Consonant digraphs are one of the first letter combinations your students need to learn to be strong readers and writers. Let’s take a look at what a digraph is, the spelling of the most common digraphs, and how the heck to teach ’em. This is post 11 in my series Phonics Rules for Teachers (and How the Heck to Teach…
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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