Closed syllables are the first syllable type you should teach your students. But, what exactly is a closed syllable, why should you teach closed syllables first, and how can you help your students understand them? This is post 10 in my series Phonics Rules for Teachers (and How the Heck to Teach ‘Em). If you’d like to see previous posts,…
Short vowels are typically the first vowel sounds that children learn, but why is that? Let’s take a look at what short vowels are, some important facts for understanding short vowels, and how the heck to teach this important phonics concept to your students. This is post 9 in my series Phonics Rules for Teachers (and How the Heck to…
Which is the best letter sound order? Is there one correct phonics scope and sequence that follows the science of reading? What does the research say about the sequence in which we teach our students phonics? You probably know that structured literacy requires just that: a structure. However, it can feel overwhelming to determine which order to teach sounds. Let’s…
Encoding and decoding are two connected but different skills. While both of these skills are important, understanding the difference between the two is crucial to good literacy instruction. If you can pinpoint whether a struggling student need to work on their encoding or decoding skills, you can better target your phonics, reading, and writing instruction. Let’s examine what encoding and…
If you’re wondering, “How do I actually teach the 6 syllable types?”, you’re in the right place. So far we’ve learned why you need to teach syllables and the basics of each type of syllable. Now it’s time to learn how the heck to teach ’em. This is post 6 in my series Phonics Rules for Teachers (and How the…