Study Notes for Module 4: Consonants and Short Vowels

Consonants and Short Vowels Module 4

Closed Syllable Definition

  • Definition: A closed syllable contains one vowel followed by one or more consonants.

  • When a vowel is in a closed syllable, it makes a short sound rather than its full or long pronunciation.

  • Example: In the word cat, the vowel a is closed in by the consonant t, making it produce a short sound.

Group Discussion

  • Reflect on your guided notes in groups for 5 minutes.

  • Encourage mutual learning and assist each other in understanding the material.

Importance of Code-Emphasis Instruction

Key Components of Language

  1. Language Comprehension

    • Involves understanding facts, concepts, etc.

  2. Background Knowledge

    • Refers to prior knowledge and concepts that shape understanding.

  3. Vocabulary

    • Key aspects include breadth, precision, and connections between terms.

  4. Language Structures

    • Encompasses syntax, semantics, etc.

  5. Verbal Reasoning

    • Involves inference and metaphor understanding.

  6. Literacy Knowledge

    • Incorporates print concepts, genres, etc.

  7. Word Recognition

    • Involves phonological awareness (syllables and phonemes) and decoding through alphabetical principles.

  8. Sight Recognition

    • Ability to recognize and read high-frequency words automatically.

Concept of Skilled Reading

  • Description: Skilled Reading is increasingly strategic and involves automating the execution and coordination of language comprehension and word recognition of familiar words.

  • Reference: Figure 1.9 Reading Rope (Scarborough, 2001).

Practicing Fill-in-the-Blanks

  • 70% Accuracy Exercise: Fill in the blanks to create a coherent narrative. Example: "The ancient ___ stood ___ in the meadow…" Followed by assessing comprehension and narrative coherence.

  • Increase complexity in further exercises up to 90% accuracy by incorporating specific terms like Sentinel, Gnarled, Branches and comprehension through context and visualization.

Importance of Accuracy in Independent Reading

  • Children should achieve at least 95% accuracy; however, the target is 98% accuracy.

  • Quote: “There is no comprehension strategy powerful enough to compensate for the inability to read the words.” — Dr. Joseph Torgesen (Stainthorp & Tomlinson, 2002).

Ehri's Phases of Reading Development

  1. Prealphabetic: Use of incidental visual cues and print concepts.

  2. Partial Alphabetic: Recognizing letter names and some sounds while beginning phonological awareness.

  3. Full Alphabetic: Developing automatic sight word recognition including both regular and irregular words.

  4. Consolidated Alphabetic: More complex avoidance of tasks and increasing phonemic awareness becomes essential for the advanced structural understanding of words.

Graphemes and Phonemes in English

  • English contains 44 phonemes but only 26 graphemes, indicating a lack of one-to-one correlation.

  • Total of 75 graphemes represent these phonemes; many graphemes are multi-letter combinations.

  • Importance: Understanding graphemes and the interplay of 31 spelling rules enables interpretation of 98% of English words.

  • Note: Detailed exploration of the 31 spelling rules will occur in module 13.

Analysis of Graphemes

  • Dependable Consonants:

    • Extremely dependable: m, q, r, v

    • Very dependable: b, h, k, l, p

Clusters

  • Definition: Clusters are groups of letters that may represent distinct sounds.

    • Digraphs/Trigraphs: Represent a unique sound. Examples include: ch, sh, th, wh, ph, ng, tch, dge.

    • Blends: Each letter contributes its own sound; examples include combinations like bl, cl, dr.

    • Silent Letters: Examples include clusters such as kn, wr, mb, bt.

Closed Syllable Sort

  • Instruction: Use a PPT to categorize words into closed and not closed syllables, highlighting the clusters in the identified words.

  • Example column divisions with words categorized accordingly.

Short Vowels Overview

  • Definitions:

    • Short vowels include single vowel sounds, commonly represented in structures such as VC, CVC, CCVC, CVCC, CCVCC amongst others.

    • Breve symbol indicates short vowel sounds.

Short Vowel Markers

  • Definition: Indicators that follow short vowels to demonstrate their sound. Examples include:

    • Digraph/Trigraphs: ck, dge, tch, ng

    • Doublets (FLOSS rule): ff, ll, ss, zz

  • Note: Encourage identifying exceptions to these rules with resources like spelling searchers.

Specific Cases of and in Closed Syllables

  • in a closed syllable typically sounds like /ŏ/ (e.g., wasp, watch, wand).

  • may sound like /ô/ in closed environments (e.g., dog, long, moss).

Exceptions in Closed Syllables

  • A list of exceptions includes various suffix and root combinations like -ind, -ild, -old, -olt, -ost, -oll. Example phrase: “Don’t mind the wild colt…”.

in Closed Syllables

  • often sounds like /i/ in words such as gym, system, lynx, symbol, cylinder, mythical.

Phonics Teaching Strategy

  • Visual Drill: Instructor shows letter cards, students read letter sounds aloud while writing them in a tactile manner to enhance speed and automaticity.

  • Auditory Drill: Listen to sounds dictated by the instructor and write them down without visuals to promote retention.

  • Interactive Phonics Exercise:

    • Activities include tapping sounds, mapping them with physical attributes, graphing corresponding graphemes, and utilizing bingo tools to affirm learning.

  • Questions about the content are invited for clarity.

  • Reminder: The Module 4 Content Quiz is due by 11:59 PM with access code breve.