over a dozen one-syllable words that end in either
one or two E's. They all rhyme and they all have the long E sound: /E/. This sound is
new for your child. What you’ve taught him up until now is “E says /e/.” You may
wonder why I want to deal with this group now, rather than wait until Stage 10 when I
cover all the long vowel sounds. My reason is that in Stage 8, you’ll have your child read
lots of complete sentences. The E/EE group has numerous high-frequency words that
will make the task of constructing decodable full sentences much easier. In addition,
this group is a stand-alone group in English. For most words ending in E, the E is silent.
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So this group can logically be covered almost any time. Finally, even the youngest child
already knows the meaning of most of these words.
Don’t present these words to your child in the normal way, on flash cards. Since they
rhyme and have the same structure (CV or CCV), present them as a group. Simply write
them out on paper and show all of them to your child at once. These are the first words
he’s seeing (so far) that end in a vowel. Tell him, for short words ending in E or double
E, E does not say /e/, rather, E says its own name. Discuss this with him a little. This
is his first hint that a single letter, in this case the letter E, can spell 2 different sounds:
/e/ or /E/.
Read the first word for him: BE. Contrast it with BED. Can he hear the different
sound of E in these two words? Use the word in a few spoken sentences: “Would you
rather BE inside or outside today?” “BE quiet!” “Will you BE my friend?” Now, have him
read the second word (HE), reminding him that the whole group rhymes. Can he use
the word in a sentence?
As you continue down the list, talk about what it means for words to rhyme (same
ending sound, but different beginning sound). Define any word he doesn’t know and
discuss the difference (in meaning) between BE and BEE. It should go quickly once he
catches on. Tell him that if he forgets, and says these words with the wrong E sound,
/e/, none of them are actual words! (Try it with him! Have him read the whole list with
the sound /e/ instead of /E/.) So, it’s easy to remember this little group.
Let’s talk about that tricky last word in the group: THE. It could be pronounced like
all the rest of them, with a long E sound, but that’s not the way most people pronounce
this word in the US. Most people pronounce it as /TH/ + /u/ (voiced TH plus short U).
Your child has already used this word a million times; now he sees how to spell it.
Simply acknowledge the slight sound difference. You might also speak a few phrases
where the word THE is pronounced both ways, depending on the word that follows:
• THE eye of THE tiger  first THE has long E; second one has short
• THE apple on THE floor
• THE umbrella in THE corner
Next, a BIG step for your child: Write the following sentences on paper and ask your
child to do the reading. These sentences highlight the E/EE group and they should be
decodable for her. Nonetheless, take your time here. This reading of full sentences is
new for her and it foreshadows what’s coming next in Stage 8.
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• THE bag is on THE desk.

• Mom [or Mum] is on THE bed.
• Help ME with this job.
• Did HE help his dad?
• Will SHE sit with ME?
• WE SEE THE dog PEE on THE TREE.
• HE fell on his KNEE.
I would also present the ALL words from Appendix G as a group. I didn’t include
these words back in Stage 4 when you and your child studied the L sound, because in
this group, A spells /aw/, not /a/. Think how the word BALL rhymes with CRAWL and
is a homophone with BAWL. Discuss with your child the fact that the A does indeed
sound a little different in this group from what he’s used to. Tell him what the first two
words in the group say and allow him to read the rest of the group on his own, using
the fact that all the words rhyme. (You may want to consider placing the E/EE and ALL
groups on your Word Wall.)
Last, show him what happens when we add an S to a word. We add an S for two
reasons: first, to change a noun from singular to plural (BELL, BELLS) and second, to
make a verb agree with its subject (I TELL, HE TELLS). The only complication is whether
that final S is voiced, /z/, or unvoiced, /s/. A handy rule is that if the original word
ends in P, T, K, or F, an added S keeps the sound /s/: (CAPS, ANTS, ROCKS, SURFS).
In all other cases, an added S has the sound /z/: (BAGS, HOGS, NODS, BALLS, CANS,
HAMS, JARS, COWS, PLAYS). Surprisingly, a final S says /z/ more often than it says
/s/.
I don’t think it’s helpful to share this rule with your child. Most children will
pronounce the final S correctly without ever knowing the rule. If your child has trouble
with this, simply correct her pronunciation and tell her that sometimes, it just sounds
better if a final S says /z/. In Appendix G, I have two groups of words ending in S: one
group has the S sound, the other has the Z sound. Do them separately with your child,
make flash cards, and then mix the cards together and see how she does.
There’s one complication I should mention here. If the original word ends in S, X, Z,
CH or SH, you can't simply add an S. Instead, you must add ES, and the resulting new
word has two syllables (KISSES, BOXES, FIZZES, PEACHES, DISHES). You’ll cover this
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complication in Stage 9, after you introduce two-syllable words. For now, let’s keep it
simple as possible.
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Stage 8
Reading Sentences (Part I)
D uring this stage, your child will begin reading full, grammatically correct
sentences. Don’t worry about spelling practice; you can resume spelling again in
Stage 9. Your goal here is to provide sentences that are within your child’s ability to
decode. In doing so, you’ll be providing him with the opportunity to review all the sounds
in the previous stages, and just as important, you’ll be increasing his motivation and
self-confidence.
At this point, you’ve introduced him to 27 of the 44 sounds of English. These include
the 5 short vowel sounds and 22 consonant sounds: /b/ /d/ /f/ /g/ /h/ /j/ /k/ /l/
/m/ /n/ /p/ /r/ /s/ /t/ /v/ /w/ /y/ /z/ /sh/ /ch/ /th/ and /TH/. Therefore, we
must be careful about the sentences you ask him to read. The words in those sentences
should have only the 27 sounds he has already learned. There can be no two-syllable
words or long vowel sounds for the simple reason that you have not yet formally taught
those concepts. There can be no vowel two-fers (EA, OI, OU, and so on) for the same
reason. In short, the sentences must be decodable. I spoke of decodable text in Chapter
3, but I’ll define it again here: text is decodable for a child if he has already been taught
the letter-sound relationships necessary for him to fully decode the text without
guessing.
It’s not easy to construct full decodable sentences with only 27 (of 44) sounds at
one’s disposal. To make the task easier, I need you to teach your child 12 of the 50
irregular words I first spoke of in Chapter 3. Being able to use these 12 irregular, high-
frequency words will make the task of constructing decodable text much easier – both
for me, and for you (should you decide to construct additional sentences). You’ll teach
the other 38 irregular words in Stages 11 and 14. Once your child masters these 12
words, he’ll be ready to read the sentences later in this stage.
Tricky Words (12)

you do her they my to
who our their your have from
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Let me be specific about the criteria I used in writing the decodable sentences you’ll
find below. This list will be helpful if you choose to make up some decodable sentences
on your own.
• All words should be one syllable.

• All vowels should have their short sound (exception: the E/EE group and the ALL
group from Appendix G).
• Any word from the above Tricky Words (12) group is allowed.
• Interrogatives: when, which, who.
• Conjunctions: but, and.
• Any subject pronoun: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
• Any object pronoun: me, you, him, her, us, them.
• Possessives: my, your, yours, his, her, hers, our, ours, their, theirs.
• Prepositions: to, in, with, on, at, from, off, up.
• The 4 special words from Stage 6: is, his, as, has.
• Numbers: three, six, ten.
• Any word from Appendix A through Appendix G.
• Any word from these appendices with an S added to form the plural, or to have a
verb agree with the subject.
Before having your child tackle the decodable sentences that follow, she must learn
the above 12 tricky words – plus the words “I” and “a”. I’m not counting the words “I”
and “a” among the tricky words because they’re too trivial. Let’s dispense with these
familiar words right away.
Ask her if she can name the two shortest words in our language. Whether she can
name them or not, write them down and tell her how to say them. “I” says its own name
and is always uppercase. It’s the word we use when we speak about ourselves. Most
children are already quite familiar with this word! In the word “a,” the A does not say its
own name; instead, it has the short U sound she already knows: /u/. That sound is
also present in the word THE. In fact, if pronounced as most people speak in the US,
the word “a” rhymes with “the.” How weird is that? Tell her that's why it's tricky!
Next, point out that “a” or “an” usually come before a noun: a person, a place, or a
thing – usually something we can touch. Write these examples on paper and allow her
to read them:
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a bag a flag an egg a cat a dog a ball

an ox a brick a duck a tree an ant a stick
These nouns are all from earlier stages. Ask if she sees why “an” is used sometimes
instead of “a.” If she needs help, tell her “an” is used if the following noun starts with a
vowel. It just sounds better.
Now, let her know that “I” is usually followed by a verb: an action word. Write these
examples:
I swim I fall I yell I run I help I see

I hug I ask I pee I call I slept I jog
Again, allow her to read each one, helping as necessary. Tell her that by placing the
word “I” in front of these verbs, we know exactly who is doing the action. Now have her
read each of the following as you write them:
I swim he swims
she swims we swim
I yell he yells
she yells we yell
Emphasize that in each case, we know exactly who’s doing the swimming and the
yelling. Easy, right? Emphasize that a verb following SHE or HE usually has an S to
make it sound better.
With the simple words “I” and “a” out of the way, focus next on the above 12 tricky
words. This will take some time – likely a few days. I would certainly feature these 12
“Tricky Words” on your Word Wall. Explain to your child why you are calling these words
“tricky”: the spelling and the sound don’t quite match. Yet all 12 are common words
that children use all the time when they speak.
Focus first on the word HAVE. Cover the E with your finger and ask your child to
read it. It has a silent E – no big deal. Now write a few sentences on paper that use the
word HAVE and let him do the reading:
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• We HAVE a cat.
• I HAVE a ball.
• I HAVE a rash on this leg.
You don’t want him to blindly memorize these tricky words as sight words. Instead, you
want him to use all the phonetic hints these words do possess. The word HAVE is on
the tricky list simply because of the silent E. Tell him it ought to be spelled HAV, but for
some reason, no English words end in V!
Focus next on the word HER. Does she recognize it? Write HIM next to it and tell her
one word is for boys and the other is for girls. You can also point out that the H and the
R sound like they should, but the E does not have the normal E sound: /e/. Nor does
E say its own name (like in SHE). As above, write some sentences and let her read them:
• This is HER desk.

• HER name is Jan.
• I see HER red hat.
• HIS cat ran up the tree. (contrast HIS and HER as opposites)
Next: the word FROM. It’s almost perfectly phonetic. Only the vowel is a little off.
Give your child some sentences to read and she may get it without help:
• This gift is FROM mom.

• That ball is FROM Dan.
• We ran FROM that big dog!
Tell her this word wouldn’t be tricky at all if it were spelled FRUM. Acknowledge that
strange spellings sometimes happen in English – and when they do, we’ve got to learn
the word anyway!
Next, focus on 4 tricky words together: TO, DO, YOU, and WHO. Tell your child these
4 words rhyme, just like the words HE, ME, BE, and SHE rhymed in Stage 7. Does she
recognize them? Let her know that the word starting with W is a question word (like
WHEN and WHICH) and then have her attempt these sentences:
• WHO is that kid? That kid is Jack.

• WHO is tall? I am tall.
• WHO is small? Pam is small.
• WHO slept in this bed? Chuck slept in that bed.
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Compare the word WHO with the other 2 interrogatives she already knows:
• WHO is that kid? That kid is Rick.

• WHICH hat is his? The black hat is his.
• WHEN did she HAVE HER nap? She had HER nap at three.
Point out that the H is silent in WHICH and WHEN, but in the tricky word WHO, the
W is silent! In fact, WHO is tricky for 2 reasons: The W is silent and the O has an /ew/
sound, like in MOOSE. Now remind her that the other 3 words rhyme with WHO. So,
they must also have an /ew/ sound. Can she decode them now, based on their first
letter? Use each in a simple sentence for her to read:
• Pass the cup TO me.

• Hand the stick TO Fred.
• Can YOU see me? I can see YOU.
• I can DO that job!
• DO YOU HAVE a dog? Yes, I DO.
Five tricky words to go.
To introduce THEY to your child, do what you were doing earlier, but this time with
all the subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Write this:
I swim. You swim. We swim.

He swims. She swims. They swim.
Can your child figure out the word THEY in this context? If not, just tell him what
the word is, and point out that the TH is perfectly phonetic (regular) but the EY is wacky.
It’s the EY that makes this a tricky word. Define it for them: WE means a group that
includes me; THEY means a group that does not include me. These 6 important words
tell us who does the action. Do the above exercise with as many verbs as necessary
(JOG, HUG, HELP, CALL, SEE, ASK) until he is comfortable with all 6 subject pronouns.
The 4 remaining tricky words are all possessives. These 4 words, along with HIS and
HER, tell us who the thing (noun) belongs to. Write this for your child:
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his ball her ball

my ball your ball
our ball their ball
These last 4 words are difficult, yet your child must master them. Point out that YOUR
is pronounced like YOU, but with the R sound, /r/, at the end. For the word MY, at
least the M sound is what he should expect. For THEIR, the TH and the R sounds are
fine; in fact, this word is pronounced like THEY, but with /r/ attached. The only
phonetic sound in the word OUR is the final R. (OUR will turn out to be perfectly
phonetic once your child studies the OU two-fer in Stage 12.) Repeat the above exercise
with lots of nouns until he’s comfortable with all 6 possessives. Other nouns you might
use are: DOG, HAT, FROG, BUG, TUB, SNACK, GIFT, and many more.
Parent Note: You’re taking two ever-so-slight liberties here. The word YOUR is not really
pronounced as YOU + /r/. In reality, YOUR has a new phoneme in it: YOUR = /y/ +
/oor/ (see Table 1). There are only 5 other common one-syllable words that have this
new phoneme and they will all be covered in Stage 14: SURE, CURE, PURE, LURE, and
POOR. Same thing for the word THEIR. It’s not really pronounced as THEY + /r/. It,
too, uses a new phoneme: THEIR = /TH/ + /air/. I will say more about the phoneme
/air/ in Stage 10.
Don’t let your child attempt to read the sentences below until he knows these 12
tricky words thoroughly. He must simply recognize them, using all the phonetic hints
these words do possess. Here’s the final test of proficiency: place these 15 words on
flash cards (the 12 tricky words plus “the,” “I,” and “a”) and see if he can quickly
recognize the words. He should be able to read all 15 words, in any order, in under a
minute.
Assuming your child has mastered the above 12 tricky words, it’s time for her to
read some more sentences. This is a significant step. The sentences are grammatically
correct and each expresses a complete thought. She should be able to decode them AND
understand their meaning. As she works through these sentences over the next days (or
weeks), use this opportunity to teach her some of the basic “mechanics” of sentences:
• Sentences always start with an uppercase letter.

• Sentences express a complete thought.
• Sentences end with a period, a question mark (?) or excitement mark (!).
• Sentences use commas wherever there is a pause in the flow of speech.
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• All sentences have a verb (an action word).

• Words in sentences are separated from each other by spaces.
• We always read from top to bottom and from left to right.
• The names of people start with an uppercase letter.
Parent Note: It would be helpful if your child were given a copy of the 90 decodable
sentences below. That way, she could check off the sentences as she successfully
decodes and understands each one.
The sentences are printed in a large font and spread out a bit. Maybe you can simply
print them for your child.
Here are some additional suggestions for dealing with the decodable sentences that
follow:
• Be slow to help your child with the decoding. If he struggles with a particular
word, write it separately on paper and cover up parts of the word with your hand,
as needed, in order to isolate the CV or CVC part of the word in question.
• Once the sentence is correctly decoded, discuss it. Point out the “tricky” words.
When a word ends in S does the S say /s/ or /z/?
• Make sure he understands the meaning of each word.
• Change the sentence slightly, keeping the criteria I listed at the start of this
chapter in mind. Then ask him to read it again. For example, the first sentence
below could be changed to “I will run with my dad” or “I will swim with her cat.”
• Don’t expect your child to race through these sentences. As a beginner, he must
take time to “sound out” (decode) the words based on his phonics skills from
Stages 1-7. Don’t let him skip words and never allow guessing.
• Each day, start by having him review the sentences he has already successfully
decoded.
• Take as much time as you need with these sentences; you need not adhere to
anyone’s schedule but your own. Mastery – not speed – is the key.
When you finish this stage, your child will be a novice reader by any standards. And
this will be true even though he knows only 27 of the 44 sounds in the English language.
He’s not yet fluent, but each day he will become more so. Sensing the magnitude of his
own accomplishment and hearing your well-deserved praise, how can he not want to
learn the rest of the code?
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Decodable Sentences
I will sit with my mom.
We will swim in the pond.
You can sit with me.
They can sit in the grass.
He sits on the rug.
She stands on the wall!
I run with my small dog.
We ran up the hill to catch Jill.
You cant run with a cat! (proper contractions come in Stage 16)
They can run with us.
He went up the steps.
She jumps on the rug.
An egg is on my dish.
Is that an egg on your dish?
Their dog smells bad!

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Our cat naps in the sun a lot!
Her glass has a crack in it!
His dog is a Pug. (get a picture of one from the Internet)
Who is that lass? That lass is Jill. She is three.
Who is that lad? That lad is Sam. He is six.
Who is that tall man? He is my dad.
Which plant is his? The plant on the desk is his.
Which hat is hers? The hat in the red box is hers.
When will we have lunch? We will have lunch at three o’clock.

(help with o’clock as needed.)
When will she have her nap? She will have her nap at ten o’clock.
This is my pet frog. I call him Fred. He has bumps on his skin!
This is my cat. I call her Fluff. She sits on my lap.
Is this your glass of milk? Yes, you bet! Thats my glass of milk!
(proper contractions come in Stage 16)
We can smell the trash in the bin. It smells bad!
I had lunch with mom and dad at 11 o’clock.

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Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch their dog.
Did you have a snack? Yep, I had a snack with Kim.
Did you have a hot dog with your lunch? Yes. In fact, I had 2 hot
dogs – with ketchup! (help with ‘ketchup’ as needed.)
My dog lifts his leg and then he pees on trees!
That frog jumps from the log into the pond.
I see you, but you cant see me!
Do you have my ball? Your ball is in the hall.
She sits on the rug. I will sit next to her.
We sat on a brick wall. Dan fell off and cut his leg!
That dog just bit me! I am sad and mad!
She has her red dress on and she fell in the mud!
Is her dress a mess?
The ants ran from the tree to their nest in the wall.
Who is that next to him? Thats his dad.
I will toss the ball to you. Hit it with your bat and then run fast!
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A duck, on its back, will quack up!

Is that a jest? You quack me up!
A rich man has lots of cash to stash!
Will you help me lift this bench? I am glad to help you!
Thats a bug on your rug!
I wish I had a fish on my dish.
That duck is stuck in the muck, Chuck!
When I gulp my milk, Mom tells me to sip it.
You can jog with me, and then you can swim with them.
Help me get that cup. Its up on the top shelf.
He will be as tall as his dad.
Ed slept on a cot, but we slept in our bed. Our bed has a quilt on it.
If you grab a crab, it will pinch your hand!
You have a rash on your leg. It must itch a lot. Do you scratch it?
When I see my mom, I will kiss her! Then she will be glad.
Ben, when did your hen get free from its pen?
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Do you see that lass who sits in the grass? She is my pal.
Sam spits in the grass. Yuck!
He yells when he gets mad.
When I pass gas, it smells bad!
Mom calls me to have lunch with her. Then she hugs me.
Its fun to sit on a branch in an elm tree!
A small hen is a chick.

A small dog is a pup.
A small bed is a crib.
A small lunch is a snack.
A big cup is a mug.
She went to the vet to pick up her sick dog.
Who is in the bath tub? Sam is in the bath tub. He is a mess! He

fell in a ditch!
I splash in the bath with my red duck.
We went on a trip with my mom. We had such a blast!
Can you pick me up? Yes, I can – and I will not drop you.
Spell sad. Ok. S – A – D.

Spell mad. M – A – D.
Spell bad. B – A – D.
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I am glad that you can spell this well!
A hen clucks. A duck quacks. A kid yells, and trash smells.
That big dish fell off the shelf by itself! I did not do it!
If you tell fibs, I cant trust you.
I help my mom: I dust the shelf and I mop the deck!
They went to the shop to get milk and snacks.
Fred and Ted fled on their red sled.
When will she call me? She will call you at ten o'clock.
Which kid hid my squid? Sid did. Sid hid your squid in that can
with the lid.
Get your cup and I will fill it to the rim with pop.
Did she swim at camp? Yes, and then she slept in her tent!
It is rash to stash cash in the trash!
We will cuss and fuss if we miss that bus, Gus!
Which tree has a nest in it? That big elm tree on top of Moss Hill.
The nest has three robins in it!
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Stage 9
Sounds of NG, NK
Multi-Syllable Words
T he next new sound you’ll introduce to your child is spelled by another consonant
two-fer: NG. But unlike the sounds of SH, CH, and TH, it’s difficult to pronounce
this new sound /ng/ in isolation from other sounds. Your child has heard /ng/
hundreds of times because it occurs in such familiar words as SING, BANG, LONG and
STUNG. However, if you try to pronounce the exact sound these 4 words have in
common, you’ll find it’s an elusive sound.
You can avoid this difficulty with your child by attaching short vowel sounds to /ng/
right from the beginning. While /ng/, alone, may be difficult to hear and pronounce, /i/
+ /ng/ = ING is easy. Therefore, you’ll practice this sound with words having the
spellings: ING, ANG, ENG, ONG, and UNG.
The Spelling Corner – As a reminder: throughout this stage, you should practice
spelling with words from Stage 7 (and Appendix G). These are the words with the
digraphs SH, CH, and TH. Do the simple CVC words first, and whenever you can, build
on the simpler word. For example, after she spells LUSH, ask about FLUSH and BLUSH;
after ASH, ask her to spell SMASH, CRASH, and TRASH. Don’t forget to include some
words from the E/EE and the ALL groups.
Start with the ING sound – one of the more common word endings in the English
language. Ask your child to say the word SING but without the initial S sound (don’t
write it yet). Help out if necessary. This isolated ING sound, /i/ + /ng/, is what you
want him to hear and to say. Now let him see how to spell this sound. Write ING on
some paper. Point out that the I sound, /i/, can easily be heard, but the sounds, /n/
and /g/, can’t be distinguished. That’s because those two sounds are not there! NG (like
SH, TH, and CH) is a two-fer. Just as SH is not a blend of /s/ + /h/, NG is not a blend
of /n/ + /g/. NG spells a new sound.
Once he’s comfortable with the ING sound, write an S in front of the ING on the
paper. Let him read it. Write RING and WING below SING and have him read those as
well:
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SING
RING
WING
Now add a T to SING, a B to RING and an S to WING:
SING → STING
RING → BRING
WING → SWING
Can he read these as well? If not, place STING on an index card and cover the ST. He
should read ING. Then uncover the T: TING, and finally the S: STING. In Appendix H,
you’ll find more ING words, and at the end of that list, a review of important subject
pronouns and possessives. Do these with your child in any way you see fit.
Parent Note: The /ng/ sound is one of three nasal sounds in English. Take a moment
to go back and look at the 44 sounds in Table 1. Note that you can pronounce any of
these sounds perfectly well with your nose pinched shut – except for /m/, /n/, and
/ng/. These 3 sounds require air to exit the nose. You and your child can have some
fun trying to say various NG words in this stage with your noses pinched shut.
Next day, review ING and then write ANG on some paper. Can she pronounce it
correctly? Give her a hint: she need only take the sound of ING and replace the initial
/i/ with /a/. If necessary, have her say the word BANG but without the B sound. Point
alternately to ING and ANG and have her read and compare both sounds. When she
seems comfortable with ANG, have her read the 9 ANG words you’ll find in the appendix.
It would also be helpful to mix the ING and ANG words together on flash cards, and see
how she does.
With ING and ANG fresh in her mind, write UNG and ask if she can pronounce it.
She need only take the pronunciation of either ING or ANG and change the initial sound
to /u/. There are 8 UNG words in the appendix.
Similarly, do ONG and ENG with her. There are no English words of consequence
that end in ENG. For the two words, LENGTH and STRENGTH, I suggest you write ENG
on some paper, get the correct sound, and then add the two-fer TH at the end: ENGTH.
Once she has that pronunciation correct, you can add the letters necessary for LENGTH
and STRENGTH. These two words are phonetic but they are difficult at first. Once you
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finish the NG groups, have her review the 5 sounds of NG: ANG, ENG, ING, ONG, UNG.
You could also give her some new sentences to read:
• Our KING is a STRONG man.

• I SANG a SONG with my mom.
• That bee STUNG my leg!
• Who RANG that bell?
• If you step in DUNG, you will be sad.
Of course, you can make up your own sentences whenever you wish. Just be sure to
stick to the criteria listed in Stage 8 plus any new words and sounds you are working
on here in Stage 9. You don't want to confuse your child with text that is not yet
decodable for her.
The NK groups in Appendix H are next. Before you discuss this topic with your child,
note that NK is something of an anomaly in English. It does not spell a unique phoneme
so it is not a two-fer. But neither is it a normal blend. Most blends simply combine the
sounds of their component letters. For example, SP = /s/ + /p/. But NK is not a
combination of /n/ + /k/. Instead, NK = /ng/ + /k/. Consider the word THINK. You
don’t say THIN and add a K sound; you say THING and add the K sound. In other words,
THINK = THING + /k/. Using our notation:
THING = /th/ + /i/ + /ng/ while THINK = /th/ + /i/ + /ng/ + /k/
Here are other examples:
RANK = RANG + /k/ KINK = KING + /k/

DUNK = DUNG + /k/ CLINK = CLING + /k/
The question is, how should you present all this to your child? I suggest you write
the word STINK and ask him to read it. He’ll probably have some difficulty because NK
is not a reasonable consonant blend in English. The sounds /n/ and /k/ do not easily
flow together. After discussing this with him, write the following under the word STINK:
STINK
STINK = STING + K
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If necessary, explain the meaning of the symbols = and +. Now ask him to pronounce
this new mystery word by saying STING and immediately adding the K sound: /k/. Does
he get it? Here are other word pairs you can do with him. Have him read the first word,
and then repeat it with an added K sound, to read the second. Help with the meaning
of the words as needed.
WING/WINK SING/SINK
BRING/BRINK BANG/BANK
SANG/SANK FLUNG/FLUNK
Your child will probably find this pretty interesting. You want him to learn that when
reading, he should always handle NK in the following manner (show this to him):
ANK = ANG + K
INK = ING + K
ONK = ONG + K
UNK = UNG + K
Have him compare the 5 sounds of NG (ANG, ENG, ING, ONG, UNG) with the 5
sounds of NK (ANK, ENK, INK, ONK, UNK). There are about 50 NK words in Appendix
H. You can make up individual flash cards or you can place these words in groups on
some paper and have your child read them in that manner. When you finish the NK
groups, mix up some NG and NK flash cards and make sure he can read them
competently.
Before moving on to Stage 10, there are a few more topics to address. Your child
needs to understand that not all words are short, one-syllable words. To that end, you’ll
need to define syllable in a way she can understand. Then you can give her some
practice in decoding two-syllable words on her own.
The number of syllables is different from the number of sounds (phonemes). The
word CAT has 3 phonemes but it’s a single syllable – a single pulse of sound. The word
CHILLY has 6 letters, 4 phonemes (/ch/, /i/, /l/, /E/) and 2 syllables (CHIL, LY). The
problem here, is how to explain syllable to your child. My Merriam-Webster dictionary
defines syllable as “a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without
surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word.” I like this definition –
but not for children.
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I suggest a different approach. Point out to your child that most of the words she’s
looked at so far (the words in Appendices A through G) have only 2 to 5 letters each.
They’re “small” words. Tell her it’s now time to start looking at some BIG words – words
that have two parts. That should get her attention! Note: For the following you’ll need to
prepare a flash card or paper in advance. On it, write the following word with the letters
spread out a bit:
P U M P K I N
Don’t let your child see this card ahead of time. When you’re ready, use a blank
index card (you've got lots of those!) to cover KIN. Now ask her to read what she can see:
PUMP. Tell her: “PUMP is only the first part of this word – now here is the second part.”
Slide the index card over to cover PUMP and ask her to read what she now sees. She
should say KIN. Now take the card away and ask her to read the whole word. This word
is likely in her vocabulary and she should now recognize it: PUMPKIN. Emphasize that
this word has 7 letters and two “parts” and point out that each “part” has its own vowel.
These “parts” are called “syllables.” So, define “syllable” for her in one (or both) of these
ways:
• Syllable - The number of “parts” in a word (with each part having a vowel)
• Syllable - The number of grunts you hear if you say the word with your mouth
closed, as though you are humming. Try it! Your child will enjoy it!
She should be eager to do this again. Continue the game with the following words
from Appendix H, covering one part and then the other. Each time she gets the complete
word, point out how each syllable (or part) has its own vowel. (Don’t use the slash mark
with your child. That’s just my way of saying how I would separate one part from the
other.)
VAN/ISH
BAS/KET
CON/TEST
CHIC/KEN
IN/SECT
Ask her if she would like to try some three-part words: (Who could say no?)
FAN/TAS/TIC
PUN/ISH/MENT
DIF/FI/CULT
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EX/PEC/TED
AS/TON/ISH
The multi-syllable words in Appendix H use only the 28 sounds your child already
knows. Most are words she should recognize once she decodes them.
You shouldn’t need to present every multi-syllable word in Appendix H as you did
above, covering parts of each word with an index card. Once your child catches on to
this new idea of words having more than a single syllable, test how she does simply
reading the entire word, written normally, on a flash card. Nor is it necessary to do all
the multi-syllable words in Appendix H. You’re already at the point where your child
can read far more words than you can list. (Think about how amazing that fact is!)
Simply pick 20-30 words from Appendix H that are likely in her spoken vocabulary and
put those words on flash cards. Help as needed and teach some new vocabulary. Note:
future word lists will now routinely have some multi-syllable words included.
Now that your child is familiar with two-syllable words, you can finish up what you
began in Stage 7. Back then, I said that if a word ends in S, X, Z, CH, or SH, forming
the plural can’t be done by simply adding an S. Instead, we must add ES. This creates
a second syllable where the final S always has a Z sound. There is a group of such words
in Appendix H. I don’t think it will require much time to do these with your child.
Your child can add her newly-learned suffix, ING, to many of the words in Appendices
A through G. There is a simple rule governing the spelling:
• If a single consonant follows the vowel, double it and add ING (WIN, WINNING).
• If 2 consonants follow the vowel, just add ING (MELT, MELTING; SING, SINGING).
There are some groups in Appendix H that show both of these situations. You and your
child can examine these words together.
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Stage 10
Long Vowel Sounds
N ow it’s time to focus on the 5 long vowel sounds. Learning which spellings can
symbolize these new sounds will enable your child to read thousands of additional
words. Recall from Chapter 2 that only 4 of the 5 long vowel sounds are unique. Long U
is simply a blend of 2 phonemes already listed in Table 1: /y/ + /ew/.
The Spelling Corner – The words you spell with your child during this stage should
now come from Stage 9. Start with the simplest one-syllable NG and NK words. If those
get easy for him, move on to some two-syllable words. Remind him: each syllable must
have a vowel. Start with the easier ones (EXIT, SUNSET, SICKNESS, CONTEST) and
then move to the words having double consonants in the middle (HAPPEN, MUFFIN,
SWIMMING). Remind him that when adding ING to a word having only a single
consonant after the vowel, he must double the consonant.
As you begin this stage, review with your child what the vowels are, and why they
are the most important letters: every word and every syllable must have one. Point out
that all the two and three-syllable words recently studied in Stage 9 had a vowel in each
syllable. Now let him know there is another reason vowels are so important: each vowel
can spell a second sound! This complicates things a little. Up until this moment, you
have given him the impression that each vowel makes a single sound, so this new
revelation may cause some confusion for a while. Briefly review the short vowel sounds
he already knows: /a/ /e/ /i/ /o/ /u/.
So, what is the other sound a vowel can make? Tell him that each of the 5 vowels
can sometimes say their own name: /A/, /E/, /I/, /O/, /y/ + /ew/. You might remind
him that he has already seen this occur in the E/EE group back in Stage 7: ME, BE,
SHE, TREE, and so on. What’s new in this stage is that all the vowels can do what E did
in Stage 7.
Start with an example like this one: Say the word TAP and have him spell it. Write
the spelling on some paper. Now tell him you want to spell the word TAPE. He knows
what TAPE is; he’s probably used it in arts and crafts many times. Ask them what letter
the word TAPE should start with, given its initial sound. He’ll probably agree that the
answer is T. Write a second T under the T of the word TAP on your paper. Now ask what
letter the word TAPE should end with, given its final sound. He should agree the answer
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is P. Write a second P under the P of the word TAP. Now ask him what vowel he can
clearly hear in the middle of the word TAPE: A. Write that letter as well. Your paper now
looks like this:
TAP
TAP
Does he see the problem? How can we have the same spelling for the words TAP and
TAPE? Emphasize that for one of these two words (the top one), the A says what it has
always said up until now: /a/. But in the second word, A says its own name: /A/. The
problem is, how can we tell them apart? If A can make 2 different sounds, how do we
know when A says /a/ and when A says /A/? Having set up this dilemma, you can now
show him the solution. Write an E at the end of the second word:
TAP
TAPE
Problem solved! The E makes no sound but it lets us know that the earlier (preceding)
vowel says its own name. The silent E is a signal to us; it tells us A says its own name,
/A/, rather than /a/.
Beginners are likely to find this confusing for a while, so you can do another example,
this time ending up with:
PIN
PINE
Tell your child that the sounds /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/ are called short vowel
sounds, while /A/, /E/, /I/, /O/, and /y/+/ew/ are called long vowel sounds.
Parent Note: I am using the correct notation with you. It’s not for your children. When
dealing with them, simply say what the long and short vowels sounds are.
The long sound of a vowel is precisely the name of that vowel. Explain that the words
“short” and “long” have nothing to do with duration of the sound – they are simply
traditional terms, used by teachers since just after the Big Bang.
Now ask him: What two sounds does A make? The verbal answer you want, of course,
is /a/ and /A/. Ask him for the 2 sounds of O, and so on, cycling through all 5 vowels.
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Once he has it, make your questions a little trickier: Ask him for just the long (or just
the short) sound of any of the 5 vowels.
When you’re sure he knows the long and short sound of all 5 vowels, write the
following on paper.
MAD MADE
PET PETE
FIN FINE
NOT NOTE
CUB CUBE
See if he can read all 10 words. As he does so, keep asking if the vowel is short or
long. If long, ask him how he knows. You want him to see how the silent E (an
unpronounced E) changes both the sound and the meaning of the word, like magic!
Point out how easy the long vowel sound is: the vowel simply says its own name. Make
sure he understands the meanings of all 10 words.
Over the next few days, test his understanding of this important new concept, by
writing out the following words in a single column on paper:
win hat man glob van scrap mop

rip cod grim cut rod cop slop
Jan bit kit spit shin mad glad
fat mat pan hid dim spin fad
quit Tim gal strip snack back lick
Now, one at a time, go back up to the top of your column, and across from the word
WIN, write WINE. Ask him to read both WIN and WINE, defining words as necessary.
Continue down the column, writing the same word, but now attaching an E. Each time,
let him read both words. The paper will look like this:
win wine
hat hate
man mane
glob globe (and so on…)

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Emphasize how easy short and long vowels really are. You might also discuss with
him that this is not his first example of a “silent” letter: in WHEN, the H is silent; in
WRIST, the W is silent. Even though the final E is silent, it plays a key role: it’s a signal
to the reader that the earlier vowel should say its long sound instead of its short sound.
Note: for the final 3 words in the box above, drop the C when you add the E.
Now take a look at Appendix J. There, I have grouped words by long vowel, and
within each group, I have rhyming subgroups. Once your child has caught on to the fact
that a silent E makes the earlier vowel “long,” he may be able to read these new words
quite rapidly. You may need to spend more time here on the meaning of words rather
than on their decoding.
Parent Note: I’ve structured this stage so that you’ll be teaching 4 new phonemes
explicitly and 2 implicitly. The 4 explicit ones are /A/, /E/, /I/, and /O/. The 2
phonemes covered implicitly in this stage are /air/ and /ear/. (See Table 1.)
My thinking is this: There’s only an ever-so-slight difference (in sound) between the
phoneme /air/ and the phoneme blend /A/ + /r/. HAIR or HARE, for example, can
reasonably be coded as /h/ + /air/ (2 phonemes) or as /h/ + /A/ + /r/ (3 phonemes).
Your child, and indeed many literate adults, can’t hear the difference between /air/ and
/A/ + /r/.
Accordingly, I think it easier to have beginners decode a word like SHARE just as they
would approach words like SHAME, SHAKE, and SHADE: the silent E at the end of the
word makes the preceding vowel long. While a professional linguist would not agree that
the phoneme /air/ is equivalent to /A/ + /r/ (the linguist is right), you’re not training
a professional linguist. Treating /air/ as equivalent to /A/ + /r/ simplifies things for
you and your child.
If you’re thinking that /air/ may actually be equivalent to /A/ + /er/, I don’t think that’s
the case either. LAIR = /l/ + /air/ (1 syllable), while LAYER = /l/ + /A/ + /er/ (2
syllables).
I can (but I won’t) make the exact same argument for treating the phoneme /ear/ as
functionally equivalent to /E/ + /r/. In short, just do this stage as outlined and have
your child decode the words that end in an R sound just as they would decode any other
word in appendices J and K. The sound /r/ always complicates things!
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Parent Note: A word about flash cards. You might judge it unnecessary here to make
any flash cards at all. Your child might be able to simply look at the rhyming subgroups
and read all the words at once. Use your judgment going forward and use flash cards
only when you think they will help. If you do use them, you can’t hide the final E with
your finger. Your child needs to see that letter right from the start.
The long E group has fewer words than the others. That’s because long E is usually
spelled in a different manner, something you’ll teach your child a little further below.
Also, let’s discuss the long U sound. Sometimes, like the other long vowels, U says its
own name: /y/ + /ew/:
CUBE = /k/ + /y/ + /ew/ + /b/

MUTE = /m/ + /y/ + /ew/ + /t/
At other times, however, that subtle /y/ sound is missing:
TUBE =/t/ + /ew/ + /b/

FLUTE = /f/ + /l/ + /ew/ + /t/
You’ll cover the latter case in Stage 12 when you look at the various spellings of the
sound /ew/. Either way, however, long U is not a unique sound in English. It’s always
equivalent to /y/ + /ew/ or to /ew/ alone. (This discussion of long U is only for you;
you need not bring it to your child’s attention.)
The word USE in the long U group merits some special attention. It can be
pronounced with the S symbolizing either /s/ or /z/. It makes a difference with the
word’s meaning. You can USE the following sentences to demonstrate the difference to
your child. Just speak these sentences; they are not yet decodable:
• We USE a brush to clean our teeth. (/y/ + /ew/ + /z/)

• What’s the USE of talking to that dog? He never listens! (/y/ + /ew/ + /s/)
A good test of Appendix J mastery is to take 2 words from each rhyming subgroup
and put them on flash cards. Mix up the cards and see if your child can read them
competently. You don’t want to be in the position where he needs rhyming in order to
read well.
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Next, you and your child will investigate another way English spells long vowels. So
far, she has not encountered any vowel two-fers, that is, two consecutive vowels making
a single sound. Yet there are 4 vowel two-fers that rather reliably spell a long vowel
sound:
• AI spells /A/ (example: TRAIL)

• EA and EE both spell /E/ (examples: CHEAT, STREET)
• OA spells /O/ (example: BOAT)
Parent Note: When discussing these new vowel digraphs with your child, keep using
the term “two-fer” rather than “digraph,” just as you did in Stage 7 with the consonant
digraphs SH, CH, and TH. The essence of a two-fer is two letters fer one sound.
When the above vowel two-fers occur, the first vowel is long and the second is silent.
There are many examples of this in Appendix K. You can describe this situation to your
child as follows: “When two vowels go walking, the first does the talking.” This traditional
rule is useful because she will likely remember it, due to the rhyme. In Appendix K, you
can see how many common and important words have “two vowels walking.” The danger
with this rule is that she may try to apply it to other vowel digraphs, where it doesn’t
work at all: OO, OI, AU, OU for instance. More about this later.
As you have her decode the words in Appendix K, do them in the order indicated:
long O words first, then long E, and finally, long A. I say this because the word
OATMEAL, for instance, in the long E group presupposes the word OAT from the long
O group.
Have her pay close attention to the 16 words in the appendix that I have marked as
“EA exceptions.” Most of them are familiar words and they clearly do not obey the “two
vowels walking” rule. It’s safe to say that nearly every rule one might think of has
exceptions when pronouncing or spelling English words. Nevertheless, some are worth
mentioning, like the “two vowels go walking” rule, because they can help beginners
decode a lot of new words despite the inevitable exceptions. In the material ahead, I’ll
mention some other rules as well. In each case, I’ll list the most common exceptions.
The test for mastery here is the same as above: place 7-10 words from each of the
four groups (OA, EA, EE, and AI) on flash cards and mix them up. Can she read the
words competently when they are mixed?
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I also recommend you place the 16 EA exceptions from the appendix on flash cards
and practice them as well. Note that for eight of these exceptions, the correct way to
pronounce the word is to let the second vowel “do the talking.” The other eight are
pronounced as if the A were not present.
To finish this stage, you and your child can practice adding S (or ES) and ING to
some of these new long vowel words. There is a small section for each of these tasks in
Appendix K. The only new wrinkle is this: if a word ends in a silent E, drop the E before
adding ING.
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Stage 11
Reading Sentences (Part II)
L et's return to reading full sentences. These decodable sentences will be more
complex than those your child read in Stage 8 because they now include all the
material from Stages 10 and 11, as well as some new tricky words. Here are the criteria
I used for constructing them:
• All the previous criteria from Stage 8, plus the following:

• Two syllable words are now okay.
• All the words on the Tricky Words (31) list below.
• The /ng/ sound and the NK blend from Stage 9.
• All the long vowel sounds and their spellings from Stage 10.
• Present, past, and future conjugations of the irregular but common verbs: to be,
to do, to say, to go, to come, to have, to give. Also, the perfect and progressive
forms of these verbs.
• New interrogatives: what, where.
• New numbers: one, five, seven, nine, eleven, twelve, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen,
nineteen, one hundred.
• New preposition: of.
• New conjunction: because.
• Suffixes: S, ES, ING, FUL, MENT, LESS, NESS.
This is a lot of new material for sentence construction! As you can see, the following
Tricky Word list repeats the 12 words from Stage 8, so there are “only” 19 new words
here. They’re all important for fluent reading.
Tricky Words (31)

are was were say says said
go goes come give what where
one of been does gone because
done
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Your first goal in this stage is to help your child learn the above 19 new tricky words.
(This could take awhile.) I recommend you place all 19 of them on your Word Wall the
day before you intend to introduce them. Have your child look at all 19 at once. Let him
know that these words are “tricky,” just like those 12 words back in Stage 8. (Those 12
words should already be on your Word Wall.) Also tell him that, except for the 2 words
that start with O (OF and ONE), the first letter in each word is perfectly regular, meaning,
it provides the correct first sound for the word. Finally, let him know these are all
common words – words he uses every day. Does he recognize any of them?
Write the words GIVE, DONE, GONE, COME, ARE, and WERE on index cards. For
each one, cover the final E with your finger and see if he can identify some of them now.
Remind him that normally, the silent E would make the prior vowel long. But these are
tricky words – so none of these vowels have their long sound. Next, write some sentences
for him to decode, and it’s likely he will start to figure out what these 6 words are in
context:
• GIVE me a drink.
• Will you GIVE me a hand with this job?
• Have you DONE your job yet?
• Is she DONE with her bath?
• They have all GONE to the game.
• The cake is GONE! Who ate it?
• COME here you rascal!
• Will you COME home with me?
• The kids ARE running in the grass. (action occurring now)
• The kids WERE running in the grass. (action already occurred)
Parent Note: You might try having your child initially read all the above sentences
exactly as they are spelled. So, for instance, the first sentence, “Give me a drink,” would
be read having GIVE rhyme with FIVE. If you do this, your child may well recognize the
word GIVE and then pronounce it accurately: /g/ + /i/ + /v/.
Make the following points with your child as he reads the above sentences:
• GIVE should rhyme with FIVE and DIVE, but it doesn’t. Given its actual
pronunciation, it ought to be spelled GIV, but it isn’t. That’s why it’s on the Tricky
Word list.
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• DONE should rhyme with BONE and CONE. Given the way we pronounce it, ask
him how DONE should be spelled: DUN.
• Given their spelling, DONE and GONE should rhyme, but they don’t. Don’t ask
how GONE should be spelled – you haven’t yet discussed its middle phoneme:
GONE = /g/ + /aw/ + /n/.
• COME should rhyme with HOME or it should be spelled CUM. Because it does
neither, it’s a tricky word.
• ARE is pronounced the same as the name of the letter R.
• WERE rhymes with an earlier tricky word: HER.
There! Six tricky words already introduced. Keep each one on an index card for review
purposes later on. Thirteen more to go.
Next, without telling your child what the words say, write DOES, WAS, and
BECAUSE on paper. Make the point that these words should not rhyme, but, despite
their weird spellings, they do. That’s because they’re tricky. Use the first 5 sentences
below to help her decode DOES. Help her correct the third sentence. Once she knows
how to pronounce DOES, ask how it ought to be spelled: DUZ.
Now, remind her that the other two words rhyme with DOES. Using that information,
can she figure out the final 4 sentences? Help as needed. How should these words be
spelled? (WUZ and BECUZ.)
• I do my job.
• We do our job.
• She do her job. → She DOES her job.
• You have a big dog. DOES he bite?
• DOES a chicken have lips? DOES a snake have hips? I think not!
• Mom WAS glad to see me. She gave me a big hug and kiss.
• I WAS not home when you came to see me.
• I need a bath BECAUSE I stink!
• He feels hot BECAUSE he is sitting in the sun.
Next, tell your child that among the 10 tricky words remaining, there are 2 more
question words that belong with the 3 he already knows (WHEN, WHICH, and WHO).
Write WHAT and WHERE on some paper or index cards. Can he figure out what these
two words are in the context of some sentences?
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• WHAT is your name? My name is Kate.

• WHAT time is it? Its five o’clock.
• WHERE is my dog? I need to feed that mutt!
• WHERE is my hat? Its beginning to rain.
Discuss how these new question words would be spelled if they were better behaved:
WUT and WARE (or WAIR).
BEEN would be perfectly phonetic if the reader were British, but in the US, most
people pronounce this word in a slightly different manner: BIN. See if your child can
recognize this word in the following sentences:
• WHERE have you BEEN? I need your help.

• You rascal! Have you BEEN hiding from me?
• It has BEEN quite hot! WHERE is my fan?
Do the words ONE and OF together. These are two (of the three) most outrageous,
non-phonetic, yet common words in the English language. (You’ll cover EYE later.) Make
fun of how these 2 words are spelled and your child will remember them forever. Despite
the ridiculous spellings, let her try these sentences:
• ONE of my socks is missing!

• ONE cupcake plus ONE cupcake makes 2 cupcakes!
• Do you think OF me when I am GONE?
• I think OF you all the time BECAUSE I like you!
• ONE OF my best pals is Dave.
Discuss how these wacky words should be spelled: WUN and UV.
Since GO and GOES both involve motion, do these together. Tell your child that
unfortunately, GO does not rhyme with TO, DO, and WHO from the tricky word list in
Stage 8. You can simply tell him: the O is long in this case.
• I GO home.
• You GO home.
• She GO home. → She GOES home.
• They GOES home. → They GO home.
• WHERE did she GO? I need to speak with her.
• I hope I can GO with you!
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• He GOES to sleep at ten o’clock.

• She GOES shopping when she needs bread.
How should GOES be spelled in order for it to be phonetic? GOZE.
The last 3 words you need to introduce are certainly related. Write SAY, SAYS, and
SAID on paper and tell your child that all 3 words involve someone speaking. Try these
sentences:
• I SAY: go to bed!
• You SAY: go to bed!
• She SAY: go to bed! → She SAYS: go to bed!
• WHAT did you just SAY? I SAID I do not need a nap!
• Can you GO with me? Yes, my dad SAYS that I can GO with you!
• She SAID I broke the glass, but Mike did it, not me!
• Dad SAYS he will GO with me.
• Mom SAYS I can have an extra chunk OF cake to take along with me.
SAY is spelled exactly as it should be spelled, and it will become perfectly phonetic in
Stage 13. SAYS and SAID, on the other hand, should be spelled SEZ and SED.
Before proceeding to the new decodable sentences below, take whatever time is
necessary to make sure your child has mastered all 31 of the above tricky words. They
are among the most frequently-used words in the English language. Shuffle the index
cards containing these words, and practice with your child until she knows them
thoroughly. If she has trouble with a given word, point out all the phonetic hints that
might help her. When you are sure she’s ready, continue on to the following sentences.
Use the same procedure you used in Stage 8. There is one new feature in these
sentences that was not present in the earlier ones: quotation marks. Simply explain the
use of these marks to your child as they occur. Again, no guessing or skipping over
words. Make sure she understands whatever she reads. Have fun!
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Decodable Sentences
to be
I am in the kitchen.
We are in the kitchen.
You are at the bus stop.
They were on the train.
He is from Spain.
She is from Canada.
I was brushing my hair.
We were at the picnic.
She was on a hike.
He was with his mom at the fair.
Where have you been? I have been riding my bike.
to go
I go to the dentist.
We go to the ball game.

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She goes to sleep at nine o’clock.
He goes to the store when he needs a treat!
They went up the stairs.
She went to get a bath.
Are you going to eat lunch with me?
Where have they gone? They have gone fishing at the lake.
to give
Can you give me a hand? Yes, I am glad to help you.
Did you give a dime to Ted? I gave Ted five dimes!
Will you give me a ride home?
Rain gives me a chill!
That bug gives me the creeps!
He is giving his mom help cleaning the kitchen.
Has she given you a reason for being this late?

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to come
They come from the state of Texas. She comes from Alabama.
He came into the kitchen to eat salad and roast beef.
Where did you come from? I just came from the basement.
He comes home on his bike.
She is coming home with her skates.
to say
I say you are cheating! Well, I say you are quite wrong to think such
a thing!
What did they say? They said they are going to the beach.
He says he is feeling ill.
She says its time to eat lunch.
He says he will not go with me.
Ann said: “I think I will have a cup of tea, toast, and three eggs.”
Mike said: “I need help cleaning these dishes!”

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to do
Who do you think you are Mac?
Does a fish ride a bike? Does a hen take a hike?
Do you dream when you sleep? Do you moan when you weep?
Did the boat float, or did it sink to the bottom of the lake?
What have you done? I have made a cake!
Gail, you look pale. Did you see a whale?
What is your name? My name is Steve.
Will you teach me to read? Thats what I am doing pal!
Thank you! You are welcome!
I have been in the kitchen baking bread with mom.
One thing I like to do is eat a fine meal.

Do you mean mac and cheese?
Yes! That meal cant be beat!
I must be getting sick. I keep sneezing and snot keeps dripping from
my nose! Yuck!
I just got a drink at the kitchen sink.

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Where is our dog? I have a big bone to give him!
If you mix red paint with white paint, you will get pink paint.
That junk in the trunk stinks. What is all that stuff?
I went home because it was late.
The boat sank because it hit a rock. The rock made a hole in the
bottom of the boat.
Does the rain in Spain fall on the plain, Jane?
The sailboat at the dock was rocking in the breeze as the tide came
in.
“What is she drinking?” said Ted.

“She is drinking tea with lemon,” said Linda.
“Mom! The mailman is here. He says he needs to speak with you.”
I hear the train as it glides along the railroad track.
Does he wish to go swimming with us?

Yes, he does. He likes to swim.
I smile when I am glad. I yell when I am mad. I hide when I am bad.

I sob when I am sad.
The king and the queen, sitting on their thrones, drank wine and ate
roast chicken at their wedding feast.
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I must clean the kitchen. Can you give me a hand?

Yes, I will help you.
Where have you been?

I have been shopping. I have cake, bananas, and pretzels to share
with you. Yum!
Are you done with your cake? If you are, I will finish eating it. I hate
to see it go to waste!
“Eat your ham and egg sandwich and drink that milk,” said mom.
“Then you will get big and strong.”
Where is my jump rope? Did you take it?

Not me, pal!
What are you wearing on your head?

These are earmuffs!
What do you like to eat?

I like pancakes and milk when I wake up – and mac and cheese with
a hot dog at lunch time!
Stop all that groaning and moaning! You made that mess! Cleaning
it up will not take you long at all!
We saw a cricket, a frog, a rabbit, and a snake in the grass!
What reason do you have for yelling? Are you in pain?

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A cut-up peach on top of hot oatmeal, with cream, is a great

breakfast!
Stop tipping that chair back! You will fall on your head and crack
your skull!
“Gimme more cake!” said James.

“Did you mean to say, Can I have more cake, please?” said mom.
Can I please taste your wine, dad?

Yes, in sixteen years you can taste my wine!
Brush your teeth before you go to bed, ok?

All of them mom?
Yes dear, please brush all of them.
“The chain came off my bike while I was riding! Will you help me fix
it?” said Meg.
“We will fix it in no time at all,” said dad.
I like pears, apples, and bananas – but not grapes!
Where is Kim?
She is sitting in the shade near that pine tree.
“Dad, where do children come from?” said Sam.

“It beats me,” said Dad. “Go ask your mom. Perhaps she can explain
it to you.”
Keep that gate shut! If you do not, my dog will escape.
When I inhale, I fill my lungs with fresh air!

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A bee stung me three times on my knee!

Thats bad luck!
Toss the ball to me again! This time I will catch it!
“Time to get a bath,” said mom. “You are not going to bed until you
are clean.”
“A bath! You must be joking!” said Melvin. “I just had one last week!
Must I use soap? Can it wait until next month?”
“Up the steps!” said mom.
Some optional math follows. The word MINUS has a long I.
This is math:
If you add three dimes to six dimes, you will have nine dimes.
Three plus six is nine (3 + 6 = 9)
Nine minus three is six (9 – 3 = 6)
Nine minus six is three (9 – 6 = 3)
One plus six is seven (1 + 6 = 7)

Seven minus one is six (7 – 1 = 6)
Seven minus six is one (7 – 6 = 1)
Three plus seven is ten (3 + 7 = 10)

Ten minus three is seven (10 – 3 = 7)
Eleven minus five is six (11 – 5 = 6)

Five plus six is eleven (5 + 6 = 11)
Ten plus six is sixteen (10 + 6 = 16)
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One plus three plus five plus six is fifteen

(1 + 3 + 5 + 6 = 15)
+ means “plus” or “add”

– means “minus” or “subtract”
= means “is”
Gosh! I think I like this math stuff!

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Stage 12
More Vowel Sounds
S o far, you and your child have covered 34 of the 44 phonemes in the English
language. In this stage, you’ll teach 8 more to your child, all of them vowel sounds
and all of them spelled with various two-fers. This stage, then, is a lengthy one. You can
hear these 8 new sounds in the following words:
/ew/ stew, moon, glue

/oo/ good, took, could
/oy/ toy, coin
/ow/ cow, out
/aw/ law, fraud
/ar/ car, park, are
/er/ her, bird, turn
/or/ store, north
Note that all these sounds are different from both short vowel and long vowel sounds.
They’re unique phonemes, and all of them are listed in Table 1. The above list also shows
there are multiple spellings for each of these phonemes.
The Spelling Corner – Now you can start picking words from Stage 10 to spell with
your child. Ask for the spelling of words from Appendix J for a few days. These are words
where the vowel is long, due to a silent E at the end of the word. Then switch to words
from Appendix K where vowels are long due to “two vowels walking.” As your child grows
in confidence, alternate between the two appendices.
Be on the look-out for “good” mistakes. For example, you ask him to spell the word
CAME and he answers K-A-I-M. This is a good mistake because, phonetically, he’s
correct. AIM and MAIM are both spelled similarly. It shows great understanding, but in
practice, it’s still wrong. He chose the wrong alternative for spelling both /A/ and /k/.
Congratulate him for his ingenuity, but correct his spelling.
Look at Appendix L where I have words categorized according to these 8 vowel

sounds. Note first that I’ve listed 4 different spellings for the sound /ew/: OO, EW, UE,
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and U-E. Examples using these spellings are ZOO, CHEW, BLUE, and JUNE. Your child
has already seen multiple spellings for a single sound, particularly for some of the long
vowel sounds. Long A, for instance, can be spelled by attaching a silent E to a word
(GAME) or by combining A with I (RAIN). The sound /ew/, however, is in a class by itself.
Take a moment and look it up in Appendix P. There you’ll find a total of ten spellings for
this one phoneme!
A judgment call is needed here between two competing values: being complete, but
avoiding needless complexity for the beginner. Here’s what I’ve done in this case. I cover
the four most important spellings of /ew/ in Appendix L. Your child already saw the O
spelling (TO, DO, WHO) and the OU spelling (YOU) in the Tricky Word list back in Stage
8. No other common words have the O spelling, and the only other common words with
the OU spelling are GROUP, SOUP, and YOUTH. Only five common words have the UI
spelling: FRUIT, JUICE, BRUISE, CRUISE, and SUIT. (You can mention FRUIT to your
child in this stage; you’ll cover JUICE in Stage 16 when you teach how C can have an S
sound.) The OE spelling (SHOE) and the OUGH spelling (THROUGH) are covered as
exceptions or as “tricky” words in upcoming stages.
When you get a chance, look at Appendices P and Q together. They have the same
information, but from opposite perspectives. Appendix P looks at the code from an
encoding (spelling) perspective: hearing sounds, how might they be symbolized by
letters? Appendix Q looks at the code from a decoding (reading) perspective: seeing
letters, how might they be replaced by sounds? More succinctly: Appendix P is “How to
Spell a Sound”; Appendix Q is “How to Sound a Spelling.” Much can be learned about
the code and its complexities by studying these two appendices. They are only for you,
not for your child. You’ll continue presenting the code to him as you’ve been doing, in a
gradual, systematic, and logical manner throughout these 17 stages.
Time to get her started with the /ew/ sound: ZOO without the Z. Tell her the two of
you will spell the word MOON together. Ask her what sound she can hear at the
beginning of the word. When she answers /m/, the two of you can agree the first letter
should be M. Write M on some paper. Now ask her about the sound at the end of the
word. When she tells you /n/, write the N, leaving space for the spelling of the vowel
sound that must be in the middle:
M N
Now ask her: what’s the vowel sound in between the M sound and the N sound?
(Remind her: all words have vowels.) Help her to isolate the /ew/ sound. Once she can
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make the sound correctly, have a discussion: it must be a new vowel sound! Trouble is,
we’re out of vowels to spell the sound! In fact, the 5 vowels are already over-worked:
they each make both a short and a long sound.
So how is she to spell this new sound? Tell her, fortunately, the problem has already
been solved: this new vowel sound, /ew/, is spelled with a double O. Now add the OO
in the space between the M and the N and let her see it: MOON. Emphasize these points:
double O spells this new single sound, just as CH and SH spelled a single sound back
in Stage 7. So, OO is another two-fer: two letters fer one sound – in this case, /ew/. CH
and SH are consonant two-fers; OO is a vowel two-fer. Below where you have written
MOON, write some similar words and get her to decode each one:
MOON
SOON
SPOON
BALLOON
TOOTH
BOOTH
GOOF
ROOF
This new sound undoubtedly fascinates your child, so over the next few days, help
her decode the OO words at the start of Appendix L using any method you choose. She
can now see how the word YOU ought to be spelled: YOO. That’s why YOU is tricky! Give
special attention to TOO in this group, and compare it to the word TO (covered in Stage
8). These words sound the same, but they are spelled differently. Discuss the 2
meanings with your child. Also, once she decodes the word COOL in the appendix, write
SCOOL and have her read that as well. Tell her that SCHOOL is an irregular word (it
has a silent H) and then write it correctly below SCOOL:
SCOOL
SCHOOL
Once you’ve completed the OO group with your child, remind him that long A has
two different spellings: A-E (MADE) and AI (RAIN). Long E has three: EE (SEEK), EA
(MEAT), and E-E (STEVE). Well, /ew/ has four different spellings! He has seen the first
one: OO. Now he must learn the other three! Write the following 2 sentences and have
him do the reading:
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• Her NOO bike just came from the bike shop.

• His BLOO hat was on a chair in the kitchen.
Once he decodes these sentences, congratulate him, and then tell them /ew/ is
indeed spelled OO if that sound is in the middle of a word, for example, BROOM. But if
the sound /ew/ comes at the end of a word, as it does in these 2 sentences, it is spelled
EW or UE. (The words TOO and ZOO are obvious exceptions to this generalization.) Re-
write the 2 above sentences correctly and then add 2 more:
• Her NEW bike just came from the bike shop.

• His BLUE hat was on a chair in the kitchen.
• The witch FLEW on her BROOM stick in the land of Oz.
• SUE ate her lunch with a SPOON.
So, OO, EW, and UE are all two-fers for the same sound, /ew/. Let him ponder these
sentences for awhile and then get to work on the EW and UE word groups in Appendix
L. If he notices that LEWD and CRUEL ought to be spelled LOOD and CROOL (given the
above rule), he is perceptive indeed!
Comment on the fact that the two boxed words in the appendix, NEW and KNEW,
are pronounced the same way. Discuss their different meanings and then remind him:
he’s seen silent K before (KNOCK, KNOB, KNOT, KNIFE). Also, compare the earlier tricky
word, DO, with both DEW and DUE. You can write these sentences for him to read:
• I DO my job.
• The DEW is on the grass.
• Mom is DUE home SOON.
The last spelling (for now) of /ew/ once again involves silent E. In these words, the
/ew/ sound is again in the middle of the word, yet it is not spelled OO. Another quirk
of English! Have him decode these two sentences:
• Where is my TOOB of tooth paste?

• It helps to be NOOD when taking a bath!
Tell him TOOB and NOOD ought to be spelled this way (think of NOODLE) – but they’re
not. Rewrite them correctly and let him study the spellings:
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• Where is my TOOB of tooth paste?

• It is best to be NOOD when taking a bath!
• Where is my TUBE of tooth paste?
• It helps to be NUDE when taking a bath!
When these words are spelled correctly, the work he did in Stage 10 would indicate a
long U sound. But the long U sound (YEW) is difficult to make when it follows /t/ or
/n/. Have him try to pronounce these 2 words with a long U; it is difficult to do! The
sound /ew/ is close to long U, but not exact. (Compare TUBE and CUBE: sometimes
/ew/ sounds better and sometimes /yew/ sounds better!)
Now do the list of U-E words in the appendix. For all of them, the U says /ew/. If
you have a calendar nearby, show him the month of JUNE. The 5 boxed words with the
heading “/y/ + /ew/” in the appendix do have the long U sound. Cover these 5 words,
or omit them, as you see fit.
The next task is to teach your child the sound /oo/ as in the word BOOK. As the
teacher, you need to hear how different OO sounds in a word like BOOK compared to
MOON. OO is a correct spelling for 2 entirely different sounds, /ew/ and /oo/:
• MOON = /m/ + /ew/ + /n/

• BOOK = /b/ + /oo/ + /k/
Since this new phoneme /oo/ is also spelled with the two-fer OO, there will be plenty of
room for confusion here. Before moving on, make sure you can hear, and accurately
produce, these two different vowel sounds.
Once you’re ready, tell your child the two of you will spell the word BOOK together.
Ask her what sound she can hear at the beginning of the word. When she answers /b/,
agree with her that the first letter should be B, and write it on some paper. Ask her
about the sound at the end of the word. When she tells you /k/, write the K, leaving
space for the spelling of the vowel sound in the middle:
B K
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Now ask her: what is the vowel sound between the B sound and the K sound? Help her
to isolate the /oo/ sound. Once she can make the sound correctly, discuss it: it must
be another new vowel sound!
So how can we spell this one? Here, you must give her the bad (or at least, confusing)
news: this new sound is also spelled with a double O, just like the /ew/ sound in MOON.
Now add the OO in the space between the B and the K and let her see it: BOOK. Then
write some similar words below the word BOOK and have her decode them as well:
BOOK
LOOK
COOK
TOOK
SHOOK
Emphasize that the two-fer, OO, has two different sounds, just as each of the single
vowels has two different sounds. For example, just as E says both /e/ and /E/; OO
says both /ew/ and /oo/. No big deal. Compare the two sounds of OO side by side with
your child:
BOOK MOON
LOOK SOON
COOK NOON
TOOK SPOON
SHOOK LOON
Then see if she can pronounce these 2 columns of words with the wrong OO sound,
for example, pronouncing BOOK as /b/ + /ew/ + /k/. Ten unrecognizable “words” will
result. She can always recall the two sounds of OO by remembering the phrase GOOD
FOOD. (Given their spelling, these two words should rhyme; clearly they don’t.) Now
work through the OO words in the appendix starting with TOOK and BOOK. I have 2
exceptions listed in the appendix: FLOOD and BLOOD. They have neither the /ew/ nor
the /oo/ sound. Instead, they have an /u/ sound:
BLOOD = /b/ + /l/ + /u/ + /d/

FLOOD = /f/ + /l/ + /u/ + /d/
Make her aware of these two exceptions; both are common words.
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Parent Note: COULD, SHOULD, and WOULD rhyme with GOOD. They ought to be
spelled COOD, SHOOD, and WOOD. Alas, these words are “tricky.” You’ll deal with them
in Stage 14. Here’s an interesting aside just for you as the teacher. The words BULL,
FULL, and PULL should also be in this /oo/ group, along with WOOL. All 4 words rhyme.
Note the difference in vowel sound between these words and the following three: DULL,
GULL, and HULL. The latter 3 are spelled correctly because their vowel sound is /u/.
So why aren’t BULL, FULL, and PULL spelled logically, like WOOL, with the double O?
Answer: Those spellings are already taken by the words BOOLEAN (a type of logic),
FOOL, and POOL. These words, of course, have the /ew/ sound.
I suggest the following test before moving on. On index cards, write 6-8 double O
words with the /oo/ sound, 6-8 double O words with the /ew/ sound, and the words
BLOOD and FLOOD. Shuffle the cards and see how she does. (You’ll test the other
spellings of /ew/ (EW, UE, and U-E) a little further below.)
Next, tell your child the two of you will spell the word BOY together. Ask him for the
initial sound and then write the correct letter on some paper: B. Now ask for the next
(and final) sound in the word BOY. Here your goal is to get your child to correctly
pronounce the next new phoneme, /oy/. Since all words have a vowel, /oy/ must be a
vowel sound! The word BOY ends in a vowel sound. Contrast /oy/ with the 2 new vowel
sounds you just covered: /ew/ and /oo/. It’s clearly a new sound. Now, simply tell your
child: /oy/ is spelled by a new two-fer, OY. Finish spelling the word BOY and add some
additional words next to it, defining them as necessary. Have him read all four:
BOY TOY SOY COY
Emphasize that each of these words has only two sounds: the initial consonant
sound plus the OY sound. OY, like SH and OO, is a two-fer, not a blend. As part of a
two-fer, the sound of Y here is nothing like its sound in the words YELL and YES. OY,
like all two-fers, must be recognized, at a glance, as a special letter combination that
makes a single sound, in this case, /oy/.
The sound /oy/ is spelled OY if that sound occurs at the end of a word, as above. If
it occurs in the middle of a word, /oy/ is usually spelled OI. Write these 4 words beneath
the four you’ve already written:
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BOY TOY SOY COY

BOIL TOIL SOIL COIL
Have him read the 4 new words. Stress that OI is simply a second spelling (a different
two-fer) for the sound /oy/. So, OY at the end of a word, and OI in the middle of a word,
both say /oy/. While COYN and JOI might be perfectly readable, COIN and JOY are the
correct spellings.
Parent Note: Proceed slowly. There is plenty of room for confusion here. Earlier, the
single two-fer, OO, spelled two different phonemes: /ew/ and /oo/. Now a single
phoneme, /oy/, is being spelled by two different two-fers: OY and OI.
Next, have him work through the OY and OI word groups in the appendix. If you
must hide parts of a word to help him decode it, don’t split the O from the I (or the O
from the Y). For example, you could gradually uncover the word POINT this way: POI
(CV), POIN (CVC), POINT (CVCC).
Reminder: The earlier rule, “when two vowels go walking, the first does the talking,”
does not work with any of the new vowel combinations in this stage. Remind your child
when that rule does work: only for the 4 vowel combinations AI, EA, EE, and OA (see
Stage 10).
Next, tell your child the two of you will spell the word NOW together. Ask her for the
initial sound and then write the correct letter: N. Now ask for the next (and final) sound
in the word NOW. Here, your goal is to get her to correctly pronounce the next new
phoneme, /ow/. It’s the sound we make when we suddenly feel some pain: OWWW! Like
/oy/, this is another new vowel sound – and it’s spelled by a new two-fer: OW. Finish
spelling the word NOW on your paper and add some additional words next to it, defining
them as necessary. Have her read all five:
NOW COW HOW BOW POW!
Emphasize that there are only two sounds in these words: the initial consonant
sound and the vowel sound, /ow/. As part of a two-fer, the sound of W here is nothing
like its sound in the word WISH. The OW letter combination, another two-fer, makes a
single sound, /ow/, just as OY, above, made the single sound /oy/.
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In the middle of a word, /ow/ is usually spelled by the two-fer OU instead of OW.
(You’ll see in the appendix there are quite a few exceptions to this particular rule.) Write
some examples for her to see, beneath the above words. Knowing that OU also says
/ow/, see if she can decode these 5 new words:
NOW COW HOW BOW POW!

NOUN COUCH HOUND BOUND POUND
If necessary, show HOUND gradually: HOU (CV), HOUN (CVC), HOUND (CVCC).
When you think she’s ready to decode the words in the appendix, do the OW words
first. They are a little easier than the OU words and they involve only 3 rhyming groups.
Try writing each rhyming group on some paper all at once. If she has trouble with any
word, take the time to write it on an index card and hide parts of it with your finger to
help her along. Don’t be in a hurry – some of these words are quite difficult for a
beginner.
I have 4 exceptions listed in this category: GROUP, SOUP, YOUTH, and TOUCH. Tell
her the first 3 words ought to be spelled with OO instead of OU – that might allow her
to identify all three. OU is an uncommon spelling for /ew/. TOUCH is a real odd ball.
Tell her to ignore the O and it becomes perfectly phonetic: TUCH. (compare: MUCH,
SUCH).
Parent Note: At this point, you may want to take some time to review all the two-fers
your child has seen so far. As you write each one down, ask your child to make the
correct sound: CH, SH, TH, OO (has 2 answers), EW, OY, UE, OU, OI, OW. Review as
necessary.
I recommend a special “two-fer section” on your Word Wall where each two-fer is
embedded in a simple word, as an aid to remembering its pronunciation. For example:
CHIN, SHIN, THIN, ZOO/FLEW/BLUE, GOOD, BOY/BOIL, COW/COUCH.
Next, tell your child the two of you will spell the word JAW together. Ask him for the
initial sound and then write its letter: J. Now ask for the next (and final) sound in the
word JAW. Here, your goal is to get him to correctly pronounce the next new phoneme,
/aw/. It’s the sound we make when we see a cute baby or puppy: AWWW! Like /oy/
and /ow/, this is another new vowel sound – and it’s spelled by a new two-fer: AW.
Finish spelling the word JAW and add some additional words next to it. Have him read
all five:
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JAW LAW PAW FLAW SAW
Compare the /aw/ sound to /ew/, /oo/, /oy/, and /ow/. You want him to hear it’s
a new vowel sound. When the sound /aw/ occurs in the middle of a word, it’s usually
spelled AU instead of AW. Write the following additional 5 words:
JAW LAW PAW FLAW SAW

JAUNT LAUNCH PAUL FLAUNT SAUNA
Help with both pronunciation and meaning as necessary. (These words are harder than
most!)
When you’re ready to do the AW and AU words in the appendix, do the AW words
first – they are easier, more common, and more amenable to rhyme. The AU group does
not have many common words. You may want to pick and choose which ones you want
to present to your child. Don’t forget to add PAW/PAUL to your Word Wall’s “two-fer
section.” (see the Parent Note above)
The words listed in the appendix as “other” all have one thing in common: the letter
A followed by an L. You presented one of these groups to your child back in Stage 7 (the
ALL group) because it had so many common words. Having a single A, all these words
look like they should have the short A sound: /a/. However, in English, when the letter
A is followed by an L, the A more commonly says /aw/ rather than /a/. (Exceptions:
ALABAMA, ALFALFA, ALLERGY, ALGEBRA, ALIMONY.)
Time to Evaluate: You and your child have just finished covering 5 new vowel sounds
– and 4 of them had multiple spellings. You can sum all this up in an amusing manner
for him. Write the following sentences and let him read them (with some help as needed):
4 /ew/ sounds, 4 spellings: Sue threw a prune in the lagoon.

4 /oo/ sounds, 1 spelling: Look! That crook took my book!
4 /oy/ sounds, 2 spellings: That boy enjoys his coins and toys.
5 /ow/ sounds, 2 spellings: Wow! How loud that brown cow MOOS!
5 /aw/ sounds, 3 spellings: Paul saw a small ball in the hall.
A more serious test: Take 3 common words from each of the 11 spellings, place them
on flash cards, shuffle them, and see how he does. If you notice any significant
weaknesses, take the time to go back and review.
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The R-controlled vowel sounds, /ar/, /or/, and /er/, occur in thousands of common
words. My experience is that children have less trouble with these sounds than with the
above five. As teacher, note for yourself how the sound of the vowel reverts to its short
sound in each of the following pairs of words, as soon as you remove the R: CART – CAT,
PERT – PET, BIRD – BID, SHORT – SHOT, and BURN – BUN.
Do /ar/ first with your child. Say, but don’t yet write, the word CAR. To spell this
word, ask her for the first sound she hears. She should reply /k/. So, the first letter in
the spelling could be C or K. Write the C and stop. Now ask her to say CAR but without
the C sound. Help her, if needed, to isolate the sound /ar/. Discuss this sound with
her. This sound is identical to the name of the letter R. Could this be the spelling? Write
the R next to the C:
CR
If she seems okay with this spelling, remind her: all words must have a vowel. CR,
alone, is simply the initial blend in words like CREEP, CRIB, and CRAB. CR can’t be the
way to spell CAR. Does she hear any short vowel sounds (/a/ /e/ /i/ /o/ /u/) in this
word? No. Any long vowel sounds? No. So simply inform her: /ar/ is a new vowel sound
and it’s spelled AR. Cross out CR and write it correctly:
CR
CAR
Emphasize the following with her. AR is another two-fer. The two letters make a
single sound: /ar/. AR is not a blend of either one of A’s sounds (/a/ or /A/) with /r/.
(Note: The letter R and its sound, /r/, are tricky in English: R is the only consonant that
always changes the sound of a single-letter vowel if it follows that vowel.) Write some
words under the word CAR, and ask her to read them:
CR
CAR
CART
FAR
FART
FARM
BAR
BARK
BARN
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Next, do the AR words in Appendix L. Transfer problem words to an index card and
hide letters with your finger only if needed.
Parent Note: The exceptions in the AR group, WAR and WARM, are actually pronounced
WOR and WORM. Looking ahead, the 5 exceptions in the OR group are actually
pronounced WERD, WERK, WERST, WERLD, and WERM. Thus, all the exceptions in
this part of the appendix should be in the following group.
Next up: the new sound /or/. Tell your child you want his help in writing the full
sentence, “I have a new toy for you.” All these words, except the word FOR, are
decodable, or they were on a previous tricky word list. Allowing him to help as much as
possible, get the following written:
I HAVE A NEW TOY YOU.
Now ask him: how shall we spell the word FOR? You should be able to get the initial F
from him. Add it to your sentence:
I HAVE A NEW TOY F YOU.
Now get him to say FOR, but without the F sound. Once he has that sound correctly
isolated, ask him how he thinks it should be spelled. (Remind him that the sound /ar/,
above, was spelled AR.) If he gets it, fine; if not, tell him it’s spelled with a new two-fer:
OR. Complete the sentence:
I HAVE A NEW TOY FOR YOU.
Parent Note: You might think that /or/ is not a unique phoneme – that its really just
the blend /O/ + /er/. But /O/ + /er/ is slightly different from /or/. Think of the words
MOWER and MORE, or LOWER and LORE.
As you did earlier with AR, discuss this new two-fer with him. It has a single sound
– and that sound is not a blend of /o/ and /r/ or /O/ and /r/. Write these words (and
pseudo words) under FOR and see how he does:
I HAVE A NEW TOY FOR YOU.

FORT
COR
CORN
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SOR
SORT
NOR
NORTH
In Appendix L, there are two spellings listed for the sound /or/: OR and ORE. In the
ORE spelling, the final E is silent. Do these groups with your child, taking all the time
you need.
Parent Note: The phoneme blend /O/ + /r/ is nearly identical to /or/, just as the
phoneme blend /A/ + /r/ is nearly identical to /air/ and /E/ + /r/ is nearly identical
to /ear/ (see the boxed Parent Note in Stage 10).
The last sound in this admittedly lengthy stage is /er/. In this case, your child
already knows (from Stage 8) an important word with this sound: HER. It turns out HER
is not a tricky word at all. In fact, it’s perfectly phonetic. I included it on the first tricky
word list solely because I wanted to have all the possessives (my, your, yours, his, her,
hers, our, ours, their, theirs) for early sentence construction.
Given that your child already knows the word HER, I suggest you approach this final
sound as follows. Ask if she remembers how to spell HER from Stage 8. (It’s probably
on your Word Wall.) Write it on some paper. Beneath it, write the word without the H:
HER
ER
Get her to pronounce the pseudo word ER by dropping the H sound from HER.
So, just as the sound /ar/ is spelled AR, and /or/ is spelled OR, /er/ is spelled by
the two-fer ER. Point out that the sound of the vowel in HER is neither short nor long.
(It’s impossible to pronounce HER with a short E – and if she pronounces it with a long
E, she will say the word HERE.) The phoneme, /er/, is a unique sound in English. Its
spelling, ER, is found in thousands of words. Under the words HER and ER, write the
following pseudo words:
HER
ER
TER
MER
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FER
PER
VER
After she reads these pseudo words, go back and add some letters to make each of
them an actual word. Then have her read them again:
HER
ERNEST
BUTTER
SUMMER
FERN
PEPPER
CLEVER
Before doing the /er/ words in the appendix, share this weird fact with her: ER, IR,
and UR are all spellings for /er/. In other words, for reading purposes, ER = IR = UR.
Write these words on some paper: HER, SIR, and FUR – and tell your child that they
rhyme. After getting her to read SIR and FUR, do the exercise again with PERCH, BIRCH,
and CHURCH. You can also use JERK, IRK, and LURK or BERT, DIRT, and HURT.
In the appendix, I have the words separated into ER, IR, and UR groups. Many of
the words in these groups are boxed as high-frequency words, so give them special
attention. Do the groups one at a time with your child. Note that the word GIRL could
just as well have been spelled GURL. Only practice and experience will allow your child
to master the correct spelling of a word when there is more than one possible phonetic
spelling.
I would now add these words to the “two-fer section” of my Word Wall: CAR, HORN,
and HER/SIR/FUR. I might also include the following “facts” on my Word Wall: WR =
R, WH = W, KN = N, OO = EW = UE, OY = OI, OW = OU, AW = AU, and ER = IR = UR.
(In Stage 15, you’ll add PH = F.)
Parent Note: Back in Stage 5, you’ll recall that you put off dealing with 16 ending blends
involving the letter R: RB, RD, RF, RG, RK, RL, RM, RN, RP, RT, RST, RCH, RSH, RTH,
RVE, and RSE. Do you have to do these now? Good news! They’re already done! If you
look at the AR, OR, ER, IR, and UR word lists in Appendix L, you’ll see that you and
your child just covered all these ending blends.
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Stage 13
Words Ending in Long Vowel Sounds
Y as a Vowel
Y our child has now studied 42 of the 44 phonemes in the English language listed
in Table 1. Only /oor/ and voiced /SH/ remain. However, he has not yet seen all
the ways in which those sounds can be spelled. He saw in Stage 10 that he could spell
/E/ as EE (MEET) or as EA (SEAT). He saw in Stage 12 that he could spell /ew/ as OO
(MOON), as UE (BLUE), or as EW (GREW). In this stage, he’ll study new spellings for all
the long vowel sounds. These new spellings occur when the long vowel sound is at the
end of a word. He’ll also see how the letter Y sometimes acts as a stand-alone vowel
rather than as a consonant.
The Spelling Corner – As you work through this stage with your child, choose words
from Stage 12 for your spelling practice. As you recall, most of the sounds in that stage
have two (or more) spellings. That will make spelling more challenging now. Remind
your child that the spelling of a vowel sound often differs, depending on whether that
sound is at the end, or in the middle of a word.
Don’t expect perfection. Even phonics-trained children need years of experience reading
in order to become good spellers. The ER/IR/UR group is especially problematic. If she
spells CHURCH as CHERCH (rhymes with PERCH) or as CHIRCH (rhymes with BIRCH),
praise her for her phonetic ingenuity, but then correct HER/HIR/HUR.
Start by reviewing with your child the two spellings he knows for long A: A-E (as in
BAKE) and AI (as in SAIL). Explain that these spellings are used when the long A sound
occurs in the middle of a word. If the long A sound occurs at the end of a word,
something that has not yet happened, he must spell it with a new two-fer: AY. Write
these 5 words as examples:
BAY SAY JAY RAY PLAY

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Have him decode these words. The first 4 have only 2 sounds each. Once he is
comfortable with these words, you can then review the OY sound by writing these five
words as well:
BAY SAY JAY RAY PLAY

BOY SOY JOY ROY PLOY
So, while OY says /oy/, AY says /A/. In Appendix M, I have the most common AY words
listed. The spelling of WEDNESDAY is slightly irregular given its pronunciation: /w/ +
/e/ + /n/ + /z/ + /d/ + /A/. Otherwise, I don’t see any problematic words on this list.
When finished, your child will have 3 spellings for the phoneme /A/: A-E, AI, AY.
Review the 2 spellings your child has seen for /O/: O-E (HOME) and OA (BOAT).
Explain that these spellings are used when the long O sound occurs in the middle of a
word. If /O/ occurs at the end of a word, there are three additional ways to spell it.
You’ll find these 3 spellings (O, OW, and OE) in Appendix M. Focus first on the O words.
Have her compare the first 3 words there (GO, NO, SO) with the 3 exceptions at the
bottom of that column (TO, DO, WHO). GO, NO, and SO are spelled correctly; TO, DO,
and WHO are irregular – that’s why they were tricky words back in Stage 8. All 6 should
rhyme, but they don’t. Have her decode the remainder of this O list. When finished,
she’ll have 3 spellings for /O/: O-E, OA, and O.
The OW spelling of /O/ will cause some confusion for a while. Your child just saw,
in Stage 12, that the two-fer, OW, was a spelling for /ow/. Now she needs to learn that
OW is also a common spelling for /O/. I recommend that you list both sounds of the
two-fer, OW, side by side for her so that she can see (and hear) for herself that this two-
fer, just like OO in the previous stage, has two different sounds. Write the following:
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OW! Long O
cow low
how slow
vow blow
now know
chow snow
wow mow
plow glow
brow crow
pow! flow
bow bow
town grown
This is enough to confuse anyone! The only thing to do is to point it out explicitly to
your child. You can have some fun with these 22 words by having her pronounce them
the other way. It most cases, the result is not a word. Note, however, if the first sound
is /n/, the resulting word can be pronounced either way: NOW, KNOW. And, of course,
BOW can be pronounced both ways: BOW of a ship, BOW and arrow. I would write these
22 words on flash cards along with the six words NO, GO, SO, TO, DO, and WHO. Mix
the 28 cards and use them to practice with her until she’s confident. Having passed this
test, she should have no major problems reading the other words in the OW list in
Appendix M. Pay special attention to KNOW, KNOWS, OWN, and KNOWN – four
important, high-frequency words.
The last spelling of long O is the least important one: OE. You can see in the appendix
there are only about a half-dozen words in this group. The most important one is GOES.
Your child already knows it as a tricky word from Stage 11. TOE, TOES, and the
exception, SHOES, are also words she should know.
Before going any further, let’s discuss the most versatile letter of all: Y. Uniquely,
this letter can act either as a consonant or as a stand-alone vowel. At the beginning of
a word, Y usually acts as a consonant. It has the sound your child already knows in
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words like YES, YARD, and YELLOW. At the end of a word, however, Y always acts as a
vowel. As a stand-alone vowel, Y has 2 possible sounds: /E/ (CANDY) and /I/ (CRY).
W also can act as a vowel – in the word LAW for instance. But in that word, AW is a
digraph (a two-fer); the W is inseparable from the vowel A. Likewise, in the words BOY
and DAY, OY and AY are digraphs; the Y is inseparable from the vowel preceding it. The
letter Y, however, by itself, often acts as a vowel. In the word CANDY, Y is the only vowel
in the second syllable; in CRY, Y is the only vowel.
Here are two useful facts you’ll be teaching your child shortly. First, for any one-
syllable word in which Y is the only vowel, Y says /I/. Examples: MY, CRY, TRY. Note:
BOY and DAY do not violate this rule because Y is not the only vowel in those words.
Second, for nearly all multi-syllable words ending in a stand-alone vowel Y (thousands
of words), Y says /E/. Check out the appropriate sections in Appendix M for yourself.
Getting back to instruction, review the consonant Y with your child by having him
read a few words that start with Y: YES, YARD, YAWN, YUCK, and YELLOW. Also,
remind him that every syllable in every word must have a vowel. Now give him some
surprising news: Y can sometimes act as a vowel! It’s the only letter in the alphabet that
can act either as a consonant or as a stand-alone vowel. In fact, he’s already seen this
happen with one of the tricky words he already knows. Can he remember which one?
(MY in Stage 8). In the word MY, the letter Y clearly has the long I sound.
It turns out MY is not a tricky word at all. There are lots of one-syllable words in
English just like MY. Here is where you should cover the words in the appendix starting
with the words MY, BY, and WHY. Knowing that Y can act as a vowel that spells /I/, he
should be able to read these 16 words with little trouble. (They all rhyme with MY).
Acknowledge that the U in BUY and GUY is a little weird. Also, explain the difference
between BY and BUY. Add the new interrogative, WHY, to your growing list of “question
words” on your Word Wall. (WHEN, WHICH, WHO, WHAT, HOW, and WHERE are
already there.)
Once he’s comfortable with the above, place the 4 IE words from the appendix on
some paper. IE is a rare spelling of /I/, but these are 4 common words he should know.
(In a more rational world, these 4 words would be spelled PY, DY, LY, and TY.) Now your
child has 3 ways to spell /I/: I-E (HIDE), Y (MY), and IE (PIE).
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Review with your child the 3 spellings she has (so far) for /E/: EE (SPEED), EA
(HEAT), and E-E (STEVE). These spellings are used when the long E sound occurs in
the middle of a word. However, if the long E sound occurs at the end of a word, there
are three additional ways to spell it, two of which will be new for her. You already looked
at one of these spellings back in Stage 7 when you studied the E/EE group of rhyming
words. I have reproduced that group here, in Appendix M. Simply do a quick review of
these short words. This time I included some two-syllable words as well.
Now tell her there are two new ways to spell the long E sound when it occurs at the
end of a word – and they both involve the letter Y acting as a vowel. Write these two-
syllable words and ask her to read them:
TOASTEE
CANDEE
SLEEPEE
STORMEE
She likely can read these, given that you just reviewed the E/EE group of words. Tell
her, that for BIG words (2 or more syllables), English uses Y instead of EE at the end of
a word. Now write the correct spelling next to these 4 words:
TOASTEE TOASTY
CANDEE CANDY
SLEEPEE SLEEPY
STORMEE STORMY
Let her study the correct spelling for awhile. Then review what she has recently seen:
for small, one-syllable words (MY, FLY, CRY) a final Y says /I/. For multi-syllable words,
a final Y says /E/.
Spend as much time as necessary having her decode the large group of words in the
appendix that start with the word BELLY. I purposely made this a large group. It acts
as a good review of many of the sounds you’ve already covered – and most of the two-
fers are represented in this list. I picked words whose meanings should be known to
most children.
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Parent Note: The rule for this section is as follows: for two (or more) syllable words, an
ending Y nearly always says /E/. There are 7 exceptions listed at the end of the Y group
in the appendix. Note that apart from JULY, these exceptions are all verbs. They are not
the only exceptions. Consider this related group of words (all verbs, and all ending in
IFY): TERRIFY, HORRIFY, UNIFY, MODIFY, NOTIFY, VERIFY, VILIFY, CLARIFY,
DIGNIFY, FORTIFY, TESTIFY, SATISFY, JUSTIFY, QUALIFY, and SIGNIFY. For all these
IFY verbs, ending Y says /I/.
My advice is to cover only the 7 exceptions I have listed in the appendix. Most of these
IFY words are uncommon. They can (and will) be learned, that is to say, they will be
self-taught, in the course of day-to-day reading.
In longer words, a final /E/ sound is sometimes spelled with the two-fer EY rather
than with Y alone. Do this group in the appendix (starting with the word KEY) as well.
This is not a common situation. In reading these words, your child can simply pretend
the E is not there. If she does, these words could have been in the large group of Y words
that she just finished. You can decide if you want to cover the 5 words listed as
“exceptions” in this group. One of them, THEY, was already covered as a tricky word
back in Stage 8. The other 4 exceptions are not common.
Before moving on, do the following short exercise with her as a review. The three
groupings, below, show how Y acts with a vowel, or as a vowel, in one-syllable words.
Paired with O or A, Y is part of a two-fer: an unbreakable unit that makes a single sound.
Have her read through these groupings, first vertically, and then horizontally:
Long A OY Long I
day boy my
pay toy by
play soy cry
stay coy why
say joy try
way ploy fry
may Roy dry
So, in multi-syllable words, ending Y says /E/. In single-syllable words, an ending Y

falls into one of the above 3 groups.
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Adding the suffix, ING, to words that end in Y is simple: tack it on. Do the appropriate
words in the appendix labeled “Adding ING.” These should be easy for your child.
Adding the suffix, Y, to a word usually changes it from a noun (SOAP) to an adjective
(SOAPY). Adding the suffix, LY, usually changes an adjective (LOUD) to an adverb
(LOUDLY). Look in Appendix M at the groups labeled “Adding Y” and “Adding LY.” If you
examine those sections together, you’ll notice:
• Often, a Y can simply be added to a word without any changes.

• If the original word ends in a silent E, drop the E before adding Y.
• If the original word has a single, short vowel followed by a single consonant,
double the consonant and add the Y.
• Like ING, LY can usually be tacked on without any other changes.
Do each of these sections, one at a time, with your child, explaining the “rules” as
you see fit. Children, in general, won’t remember rules, but by having them decode
enough words, the rules will become second nature.
Forming the plural of words ending in Y, AY, or OY is simple: if the only vowel in a
word (or syllable) is Y, we make that word plural by changing the Y to an I and adding
ES. In all other cases, simply add an S. In both situations, the final S has a /z/ sound.
Doing these words from the appendix should go quickly with your child.
In multi-syllable words, one syllable is usually stressed (accented, emphasized) more

than the other(s). Give your child some examples of this phenomenon by showing her
the following table. The accented syllable is in uppercase:
First syllable stressed Second syllable stressed

CARton carTOON
BUTton balLOON
FLOWer aWAKE
KITten beTWEEN
GIVen supPORT
MOMmy deMAND
FOGgy aVOID
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If she has trouble hearing the syllable that is being accented, pronounce the word the
other way: kitTEN, for instance. Then it sounds really strange.
Speak some longer words and see if she can tell you which syllable is accented:
aMERica, PUNishment, ENemy, umBRELla, kangaROO, volunTEER, baNAna,
SUpercaliFRAgilisticexpialiDOcious. You can easily include more words if your child
needs extra practice.
The Schwa Sound
Finally, discuss with your child how the above syllable accenting affects the sounds
of the vowels in the unstressed (unaccented) syllables. Since “schwa” is such a goofy
name, let’s call this phenomenon Lazy Vowel when discussing it with your child. Of the
20 vowel sounds in the English language (see Table 1), the three that require the least
effort to pronounce are /i/, /u/, and /er/. To make those 3 sounds, you barely need to
open your mouth.
It turns out that in countless English words, the vowel-sound in the unstressed
syllable, no matter how that vowel sound is spelled, defaults to either /u/, /i/, or /er/.
To my ear, schwa is not a unique sound. Look at these examples:
schwa default sound is /i/:

LEMON = /l/ + /e/ + /m/ + /i/ + /n/
FOUNTAIN = /f/ + /ow/ + /n/ + /t/ + /i/ + /n/
KITCHEN = /k/ + /i/ + /ch/ + /i/ + /n/ (I can’t hear a T in KITCHEN.)
schwa default sound is /u/:

VANILLA = /v/ + /u/ + /n/ + /i/ + /l/ + /u/
AFRAID = /u/ + /f/ + /r/ + /A/ + /d/
AFRICA = /a/ + /f/ + /r/ + /i/ + /k/ + /u/
schwa default sound is /er/:

MOTOR = /m/ + /O/ + /t/ + /er/
DOLLAR = /d/ + /o/ + /l/ + /er/
BLIZZARD = /b/ + /l/ + /i/ + /z/ + /er/ + /d/
If you look in Appendix M, you’ll find many examples of Lazy Vowel; it’s a common
occurrence in unaccented syllables. After explaining Lazy Vowel to your child, do the
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first group in the appendix with him (the group labeled A = /u/). Note that both A’s in
AMERICA are lazy because the accent in this word is on the second syllable. I include
PIZZA in the appendix as well. The spelling is hopelessly non-phonetic (it should be
PEETSA) but every child needs to recognize this word! This Lazy Vowel phenomenon
commonly occurs in words ending in AL or EL. In both cases, the final sound
degenerates into a simple “ULL.” Do those words in the appendix with your child as well.
While many cases of Lazy Vowel involve vowels defaulting to /u/, I have included
two other groups of words in the appendix where the unstressed vowel defaults to /i/
or to /er/. Compare how SENT is articulated differently in the words CONSENT and
ABSENT. In the word ABSENT, the second syllable is unstressed and the actual
pronunciation is /a/ + /b/ + /s/ + /i/ + /n/ + /t/.
This whole Lazy Vowel phenomenon is easy to understand: why make the effort to
properly pronounce a vowel in an unaccented syllable? Just mumble /u/ or /i/ or /er/
and be done with it. It makes our speech more efficient. I wouldn’t make a big deal out
of this topic. If your child insists on pronouncing these words phonetically, without
defaulting to Lazy Vowel in the unstressed syllable, that’s fine. It won’t affect his reading
in any significant way.
Parent Note: Lazy Vowel clearly makes spelling more difficult. A child hears the default
sound (/u/, /i/, or /er/) and then spells the word based on what she hears: MOUNTIN
instead of MOUNTAIN, DOCTER instead of DOCTOR. This is why it’s so important that
sight words be created properly, that is to say, unconsciously (see Chapter 3). Once a
word has been correctly decoded a few times, it becomes a sight word, and its correct
spelling becomes automatic.
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Stage 14
Reading Sentences (Part III)
T his is the final time your child will be restricted to reading carefully constructed
decodable text. The next time she sees full sentences (Stage 17) she’ll be an
independent reader – able to read unrestricted text from any age-appropriate book.
You’re getting close to the finish line. In this stage, along with the new sentences and
tricky words, you’ll introduce her to a new phoneme, the 43rd or penultimate one: /oor/.
You can hear this phoneme in the words POOR and SURE.
During this stage, she’ll complete her study of the 50 most-used irregular words in
the English language. You started this process when you introduced 12 tricky words to
her in Stage 8. You added 19 new words in Stage 11. Below, you’ll find the final 19 tricky
words (including the word SURE) that will get the total to fifty. In this current list, both
the previous lists are included.
Tricky Words (50)

are was were say says said
go goes come give what where
one of been does gone because
done
two would there some whose four
could move put want eight should
woman once love watch above only
sure
Looking over this list, you can now see it has five words that have recently become
perfectly phonetic. HER and OUR became phonetic in Stage 12; MY, GO, and SAY did
the same in Stage 13. In addition, FROM, BEEN, BECAUSE, and SAID are almost
perfectly phonetic. Eleven of the words on this list are simple to recognize if one simply
ignores the final E: HAV, GIV, AR, GON, WER, DON, SOM, COM, GON, ABOV, and LOV.
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Most of these words are among anyone’s list of the 100 most-used words in the
English language. I have included one such list in Appendix U, from the Oxford English
Dictionary. If you examine that list, you’ll see that 75% of the words on it are perfectly
phonetic. The ones that are not, are included in my Tricky 50 list. The claim is often
made (www.highfrequencywords.org) that knowing the 100 most-used words in English
will give the reader access to approximately 50% of the text she’ll ever be required to
read. Whether the claim is true or not, the 50 words I have singled out as “tricky” are
indeed important for her reading fluency.
Here are the criteria I used in constructing the sentences following later in this stage:
• All the previous criteria from Stage 8 and Stage 11 plus…

• Any word on the above Tricky 50 list.
• Any word having one of the new 8 vowel sounds covered in Stage 12.
• Any word ending in a long vowel sound, including all the spellings from Stage 13.
• Any interrogative.
• Any preposition.
• Any word that is phonetic based on what we have already covered.
• The spelled form of any number from 1 to 999,999.
Post the 19 new words on your Word Wall and label the entire group “The Tricky
Fifty.” On some paper, write out the names of the numbers from one to ten that your
child can already read. The paper should look like this:
1 – one 2– 3 – three
4– 5 – five 6 – six
7 – seven 8– 9 – nine
10 – ten
Tell your child the names of the missing numbers are among the new tricky words
on the wall and that he should try to figure it out for himself. If he needs help, provide
some phonetic hints: the number 2 starts with the /t/ sound, 4 starts with an /f/
sound, and 8 ends with a /t/ sound. Once he has picked out the correct words, make
the following points:
• TWO is the only TW word in English with a silent W (compare TWIST, TWIG,
TWEET, TWEEZERS). It seems crazy this word has a W until you consider the
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related words TWIN, TWENTY, and TWICE. Discuss the difference in meaning
between TO, TWO, and TOO with your child.
• Given its spelling, FOUR ought to rhyme with OUR, but it doesn’t. Given its
pronunciation, it ought to be spelled FORE, but it isn’t. That’s why it’s tricky.
• EIGHT is one of the goofiest spellings in English. The only phonetic thing about
it is the final T. It ought to be spelled ATE, but unfortunately that spelling is
already taken. Discuss the difference in meaning between ATE and EIGHT.
Next, tell him there are 3 words that rhyme among the new tricky words. Let him
pick out WOULD, COULD, and SHOULD based on their similar spellings. (Note: if he
picks out MOVE, LOVE, and ABOVE, tell him you’ll do those a little later!) With COULD,
SHOULD, and WOULD singled out, let him know all three words rhyme with GOOD.
Now he SHOULD be able to read them. The following sentences may help him
understand the subtle differences in the meanings of these 3 words:
• WOULD you swim with me? (Are you willing to?)

• COULD you swim with me? (Are you able to?)
• SHOULD you swim with me? (Is it wise to?)
Ask how these 3 words SHOULD be spelled (WOOD, COOD, SHOOD). Their OU spelling
(with a silent L!) is what makes them tricky. Thirteen words to go.
Now, ask her what the opposite (or complement!) of MAN is. If she doesn’t know the
word, tell her what it is and let her search for it on your word wall. She should notice
that the word MAN is part of the word WOMAN. Help with the correct pronunciation if
necessary. It ought to be spelled WOOMIN – with the two-fer, OO, corresponding to /oo/,
not /ew/. Have her try to pronounce this word with a short O or a long O – that will
quickly demonstrate why it’s “tricky.” (The fact that the second, unstressed syllable in
WOMAN is pronounced MIN is an example of Lazy Vowel.) Let her read the following:
• That WOMAN across the street is my moms sister.

• Where is the WOMAN who lost her purse? Tell her I found it!
Parent Note: I suggest you take some time here to discuss the plural of WOMAN. Just
as MEN is the plural of MAN, WOMEN is the plural of WOMAN. WOMEN, like WOMAN
is irregular: it should be spelled WIMMEN given the way it’s pronounced.
Next, tell her there are 3 other words on the wall that ought to rhyme, and let her
pick out MOVE, LOVE, and ABOVE. Have her pronounce these words as though they
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were regular (so that they rhyme with COVE and STOVE). Doing so results in 3 nonsense
words. Point out that if they rhymed with COVE and STOVE, they wouldn’t be tricky.
Does she recognize LOVE if you hide the E? Write these sentences for her to read:
• Mom, I LOVE you so much!

• He LOVES to go to the zoo!
• We LOVE milk and cake!
• The ground is below. The sky is ABOVE.
• My nose is ABOVE my mouth.
Okay, so LOVE and ABOVE do rhyme with each other. Can she tell you how they ought
to be spelled? (LUV and ABUV) Now, ask her if she thinks the third word (MOVE) rhymes
with the other two. Get her to see that it can’t rhyme because MUV = /m/ + /u/ + /v/
is not a word. Let her read these sentences:
• MOVE your bike! Its blocking the steps!

• When did you MOVE here with your family?
So how would the word MOVE be spelled if we all lived in Phonicsville? MOOV. Nine
tricky words to go.
Tell your child there’s another question word to include with the ones he already
knows (WHEN, WHICH, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, HOW, WHY). Can he pick it out?
Compare WHO and WHOSE side-by-side with him. These words sound identical except
that the additional S in WHOSE has, as is often the case, a Z sound. Here are some
sentences for him to read:
• WHOSE cat is in our tree?

• WHOSE book is this? Its Mikes book.
• WHOSE hat is on the desk? That hat belongs to Beth.
Have him tell you how it ought to be spelled: HOOZ. Add WHOSE to the Word Wall with
the other interrogatives.
Write the word PUT on some paper and remark that if it rhymed with NUT and CUT,
it wouldn’t be a tricky word. Here are some sentences to help him figure out the word
from context:
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• For the last time, PUT your toys away!

• Do not PUT your finger in your nose. Its rude!
• PUT the dog outside. She needs to pee.
PUT rhymes with FOOT and SOOT, so it ought to be spelled POOT.
COME is a tricky word from Stage 11. One of the remaining words rhyme with it. Let
your child pick it out.
• May I have SOME more milk?

• SOME dogs bark too much!
• SOMETHING is wrong with my bike.
SOME should be spelled SUM. Take time to discuss the difference between the words
SOME and SUM. Six tricky words to go.
Write WANT on the board. It’s a tricky word, so your child should not expect it to
rhyme with GRANT and CANT. Maybe he can figure it out from context:
• Mom, I WANT to go to the store with you!

• Do you WANT more jelly on your toast?
• WHY are you yelling? WHAT do you WANT?
So, it’s tricky because it ought to be spelled WUNT (rhymes with BUNT and STUNT).
Write the word THEIR on the board and ask your child to read it. It’s from the first
Tricky Word list in Stage 8. Tell her: in the five words remaining, there is one that is
pronounced exactly the same as THEIR. (Not a rhyming word, but an exact equivalent.)
When she picks it out, agree that this is an unusual thing in English: two words spelled
differently, sounding the same, but with different meanings. (Like SUN and SON, or
TWO and TOO.) Use these sentences with her:
• Your book is over THERE on the shelf.

• THERE goes my sister! Do you think she saw us?
• THEIR cat ran away yesterday!
• THEIR apartment is on Tenth Street.
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Both words are pronounced as THARE (or THAIR). Discuss these two homophones with
your child. THEIR indicates possession: their dog, their yard, their food. THERE
indicates the position of something (or someone). It’s the opposite of HERE:
• HERE is your cup; I have it in my hand.

• Your cup is up THERE on the top shelf.
Your child already knows the tricky word ONE from Stage 11. From the 4 tricky
words remaining, she should pick out the one that is likely to be pronounced in a similar
manner: ONCE = ONE + /s/. Now have her read the following:
• ONCE upon a time, a witch rode her broom stick in the land of Oz.
• When frying an egg, you SHOULD flip it ONCE in the pan.
• You may go out to play ONCE you have eaten.
She should suspect WATCH will not rhyme with MATCH or CATCH because it’s a
tricky word. If she doesn’t recognize the word, have her read the following sentences,
pronouncing WATCH in a way that does rhyme with MATCH. I think she’ll then
recognize the word:
• WATCH out Mac! You nearly ran into me!

• Would you like to WATCH a show with me?
To be regular, WATCH would have to be spelled WAWCH or WAUCH.
The next word, SURE, is something special. It’s a tricky spelling of a new phoneme
for your child: /oor/. There are only 5 other common one-syllable words that contain
this phoneme: POOR, LURE, CURE, PURE, and YOUR.
Write SURE on some paper. Inform her that it rhymes with a tricky word she already
knows from Stage 8: YOUR. This should lead her to pronounce the word as something
like the word SEWER. Now have her read the following sentences using that
pronunciation. She may then be able to figure out the correct pronunciation in context.
(If not, help her out.)
• Do you WANT to come with me? SURE I do!

• Are you SURE you saw him at the park?
• I SURE hope the rain stops soon!
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So here’s the unusual case of S saying /sh/ instead of /s/. Mention to her there is
another common word where a beginning S says /sh/. Write SUGAR and see if she can
figure it out. SUGAR should be spelled SHOOGER (rhymes with BOOGER).
On your paper, under the word SURE, write the 5 other words that contain the
phoneme /oor/: POOR, LURE, CURE, PURE, and YOUR. Tell her that all these words
rhyme and see if she can figure out what the others are. Note (for yourself) that CURE
and PURE both have a subtle /y/ sound: CURE = /k/ + /y/ + /oor/, PURE = /p/ + /y/
+ /oor/. POOR and LURE do not: POOR = /p/ + /oor/, LURE = /l/ + /oor/.
Point to that last remaining tricky word and say “Uh oh! ONLY one word left!” (If
necessary, stress the word ONLY as you repeat yourself.) Now have her read some
sentences using this last word:
• I am ONLY six, but I have a big sister who is ten.

• Am I the ONLY one in this room who can speak French?
• We need ONLY FOUR things in life: food, shelter, LOVE – and a dog!
Introducing these 19 new tricky words was a challenge, but the payoff will be
substantial. Your child has now been exposed to the 45 most common, but phonetically
irregular, words in the English language. I say 45 instead of 50 because, as I mentioned
earlier, 5 of the words are now perfectly phonetic: HER, OUR, MY, GO, and SAY.
Knowing these 45 words will be beneficial going forward because it will enable your child
to devote more mental energy to comprehension and less energy to decoding.
While the following exercise will take some time, it will improve your child’s reading
fluency. Before allowing him to read the decodable sentences below, prepare a special
deck of flash cards containing all 45 Tricky Words. On one side of the card, print the
word as it is actually spelled; on the other, print the word as it phonetically ought to be
spelled. See the box below.
Motivate your child by telling him these flash cards have the trickiest words in our
language. When he knows these words perfectly, he’ll be an “expert” reader. When you
practice with these cards, show only the side with the correct spelling (DOES). Show the
phonetic side of the card (DUZ) only if he needs help. Caution: In the phonetic spellings,
OO can say either /ew/ or /oo/, just as it does in GOOD FOOD. When your child can
go through the entire group in under 3 minutes, he’s ready to tackle the decodable
sentences which follow.
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Correct Phonetic Correct Phonetic

Spelling Spelling Spelling Spelling
above abuv said sed
are ar says sez
because becuz should shood
been bin some sum
come cum sure shoor
could cood their thair
do doo there thair
does duz they thay
done dun to too
eight ate two too
four for want wunt
from frum was wuzz
give giv watch wawch
goes goze were wer
gone gawn what wut
have hav where wair
love luv who hoo
move moov whose hooz
of uv woman woomin
once wuns would wood
one wun you yoo
only oanly your yoor
put poot
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Decodable Sentences
I am proud that I can read!
The cow in the barn is mooing loudly. Maybe someone should milk
the poor beast!
There is a toilet in our bathroom and a stove in our kitchen. These

two rooms have a sink too!
Dad took my sister to the doctor because she has the flu.
Would you get a broom and help me clean this floor?
If you are thirsty, drink some lemonade.
Pass the salt and pepper please.
There is a bird chirping and singing in our birch tree. I think its a
blue jay.
I just saw a shark in the surf!

Holy mackerel!
Not a mackerel, dude, a shark!
Do you want to throw a football around with me?
Here the river is wide and shallow, but up ahead, it grows narrow
and deep.
That girl with a balloon is my sister. Her name is Emma.

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My birthday is September 8. I am four. I was born on a Thursday.
Ben said, “Mom, do you love me?”

Mom said, “Oh Ben! I love you very much!”
“How much?” said Ben.
Then mom spread her arms far apart and said, “This much!”
My dog is in the back yard. He likes to play in the grass.
Mom says I must eat good food if I want to grow big and tall.
This rain is awful; I am sopping wet! Do you have a towel for me to

dry off? Thanks!
I will get some flowers from our garden and put them in a vase.
Whose bike is on the porch? It should have a lock on it to keep it safe.
Where did this dirt on my shirt come from? I think a bird was at fault!
Yuck!
When you eat, do you prefer a fork, a spoon, or a knife?
That boy standing there by the window took my book!
Yesterday was Sunday. I went to church with momma.
Dad did not like that new brand of beer. He threw the brew down the
drain in the sink.
My brother put his computer on the shelf above his desk.

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Its not polite to burp or fart in public!
Would you help me with my work? Its too difficult for me to do alone!
Could we have some popcorn for our snack?
I saw them at the playground. They were having a great time playing
on the swing!
Do you have any more candy? Will you give me some?
Do you think we should go with Paula to the park?

No, we should stay home. Its too late to go out.
“What food do you like the best?” said Robert.

“I like pizza and meat balls best of all!” said Martha.
The woman sitting over there on the couch is my mother.
We are having corn on the cob, pork chops, and salad for dinner.
I cant swim with you now. I must watch my sister until my dad gets
home.
The picnic will not happen this afternoon. I am sure its going to rain!
Is it true that Luke lost one of his new blue shoes?

Yes, but Sue found it outside.
A storm blew in from the west. There was some thunder and some
hail.
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There are only four girls in the van. Where are the other two girls?
Paul says that August is a hot month. Is that true?
Do you have any coins?

I have only eight dimes and four pennies.
Would you like to join our group? We read books together every
Friday afternoon.
Do not spoil the party by being a grump!
“Why are you crying?” asked mom.

Sue said, “I am crying because I fell off my bike and hurt my elbow.”
Do you enjoy playing with that boy? His name is Roy.

Heck no – he annoys me! He is too loud and he acts like a clown.
When lost in the woods, its a good plan to go north, south, east, or
west.
I saw a hawk flying over our house.
“Billy, do not try to sit here and eat with such dirty hands!” said mom.
“Go clean them – and use some soap!”
Who broke this window?

Sandy did. Its her fault. She threw the ball too hard. I could not catch
it.
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Hey Joe! Let me see your broken toe. How did it happen?
I was walking in bare feet and I hit my toe with a door. Ouch!
“Do you understand what will happen to you if you pick your nose in
public?” said Aunt Bertha.
“Yes, I do,” said LeRoy, “I will have a clean nose!”
Tell me a joke.
OK. When does a car have too much gas?
Answer: (Caution: silent W in ‘answer’)
When three kids are in the back seat.
Tell me another.
Why did the banana go to the doctor?
Answer: It did not peel well.
Do you know that if a duck flies upside down, it will quack up?
“Hey mom. Will the pie be very long?”

“No dear,” said mom, “the pie will be very round.”
Why are two and four afraid of seven?

Answer: Because seven eight nine. Get it??
Knock, knock!
Who is there?
Justin.
Justin who?
Just in time for dinner!
Why do the French like to eat snails?

They cant stand fast food!
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Parent Note: A few nursery rhyme snippets…
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings horses and all the queens men
could not put Humpty together again!
Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? (feel free to sing!)

Brother Jon, Brother Jon?
Morning bells are ringing! Morning bells are ringing!
Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.
Handsome Boy Blue, come blow your horn!

The sheeps in the meadow, the cows in the corn!
Where is the boy who looks after the sheep?
He is under a haystack, fast asleep!
Will you wake him?
No, not I! For if I do, he is sure to cry!
O, where have you been,

Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
O, where have you been,
Charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife,
She is the joy of my life,
She is a pretty girl
Who will not leave her mother.
Baa, baa, black sheep,

Have you any wool?
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Yes, sir, yes, sir,

Three bags full:
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the lovely girl
Who lives down the lane.
Parent Note: What follows is optional. Do it only if you’re child is interested.
Do you know what numbers come after 10?

Yes, I do:
11 – eleven 16 – sixteen
12 – twelve 17 – seventeen
13 – thirteen 18 – eighteen
14 – fourteen 19 – nineteen
15 – fifteen 20 – twenty
But what comes after 20?

Its easy:
21 – twenty-one 26 – twenty-six
22 – twenty-two 27 – twenty-seven
23 – twenty-three 28 – twenty-eight
24 – twenty-four 29 – twenty-nine
25 – twenty-five 30 – thirty
Say, I think I see a pattern here! Is the next number 31 (thirty-one)?

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Yes indeed! Here are the important numbers you will need to go all
the way to 100 (one hundred):
40 – forty
50 – fifty
60 – sixty
70 – seventy
80 – eighty
90 – ninety
100 – one hundred
But what comes after one hundred?
It all starts again: one hundred one (101), one hundred two (102),
one hundred three (103) and so on – all the way to two hundred (200).
Then all the way to three hundred (300) and four hundred (400)?
Yes.
But what comes after nine hundred ninety-nine (999)?
One thousand (1000), one thousand one (1001), one thousand two
(1002), and so on.
Do the numbers ever stop?
Nope. They go on forever! To infinity!

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Stage 15
Unusual Spellings
Open and Closed Syllables
D uring this stage you’ll be focusing your child’s attention on some unusual
spellings of the phonemes /aw/, /I/, /f/, and /ch/. You’ll teach some common
word families that when mastered, will make independent reading much easier. You’ll
also show him how to analyze multi-syllable words in a way that will minimize
pronunciation errors. Specifically, this stage includes:
• The -LE family (for example: BOTTLE, SNUGGLE, WAFFLE).

• The irregular but common, IGH, OUGH, and AUGH families (MIGHT, BOUGHT,
CAUGHT).
• The PH spelling of /f/ (PHONE, GRAPH).
• The -TION family (ACTION, MENTION).
• The T spelling of /ch/ (FIXTURE, POSTURE)
• About two dozen common words where the vowel unexpectedly has a long sound
(COLD, FIND, WILD).
• The difference between open and closed syllables.
The Spelling Corner – The spelling you do with your child can now come from Stage 13
and Appendix M. These are tricky words for beginners because most of the long vowel
sounds have two or more plausible spellings. When you ask a child to spell SLOW, for
instance, does he say S-L-O, S-L-O-E, or S-L-O-W? (All these answers are phonetically
feasible, but only one is ultimately correct.) Remind him that a long A sound at the end
of a word is always spelled AY. For a long E sound at the end of a word, the number of
syllables helps to decide if the word should end in E (FREE) or Y (BELLY). A long I sound
at word’s end is spelled Y (MY, CRY) but there are 4 exceptions: PIE, DIE, LIE, and TIE.
Throughout this stage, you’ll be working with word lists in Appendix N. If you look
there now, you’ll see that in the first group, the Giggle Group, all the words end in LE.
What I’ve listed there is only a tiny sampling of the more than 3000 such words in the
English language. Note that for all the words in this group, the correct spelling could
have been EL instead of LE: APPEL, NOODEL, SIMPEL, PICKEL, and so on. In fact,
that’s exactly how a whole group of similar-sounding words were just spelled in
Appendix M, for example, CAMEL, TUNNEL, SHOVEL, and NICKEL. In other words, the
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entire Giggle Group is simply that many more examples of Lazy Vowel – a topic just
discussed in Stage 13. The final sound for every one of these new words is ULL, the
sound you can hear in the words DULL, HULL, and GULL.
To present the above to your child, first get him to pronounce /u/ + /l/ correctly.
Do this by having him read the rhyming words GULL, HULL, and DULL (a bird, a ship’s
bottom, the opposite of sharp). When he’s sure of the sound of ULL, tell him that lots of
two and three-syllable words end with this exact sound – but the spelling is LE instead
of ULL. Place this list of words on some paper. On the left is the correct spelling; on the
right is the way to say the word.
giggle = gig + GUL

sniffle = snif + FUL
puddle = pud + DUL
apple = ap + PUL
pebble = peb + BUL
puzzle = puz + ZUL
chuckle = chuc + KUL
turtle = tur + TUL
jungle = jung + UL
In pronouncing each of these words, he need only read the first syllable, and then
add something that rhymes with “ULL.” The E is silent. In short, at the end of a word,
LE is equivalent to UL: PICKLE = PIC/KUL. Point out that as he says each word, his
tongue ends up touching the back of his upper teeth. He’ll probably find this fun!
Once he seems to be catching on, do the GIGGLE Group in the appendix. If he has
trouble with the three-syllable words listed there, like POSSIBLE, help out by splitting
the word up: POS/SI/BLE. When finished with this group, tell him his phonics skills
have now added another 3000 or so words to his I-can-read list.
The next topic, the GH groups in the appendix, will present more of a challenge for
your child. The spellings there are horrendous. If brewers can market their beer
phonetically as LITE, why must the rest of us spell it non-phonetically as LIGHT? I would
tell you to skip the whole group, but it has far too many important and common words.
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I’ve divided them into 5 sub-groups in Appendix N. Four sounds, already introduced,
will now get alternate spellings:
• IGH spells /I/

• AUGH and OUGH both spell /aw/
• EIGH spells /A/
• GH spells /f/
Start this new topic by asking your child to use her knowledge from Stage 10 to spell
the word BITE. When she answers correctly, write it on some paper. Now ask her to
spell the rhyming word LIGHT. At this point, she ought to spell it LITE. Write it down as
well:
BITE
LITE
Let her know that the second spelling ought to be correct, but this is an example of one
of the trickiest spellings in English. Now spell it correctly:
BITE
LITE
L IGH T
Emphasize that while BITE is correct, LITE is not. Since the combination, IGH,
represents a single phoneme in the word LIGHT, this is her first (and only) example of a
three-fer: three letters making a single sound. IGH spells long I.
Parent Note: Some folks consider DGE a three-fer for /j/ (as in BADGE) and TCH a
three-fer for /ch/ (as in MATCH). I think it’s an open question as to whether the
phoneme /d/ can be heard in BADGE or whether /t/ can be heard in MATCH. In any
case, it’s too subtle to worry about in the context of beginning reading instruction.
Now discuss the spelling of FIGHT: should it be FITE (like BITE) or FIGHT (like
LIGHT)? Don’t keep her in suspense; let her know nearly all the words ending in the
sound “ITE” are spelled with this new three-fer. Now place the other IGH words from the
appendix on paper or on index cards and let her decode them. At the end of the list in
the appendix, the two of you can marvel at how the words BITE, KITE, and SPITE
escaped this spelling madness!
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As if three-fers weren’t bad enough, your child is now faced with some awesome four-
fers! Do the AUGH and OUGH word groups in the appendix together because these are
both alternate spellings for the same sound: /aw/. Here’s what you might do with him.
Ask him to spell the word TAUGHT, as in “I taught my dog a new trick.” If necessary,
help him isolate the 3 sounds: /t/ + /aw/ + /t/. As he replaces each of these sounds
with appropriate letters, write his answer on paper. Given what the two of you did in
Stage 12, he should end up with one (or both) of two phonetically feasible alternatives:
TAUT TAWT
Either of these is a great answer. The word TAUGHT should be spelled in one of these 2
already-established ways. Now write the correct spelling:
TAUT TAWT
TAUGHT
Let him ponder this ugly spelling for a moment. Then point out that in this correct
spelling, the 2 T’s make perfect sense, but the vowel sound, /aw/, is spelled differently
from what he learned in Stage 12: AUGH instead of AW or AU. In other words, AUGH
must be a four-fer for the sound /aw/. Let him know that AUGH and OUGH are both
alternate spellings for the vowel sound /aw/ and write some additional words for him
to decode:
TAUT TAWT
TAUGHT
CAUGHT
BOUGHT
FOUGHT
There are only 3 four-fers in English – and your child just met 2 of them. Now do the
remainder of the OUGH and AUGH words in the appendix. Here it might be more helpful
to transfer these words to index cards where initially, they could be written this way: S-
OUGH-T, D-AUGH-TER, N-AUGH-TY, and so on. In each case, the middle part of the
word is read as /aw/. Help with definitions of these words as necessary.
Reviewing, the sound /aw/ now has 4 correct spellings: AU, AW, AUGH, and OUGH.
Compare: FAULT, LAW, TAUGHT, and SOUGHT.
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There’s one more four-fer and then your child is done with them. Ask if she can
remember how to spell the number 8 from the Tricky 50 list in Stage 14. (If you have a
Word Wall, this should be easy.) Write it on paper: EIGHT. Since EIGHT has only 2
sounds, /A/ and /t/, EIGH must be another spelling of long A. In other words, EIGH
must be another four-fer – one that spells /A/. The word EIGHT is not alone in having
this weird spelling. Write these words under the word EIGHT, lining them up nicely:
EIGHT
WEIGHT
WEIGH
SLEIGH
NEIGH (The sound a horse makes)
NEIGHBOR
FREIGHT
With some help, she should be able to decode these new words. Make sure she
understands the difference in meaning between the above words and the words ATE,
WAIT, WAY, SLAY, and NAY.
At this point, you’ve already done all the EIGH words in the appendix except for the
exception word, HEIGHT. This would be pronounced HATE if your child used the word
EIGHT as a guide. It’s actual pronunciation is HITE – a spelling that would have been
perfectly reasonable. Reviewing, your child now has 4 spellings for the sound /A/: A-E,
AI, AY, and EIGH. Compare: SALE, SAIL, SLAY, and SLEIGH.
There’s one last listing in the GH Groups in the appendix. The five words there all
have the spelling OUGH or AUGH, yet now, these spellings do not say /aw/. What these
5 words do have in common is the fact that GH spells /f/. Place these 5 words on paper:
ROUGH
TOUGH
ENOUGH
LAUGH
COUGH
Let him know that for these 5 words, GH is a two-fer for the sound /f/. That alone may
be enough for him to identify some of them. You could also say these words are such
oddballs, you’re going to spell them as they should have been spelled, that is,
phonetically:
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ROUGH (RUFF)
TOUGH (TUFF)
ENOUGH (ENUFF)
LAUGH (LAFF)
COUGH (CAUFF)
Once he realizes what these words actually are, point out that the first 3 rhyme, and
GH spells /f/ for all of them. These are some of the craziest spellings that exist in
English, yet they’re all common words; your child needs to master them. Perhaps make
up some humorous sentences for him to read – sentences that might help him remember
these words:
• I may be ROUGH and I may be TOUGH, but I think I have had ENOUGH of these
silly spellings!
• To spell the word LAFF as L-A-U-G-H is INSANE!
• If you COUGH something up, spit it in the sink or toilet!
Note: Two other common words that would normally be covered here, THOUGH and
THROUGH, will be covered in Stage 17.
Time to evaluate. When you think your child has mastered the words in the GH
groups, place the most common of these words on flash cards, shuffle them and see
how he does. This is a TUFF test. Take your time here and be sure he can decode most
of these words – they occur frequently in children’s books.
After the GH groups, the PH group will be easy. Whether this two-fer is at the
beginning, middle, or end of a word, it always has the sound /f/. There are some
amusing words in this group that should make the task of remembering how to
pronounce PH an easy one. With the substitution of F for PH, all the words are
surprisingly phonetic. I would simply place them on paper, tell your child that PH is a
two-fer for /f/, and see how he does.
The hardest word on the list is SPHERE. If necessary, write SFERE on a flash card
and hide the S: FERE. Once he reads it, show the S: SFERE. Now substitute the PH for
the F: SPHERE.
Next up: some words which simply don’t follow the rules. In the appendix, I call them
the WILD group since WILD is one of the words listed there. All the phonics to date
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would suggest the vowels in the WILD Group should have their short sound.
Nevertheless, all these vowels are long. If all these words ended in E, like they once did
in OLDE English, a CHILDE would FINDE MOSTE of them trivial. Even though that
final E has long since vanished, she must still recognize these two dozen common words.
Simply show her this group of words with the caution that all the vowels are long;
she shouldn’t have too much trouble. Point out that the word WIND can be said with a
long I, or a short I, but the meaning changes with the pronunciation. (The word BOTH
should also be mentioned here because it too, is an outlier. It’s not pronounced like
CLOTH, BROTH, and MOTH.) Point out that FROST, COST, and LOST are not on the
list because they are pronounced exactly as we would expect, with a short O.
Now, focus your child's attention on a common suffix that is always pronounced in
a manner at odds with its spelling: TION. (Over 2500 English words end in this suffix.)
If you think about words like ACTION, FICTION, and ADDITION, it becomes apparent
that TION is pronounced “SHIN” (or, perhaps, “SHUN,” depending on where you live).
What’s more unusual in this situation is that T says /sh/. (That the vowel in this
unstressed suffix is pronounced /i/ or /u/ is just another example of Lazy Vowel.) In
Appendix N, I have included a list of words that should get him accustomed to reading
this common word ending. The key here, is that he not try to sound out this suffix
phonetically; he must simply recognize it and think: SHIN. Use flash cards and go
slowly; many of these words are two or more syllables. Define them as necessary.
Next, look at the TURE family of words in the appendix. If you think about how you
pronounce words like FIXTURE and PASTURE, you can hear that TURE does not rhyme
with PURE and CURE. Instead, TURE is pronounced /ch/ + /er/, or simply “CHER”.
With this understanding of how to read TURE, the words in this group are surprisingly
phonetic. If necessary, with a word like SIGNATURE, hide the TURE part of the word
and let your child read SIGNA. Then he simply needs to add the sound “CHER” to read
the entire word. He will likely need help with some definitions even after successfully
decoding some of these words.
In multi-syllable words, each syllable has a vowel. Often, these are stand-alone
vowels that can have either their short or long sound. So now you can show your child
some general strategies for deciding how to pronounce these vowels. For example, the
words BASIC and HABIT are both two-syllable CVCVC words. Yet in the first, the A is
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long, and in the other, short. Why? A related question is this: in longer words, how does
the reader figure out syllable boundaries?
It turns out there are some general rules that can help a beginning reader in this
regard. Here’s a summary of the most helpful rules:
• Open syllables end in a vowel (CCV, CV, V) and typically have a long vowel sound:
BA/SIC. BA is an open syllable. SIC is not.
• Closed syllables end in a consonant (CVC, VC) and typically have a short vowel
sound: HAB/IT. Both HAB and IT are closed syllables.
• Syllable boundaries usually occur between consecutive consonants: BUT/TER
and MAS/TER. Note how this rule keeps us from reading MASTER as MA/STER.
(In MA/STER, the A would have a long sound because MA is an open syllable.)
• Syllable boundaries never split consonant digraphs (SH, CH, TH, NG) because
digraphs produce a single sound. So, the word BISHOP can’t be read as BIS/HOP
(both vowels short). However, that still leaves two possibilities: BI/SHOP (long I)
or BISH/OP (short I). Here, only more reading experience can help – and the fact
that BI/SHOP is not a word.
• Common prefixes (DE, DIS, EM, IM, IN, IR, MIS, NON, PRE, RE, SUB, UN) and
common suffixes (ED, ER, ES, EST, ING, FUL, LESS, LY, MENT, NESS, OUS, Y)
are always their own syllable and they obey the above rules for open and closed
syllables.
• TION and TURE (covered above) are always their own syllable.
The above guidelines are for you. I believe, however, that your child can understand
the open/closed distinction and the necessity of splitting a word at two consecutive
middle consonants (unless those consonants form a two-fer).
Parent Note: These guidelines are not perfect. A beginner trying to read words like
HOTEL or COMET for the first time could still misread them as HOT/EL (short O) and
CO/MET (long O). If these words are already in the beginner’s speaking vocabulary,
such mistakes will be minimized. These mistakes will also decrease with time and
reading experience.
In Appendix N, you’ll find some groups of words that will help your child decode open
and closed syllables. Don’t think she must master all these words before moving on.
There are too many. Do some now, from each group, until she gets the hang of it – and
then come back later, as needed, for more practice. In the first group, the initial syllable
is closed. In the second, the initial syllable is open. In the third group, you’ll find a more
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challenging mix. Be sure she understands that for open syllables, the vowel is long, and
for closed, the vowel is short.
I think you should present these words – at least initially – as I have them in the
appendix: already split into syllables. This will help her learn the open/closed
distinction and it will make her decoding easier. Naturally, she won’t have this aid when
she’s reading independently. Nonetheless, this experience of reading words that have
been divided for her will still be a useful one: her confidence will keep growing and she’ll
be learning to view longer words as the sum of pieces (syllables) that are individually
manageable.
She’ll also be learning that faced with an unknown word, multiple pronunciations
are often possible. Later on, when she comes across a word like MOMENT, for example,
she’ll try decoding it as both MOM/ENT (short O) and MO/MENT (long O). When one of
the pronunciations matches a word in her speaking vocabulary, she’ll know which one
to pick.
Parent Note: Open and closed syllables are not infallible. For instance, in the appendix
I wrote IN/VES/TIG/A/TION instead of IN/VES/TI/GA/TION. I did so to keep a short I
in the 3rd syllable. Yet the second way of dividing the word seems more natural to me.
It helps to understand that Lazy Vowel trumps all rules. The 3rd syllable in
INVESTIGATION is unstressed – therefore its vowel is going to be pronounced /u/ or
/i/ no matter what.
Note that the distinction between open and closed syllables fully explains why the
following three groups, which you and your child covered earlier, all have a long vowel
sound:
- ME, HE, SHE and so on (from Stage 7)

- GO, SO, NO and so on (from Stage 13)
- CRY, MY, DRY and so on (from Stage 13)
All three of these word groups contain only a single open syllable. So the vowel sound
must be long.
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Stage 16
Soft C, Soft G, Contractions
T here are only a few more phoneme-letter relationships your child needs to learn in
order for him to successfully set out on his own as an independent reader and
speller. These topics include:
• The vowel Y in the middle of a word: what is its sound?

• Alternate sounds for some consonants. Your child has already seen that S often
spells /z/. But in addition, C can spell /s/ (CITY), and G can spell /j/ (GENTLE).
What rules govern this behavior?
• Contractions. As soon as he opens a book, he’ll run into words like DON’T and
HAVEN’T. You need to teach him what these are and how to pronounce them.
• Thousands of words end in E. When is that E silent? What does the silent E tell
a reader about the word to which it is attached?
• The vowel digraphs IE and EI: how should he handle these two-fers? What sounds
do they symbolize?
The Spelling Corner – Many Stage 15 words are not easy words to spell. Do what you
can, but realize that your child has years to work on his spelling. It might be best to
start with words from the WILD group in Appendix N: they’re common words with
relatively easy spellings. After that, see how he does with some of the easier words in
the GIGGLE group – words like APPLE, BOTTLE, and NOODLE.
If you ask him to spell some of the words from the GH groups, remind him these are
among the trickiest spellings in the English language. He should expect the three-fer,
IGH, and the four-fers AUGH, OUGH, and EIGH. Start with one of these words, NIGHT
for instance, and once he gets it, stay with other words that rhyme with NIGHT. If he
hears a word ending in “SHIN,” does he remember to spell it as TION? Emphasize that
nearly every word having the sound /f/ is spelled with F, not PH. He should use PH only
if he’s sure that PH is the correct spelling. Such assurance becomes possible only after
the word has been successfully decoded 2-5 times.
If you ask him to spell some of the multi-syllable words, clearly pronounce each syllable
so he can determine whether the syllable is open or closed.
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You and your child have already investigated the letter Y when it occurs at the
beginning of a word as a consonant (Stage 6), and at the end of a word as a vowel (Stages
12 and 13). If Y appears in the middle of a word or syllable, it should be read as a vowel
having the sound /I/ or /i/. Look at the two word groups I have prepared in Appendix
O. In one group, the Y spells long I, in the other, short I.
Present the first group to your child, informing her that Y says /I/, just as it does in
the words MY and DRY. Also mention that there are 2 animals (PYTHON and HYENA)
to be found within the group. The words in the group almost perfectly follow the rules
for open and closed syllables. If she imagines each Y as the letter I, the words are
surprisingly phonetic. Help with syllable boundaries (if needed) by splitting the words
up, for example: ty/phoon and an/al/yze.
When you present the second group of words, let her know that Y can also symbolize
the sound /i/. (This is the fourth sound of Y. Compare: YES, MY, CANDY, and MYTH.)
There is also another animal (LYNX) to be found in the group. If she needs support, you
can again write these words in a manner that helps with syllable boundaries: symp/tom
and hyp/no/tize, for instance. She may have trouble with the word LYNX. You can
rewrite it, replacing the Y with I, and the X with KS: LINKS. It’s perfectly phonetic:
LYNX = LINKS = /l/ + /i/ + /ng/ + /k/ + /s/
She has already seen how to use S (or ES) to form the plural. She has also seen that
it’s common for S to have a Z sound. In Appendix O, I have a group of words that have
nothing to do with the plural, yet the S symbolizes /z/. Make sure she can read and
pronounce these words correctly. The group reviews many “tricky” words she already
knows.
The letter C symbolizes two phonemes – but they are phonemes already symbolized
by other letters. When C is followed by A, O, or U, it has a K sound. You already covered
this with your child in Stage 3. However, when C is followed by E, I, or Y, it has an S
sound. Hard C refers to its K sound, while soft C refers to its S sound. In Appendix O, I
have included some of the more common words where a soft C is required. There are no
exceptions to this soft C rule: CE, CI, and CY should all be pronounced as though they
were written as SE, SI, and SY:
CENTER = SENTER CITY = SITY CYNIC = SINIC

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Happily, this rule makes hundreds of additional words phonetic.
After explaining to him when a soft C is required, practice with the appropriate group
in the appendix. Initially, the words rhyme, but not for long. If necessary, replace the C
with an S in some of the words (EX/SEPT) as a temporary reading aid. Point out that
the silent E in a word like BOUNCE has nothing to do with making a prior vowel long.
It’s there solely to make the C soft.
There is a similar situation with the letter G. G has its hard sound, /g/, when it’s
followed by A, O, or U, and its soft sound, /j/, when it’s followed by E, I, or Y. In Appendix
O, you’ll find a sampling of such words. In this case, there are some common exceptions
to the rule. I include them at the end of the list. Here are some things to note as the two
of you work through this soft G list:
• The silent E in a word like CAGE serves two functions: it makes the A long and
the G soft.
• The silent E in a word like PLEDGE is there only to make the G soft. The other E
has its short sound.
• In the word, ORANGE, the NG is not acting as a two-fer. The word needs to be
read in a way that interprets GE as a unit rather than NG. Orange = /or/ + /i/ +
/n/ + /j/. Lazy Vowel is at work in the second syllable.
• There are other Lazy Vowel examples in this list: ORIGINAL, GENERAL, and even
the word SAUSAGE (/s/ + /aw/ + /s/ + /i/ + /j/).
• The word GIRL is only an apparent exception to the soft G rule. The letter I in
this word is an inseparable part of the two-fer IR. As such, it should not change
the pronunciation of the G from hard to soft. Still, the spelling, GURL, would have
been a more logical choice (rhymes with CURL).
• Words that end in NGER (like FINGER, ANGER, HUNGER, and LONGER) are not
exceptions because both NG and ER are inseparable two-fers in such words. The
E in these words has no effect on the G; instead, it’s an integral part of the R: ER
= /er/.
Once again, you can temporarily replace the G with a J if it helps him read some of these
words: MA/JIC, JI/GAN/TIC. Soft C and soft G occur frequently in English. Upon
finishing this section, he’ll be able to decode hundreds of additional words.
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Countless English words end in the single vowel E. I estimate a final E is silent 99%
of the time. Your child already knows most of the important exceptions to this rule,
namely, the one-syllable words in the E/EE group from Appendix G: ME, WE, SHE, HE,
THE, and so on. Apart from these few exceptions, final E’s are nearly always silent. This
is a useful rule for the beginning reader. Up until this stage, you have deliberately given
her the impression that silent E has only one purpose: to make the other vowel in the
syllable long. In this current stage, you’re expanding the role of silent E: attached to a
C or G, a final E causes a soft sound.
If you look in the appendix, you’ll see there are some additional roles of silent E. I
have 9 categories there, labeled A through I, with examples in each category. The
category descriptions are given below. The goal here is to show her that a silent E at the
end of a word can have many meanings. The categories in the appendix are as follows:
A. The E makes the prior vowel in the syllable long. This is the most important, and
the most common role of a final E.
B. The E makes the prior C soft. It may, or may not, also make the prior vowel long.
C. The E makes the prior G soft. It may, or may not, also make the prior vowel long.
D. All English syllables must have a vowel.
E. English words don’t end in V.
F. English Words don’t end in U. (The main exceptions are MENU, TOFU, FLU,
GURU, and of course, YOU.)
G. Nouns that are singular, yet end in S, could cause confusion. A final E announces
that the word is singular and it prepares the word for the second S that will make
it plural (HOUSE/HOUSES).
H. Some words end in E for no apparent reason whatsoever! She has already seen
many of these listed as tricky words.
I. Worse still, in some words, a final E is utterly misleading as to how the word
should be pronounced: it would seem to indicate a long vowel, when in fact, the
vowel stays short. (Note: these are all examples of Lazy Vowel.)
These 9 groups will provide some beneficial review for your child and help her become
better at decoding words when a final E is present. Go through the groups one at a time,
explaining each category as you go.
Next up are the two-fers IE and EI. I postponed these until now because many EI
words (like RECEIVE) use the soft C sound you just introduced to your child. Here’s a
pleasant fact about these two digraphs: with few exceptions, they both symbolize /E/.
Look at the lists I’ve provided in the appendix. Note how consistently the sound of both
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EI and IE is long E. This is another useful rule for a beginning reader. You’ve already
covered nearly all the exceptions to this rule:
• The EIGH group from Appendix N (EIGHT, WEIGHT, and so on) where EI is part
of a four-fer.
• The small IE group from Appendix M: TIE, DIE, LIE, and PIE.
Of the other exception words listed in Appendix O, FRIEND and THEIR are the most
important. Ask your child how FRIEND ought to be spelled (FREND).
As you practice these words with your child, point out how many of them have a soft
C sound, and how many end in silent E simply to keep the word from ending in V. Note
that the E at the end of HYGIENE and CAFFEINE serves no purpose whatever, and that
for the rhyming words, SHRIEK and SHEIK, one uses IE and the other uses EI.
It’s time to deal with contractions. They show up everywhere so it’s a good idea to
cover them now – otherwise they will confuse and frustrate your child as he sets out on
his own in Stage 17. I have 33 of the most common contractions listed in Appendix O.
There are nearly 100 contractions in English, but many are obscure: MIGHT’VE for
example. To motivate this topic with him, write the following:
He is eating.
She is sleeping.
We are playing.
Have him read these 3 simple sentences. Now, focusing on the first sentence, have him
read it repeatedly, but each time a little faster. As he does so, can he hear how the two
words, HE and IS, start coming together? Explain that when we speak, we often say:
“He’s eating” instead of “He is eating”. Now write “He’s eating” across from where you
wrote “He is eating”:
He is eating. He’s eating.

She is sleeping.
We are playing.
Let him study the paper for a while; this is a novel (and weird) topic for him. Point out
that HE’S is called a contraction: a combination of two words into one. A contraction is
a short-cut method of both speaking and writing – and such contractions are
everywhere. Point out how the word IS is partially gone. The S is still there, but
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something called an apostrophe has taken the place of the missing I. Also, point out that
the original sentence has 4 syllables while the short-cut sentence has only three. If
spelled like it sounds, we would write HE’S as HEEZ. Write HEEZ in parentheses on
your paper. Make sure he understands this equivalency: He’s = He is. (These 33
contractions may be another candidate for your Word Wall.)
Now, do the same thing as above with the other two short sentences. As you do so,
make these points:
• SHE’S, sounds like SHEEZ, and it’s short for SHE IS. The apostrophe again takes
the place of I in this example.
• WE’RE, sounds like WEER, and it’s short for WE ARE. The apostrophe takes the
place of A in this example.
When finished, your paper will look like this:
He is eating. He’s eating. (HEEZ)

She is sleeping. She’s sleeping. (SHEEZ)
We are playing. We’re playing. (WEER)
Make sure he can read all 6 sentences correctly. Now make 3 flash cards – one for each
of the above contractions. On one side, write the contraction (SHE’S) and on the other,
write what it’s short for (SHE IS). You’ll be using these to review shortly.
Before moving on, point out how awesome are the new words CONTRACTION and
APOSTROPHE. Both words are perfectly phonetic given the phonics and rules that have
already been covered – including the interpretation of open and closed syllables, and
Lazy Vowel.
Ok, that was an elaborate introduction to three of the contractions listed in the
appendix. Now you can speed things up a bit. There are 7 contractions that involve the
word WILL. Write out these 6 short sentences on paper:
I will go with you.

You will go with me.
He will go with us.
She will go with us.
They will go with us.
We will go with them.
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Have your child read each one and then tell her the first two words in each sentence
have a contraction. If she reads the sentences rapidly, can she guess what the
contractions might be? One at a time, go back and write the same sentence, but now
with the contraction, each time emphasizing the correct pronunciation. (I would include
the phonetic pronunciation in the parentheses.)
I will go with you. I’ll go with you. (ILE)

You will go with me. You’ll go with me. (YOOL)
He will go with us. He’ll go with us. (HEEL)
She will go with us. She’ll go with us. (SHEEL)
They will go with us. They’ll go with us. (THAIL)
We will go with them. We’ll go with them. (WEEL)
Have her read all 12 sentences while you monitor her pronunciation. Does she see that
the apostrophe takes the place of WI in each case?
Now ask her this: what if everyone in these 6 sentences wanted to stay home? In
other words, how would we negate these 6 sentences? See if you can lead her to the
correct contraction, WON’T (will not). The correct pronunciation is WOANT.
I will go with you. I’ll go with you. I won’t go with you.

You will go with me. You’ll go with me. You won’t go with me.
He will go with us. He’ll go with us. He won’t go with us.
She will go with us. She’ll go with us. She won’t go with us.
They will go with us. They’ll go with us. They won’t go with us.
We will go with them. We’ll go with them. We won’t go with them.
Now make 7 new flash cards to go with the 3 you made earlier.
Now that she knows contractions can be used to negate things, you can do the other
13 negating contractions as a large group. (I leave it to you to decide whether you want
to include the slang contraction AIN’T for AM NOT. AIN’T is perfectly phonetic, and it
rhymes with PAINT.) Write these on paper:
She is not going with us.

He can not go with us.
I do not want to go.
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She does not want to go.

We are not going.
She could not go.
He would not go.
I should not eat so fast.
We did not sleep well.
I have not seen her today.
He has not had his bath yet.
She was not home.
They were not sleepy.
I am not sleepy!
Make it a game. Underline the two words that will get a contraction and see if she can
guess what that contraction might be. After all, she probably uses many of these
contractions in her day-to-day speech:
She is not going with us. She isn’t going with us. (IZINT)
He can not go with us. He can’t go with us. (CANT)
I do not want to go. I don’t want to go. (DOANT)
She does not want to go. She doesn’t want to go. (DUZINT)
We are not going. We aren’t going. (ARNT)
She could not go. She couldn’t go. (COODINT)
He would not go. He wouldn’t go. (WOODINT)
I should not eat so fast. I shouldn’t eat so fast. (SHOODINT)
We did not swim today. We didn’t swim today. (DIDINT)
I have not seen her today. I haven’t seen her today. (HAVINT)
He has not had his bath yet. He hasn’t had his bath yet. (HAZINT)
She was not home. She wasn’t home. (WUZINT)
They were not sleepy. They weren’t sleepy. (WERNT)
I am not sleepy! I ain’t sleepy! (AINT)
Make up 13 more flash cards – 14 if you did AIN’T – and take a well-deserved break.
Do the last 10 contractions as a group, just as you did above. By the end of this final
exercise, your paper will look something like this:
Let us go to the game today! Let’s go to the game today! (LETZ)

I am not sleepy yet! I’m not sleepy yet! (IME)
It is not polite to pick your nose. It’s not polite… (ITS)
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He is here! I have seen him! He is here! I’ve seen him! (IVE)

They are coming to the game. They’re coming… (THAIR)
They have had enough! They’ve had enough! (THAVE)
Who is that lady in the blue dress? Who’s that lady… (HOOZ)
We have had a great time today! We’ve had a great… (WEEV)
You are my best friend! You’re my best friend! (YOOR)
You have been a big help today! You’ve been a big… (YOOV)
Make up your final 10 flash cards and add them to the deck. For the next few days,
review all 33 contractions using the flash cards. When you practice with your child,
show him one side, and have him predict the other (in both directions). Make sure he’s
pronouncing the contraction correctly. Once you’re convinced he knows his
contractions, it’s time to move on to the last stage in this reading program.
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Stage 17
Independent Reading
F or your hard-working child, this stage marks the pivotal transition from “learning
to read” to “reading to learn.” It’s unlike the previous stages in that daily formal
instruction in phonics is no longer a requirement. In fact, this stage never really ends as
long as “reading to learn” remains a priority in an individual’s life.
If you look at appendices P and Q, you’ll see you’ve already taught him 95% of the
code that’s there. You’ll present the final 5% over these next few months, but at a more
leisurely pace. What he needs now, more than anything else, is to read, but in a
supervised setting. In addition to this independent reading, encourage him to write. It
can be little notes that he leaves for you at various places around the house, or more
formally, it can be short stories about any topic that fires his imagination. You can of
course write a response back for him to read. His writing can now become the basis for
continued spelling lessons. If, for example, he writes HOAM instead of HOME,
congratulate him for a perfectly phonetic spelling but then help him correct it. (Tell him
FOAM is spelled the way he thought HOME would be spelled.)
You can teach the few phonics topics remaining (see “Completing the Code” below)
over the next few months as she becomes a more fluent and confident reader. Here are
my recommendations for the immediate future:
• Teach her how to use a dictionary by having her search for words she already
knows.
• Let her pick her own age-appropriate books. I wouldn’t worry too much about
whether books are at the “right” level. If a book is too easy for her, or too difficult,
she’ll quickly get bored and put it down. Within reason, allow her to be the judge.
• As much as possible, have her read aloud in your presence. This allows you to
monitor her reading and to see if there are any unexpected problems. Find a
balance between intervening too fast, in order to help, and allowing her to become
frustrated. If a book is clearly too difficult for her, help her switch to one which
will allow more success.
As you listen to him read, there are at least five ways things can (and will) go wrong:
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1) He reads a word incorrectly because he forgets something he already learned:

that AI says /A/, for example, or that GE says /j/, or that SAID is one of the
Tricky Words, so it doesn’t rhyme with MAID.
2) He reads a word phonetically, but nonetheless incorrectly, because the word does
not follow standard phonics rules: BALLET, CHOIR, COLONEL.
3) He accents the wrong syllable: CON/ceal rather than con/CEAL.
4) He divides a multi-syllable word incorrectly: BON/US (short O) instead of
BO/NUS (long O).
5) He pronounces a word correctly but it’s not in his speaking or listening
vocabulary, so he misses the main idea of the sentence.
Deal directly with situation #1 by reviewing whatever phonics he has forgotten. If,
for example, he reads DEAD incorrectly, as /d/ + /E/ + /d/, remind him that DEAD is
one of the exceptions to the “two vowels walking” rule. If the word were BEAD or PLEAD,
his pronunciation would be correct. Also, it’s unlikely the word DEED will make sense
in the context of the sentence if the actual word is DEAD.
Situation #2 is more problematic. Tell him he is correct with his phonics, but CHOIR,
for example, is one of those words in English that doesn’t follow the rules. See if he can
correct himself, by looking at the word within the context of the sentence. If that doesn’t
work, encourage him to look it up in a dictionary. This is preferable to simply telling
him what the word is for two reasons. Looking up CHOIR will reinforce its odd spelling.
It will also encourage him to be less dependent on you. I find it’s a good exercise to ask,
once the word is identified, how the word should have been spelled in order to be
considered phonetic: QUIRE (or KWIRE).
Situation #3 is a common mistake which will naturally decrease over time as reading
fluency and vocabulary grow. Remind him that English is an accented language and
have him try accenting the word in a different way. Maybe he’ll then recognize it. Show
him there are some words that can be accented either way, but the meaning changes
with the accenting:
OB / ject or ob / JECT
REB / el or re / BEL
PER / mit or per / MIT
REF / use or re / FUSE
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Situation #4 is also a common mistake for beginning readers. Just review open and
closed syllables (Stage 15) and then have him try again with the word’s syllables divided
in a different way.
Emphasize situation #5 as a valuable learning opportunity. Reading will quickly

increase a child’s vocabulary as long as he doesn’t skip the unknown word. As in
situation #2, he should first try to figure out what the correctly-decoded word might
mean from its context. Then he should consult a dictionary to see if his contextual guess
is correct. You might consider having him collect the words that represent new
vocabulary for him, keeping them in a personal folder with the accompanying definition.
Encourage him to review his “new word” list each day. Tell him he can take a word off
that list only when he is sure he has mastered its meaning.
Continue reading to her on a regular basis even though she is now reading on her
own. As you discuss the story, point out any unusual rule-breaking words that are not
among the 50 Tricky Words she already knows. Familiarize yourself with the phonics
topics that remain (see below) so that when one of those topics comes up naturally
during your reading, you can cover it at that time. The topic most likely to come up first
is the one I call “Other Vowel Combinations.”
As she starts reading silently, remind her not to skip over words she doesn’t know.
Encourage her to use the dictionary or to ask you for the meaning. You can also show
her how to type a word whose meaning is unknown, LOLLYGAG for instance, into an
internet search window to get an online definition: “fool around, dawdle.” Doing so will
often provide her with the correct pronunciation as well – as long as she clicks on the
sound symbol next to the word. When she finishes her silent reading of a book, get her
to talk about it, so you can gauge her comprehension.
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Completing the Code
50 Irregular Words
If you look at Appendix S, you’ll find my final version of the Tricky 50 irregular
English words. I know what you’re thinking. Wasn’t that the final version you saw back
in Stage 14? Well, I did remark at the time that the words HER, OUR, MY, GO, and SAY
had become wholly phonetic. Rather than simply take these five words off the list,
making it the Tricky 45, I think it more helpful to replace them with 5 relatively
important words that are not wholly phonetic: EYE, NONE, FRIEND, THOUGH, and
THROUGH.
I leave it to you to introduce these 5 new tricky words to your child and to add 5 new
cards to the deck you used for practice in Stage 14. Use the full deck once a week to
keep reviewing these 50 high-frequency words until your child knows all of them cold.
Other Vowel Combinations
If you look back at the vowel digraphs (two-fers) you covered in the previous stages,
you’ll find these: AI, EE, EA, OA, OO, UE, OI, OU, AU, OE, IE, and EI. Each of these
produces a single sound. There are, however, other vowel combinations. I don’t mean
AA, II, UU, AE, and AO – no common words have these spellings. But that still leaves
EU, IO, EO, IU, UI, UA, and IA. Only one in this last group, EU, is a digraph. If you look
at Appendix T, you’ll see it’s an uncommon two-fer in English. Its sound is either /y/ +
/ew/ or /ew/. Those 11 words are all I could find and none of them are likely to show
up in a child’s book. Skip this digraph or cover it – as you see fit.
The key thing to understand about the other 6 new vowel combinations (IO, EO, IU,
UI, UA, and IA) is they are not two-fers. This implies both letters make a sound, and
therefore a syllable boundary occurs between each of these pairs of vowels. This will be
something new for your child.
Discuss the IO group first. Since a syllable boundary occurs between the I and the
O, the I will be in an open syllable. Your child should therefore expect a long vowel
sound and that’s what she’ll get: either long I or long E. The O will be long or short,
depending on whether it’s in an open or closed syllable. There are some common words
here. I didn’t include any words ending in TION because that’s the special sound
(“SHIN”) you already covered in Stage 15. There are many words that end in IOUS as
well, but you’ll cover those in the OUS group further below. The main point to stress
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here is that IO is not a two-fer, so both vowels make a sound. Note that in some of the
IO words, REGION for example, the second syllable is dominated by Lazy Vowel: /r/ +
/E/ + /j/ + /i/ + /n/.
There are no surprises in the EO group: both letters make a sound and the E is long.
In a few of the words, DUNGEON for example, the 2 sounds of EO nearly merge into
what sounds like a short I: DUN / GIN. This is another example of Lazy Vowel. As
expected, the G in DUNGEON has its soft sound.
In the IU group, I have included only a small sampling of the hundreds of words that
end in IUM. The letter I has a long E sound in an open syllable while the U is short
because it’s in a syllable closed by the M. Be aware of the soft C in CALCIUM and the
soft G in GERANIUM.
Cover the next 2 groups together: UA and UI. I have eliminated from these groups,
words like QUAKE and QUIT where the U is an integral part of the Q, making the side-
by-side vowel structure only apparent. With Q words accounted for earlier, the UA group
is perfectly well-behaved. U has its long sound, /y/ + /ew/, or, in some cases, simply
/ew/. In the words spelled with AL, the AL has the lazy ULL sound your child first saw
in Stage 13. In TRUANT and in LANGUAGE the final vowel defaults to a lazy /i/:
/t/ + /r/ + /ew/ + /i/ + /n/ + /t/

/l/ + /a/ + /ng/ + /g/ + /w/ + /i/ + /j/.
In the UI group, the words in the first box are what your child might expect at this
point. There are only a few common words there. In the second boxed group (FRUIT,
JUICE and others), you see yet another (infrequent) spelling of the sound /ew/. For
these 6 words, UI is acting as a two-fer, producing a single sound. We may prefer the
spelling FROOT JOOSE, but we must deal with the language we have. In the third boxed
group of UI words, the U is silent. It’s there simply to keep the G from going “soft.” The
word GUESS, for instance, without that silent U (GESS) would have to be pronounced
JESS, as in DIGEST. There are only a few words where this phenomenon occurs.
The entire IA group is what you and your child should expect: a long vowel sound (E
or I) on the open side of the syllable divide, and a short or long vowel sound on the other
side, depending on whether that syllable is closed or open. The words listed are only a
small sampling of such words. Note: for words ending in IA, the sound of the A defaults
to a lazy /u/.
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Past Tense
Take a few moments to remind your child a verb is the action word in a sentence –
the word describing what the person, animal, or thing does. That action can be going
on right now:
I scrub the floor. He plays with his brother.

She jogs with her dad. The boat floats in the lake.
Often, however, the action may have happened in the past. To indicate the past, we
usually add D or ED to regular verbs:
I scrubbed the floor yesterday. He played with his brother last week.
She jogged with her dad. The boat floated in the lake.
The following rules for adding D or ED are complex. They are for you, not for your
child.
• If the verb already ends in E, simply add the D (LOVE, LOVED)

• If the verb has a vowel digraph (OA, EE, AW, and so on), simply add ED (CHEER,
CHEERED)
• If the verb has a single vowel followed by a single consonant, double the final
consonant and add ED (WAG, WAGGED).
• If the verb ends in the sound /sh/, /ch/, /s/, /k/, /p/, or /f/, the added D or
ED will have a /t/ sound (KISS/KISSED, NURSE/NURSED.
• If the verb ends with a /d/ or a /t/ sound, adding D or ED will create a second
syllable (FLOAT, FLOATED).
• If the verb ends in the single vowel Y, change the Y to I and add ED (MARRY,
MARRIED).
Rather than expect your child to remember all this (he won’t), do the various groups
in Appendix T where I have examples of each of the above 6 situations. You can choose
whether or not to explain the rule that governs the group. I would simply practice with
each group separately, monitoring pronunciations, and making sure each past tense
verb remains a single syllable (except in the one group where it doesn’t!)
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Comparative and Superlative
The rules for forming comparative and superlative are similar to the above rules for
forming past tense – especially for when to double the consonant. Here too, we change
Y to I before adding ER or EST.
fat – fatter – fattest

sweet – sweeter – sweetest
rainy – rainier – rainiest
Start by giving a concrete example. We use a word without a special ending, TALL
for instance, to describe a single child: Dave is a TALL boy. We add the ending ER to
compare two children: Dave is TALLER than Sheila. And we add the ending EST to
compare 3 or more children: Dave is the TALLEST kid in his class. Here is another
example:
North Dakota is a COLD state.
North Dakota is COLDER than Oklahoma.
Alaska is the COLDEST state in the nation.
Sum it up: when describing a single noun (person, place, thing), use neither ER nor
EST on the adjective; when comparing two nouns, use the ending ER on the adjective;
when comparing 3 or more nouns, use the ending EST. Once he understands the
concept, practice with the triplets I’ve provided in the appendix.
Additional Word Families
Look in the appendix at the -OUS, -SION, -SURE, -CIAL, and -TIAL families. Many
of the words in these families will be unfamiliar to a young child even though he or she
may well be able to accurately pronounce them. They all have difficult spellings. You
may wish to pick and choose which words to cover in each group.
Place the words you want to do from the OUS group on some paper. I’ll assume
JOYOUS is one such word. Right next to it, write the way JOYOUS is pronounced:
JOYOUS JOY-ISS
NERVOUS NER-VISS (and so on)
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Explain the while JOYOUS is the correct spelling, JOY-ISS is the correct pronunciation.
(Remind her it’s really nothing more than Lazy Vowel from Stage 13.) With the
understanding that OUS = ISS, let her decode the other words in the list the same way.
Similarly, do the IOUS, UOUS, and CIOUS groups from the appendix. As you did
above with JOYOUS, re-write the words from these groups in a manner that will explain
their pronunciations. Here are my suggestions for getting started with each of these
groups:
for the IOUS group: OBVIOUS OB-VEE-ISS

VICTORIOUS VIC-TOR-E-ISS (and so on)
for the UOUS group: STRENUOUS STREN-U-ISS

TENUOUS TEN-U-ISS (and so on)
for the CIOUS group: PRECIOUS PRE-SHISS

FEROCIOUS FER-O-SHISS (and so on)
As you practice these groups with your child, emphasize the fact that OUS
consistently says ISS due to Lazy Vowel. (You might consider placing this fact, OUS =
ISS, on your word wall.) Teach some new vocabulary by defining unknown words and
then ask her to come up with sentences that use the new words.
In the first SION group, SION says “SHIN.” As you recall, that’s identical to the sound
of TION in Stage 15. (Compare: ACTION and MISSION.) This should be a fairly easy
group to do with her. Explain that SION, like TION, says SHIN. Then let her read the
other words listed.
In the second SION group, as well as in the SURE group, you and your child finally
encounter the 44th and final phoneme of English. That sound (see Table 1) is voiced
SH, symbolically, /SH/. I first discussed this unusual sound back in Chapter 2. It can
clearly be heard in the word ASIA: /A/ + /SH/ + /u/. Even though it’s the voiced
equivalent of /sh/, it is never spelled SH. If you look over the 2 groups of words with
asterisks in the appendix, you’ll notice this sound occurs in such common words as
PLEASURE and DECISION.
197
Before you do these two voiced SH groups with your child, get her to accurately
produce the voiced sound in isolation. To do this, start by having her review the unvoiced
sound, /sh/, she has been making since Stage 7. That should be easy. Once she is
making the unvoiced sound, tell her to keep the shape of her mouth unchanged, but
now add some voicing. (Demonstrate it yourself, going from /sh/ to /SH/ for her.) If
your child is having trouble with this new sound, have her say TREASURE. This word
has 2 syllables; the second syllable starts with the sound in question.
Now place the words MISSION and VISION on some paper. Compare and contrast
their sounds this way:
MISSION MIS-SHIN  sh is unvoiced

VISION VI-SHIN  sh is voiced
Once she can pronounce VISION correctly, place the remainder of the voiced SION words
on the paper under the word VISION and help with pronunciations as necessary:
MISSION MIS-SHIN  sh is unvoiced

VISION VI-SHIN  sh is voiced
COLLISION CO-LI-SHIN  sh is voiced (and so on)
Do the same with the SURE group. Have her compare the second syllable of
FLASHER (unvoiced SH) with the second syllable of PLEASURE (voiced SH). When she
can pronounce these two words correctly, introduce the SURE group this way:
FLASHER FLASH-ER  sh is unvoiced

PLEASURE PLE-SHER  sh is voiced
TREASURE TRE-SHER  sh is voiced (and so on)
In the final two groups, CIAL and TIAL are both spellings for the same sound:
“SHULL.” Think of the word DULL and then replace D with SH: SHULL. All the words in
these final two groups can be pronounced with the final syllable, “SHULL.” This is,
again, nothing other than Lazy Vowel. What is unusual in these two groups is that in
the one, C says /sh/, and in the other, T says /sh/. Simply have her equate both CIAL
and TIAL with “SHULL”:
FACIAL FA-SHULL PARTIAL PAR-SHULL

SOCIAL SO-SHULL ESSENTIAL ES-SEN-SHULL (and so on)
198
The Mute Group
You’ve arrived at the last phonics topic in this book. What better (and easier) way to
end than with the Mute Group! Gathered at the end of Appendix T are some of the
weirdest spellings in the English language. Happily, the number of words is quite
manageable. Eleven small groups, each having a letter that’s silent – a letter that is
mute. Two of the groups, K and W, provide review, but the other 9 are new. Have fun
with these words. Show the groups one at a time to your child and see if he can simply
read the words once you tell him which letter is silent.
THE END
Your feedback would be much appreciated.

You can contact me at:
[email protected]
or on Twitter @ParkerPhonics.
Free pdf copies of this book are available at
ParkerPhonics.com.
Printed copies are available at Amazon.
199
Appendices
200
Appendix A
Here are the 60 “words” that can be formed from the letters A, E, I, O, U, M, N, and S.
Boldface indicates a real word, a person’s name, the name of a letter, or an important
prefix or suffix.
Note: In these early stages, you are treating English as though it has no irregularities.
Therefore, be careful with the words SON, IS, and AS. These are irregular words in
English. At this early point in the program, they should be pronounced as they are in
the words SONIC, HISS, and ASTEROID.
Word Example Word Example Word Example Word Example

mass mascot sass sassy nas nasty ass asteroid
mess message ses sesame -ness nest ess escape
miss mistake sis sister nis tennis iss hiss
moss mosquito sos isosceles nos nostril oss ostrich
muss musty sus suspense nus bonus us fuss
mam mammal Sam sample nam dynamic am amuse

mem member sem seminar nem nemesis em empty
mim mimic sim simple nim nimble im improve
mom mommy som somber nom nominate om omelet
mum mumble sum summer num number um umbrella
man manage san sandal Nan banana an antique

men mention sen sentry nen continent en enjoy
min minimum sin sincere nin tannin in insect
mon monsoon son sonic non- nonsense on moron
mun munch sun sunset nun enunciate un- unwrap
201
Appendix B
VC stands for vowel-sound/consonant-sound.
CVC stands for consonant-sound/vowel-sound/consonant-sound.
VC CVC
PT PG PN TG TM DG DN
up pat peg pan tag Tim dig Dan
at pet pig pen tug Tom dog den
it pit gap pin get mat dug Don
add * pot pun got met God Ned
Ed putt * PS nap gut mitt * nod
id tap pass * nip mutt * DS
odd * tip pus TS Matt sad GS
egg * top sap TD toss * Sid sag
ug! sip tad sat sod gas
PD sup Ted set TN Gus
pad Todd * sit tan DM
pod dot ten dam GM
dip PM GN tin dim mug
Pam PP gun nut mad gum
DD map pap nag net mid Meg
dad mop pep nog not mud
did pip
dud pop GG TT
pup gag tot
gig
* These words are still considered CVC (or VC) because double consonants like SS, TT,
and DD make a single sound. Double consonants are not blends.
Note: Boxed words are important, high-frequency words.

202
Consonant Blends
CCVC stands for a word with a beginning consonant blend.

CVCC has a final consonant blend.
CCVC and CVCC CCVCC

ST- SN- -MP -NT
stem snap imp ant stamp
Stan snip ump mint stomp
stun snit sump pant stump
step snot pomp punt stand
stop snag pump tent stunt
stud snug temp tint spend
damp dent spent
SM- -ST dump sent
smug mast tamp
smog mist
must
SP- nest -ND -PT
span past and apt
spin pest sand opt CVCCC
spun test end tempt
spat dust send -SP
spit gust mend gasp
spot pond
sped tend
spam
203
Appendix C
VC CVC
BF BT BG BN FG KP KD KM
ebb buff * bat bag ban fig cap kid Kim
if fib bet beg Ben fog cop cod Mack
off bit big bin gaff * cup cud mock
ick! KB but bug bun guff * pack deck muck
ack! back * tab gab nab pick * Dick Mick
buck tub nub peck dock *
cab BS FS puck duck * KN
cob BD bass FP fuss can
cub bad Bess puff KT KS kin
bed boss FN cat kiss nick
BP bid bus FT fan kit cuss neck *
bop bud sob fat fin cot sack con
pub dab sub fit fun cut sick
Deb tack sock *
KF BM FM FD tick suck KG
cuff * BB bam! fem fad tock keg
Bob bum miff * fed tuck KK cog
bib mob muff * doff * kick
* Words ending in FF or CK are CVC words because both FF and CK make a single
consonant sound.

204
CCVC and CVCC CCVCC

ST- SC-/SK- SM- -SK -PT scamp
stab scab smack bask kept skimp
stub skiff smock task scant
staff scoff tusk -CT
stiff skip desk act
stuff scat -ST disk fact
stack skit best dusk pact
stick scam bust mask tact
stock skim fast ask
stuck scum fest -FT
scan fist -SP aft
SP- skin cast cusp gift
speck skid cost daft
-ND deft
-NT SN- -MP band sift
bent snob bump bend soft
bunt snub camp bond
font sniff fond
cant * snack fund
* Contractions, with proper apostrophes, will be covered in Stage 16.

205
Appendix D
VC CVC Consonant Blends
ill LP LD still lend flab slap elm clasp
Al lap lad spell lint fluff slip helm clamp
lip led spill left flack slop kelp cleft
LL lop lid smell lift fleck slit gulp flint
lull pal doll skill loft flick slot pulp clump
pill dull skull flock sled milk flask
LG blab flag slid sulk gland
lag LF LM last blob flap slam silk glint
leg fell Mel list bluff flip slim film plump
log fill mill lost black flop slum pelt plant
lug mull lust block flat split silt slump
gal LK lisp bled fled slant
gill lack LN lamp blog floss pluck melt slept
gull lick Nell limp blip plug felt splint *
lock null lump blot slab plop! belt elk
LB luck nil land bless slob plot tilt Clint
lab kill bliss slack plod self splat!
lob cull club blam! slick plus elf spilt
bell cliff slug plan cult
bill LS click clot golf
lass clock clad glib bland gulf
LT less cluck class glob blend
let loss clog clam glop blond
lit sell clap clan glut blast
lot sill clip glad blest
tell Sal glass blimp
till glum blunt
* A CCCVCC word!
206
Appendix E
CVC Consonant Blends
rib ram brass drug grid scram rest crest
rob rim brim drum grab scrap rust crust
rub rum bran drat! grub scrub rasp crisp
ref ran brat dress gruff scrod ramp cramp
rack Ron Brad drip Greg stress romp crimp
Rick run bred drop grill strap rump crump
rock rat brick drab grass strip rant crept
rag rot brag drag grin struck runt craft
rig rut drill grim rent
rug red crass grip frost rend primp
rap rid cross fret grit frump rapt prompt
rip rod cram Fred grad frisk risk print
Russ riff crap frock gram frock raft scrimp
rem crop Fran rift script
crud frill trot grump sprint
crab frog trod grand draft
crib track grant drift trill
crack press trick grunt dreck trust
crick prim truck graft tramp
crock prom tram grasp tromp
prep trim strand trump
prod trap brunt strict trend
prick trip brisk strum tract
prig trek brand
207
Appendix F
CVC Consonant Blends
van jab buzz * hot swim went
vat Jeb fizz hog swig wept
vet Jeff fuzz * hut swell welt
vim job Liz had twin weld
Val Jack razz * hid twig spritz
win Jill hub twit dwell
wet jock yes huff twist yelp
wit jig yum! hack zest hump
wed jog yen heck jest hand
web jug yip hick just hint
wick jam yet hag jump hunt
wag yuck! hug jilt husk
wig Jim yell hiss vast heft
well Jan yack ham vest hilt
will Jen hem vamp helm
jet hat him vend help
Zen Jed hit hum vent held
zap! jot hell hen west hulk
zip jut hill hip wisp hasp
zit jazz * hull hop wimp hemp
zig-zag jell wind ** Swiss
Zack wilt swag
wend swept
* A CVC word because ZZ symbolizes a single sound: /z/.

** Pronounce this with a short I rather than a long I.

208
S = /z/
as is has his
Some Anomalies
QU = KW X = KS WR = R WH = W KN = N
quit ox sex wrap when? knot
quiz ax six wreck whip knack
quilt box lax wrist whim knit
quick fax tax wren whiz knob
quip fix wax wham! knock
quest fox pox whiff
quell max vex whump!
quack mix flex whap!
squid nix text whack!
squint sax next whisk
squish hex tux whomp!
flax
209
Appendix G
SH CH TH
SH- -SH -SH CH- -TCH -NCH TH- THR-
ship ash brush chap batch inch thus throb
shop cash crash chip botch bunch that thrift
shack dash crush chop catch lunch thump thrill
shock dish fresh check ditch hunch theft thrust
shed fish bash chick fetch munch thick thrash
shall gash gush chuck hatch pinch thug thrum
shell rash hush chill latch punch them thrall
shin lash sham chin match ranch than
shun lush brash chat pitch stench then
shot mash Josh chum patch branch thin
shut mush chest stitch brunch thud
shaft sash clash champ snatch crunch this
shift wish flash chimp drench
shelf Welsh flesh chump snitch French -TH
squish flush chant sketch quench bath
hash trash chug scratch trench Beth
SHR- gosh! plush crotch scrunch math
shred rush slash -CH crutch flinch path
shrub stash slush much itch finch wrath
shrug splash such wrench with
shrill smash rich witch * smith
shrimp blush which * Dutch fifth
belch blotch sixth
clutch tenth
glitch broth
stretch moth
notch cloth
hutch filth
etch depth
wretch width
* Discuss the difference with your child

210
Two Special Groups Final S says /s/ Final S says /z/

E/EE ALL snacks nuts cans drums
be all hats plants balls beds
he ball lips tents eggs bugs
me call pets pests bells stands
she fall chicks gifts hens ends
we hall quits fists kids pigs
see mall rocks stamps twigs hands
three tall pots bumps thrills shells
tree stall lamps gulps swims smells
pee wall ducks puffs fins runs
bee small helps ships cobs webs
glee squall jumps cups nods grins
knee maps sees trees
spree bags tubs
fee spuds
flee is his
free as has
the **
** Usually pronounced /TH/ + /u/ (voiced TH)

211
Appendix H
ING ANG UNG ONG ENG
king bang dung long length
ring gang hung song strength
sing rang sung wrong England
wing sang flung strong
thing slang strung throng
fling fang stung bong
string hang lung prong
swing pang swung gong
bring clang clung Hong Kong
sting ANK INK UNK ONK
sling bank fink bunk bonk
ding drank blink dunk honk
cling rank brink gunk wonk
ping sank drink junk conk
wring tank kink punk plonk
spring yank link sunk zonk
I sing. thank pink chunk
He sings. blank rink stunk
They sing. crank sink trunk
You sing. prank slink clunk
We sing. spank stink drunk
She sings. stank think flunk
my ring dank wink hunk
our ring plank ink plunk
your ring flank mink shrunk
their ring shrink
her ring clink
his ring
212
Some decodable multi-syllable words

seven consent exist liquid present sickness
eleven backpack fastest magnet punish solid
belong bandit finish mattress puppet sunset
nothing banish sandwich melted rabbit talent
hundred basket gossip muffin rapid radish
absent biggest habit napkin restful chipmunk
fungus British hottest panic robin vanish
difficult bucket illness picnic rocket tennis
comet cabin insect planet rubbish himself
elastic Wisconsin fragment planted sadness expect
electric often limit plastic racket address
blinking chicken event pocket visit abolish
fantastic combat ticket sinking English jacket
halibut comment timid disrupt bashful invent
ketchup complex topic banana publish diminish
minimum contest relax basketball children selfish
maximum cricket drinking benefit splendid begin
public dentist pumpkin cabinet tantrum goblin
vivid discuss drumstick dustpan enchant upset
lament exit disgust bathtub within reckless
213
Adding ES creates a second syllable*

box boxes glass glasses
fox foxes branch branches
dish dishes fizz fizzes
wish wishes dress dresses
brush brushes splash splashes
flush flushes scratch scratches
fix fixes catch catches
kiss kisses bench benches
crash crashes lunch lunches
itch itches munch munches
* The final S says /z/
Adding ING to words

sit sitting kiss kissing
dig digging wish wishing
swim swimming fish fishing
skip skipping thrill thrilling
fib fibbing flush flushing
run running plant planting
jog jogging stand standing
grin grinning grasp grasping
drip dripping sketch sketching
spit spitting belch belching
chop chopping twist twisting
fix ** fixing pitch pitching
mix mixing dump dumping
** X is never doubled because it already stands for 2 consonants: KS.
Note: When adding ING, double a single consonant following the vowel. If you don’t,
the vowel becomes long (compare BIDDING and BIDING). You’ll deal with long vowels
shortly.
214
Appendix J
/A/
bake came ale crane ape ate fade
make game bale mane gape date jade
lake same gale pane tape fate made
take tame male sane drape hate wade
snake lame pale wane grape late shade
quake blame sale plane escape mate blade
brake flame tale Jane shape rate glade
cake shame whale insane scrape crate trade
wake name stale lane cape gate grade
fake became scale slate spade
flake frame Yale bare Dave state
sake exhale dare gave plate knave
shake craze female fare pave skate square
mistake faze inhale mare rave Kate
cupcake gaze rare save bathe
haze chase share wave clothe
maze base flare shave haste
raze vase glare brave waste
blaze case stare grave paste
glaze erase scare slave taste
graze spare behave
/E/
here Pete theme Steve meme these Steven
complete concrete extreme athlete compete fete excrete
stampede severe crème serene impede Eve millipede
/U/
cube cute fume muse use dispute amuse
puke mute volume compute fuse excuse perfume
rebuke refute legume mule abuse confuse commute
215
/I/
dime hide life file fire bite dive
lime ride rife mile tire white hive
mime side wife pile wire kite jive
time tide strife tile shire mite live
chime wide knife vile spire rite chive
grime glide fife smile ire site thrive
slime bride while retire trite five
crime pride dine hire spite drive
stride fine pipe admire smite strive
bike slide line ripe desire quite
dike divide mine wipe inspire write
hike inside nine gripe wise *
like pine swipe rise *
Mike tribe wine snipe strike prize
pike scribe vine stripe spine size
spike bribe shine
dislike describe swine
* A final S can have a Z sound
/O/
joke dome abode tote bone cope rose
poke home code wrote cone mope chose
woke Rome mode smote hone dope hose
yoke node dote tone hope close
spoke dole rode quote clone pope doze
bloke hole vote drone rope froze
choke mole scone scope pose
broke pole cove lobe stone slope suppose
smoke role stove globe throne grope nose
stoke sole drove robe trope oppose
stroke stole trove strobe those
whole rove probe
216
Appendix K
/O/ /E/
OA EE EA
boat hoax deed steel steer bead jeans seat
float coax feed kneel queer lead lean cheat
goat load heed eel sneer plead mean treat
coat road need beef peer read clean each
gloat toad seed reef beet knead bean beach
bloat moat bleed beep feet leak cheap peach
cloak oath breed deep meet beak leap reach
soak coach creed keep sweet bleak ear teach
oak roach freed peep sheet speak dear heap
oat poach greed seep fleet squeak fear feast
goal topcoat speed weep tweet deal smear peak
coal unload weed sheep greet heal gear weak
foam croak meek steep sleet meal near sneak
loam toasting seek sleep street real rear tea
roam loafing week creep keen seal tear sea
loan throat sleek beer teeth steal clear pea
moan toast creek deer green squeal hear beast
groan roast feel jeer seen beam year least
oar coast heel leer teen cream wheat yeast
roar boast keel cheer queen team eat east
soar oaf wheel squeeze peek dream beat season
soap loaf peel freeze cheek gleam neat reason
board jeep breeze sweep steam defeat oatmeal
hoard deem sneeze Greek stream heat seacoast
seem geese degree scream meat ease *
teem cheese * sleeve heave grease tease *
breech leech speech leave release please *
weave increase decrease
* A final S can have a Z sound

217
/A/
AI
raid rain stair trail quaint affair
afraid vain fair flail saint detail
laid chain hair quail paint attain
paid train lair jail pigtail raisin
braid sprain pair mail bait sailboat
aid drain chair nail wait obtain
maid brain flair pail strait refrain
repaid strain air rail trait explain
gain stain ail frail remain complain
lain Spain snail hail aim railroad
slain plain fail waist maim maintain
main grain sail faith claim raincoat
pain again tail mailbox repair airline
16 EA exceptions
/e/ /A/
dead bear
head tear
bread wear
instead pear
read * swear
threat break
sweat steak
meant great
* Discuss the two pronunciations of this word

218
Adding S or ES
likes bites needs
makes prizes * sleeps
grapes chokes peaches *
skates ropes cleans
saves snores beasts
bikes dozes * roaches *
hides supposes * seas
wipes mules trains
tires uses * flashes *
* Requires an extra syllable because

the last sound in the original word is
/s/, /z/, /ch/, or /sh/
Adding ING
bake baking moan moaning
take taking weep weeping
skate skating toast toasting
share sharing feed feeding
bike biking speak speaking
hike hiking dream dreaming
ride riding rain raining
slide sliding sail sailing
smile smiling wear wearing
bite biting pee peeing
write writing see seeing
behave behaving flee fleeing
puke puking speed speeding
rise rising soak soaking
219
Appendix L
/ew/ /oo/ /oy/
OO EW UE U-E OO OY OI
moon moo blew true tube took boy boil
soon mood chew glue nude book joy soil
spoon tooth brew flu dude hook soy coil
croon booth crew Sue prude cook toy oil
goon pool dew blue rude crook coy spoil
lagoon poop flew due include brook Roy toil
loon spoof grew clue Duke shook ploy foil
noon root knew untrue Luke nook cloy roil
balloon scoop new avenue fluke look annoy broil
groom shoot stew cruel June rook enjoy coin
boom boot threw prune good busboy join
doom too strew tune wood convoy groin
loom tool slew dune stood decoy loins
room troop Jew flute hood destroy poison
zoom zoo Jewish brute foot employ joint
broom boo! screw salute soot loyal point
food hoof news costume wool royal appoint
fool raccoon shrew consume alloy void
goo bloom lewd pollute except: boycott droid
goop proof drew crude flood ahoy! avoid
hoop gloom conclude blood troy devoid
hoot roof hoist
loop scoot /y/ + /ew/ moist
loot drool few rescue foist
snoop kook tissue value exploit
buffoon saloon pooch fuel toilet
baboon igloo groove oink
goof spook ooze
boost cool choose
moose goose loose
220
/ow/ /aw/
OW OU AW AU Other
cow round out jaw haul
bow found pout raw maul -ALT
how? ground rout saw Paul salt
now hound scout law laud halt
vow mound shout paw fraud malt
chow pound spout flaw fault
brow sound stout draw vault -ALK
plow bound trout claw taut walk
wow! wound sprout thaw taunt stalk
ow! loud lout straw haunt talk
pow! cloud clout slaw jaunt chalk
yow! proud devout lawn flaunt
allow count about pawn aunt
mount couch yawn daunt -ALL
brown fount pouch fawn gaunt ball
crown south grouch dawn launch fall
down mouth slouch crawl haunch all
drown oust crouch brawl exhaust hall
frown joust ouch! bawl August call
gown roust astound shawl sauna tall
town foul around sprawl because * small
clown noun amount hawk assault wall
owl our discount gawk autumn ** stall
howl sour awful augment mall
growl flour except: outlaw applaud
fowl dour group spawn cause
prowl devour soup Australia
cowboy youth gauze
crowd touch applause
* Not so tricky after all!

** Silent N prepares for “autumnal”
221
/ar/ /or/
AR OR ORE
jar farm harp or orbit actor bore
far fart harsh nor stubborn cantor gore
arch arctic lard for forget captor core
arm hard march cord port condor lore
art harm larva lord minor doctor more
bar lark marsh ford major horse pore
barf mark park dorm worn comfort chore
bark dart part form moron corncob shore
barn March start storm effort corner sore
car market scarf born harbor north tore
card cartoon scarlet corn morning forth spore
cart tar shard horn sort porch wore
chard target shark morn short scorch store
charm tart sharp torn snort color snore
chart yard smart thorn airport author score
dark yarn spark fort formal discord explore
starch harpoon star export escort absorb before
apart alarm quart import New York coral ignore
snarl carve starve valor sailor dork adore
Carl bard alarm victor pork moral implore
arc arcade carp sport stork gorilla restore
arrive artist carpet scorn savor forest
arsenic charcoal organ afford orb
mortal door * cork
floor * fork
except: except:
war word worst worm
warm work world
* OOR is an uncommon spelling for /or/

222
/er/
ER IR UR
after hotter cover smirk dirt turn hurl
under smaller monster squirm first burn turd
never bigger oyster chirp whirl spurn surf
over smarter fern birch sir burst turf
her softer stern birth stir church curl
hers faster verb girth third burp burger
other * taller booger mirth thirst slurp curt
brother * darker finger irk girl hurt purse
mother * harder expert shirk skirt blurt blur
sister liver computer shirt squirt lurk slur
tower butter internet quirk flirt curb concur
shower river disaster firm bird spurt purr
flower farmer corner direct squirrel lurch fur
power carpenter silver twirl swirl burner churn
number wonder permanent smirch confirm disturb curve
perch destroyer term fir survive curse
asteroid lever September cur blurb
otter perk sneakers suburb burnt
herd jerk thunder absurd burden
nerd clerk tender duress unfurl
hunger permit blister incur nurse
dinner insert ladder occur current
twerp verse nerve curtail curtain
perform serve observe
toaster barber anger
singer thinker
* The O in these 3 important words is closer to an /u/ sound.

223
Appendix M
/A/ /O/
AY O OW OE
away pay Norway go arrow minnow doe
bay play dismay no below mow foe
day player betray so blow narrow hoe
decay ray saying also borrow pillow Joe
delay runway playing pro bow row toe
essay say * staying metro bowl shadow oboe
gay slay Monday cargo burrow shallow woe
gray spray Tuesday jello crow show goes
hay birthday Wednesday hello elbow slow tiptoe
hurray! stay Thursday loco glow snow
yay! stray Friday bingo flow sow
lay sway Saturday banjo grow sparrow except:
may today Sunday buffalo grown stow shoe
nay tray okay mango hollow swallow canoe
May way blue jay oregano know throw
maybe repay clay pesto low tow
fray layer array condo mellow widow
subway holiday display tempo knows willow
pray mayhem portray motto own window
prayer slay torso known yellow
spray stingray poncho growing billow
going knowing sorrow
jumbo showing bellow
yo-yo following fellow
except: snowing follow
to
do
who
* SAY is no longer a “tricky” word.

224
/I/ /E/
Y IE Y EY E/EE
my pie belly greedy screwy key be
by die any grouchy silly monkey he
why? lie angry grumpy skinny donkey me
cry tie berry hairy sleepy money we
try bloody happy stinky honey she
fly bossy hungry snowy valley fee
fry bumpy injury soapy turkey bee
shy candy itchy softly trolley knee
sky chewy jelly sorry hockey pee
sly comedy jolly speedy barley see
spy creamy jumpy starry whiskey flee
dry creepy kitty sticky kidney glee
ply curly lousy story chimney tree
spry daddy lucky study gooey agree
guy * daily mainly stuffy parsley three
buy * dearly many sunny alley free
dirty mommy thirsty jockey coffee
easy thirty goofy homey toffee
enemy nasty toasty volley disagree
every nippy tricky degree
fairly noisy tummy employee
family party ugly foresee
foggy penny very referee
funny puppy cloudy levee
fussy rocky yummy spree
fuzzy rusty forty except:
pity sadly fifty obey
except: prey
July defy supply grey
reply deny apply hey!
multiply they
* slightly irregular due to the U

225
Adding ING
try trying dry drying hurry hurrying
cry crying say saying play playing
fly flying stay staying study studying
fry frying stray straying annoy annoying
Adding Y to a short vowel word

sun sunny fish fishy
fun funny rock rocky
pig piggy smell smelly
mom mommy stick sticky
dad daddy slush slushy
sex sexy * fuzz fuzzy
fog foggy mess messy
mug muggy hand handy
* Never double X. It already represents 2 consonants: KS
Adding Y to a long vowel word

shine shiny foam foamy
smoke smoky soap soapy
haze hazy toast toasty
grime grimy weep weepy
slime slimy sleep sleepy
scare scary sneak sneaky
shade shady rain rainy
Adding LY to a word
safely widely rudely loosely
loudly timely lonely bravely
lately freely likely closely
226
Forming the Plural; Subject-Verb Agreement

Change Y to I and add ES Simply add S
candy candies dummy dummies pay pays annoy annoys
belly bellies fifty fifties day days monkey monkeys
story stories jelly jellies play plays turkey turkeys
penny pennies body bodies pray prays kidney kidneys
party parties bunny bunnies stay stays destroy destroys
twenty twenties fly flies tray trays decay decays
kitty kitties try tries boy boys delay delays
guppy guppies cry cries toy toys spray sprays
The Schwa Sound (also known as Lazy Vowel)
Lazy vowels defaulting to /u/

A = /u/ AL = “ULL” EL = “ULL”
panda flora abide pedal dismal camel channel
vanilla about adore royal mortal tunnel snorkel
extra adapt adult animal arrival squirrel gavel
zebra adopt agree normal comical travel rebel
Canada aloof avoid dental metal vowel barrel
alarm apart ajar floral central towel funnel
along awake alone medical survival axel gospel
adorn abuse aware hospital medal chapel marvel
amend appoint arrest sandal formal novel shovel
umbrella momma America equal signal damsel pretzel
afraid attach pizza * festival carnival panel hazel
acclaim amaze plaza mental loyal nickel level
annoy parka around several petal grovel vessel
arrive soda abort morsel tinsel
* very irregular!
227
Lazy vowels defaulting to /i/

cotton Boston kitten shorten payment prudent
carton bitten listen given thousand sudden
button fasten rotten nervous kitchen skeleton
mountain item talent pavement student atlas
fountain enemy element absent happen lemon
focus gallon evident garment ribbon pelican
Lazy vowels defaulting to /er/

altar lunar molar polar solar vicar
collar cougar dollar mortar pillar stellar
vulgar cheddar regular odor actor color
donor humor honor alligator mayor favor
rigor razor vigor tumor tutor author
vapor doctor cursor fervor sailor monitor
228
Appendix N
The Giggle Group
giggle jiggle drizzle puddle kettle tinkle
apple juggle eagle purple kissable example
babble cuddle fickle puzzle little fizzle
battle snuggle fiddle riddle lovable sniffle
beetle needle fixable rubble marble startle
bottle nibble feeble sample middle sizzle
bubble doodle wobble gobble mumble humble
buckle nipple wiggle handle struggle tumble
bumble noodle ankle simple tackle uncle
bundle nuzzle possible muffle tattle waffle
candle battle visible mingle temple jungle
cattle paddle gargle people * terrible huggable
chuckle pebble hassle knuckle tickle huddle
cripple pickle poodle crumble saddle topple
* Slightly irregular - just hide the O.
The GH Groups
AUGH = OUGH = EIGH =
IGH = /I/ GH = /f/
/aw/ /aw/ /A/
night fright caught ought eight rough
light delight taught bought weight tough
might tonight daughter sought freight enough
right lightning naught fought sleigh laugh
sight thigh fraught thought weigh cough
tight sigh naughty brought neigh
fight high haughty wrought neighbor
slight except: distraught
flight bite
bright spite except:
plight kite height
229
PH = /f/
phone humph! Ralph elephant prophet phonics
phase phew! orphan phantom triumph pamphlet
oomph! graph telephone nephew Philip sphere
phooey! dolphin alphabet emphasis phrase
The Wild Group

IND ILD OST OLD
bind mild most old
find wild ghost cold
mind child post fold
blind host hold
grind sold
wind told
kind gold
behind OTH scold
both bold
TION = “SHIN” TURE = “CHER”

action direction rupture mixture
mention caution nurture lecture
fiction portion fixture texture
fraction election capture fracture
addition condition posture literature
subtraction infection pasture vulture
multiplication attention culture rapture
question * tradition picture stature
ambition invention feature creature
section suction mature moisture
affection adoption venture overture
option potion puncture furniture
edition motion departure adventure
connection lotion signature sculpture
junction notion
* “CHIN” rather than “SHIN”

230
First Syllable Closed

din/ner com/plete des/cribe mis/lead im/press
sup/per prob/lem des/pise sub/ject in/sult
lad/der com/mon des/pair sub/way in/sist
dus/ty per/haps per/fect sub/mit in/spect
trav/el dif/fer/ent thir/teen dis/as/ter in/stinct
chil/dren ex/am/ple or/bit fan/tas/tic fif/ty
hel/lo en/ter/tain ov/en dis/like un/kind
nap/kin hun/dred emp/ty dis/cuss un/like
mis/ter loud/ly pub/lish dis/rupt un/do
con/test dis/tant in/spire dis/pute con/tain
trum/pet con/stant sep/ar/ate dis/gust kin/der/gar/ten
tun/nel div/ide en/joy/ment dis/turb in/ter/es/ting
les/son sub/tract his/tor/y bur/den un/der/stand
nev/er fes/tiv/al val/en/tine fig/ment but/ter/fly
bet/ter ad/ven/ture fing/er com/ment hos/pit/al
mom/my im/por/tant sup/pose com/et ill/ness
dad/dy how/ev/er bot/tom sing/ing dis/cov/er
hap/pen sev/er/al straw/ber/ry num/ber vow/el
231
First Syllable Open

la/dy po/ta/to na/ture cre/a/tion pi/lot
la/zy ba/sic mo/tion ro/ta/tion fla/vor
la/ter hu/man sta/tion re/peat bo/nus
ti/ny pre/pare va/ca/tion be/tween fi/nal
o/pen pre/tend na/tion re/lax be/hind
pa/per pre/dict lo/tion u/nit e/qual
pro/vide re/lax vi/bra/tion u/nite fa/tal
tu/lip re/fute e/mo/tion o/dor re/quire
so/lar no/ble tri/umph e/vil to/ma/to
pho/to de/ny re/mark i/vy re/mind
de/pend de/coy be/yond ba/con fre/quent
de/sire de/lay re/main gra/vy be/neath
to/tal ta/ble mo/ment i/tem re/quest
ri/val ho/tel thou/sand ma/ple e/qua/tor
232
Mixed Syllables
vol/ca/no ex/act/ly
e/lec/tric in/for/ma/tion
mel/o/dy ev/er/y/one
an/at/o/my de/jec/ted
Hal/lo/ween dis/be/lief
ar/gu/ment un/der/wear
choc/o/late e/quip/ment
co/op/er/ate in/ves/tig/a/tion
e/vap/or/ate con/grat/u/la/tions
in/stru/ment op/por/tu/nit/y
rep/re/sent vo/cab/u/lar/y
pre/ven/tion al/lig/a/tor
cu/cum/ber com/mu/nit/y
re/mem/ber con/stel/la/tion
par/tic/u/lar ca/lam/it/y
tem/per/a/ture con/stip/a/tion
lo/co/mo/tive Oc/to/ber
cal/cu/la/tor No/vem/ber
ed/u/ca/tion ap/pli/ca/tion
ev/er/y/thing dic/tion/ar/y
con/so/nant con/sti/pa/tion
233
Appendix O
Y = /I/ Y = /i/
style hyphen tyke crystal lyrics syllable
type hydrant tyrant cryptic myth synthetic
hype dynamic hybrid nymph mystery system
analyze dynasty dynamite syrup hypnotize symptom
hyena python hyper lynx rhythm symbol
typhoon nylon hydrate lynch physics analysis
tycoon pylon typhoid lymph typical tryst
S often spells /z/

nose abuse pause use is whose
rise cause suppose his refuse these
hose tease expose as always please
rose close compose was those has
wise accuse praise does chose choose
pose oppose cheese goes dispose raise
prose advise excuse says disclose enclose
C can spell /s/ (Soft C)

ice space circle certain since reduce
nice face citrus cents wince produce
rice lace city succeed mince decide
spice place cycle ceremony sentence mercy
twice brace cyan fascinate princess exercise
vice trace cell icy recess lettuce
dice cereal celebrate spicy except literacy
mice cents cigar fancy bounce pencil
lice accent cymbal Nancy pounce sauce
price celery cynic dance notice December
slice cement cyclone glance choice simplicity
ace center cider chance rejoice service
grace concentrate circus prince cylinder force
race magnificent central process faucet peace
pace necessary exciting absence fence embrace
234
G can spell /j/ (Soft G)

age huge large college
cage refuge charge courage
page merge orange manage
rage emerge gym sausage
sage range gyp lounge
stage change gypsy sponge
wage strange rigid ginger
image urge gender Ginny
engage purge gin gel
package virgin urgent gently
garbage verge general original
damage fudge gentle gesture
passage judge gem gigantic
average grudge germ giant
cabbage nudge gene allergy
village edge gibberish tragic
voyage pledge energy logic
savage ledge stingy imagination
luggage dodge apology refrigerator
advantage lodge magic intelligent
digit badge gyrate agency
agile agenda agitate emergency
except:
gill gift get give
girl giggle gimmick tiger
235
Silent E categories
A B C D E
home nice stage pickle have
mistake space image noodle give
five embrace damage struggle move
mule chance huge rattle love
arrive prince change snuggle above
case choice fudge rubble twelve
wise spice manage bottle glove
sale disgrace sponge drizzle nerve
Steve sauce orange purple reserve
game fence college temple involve
time practice garage terrible resolve
F G H I
true house breeze climate
blue mouse * sneeze private
due moose are accurate
clue goose * cheese deliberate
glue horse were delicate
recue corpse awe opposite
subdue nurse come definite
tissue spouse some estimate
avenue curse done volatile
argue eclipse giraffe chorale
continue promise medicine literate
* The plural, of course, is mice and geese.

236
IE and EI both spell /E/

IE EI diminutives plurals
grief cookie receive doggie sixties
thief movie conceive Mollie ladies
chief believe deceive Tommie armies
brief relieve receipt Maggie babies
belief achieve perceive Susie cookies
relief piece conceit Katie bodies
field niece ceiling oldie bunnies
yield shriek either softie pennies
shield fiend neither kiddie goodies
wield cashier leisure cutie candies
hygiene seize
weird
caffeine
deceit
sheik
protein
except:
stein reign feint their * vein
veil view heir
* An earlier tricky word

237
33 Common Contractions
Contraction Short for Phonetic
aren't are not ARNT
can't can not CANT
couldn't could not COODINT
didn't did not DIDINT
doesn't does not DUZINT
don't do not DOANT
hasn't has not HAZINT
haven't have not HAVINT
he'll he will HEEL
he's he is HEEZ
I'll I will ILE
I'm I am IME
isn't is not IZINT
it's it is ITS
I've I have IVE
let's let us LETS
she'll she will SHEEL
she's she is SHEEZ
shouldn't should not SHOODINT
they'll they will THAIL
they're they are THAIR
they've they have THAVE
wasn't was not WUZINT
we'll we will WEEL
we're we are WEER
weren't were not WERNT
we've we have WEEV
who's who is HOOZ
won't will not WOANT
wouldn't would not WOODINT
you'll you will YOOL
you're you are YOOR
you've you have YOOV
238
Appendix P
The Code: Spelling
Encoding Sounds (Phonemes) into Letters
Sound Possible Letters

a-e* (made) ai (sail) ay (stay) a (nation)
1 /A/
ea (great) eigh (eight) ey (they) ei (vein)
2 /a/ a (hat)
ee (week) ea (heat) y (candy) ie (field)
3 /E/
e (me) ei (receive) e-e* (theme) ey (key)
4 /e/ e (bed) ea (bread) ai (said)
i-e* (time) i (tiny) y (cry) igh (high)
5 /I/
ie (pie)
6 /i/ i (sit) y (myth)
o-e* (hope) oa (boat) o (go) ow (snow)
7 /O/
oe (toe) ough (though)
8 /o/ o (got) a (father)
9 /u/ u (nut) oo (blood) o (from) ou (rough)
oo (moon) ew (grew) u-e* (prune) ue (blue)
10 /ew/ u (student) o (do) ui (fruit) oe (shoe)
ou (you) ough (through)
11 /oo/ oo (book) u (pull) ou (could)
12 /oy/ oi (soil) oy (joy)
13 /ow/ ou (loud) ow (cow)
au (fraud) aw (lawn) a (ball) o (dog)
14 /aw/
augh (taught) ough (bought)
15 /ar/ ar (car)
16 /or/ or (corn) ore (store) our (four) oor (door)
17 /er/ er (perch) ir (birch) ur (church)
18 /ear/ ear (dear) eer (deer) ere (here)
19 /air/ air (fair) are (fare) ear (pear)
20 /oor/ ure (sure) oor (poor)
* The hyphen stands for any consonant.

239
Sound Possible Letters

21 /b/ b (bat)
22 /d/ d (dog) dd (add)
23 /f/ f (fun) ph (phone) ff (stuff) gh (rough)
24 /g/ g (gift) gu (guest) gh (ghost) gg (egg)
25 /h/ h (happy)
26 /j/ j (jar) g (germ)
27 /k/ k (keep) c (cat) ck (pick) ch (school)
28 /l/ l (lake) ll (bell)
29 /m/ m (man)
30 /n/ n (net) kn (knife) gn (gnat)
31 /p/ p (past)
32 /r/ r (run) wr (write)
33 /s/ s (sleep) c (city) ss (kiss)
34 /t/ t (top) ed (picked) tt (mutt)
35 /v/ v (van) f (of)
36 /w/ w (wish) wh (white)
37 /y/ y (yellow)
38 /z/ z (zipper) s (hands) zz (jazz)
39 /sh/ sh (ship) t (action) s (mission) c (special)
40 /SH/ * s (vision) z (seizure)
41 /ch/ ch (chin) t (nature)
42 /th/ th (thank)
43 /TH/ * th (mother)
44 /ng/ ng (sing)
* Voiced version of the sound (see Chapter 2)

240
Appendix Q
The Code: Reading
Decoding Letters into Sounds (Phonemes)
Letter Possible Sounds

a /a/ (apple) /A/ (paper) /aw/ (ball)
b /b/ (boy)
c /k/ (cat) /s/ (city) /sh/ (precious)
d /d/ (dog)
e /e/ (enter) /E/ (me)
f /f/ (fan) /v/ (of)
g /g/ (get) /j/ (energy)
h /h/ (hat)
i /i/ (in) /I/ (title) /E/ (stadium)
j /j/ (jam)
k /k/ (kiss)
l /l/ (lip)
m /m/ (mat)
n /n/ (nap)
o /o/ (box) /O/ (bonus) /aw/ (dog) /ew/ (do)
p /p/ (pickle)
qu /k/+/w/ (quit)
r /r/ (run)
s /s/ (sit) /z/ (pans) /sh/ (tension) /SH/ (vision)
t /t/ (top) /ch/ (future) /sh/ (action)
u /u/ (up) /y/+/ew/ (cube) /ew/ (rude) /oo/ (pull)
v /v/ (van)
w /w/ (win)
x /k/+/s/ (box)
y /y/ (yell) /E/ (candy) /I/ (fly) /i/ (myth)
z /z/ (zip) /SH/ (seizure)
241
Letters Possible Sounds

ai /A/ (sail) /e/ (said)
air /air/ (fair)
ar /ar/ (far)
are /air/ (care) /ar/ (are)
au /aw/ (fraud)
aw /aw/ (lawn)
ay /A/ (pay)
ch /ch/ (chip) /k/ (school)
ck /k/ (stick)
dd /d/ (add)
dge /j/ (badge)
ea /E/ (seat) /e/ (head) /A/ (great)
ear /ear/ (dear) /air/ (pear)
ed /d/ (called) /t/ (picked)
ee /E/ (keep)
eer /ear/ (beer)
ei /E/ (receive) /A/ (vein)
er /er/ (her)
ere /ear/ (here) /air/ (there)
ew /ew/ (new) /y/+/ew/ (few)
ey /E/ (key) /A/ (they)
ff /f/ (stiff)
gg /g/ (egg)
gh /g/ (ghost) /f/ (laugh)
gn /n/ (gnat)
ie /E/ (brief) /I/ (pie)
igh /I/ (sight)
ir /er/ (dirt)
kn /n/ (knee)
ll /l/ (bell)
ng /ng/ (sing)
242

nk /ng/+/k/ (sink)
oa /O/ (boat)
oe /O/ (toe) /ew/ (shoe) /u/ (does)
oi /oy/ (boil)
oo /ew/ (moon) /oo/ (good) /u/ (blood)
or /or/ (corn)
ore /or/ (store)
oor /oor/ (poor)
ou /ow/ (cloud) /oo/ (could) /ew/ (you)
ow /ow/ (cow) /O/ (snow)
oy /oy/ (toy)
ph /f/ (phone)
ps /s/ (psychic)
sh /sh/ (ship)
ss /s/ (mess)
tch /ch/ (batch)
th /th/ (thin) /TH/ (these)
tt /t/ (mutt)
ue /ew/ (blue) /y/+/ew/ (cue)
ui /ew/ (fruit) /i/ (build)
ur /er/ (church)
ure /oor/ (lure)
wh /w/ (when)
wr /r/ (wrist)
zz /z/ (jazz)
243

a-e* /A/ (bake)
e-e* /E/ (theme)
i-e* /I/ (time)
o-e* /O/ (stone)
u-e* /ew/ (tune) /y/ + /ew/ (cute)
augh /aw/ (caught)
eigh /A/ (eight) /I/ (height)
ough /aw/ (thought) /O/ (though) /ew/ (through)
* The hyphen stands for any consonant.
The following common letter strings are phonetically irregular. The beginning reader
should master these 14 pronunciations. Many of these are good examples of Lazy Vowel
(see Stage 13).

-ind /I/ + /n/ + /d/ (find) /i/ + /n/ + /d/ (wind)
-ild /I/ + /l/ + /d/ (child) /i/ + /l/ + /d/ (build)
-ost /O/ + /s/ + /t/ (most) /aw/ + /s/ + /t/ (lost)
-old /O/ + /l/ + /d/ (cold)
-le "ull" (bubble)
-ous "iss" (joyous)
-ious /E/ + "iss" (curious)
-cious "shiss" (precious)
-tion "shin" (fraction)
-sion "shin" (mission) /SH/ + "in" (vision)
-sure "sher" (pressure) /SH/+/er/ (measure)
-ture "cher" (future)
-cial "shull" (facial)
-tial "shull" (partial)
244
Appendix R
Consonant Blends
31 Beginning Blends 45 Ending Blends

bl pl spl ct mp rb
br pr spr dth mpt rd
cl sc shr ft nth rf
cr sk sph fth nch rg
dr sl squ x = ks nk rk
dw sm str lt nt rl
fl sn tr lf nd rm
fr sp tw lm ngth rn
gl sw thr ln pth rp
gr st scr lth pt rt
qu = kw lp tch rch
lsh xt rsh
ld sp rth
lk st rve
lch sk rst
245
Appendix S
The Tricky 50
Correct Phonetic Correct Phonetic
Spelling Spelling Spelling Spelling
above abuv put poot
are ar said sed
because becuz says sez
been bin should shood
come cum some sum
could cood sure shoor
do doo their thair
does duz there thair
done dun they thay
eight ate though tho
eye I through throo
four for to too
friend frend two too
from frum want wunt
give giv was wuz
goes goze watch wawch
gone gawn were wer
have hav what wut
love luv where wair
move moov who hoo
none nun whose hooz
of uv woman woomin
once wuns would wood
one wun you yoo
only oanly your yoor
In the above phonetic spellings, OO sometimes spells /oo/

and sometimes spells /ew/, just as it does in GOOD FOOD.
246
Appendix T
EU = /ew/ or EU = /y/ + /ew/
eulogy neuter feud leukemia queue
eunuch neuron sleuth deuce eureka!
pseudo
IO EO IU UA UI IA
lion eon opium usual ruin friar mania
radio video odium dual fluid liar via
riot rodeo sodium actual * truism dial petunia
idiot meow podium jaguar bruin trial giant
audio peony medium sexual suicide vial Maria
scorpion peon radius truant intuit denial dialog
biopsy yeoman genius ritual * genuine jovial piano
axiom meteor helium nuance tuition trivial aviation
ravioli stereo calcium mutual * penguin material utopia
violin nucleon premium sensual maniac pliable
biology galleon aquarium gradual fruit fiasco diatribe
carrion jeopardy stadium factual * juice phobia amphibian
champion theology delirium virtual * suit diary burial
chariot surgeon tedium punctual bruise media medial
Ohio dungeon geranium annual cruise anemia menial
studio theorem aluminum casual recruit diagram median
cardio geometry gymnasium persuade diamond alias
violent luncheon language guide diaper pariah
million deodorant valuable guess Georgia bacteria
onion guilt genial Louisiana
opinion guitar bias California
union guile avian aviator
region disguise familiar deviate
guest diagonal brilliant
* The T has a /ch/ sound, as in Stage 15

247
Forming the Past Tense

Add D Add ED Double the Consonant
smile smiled play played beg begged
love loved stay stayed wag wagged
close closed enter entered tag tagged
pee peed scream screamed grin grinned
use used snow snowed jog jogged
die died plow plowed grab grabbed
lie lied rain rained brag bragged
share shared foam foamed rub rubbed
behave behaved moan moaned fib fibbed
dine dined jeer jeered pin pinned
describe described cheer cheered rob robbed
snore snored dream dreamed drum drummed
chuckle chuckled clean cleaned hum hummed
giggle giggled boil boiled stun stunned
join joined
ED = /t/ 2 Syllables Change Y to I, add ED
flush flushed nod nodded carry carried
kiss kissed wait waited hurry hurried
check checked skate skated cry cried
sip sipped chat chatted fry fried
laugh laughed float floated try tried
fish fished melt melted copy copied
pinch pinched end ended envy envied
leak leaked wilt wilted bully bullied
splash splashed yield yielded empty emptied
soak soaked fade faded marry married
skip skipped trade traded tarry tarried
sniff sniffed taste tasted comply complied
cough coughed waste wasted worry worried
bake baked toast toasted imply implied
chase chased greet greeted reply replied
look looked shout shouted rely relied
crash crashed supply supplied
248
Comparative and Superlative

hot hotter hottest shady shadier shadiest
tall taller tallest sunny sunnier sunniest
smart smarter smartest dirty dirtier dirtiest
soft softer softest messy messier messiest
small smaller smallest hard harder hardest
wet wetter wettest easy easier easiest
ripe riper ripest brave braver bravest
sweet sweeter sweetest cheap cheaper cheapest
The OUS Family

IOUS = UOUS = CIOUS =
OUS = “iss”
/E/ + “iss” /U/ + “iss” /sh/ + “iss”
joyous obvious strenuous precious
enormous previous arduous gracious
nervous serious incongruous luscious
jealous curious conspicuous vicious
famous envious continuous spacious
scandalous various fatuous atrocious
fabulous hilarious ingenuous conscious
dangerous furious innocuous delicious
numerous tedious sensuous ferocious
ravenous odious sumptuous malicious
hazardous studious virtuous pernicious
poisonous victorious voluptuous suspicious
generous hideous ambiguous
odorous nefarious tenuous
perilous notorious
rigorous glorious
barbarous copious
zealous spurious
callous delirious
pompous dubious
raucous melodious
gorgeous devious
249
Below, in column 2 and column 3, the 44th (and final) sound of English finally
appears.
It’s the voiced version of /sh/, symbolically, /SH/.
SION = SION = SURE = CIAL = TIAL =

“shin” /SH/ + “in” /SH/ + “er” “shull” “shull”
tension vision * measure * facial partial
mansion decision * treasure * racial martial
pension collision * pleasure * social spatial
mission version * closure * crucial essential
session illusion * leisure * glacial potential
passion division * exposure * special torrential
omission explosion * composure * official initial
expansion occasion * fissure * financial credential
admission confusion * seizure * artificial prudential
expression conclusion *
compassion invasion *
permission aversion *
fusion *
erosion *
* The S in these words has the same voiced sound as the SI in the word ASIA:
ASIA = /A/ + /SH/ + /u/
250
The Mute Group

mute B mute C mute G mute H mute K mute L
bomb scissors sign ache knew half
comb science * assign chaos knave calf
dumb ascend design Christmas knee folk
doubt descend gnat character knife yolk
lamb scent gnaw chord knit caulk
thumb scene gnarly echo knob
crumb muscle gnash orchid knock
climb scintillate cologne school knuckle
numb czar gnome ghost knight
mute N mute P mute S mute T mute W
autumn psalm aisle castle wrap
solemn pseudo debris fasten wrath
column psych island hustle wreck
condemn pneumonia isle listen answer
damn coup Illinois moisten wretch
hymn raspberry nestle wrist
cupboard whistle wrong
receipt wrestle sword
jostle two
251
Appendix U
The 100 Most Frequent English Words
Rank Word Rank Word Rank Word Rank Word Rank Word
1 the 21 this 41 so 61 people 81 back
2 be 22 but 42 up 62 into 82 after
3 to 23 his 43 out 63 year 83 use
4 of 24 by 44 if 64 your 84 two
5 and 25 from 45 about 65 good 85 how
6 a 26 they 46 who 66 some 86 our
7 in 27 we 47 get 67 could 87 work
8 that 28 say 48 which 68 them 88 first
9 have 29 her 49 go 69 see 89 well
10 I 30 she 50 me 70 other 90 way
11 it 31 or 51 when 71 than 91 even
12 for 32 an 52 make 72 then 92 new
13 not 33 will 53 can 73 now 93 want
14 on 34 my 54 like 74 look 94 because
15 with 35 one 55 time 75 only 95 any
16 he 36 all 56 no 76 come 96 these
17 as 37 would 57 just 77 its 97 give
18 you 38 there 58 him 78 over 98 day
19 do 39 their 59 know 79 think 99 most
20 at 40 what 60 take 80 also 100 us
Source: Concise Oxford English Dictionary (11th edition, 2006).
Given the phonics presented in this program, only the 23 boxed words could be
considered slightly irregular.
252
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Last digit is the edition number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020904995

Table 1: Sounds of American English ........................................................................16

Preparation for Teaching

Chapter 1: Why Teach a Preschooler to Read?...........................................................19

Chapter 2: The Alphabetic Code ................................................................................27

Chapter 3: Synthetic Phonics ...................................................................................34

The Reading Program

Stage 0: Letter Recognition ........................................................................................43

Stage 1: Sounds of A, E, I, O, U, M, N, S; Reading Begins .........................................50

Stage 2: Sounds of D, G, P, T; Consonant Blends ......................................................60

Stage 3: Sounds of B, F, C/K; Spelling Begins ...........................................................69

Stage 4: Sound of L ...................................................................................................72

Stage 5: Sound of R ...................................................................................................74

Stage 6: Sounds of H, J, Qu, V, W, X, Y, Z ................................................................76

Stage 7: Sounds of CH, SH, TH; Forming the Plural ..................................................84

Stage 8: Reading Sentences (Part I) ...........................................................................92

Stage 9: Sounds of NG, NK; Multi-Syllable Words ................................................... 105

Stage 11: Reading Sentences (Part II) ......................................................................118

Stage 12: More Vowel Sounds ................................................................................. 132

Stage 13: Words Ending in Long Vowel Sounds; Y as a Vowel .................................146

Stage 14: Reading Sentences (Part III) .....................................................................155

Stage 15: Unusual Spellings; Open and Closed Syllables ........................................171

Stage 16: Soft C, Soft G, Contractions .....................................................................180

Stage 17: Independent Reading ...............................................................................189

B: Supplement to Stage 2 ....................................................................201

C: Supplement to Stage 3 ....................................................................203

D: Supplement to Stage 4 ....................................................................205

E: Supplement to Stage 5 ....................................................................206

F: Supplement to Stage 6 ....................................................................207

G: Supplement to Stage 7 ....................................................................209

H: Supplement to Stage 9....................................................................211

J: Supplement to Stage 10 ..................................................................214

K: Supplement to Stage 10 ..................................................................216

L: Supplement to Stage 12 ..................................................................219

M: Supplement to Stage 13 .................................................................223

N: Supplement to Stage 15 ..................................................................228

P: The Code: Sounds to Letters ........................................................... 238

Q: The Code: Letters to Sounds ........................................................... 240

R: Consonant Blends ..........................................................................244

S: The Tricky 50 .................................................................................. 245

T: Supplement to Stage 17 ..................................................................246

U: The 100 Most Frequent Words ........................................................ 251

“Why Teach a Pre-schooler to Read?”

• My preschooler is capable of learning to read.

Name of Notation for Words Using

Name of Notation for Words Using

For a discussion of these sounds, see Chapters 2 and 3.

I suspect many of us underestimate the intellectual capabilities of preschoolers. We’re

occur when an advantage, conferred at the beginning of some process, becomes a

“The effect of language spoken to the child cannot be over-emphasized. There is a

• Age 4 months: Your baby starts responding to signals. A bottle or a breast

• Children younger than 18 months need hands-on exploration and social

4. Stamm, Bright from the Start, 11-13.

HAT = /h/ + /a/ + /t/

Here’s another example: