Let’s dive into the third set of four phonograms. I hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy writing about them! I like to think of this series as a “brain dump” of everything I know about each phonogram.
We’ve covered the “clock letters” (those that use the two on the clock in handwriting instruction), so now we move through the alphabet, focusing on the phonograms not already discussed.
The third set includes:
- b
- e
- h
- i
Phonogram b
Phonogram b has one distinct sound:
- The sound of b is as in boy. I’ve mentioned avoiding the “uh” sound in previous posts, and this phonogram is especially prone to that mistake. Be extra cautious to keep the sound crisp and short.
Phonogram e
Phonogram e has two distinct sounds, and this one is a treat because it gives us the perfect opportunity to cover the five rules of silent final e! We’ve already touched on two of them, but now you’ll see them all in order.
- First Sound: The first sound of e is as in let. There isn’t a rule that forces e to use this sound, so when in doubt, try the short sound first.
- Second Sound: The second sound of e is as in we. As you know by now, vowels can’t say their own name without a reason! Here are the spelling rules that cause e to make its long sound:
- When e comes at the end of a syllable, it usually says its long sound. (I’ve mentioned this for a and o, so here’s the full rule: a, e, o, and u usually say their long sound at the end of a syllable.)
- Silent final e makes e use its long sound, as in precede and impede.
This leads us perfectly into a deeper look at all five rules of silent final e.
Before learning phonograms, I used to teach that silent e was responsible for making the vowel long in words like fine. While this is true, it turns out there are many other roles for the silent final e, and I never had a clear explanation for them until I learned these five rules. They were a revelation to me as a first-grade teacher!
Here are the five rules of silent final e:
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Phonogram h
Phonogram h has one distinct sound:
- The sound of h is as in home. Like I’ve mentioned with other phonograms, be careful not to add an “uh” sound at the end. This one, in particular, tends to pick up that extra sound if you’re not paying attention.
Phonogram i
Phonogram i has two distinct sounds:
- First Sound: The first sound of i is short, as in sit.
- Second Sound: The second sound of i is long, as in fine. What makes i use its second sound? Here are the rules:
- i may say its second sound at the end of a syllable, as in tidy and bicycle.
- i may say its second sound when followed by two consonants as in find and wild.
- And of course, we just reviewed the first rule of silent final e, which makes the i long in words like fine.
Twelve phonograms down! So many more to go. Until next time.