Sorry about that first post in the series! I got a bit carried away with phonogram a and didn’t have time to dive into c, d, and f. But not to worry—this one will be shorter, as these three phonograms aren’t quite as exciting. At least, I’ll give c a bit of credit. It has two sounds and a spelling rule that goes with it. Let’s break it down.
Phonogram c
Phonogram c has two distinct sounds.
- First Sound: The first sound is the hard sound, like in cat. (Cat is a very versatile word, isn’t it? We used it for short a, and now we’re using it for hard c!) When you say this sound, be sure not to add an “uh” at the end. Keep it short and quick.
- Second Sound: The second sound is the soft sound, as in circle. Interestingly, circle has both a hard c and a soft c, but we’re focusing on the first c, which sounds like s. Now, here’s where the spelling rule comes in:
Rule: c makes its second sound (soft c) when it’s followed by e, i, or y. For example, in circle, the c is followed by i, which makes it say its soft sound.
Word Coding
Before we move on, let me introduce you to a fun and important part of teaching reading with phonograms and spelling rules: coding words. Coding helps you apply your new knowledge visually. Let’s code the word circle as an example.
- The 2 above the c indicates it’s making its second sound—soft c—because of the i following it.
- The ir is underlined because it’s a multiple-letter phonogram. All multiple-letter phonograms get underlined to help readers recognize that those letters work together to make one sound.
- The space between the r and the second c shows the syllable break.
- The e is double underlined because it’s a silent final e. The 4 next to the double underline refers to the fourth rule of silent final e, which states that every syllable must have a written vowel. That’s the only reason the e is there!
Phonogram d
Now, let’s move on to d. This one is straightforward—d makes the sound in dog. One thing to keep in mind: make the sound quick and short. Avoid adding an “uh” sound, like duh. Readers who learn the phonograms can master this!
Phonogram f
Finally, we have f, which makes the sound in fox. It’s less common, but if you’re not careful, you might accidentally add an “uh” to the end of this sound too. A trick for getting it right: start saying fox, but stop before the ox. That way, you isolate the f sound perfectly. We’ll use this strategy for a few other phonograms later.
Conclusion
That’s it for this post! We’ve covered the first four phonograms, but there’s still a long way to go. Stay tuned for more phonogram fun in the next post!
