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Teach A Child To Read!

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Valder Phonics

Lesson 4: Vowel Blends

It is important to teach the following vowel combinations before teaching the long vowel sounds. If you teach the long vowels first, these blends seem like exceptions to the rule, or "rule breakers". If you teach them first, then the long vowel rule is simply one more rule for the rest of the vowel combinations.

Introduce one sound at a time. Again, these letter combinations may make other sounds, but it is best to teach one sound rule at a time. For instance, in this lesson you teach the "ow" blend has the sound as in "cow". Some words, like know, have the long o sound, but that will be discussed in a later lesson, since the rule is not a beginning rule.

It is important at this time for you to control the new words and vocabulary lists to include only the words that follow the rule(s) being learned and practiced. Again, if a child asks about a word that does not fit the rule, you can simply explain that another rule governs that word and you will get to it soon.

WE INTRODUCE THE FOLLOWING COMBINATIONS IN LESSON 4:

ou, ow; as in couch, cow.

au, aw; as in Paul, paw.

oi, oy; as in coil, toy.

oo, oo; as in book, food.

ee; as in tree.

Notice that 'ee' is actually the long e sound, but we introduce it in this group since it occurs in many common words that children are familiar with, such as tree, three and feet.

As with all new sounds, take the time to create word families with these letter combinations in them. Make very sure that the words are pronounced phonetically. For instance, words with 'ow' that have the long o are not part of the word family being practiced in this lesson.

They are reading!!

There are so many words that follow the simple phonics rules introduced in these first four lessons that you can begin introducing your child to whole sentences. Simply make them up yourself, or go for a "word hunt" in your child's favorite books. See how many words they can find that can be sounded out now. It is very exciting when they realize they are able to read many of the words in their favorite books!

At this point you may also find the student pushing you ahead. We don't hold the students back. We help them sound through new words, and tell them words that have rules not yet learned.

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