top of page

Orthography: Phonics & Word Study

Orthography is the conventional spelling system of a language. All languages have an orthography attached to them. Inside of this orthography is the ability to decode and encode. Encoding is putting words together as one writes. This has to do with the spelling system. To decode is to break apart these words. Syllabication is dividing words into syllables.  

​

Part of phonemic awareness is knowing how to syllabicate. There are four important terms to know for this portion of the unit. Phonics, phonemes, onset, and rime. Phonics are correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters in an alphabetic writing system. Phonemes are each individual sound in a word. Onset is the consonant sound in a syllable that precedes a vowel. Rime is the part of a syllable that includes a vowel and all subsequent sounds in the syllable.

​

Word study strategies for intermediate students include different types of word sort practices. Students can practice by themselves or with a partner. Word sorts can include concept sorts, open sorts, and closed sorts. Word sorts are informed by spelling assessments such as the Elementary Spelling Inventory from the Words Their Way textbook. Students should be encouraged to converse about their strategies and reasoning. Repeated sorts, buddy sorts, speed sorts, and word hunts are also great extension activities for students to use. 

​

Intermediate Word Study Bookmark: 

Screen Shot 2022-01-18 at 10.11.03 AM.png

Vocabulary

​​

  • Diagraph- Two letters that represent one speech sounds 

    • Example: /sh/ in sheep​

  • Diphthong- A sound made by combining two vowels 

    • Example: Oil ​

  • Blend- Groups of consonants whose sounds blend together 

    • Examples: bl-, sm-, tr-​

  • Onset- An initial consonant or consonant cluster that comes before a rime

    • Example: "b" in "bed"​

  • Rime- The vowel or vowel and consonant(s) that follow the onset 

    • Example: "ed" in bed​

  • Consonant- A letter in speech where the sound is formed by an interruption of the breath by some part of the mouth 

    • Examples: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z​

  • Vowel- A letter representing a speech sound made with the vocal tract open 

    • Examples: A, E ,I, O, U​

  • Alphabetic Principle- The idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of the spoken language 

Systematic/Synthetic Phonics Instruction

​

  • Systematic/synthetic phonics focuses on explicit instruction of the alphabetic code and gradually builds upon the phonics skills students have already learned. 

  • Students are not taught to guess or memorize words, but are instead taught the skills necessary to figure out unknown words.

  • Research shows that this is the most effective way to teach phonics and should begin as soon as students begin to learn to read. ​​

​

  • Steps To Synthetic Phonics Instruction:

    • Children first learn how to recognize letters and their sounds.​

    • Children then learn how to blend the sounds together to form words.

Other Instructional Approaches

​

  • Analytic Approach

    • This approach starts with teaching students the whole word and then the phonemes of the word. ​

  • Analogy Approach 

    • This approach teaches students reading through analogies. It requires extensive memorization. ​

  • Embedded Approach 

    • This approach relies on teaching elements of reading through reading text. There is not a lot of emphasis on phonics.​

Phonics Generalizations

​

  • "C" Generalization- If a "C" is followed by an a, e, or u then it makes a hard /k/ sound. If it is followed by an e, i, or y then it makes an /s/ sound. 

    • Example: ​Cash makes a hard /k/ sound 

    • Example: Center makes a soft /s/ sound

  • "G" Generalization- If a "G" is followed by an a, e, or u then it makes a hard /g/ sound. If it is followed by an e, i, or y then it makes a /j/ sound. 

    • Example: Garden ​makes a hard /g/ sound

    • Example: Gem makes a soft /j/ sound

  • CVC- When words or syllables end with one or more consonants, the vowel makes a short sound.

    • Examples: Cat, Bed, Pig, Dog, Rug​

  • CVVC- "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking."

    • Examples: Pair, Load, Pea​

  • CVCe- When the vowel is followed by a consonant and a silent e. The vowel then has a long vowel sound.

    • Examples: Robe, Cane, Note 

  • CV- When a word/syllable has a vowel as the last letter, the vowel is long. 

    • Examples: Be, Me, Go, Hi​

  • "R" Controlled Vowels- The "r" controls the sound that the vowel follows

    • Examples: Care, Car, After, Corn​

  • Circumflex Ô- Graphemes al, aw, au, and ou make the "aw" sound. 

    • Examples: Awe, ​Call, Haul

  • Diphthong- Graphemes ow, ou, oy, oi, and oo, blend to produce two sounds that slide together. 

    • Examples: Food, Soy, Brown, Ouch

  • Schwa- Phonemes in unaccented syllables sound like "uh".

    • Examples: Bacon, Camel, Husband​

Orthography Stages 

​

  • Emergent Spelling Stage

    • Pre-Kindergarten to Mid First Grade​

    • Students pretend to read and write.

  • Letter Name- Alphabetic 

    • Kindergarten to Mid Second Grade​

    • Students begin to read aloud and practice writing words.

  • Within Word Pattern

    • 1st Grade to Mid Fourth Grade​

    • Student fluency improves and so does expression. 

  • Syllables & Affixes 

    • 3rd Grade to 8th Grade​

    • Students are able to read fluently and with expression. Student vocabulary continues to expand.

Word Study

​

  • Reading, writing, and spelling develop synchronously. When teaching students word study, it is best to teach explicitly and systematically. What is taught to students must also be relevant and meaningful to them. 

  • Children learn by comparing/contrasting information, discovering consistencies, and by instruction that is within their zone of proximal development (ZPD). 

  • Word sorts are a great way to allow students to explore words and categorize them based on patterns they notice. 

Applications

Endless Reader
Wonster Words Learning Games
718b3F+CauL.png

Endless Reader is an app that systematically teaches letters, their sounds, and how they form words. 

​

This application is free to download. 

The app could be used independently or with an adult. 

617TqtFXmDL.png

Wonster Words is an app that provides practice games for skills such as phonics, word families, blends, and CVC words. 

​

This application is free to download. 

The app could be used independently or with an adult. 

Spelling City
spellingcity.jpg

Spelling City is an app that helps students learn spelling, vocabulary, and grammar skills through games and activities. Kindergarten through 4th grade students would most benefit from this application. 

​

This application is free to download. 

The app could be used independently or with an adult. 

Websites 

Teach Your Monster To Read​
​

Teachers or guardians begin by adding their student(s) to an adult profile on this free website. It focuses on learning letter names, letter sounds, and later reading full sentences. 

 

The website plays like an adventure game. Students create a character and follow a series of quests where they have to solve educational puzzles. 

​

This website would be good to use as a supplement to other instructional material. 

Screen Shot 2021-03-27 at 1.01.42 PM.png
IXL.com
​
IXL is a paid subscription program. It could be used by families to supplement learning or in the classroom as part of a school wide program. 
​
The website is aligned with State Standards and can be used to review phonics, vocabulary, reading strategies, and grammar. ​

​

SoftSchools- Phonics
​

SoftSchools offers a variety of games and worksheets for students to review and practice phonics skills such as digraphs, diphthongs, and sounds practice. 

​

This is a free websites students can use on their own, with a peer, or with an adult.

Screen Shot 2021-03-27 at 1.23.12 PM.png
Screen Shot 2021-03-29 at 2.34.37 PM.png

Beginner Activities 

Word Sorting Activity

Word sorts are a great way to encourage students to recognize word patterns, categorize information, and identify relationships between words. Word sorts can be made based off of assessment criteria and modified for students based on the skills they need practice on. 

​

Students start by cutting out a pre-made template of words and then freely categorize them based on the patterns they recognize. The teacher and student(s) can then work together to discuss the words, their meanings, and why the student chose to categorize them the way they did. 

​

See Example: 

Word Building Activity

This word building activity is great to use for working with blends. Teachers/guardians first make, print out, and cut the world building activity template for their students. Students then arrange the letters to make the corresponding words. Pictures can be helpful to include so students know what words they are working towards spelling. 

​

See Example: 

Word Find Activity

Have the student(s) look through old magazines or newspapers to find words they can read. Then instruct them to cut them out and paste them on a collage. Students could also use the words to form sentences for an extra step. 

Children Reading

Read From Decodable Text

The best way to strengthen phonics skills is to practice reading. Decodable sources of text are good to help students break apart words to sound them out. Here is a list of books with good decodable text features from ReadingRockets: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/decodable-text-sources.

Set-1-Beginning-Readers-Main-324x324.png
Screen Shot 2021-03-31 at 12.21.27 PM.pn
pri_level2-comp.jpg

"Stomp It Out" Phonics Game

It is important to provide students with activities that will keep them active and engaged. This "Stomp It Out" Phonics game teaches the relationships between letters, their sounds, and how they form words. 

​

Begin by cutting out little feet and write letter names on them. Make enough so they can be used to make words. Then work together by saying the letter names and sounds on written on the feet while stomping out each sound. 

segment-sounds-reading-game.jpg
stomp-it-out-phonics-game.jpg

Intermediate Activities 

Word Operations - Words Their Way

Focus Skill: Spelling

Reading Level: Intermediate Readers 

Materials: 

  • Notebooks or Whiteboards 

  • Pencils or Whiteboard Markers 

​​

Students are given a word and are asked to change one or two letters at a time to make a new word. 

​

1. Give students a starting word to write down, such as the word park. 

2. Instruct students to add, subtract, or change a letter or two to make a new word. 

3. Keep challenging students to make new words. 

​

Example: 

Park 

Shark

Share

Shard

Sharp​

Teaching the Dictionary - Words Their Way

Focus Skill: Dictionary Familiarity 

Reading Level: Intermediate Readers 

Materials: 

  • Dictionaries (Online or Print)

​​

Students should become familiar with the dictionary and its features. This activity will help students recognize when the use of a dictionary is appropriate and how to properly use it.  

​

1. Page through the introductory pages. 

2. Discuss special features of the dictionary (synonyms, morphology, etc.). 

3. Discuss syllable breaks. 

4. Discuss accented marks and stresses. 

5. Discuss inflected forms of words. 

Pair Them Up - Words Their Way

Focus Skill: Compound Words

Reading Level: Intermediate Readers 

Materials: 

  • Word Pair Cards

​

​

​​

This activity is a memory game for partners. Partners will take turns matching a word with its unique plural version. 

​

1. Shuffle word pair cards and put them face down. 

2. Two players turn cards over two at a time to try and make a match. If a player makes a match they keep the cards and draw another two cards. This continues until they miss a match. Then it is the next player's turn. 

3. If fish, sheep, or deer are turned over there is no match. The player keeps the card and goes again. 

Hunting for Interesting Words - Words Their Way

Focus Skill: Word Study

Reading Level: Intermediate Readers 

Materials: 

  • Notebook

  • Pencil

​​

Students search for interesting words in their homes and communities. When they come across an interesting word they write it down in their notebooks. During class students share the interesting words they found. The Words Their Way book recommends semantic mapping and vocabulary webs as a way to connect the words. 

​

  1. Students are given directions to look for interesting words in their communities and homes. 

  2. Students write down interesting words in their notebooks.

  3. Students come together in class and create a vocabulary web to make sense of the words. ​

"Going on a Trip" -  Dr. Joan Bendix

Focus Skill: Phonics

Reading Level: Intermediate Readers 

Materials: 

  • None!​

​

Students work together in a group to play this game. Students take turns coming up with a few words that match a phonemic pattern. The student takes these items on their trip. Students then try to add new things to bring on the trip with them. These words must fit the pattern. 

​

  1. Chosen student comes up with some items that meets a phonological pattern of their choice. They say they want to take those items on a trip. 

  2. Other students try to come up with items that fit that phonological pattern. 

  3. The round ends when everyone has identified the pattern. Then it is another student’s turn. 

Assessment

This assessment helps educators to understand where a student is at in terms of spelling stage. Educators can use this as a guide for what a student may need more instruction with. It is important to test regularly to monitor progress. It is also important to reflect on the results and act accordingly. 

​

To do this assessment, make sure the child is in a relaxed environment. Then have them write out each of the words listed as best they can. When the child is finished, highlight what they got correct to determine their spelling stage.

Screen Shot 2021-03-31 at 1.00.07 PM.png

Resources

Anderson, A. (2021). Phonics Generalizations [Slides]. D2L. https://winona.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/le/content/5206996/viewContent/48101167/View
​

Anderson, A. (2021). Synthetic phonics [Slides]. D2L. https://winona.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/le/content/5206996/viewContent/47992240/View

​

Bear Primary [PDF]. (n.d.). Pearson Education.

​

Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2020). Words Their Way (7th ed.). Pearson. 

​

Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Johnston, F. R., & Templeton, S. (2021). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Harlow, United Kingdom.

​

Bendix, J. Going on a trip [PDF document]. Retrieved from Brightspace online course website: https://winona.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/le/content/5932651/viewContent/56754837/View 

​

Bendix, J. (n.d.) Intermediate Oral Language Podcast [Video]. D2L. https://winona.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/le/content/5932651/viewContent/56754677/View 

​

Bendix, J. (n.d.) Phonological and phonemic awareness development [Video]. D2L. https://winona.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/le/content/5932651/viewContent/56754678/View. 

​

Consonant meaning. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/consonant

​

Diphthong - dictionary definition. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/diphthong

 

Fun with Phonics - stomp it out reading game. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.schooltimesnippets.com/2016/12/fun-phonics-game-for-kids.html

 

Phonics and decoding. (2021, March 15). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-topics/phonics-and-decoding

 

Phonics and decoding: Activities for your second grader. (2020, November 05). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101-guide-parents/second-grade/phonics-and-decoding-activities-your-second-grader

 

Phonics blends – what are they? (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from http://atozphonics.com/teaching/55/phonics-blends-what-are-they/

 

Phonics: In practice. (2020, October 16). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101-course/modules/phonics/phonics-practice

 

Texas Education Agency. (2018, November 14). The alphabetic principle. Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.readingrockets.org/article/alphabetic-principle

 

Vowel meaning. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/vowel

 

Word Study In Action [PDF]. (n.d.). Pearson Education.

bottom of page