English Language Arts and Reading.3.2.A.ii

The student is expected to

demonstrate and apply phonetic knowledge by:

 

decoding multisyllabic words with closed syllables; open syllables; VCe syllables; vowel teams, including digraphs and diphthongs; r-controlled syllables; and final stable syllables;

beginning reading writing teks talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--beginning reading and writing. The student develops word structure knowledge through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology to communicate, decode, and spell.

Provide students with a list of words that include one syllable type. For example, the list for VCe words might include pickle, trouble, and simple. Have students read the words aloud. Observe and document whether students accurately decode the words. Assess each syllable type separately at first, and then together once mastery has been reached.

The syllable types include the following:

  • Closed syllable: a syllable with a vowel followed by a consonant, the vowel is usually pronounced with the short vowel sound such as /sim/ in simple and /pic/ in pickle
  • Open syllable: a syllable that ends in a single vowel, the vowel is usually pronounced with the long vowel sound such as /mu/ in music and /ba/ in bacon
  • VCe syllable: a syllable with a vowel followed by a consonant and the letter e, the vowel is usually pronounced with the long vowel sound such as /ame/ in became and /ale/ in exhale
  • Vowel team/digraph syllable: a syllable with two vowels together that make one vowel sound such as /oi/ in rejoice and /ou/ in cloud
  • Vowel team/diphthong syllable: a syllable with two vowels together that make a new vowel sound formed by the combination of both vowel sounds such as /ow/ in allowed and /ou/ in around
  • R-controlled syllable: a syllable with the letters er that is pronounced /er/ such as /er/ in concert and /er/ in served
  • Final stable syllable: a syllable at the end of a word with a consonant followed by the letters le, that has a silent e such as /ble/ in audible and /ple/ in people


Further Explanation

This assessment requires students to understand how word parts support decoding of multisyllabic words with the six different syllable types. As multisyllabic words can be long and difficult to read, students must learn how to break down words into smaller parts. Knowledge of syllable types is acquired through practice and experience. These skills are built upon as students become proficient in decoding single syllable words with simpler, sound-spelling patterns. Word work can occur in all modalities to support all learning styles.

a syllable that ends with a consonant (e.g., the words tan, am, and left)
Students apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships in order to correctly pronounce words that are made of multiple syllables, including the six syllable types: closed syllables; open syllables; VCe syllables; vowel teams, including digraphs and diphthongs; r-controlled syllables; and final stable syllables
When students demonstrate phonetic knowledge, they are reviewing content and determining how principles of sound-symbol relations and sound patterns have been put into action. Students will do this when decoding words they encounter in various formats from activities in the classroom to stories they read for pleasure.
two successive letters that represent a single speech sound (e.g., oo in moon and ow in how)
Note that there are both vowel digraphs and consonant digraphs.
also known as a vowel blend, the combination of two vowels in one syllable where two sounds are heard (e.g., /ou/ in cloud, and /oi/ in boil) Note that the ou combination can function as a diphthong or digraph depending on the sound: it is a diphthong in the word couch /ou/ and a diagraph in the word cough /aw/).
a syllable that occurs in the final position of a word and has an unexpected but reliable pronunciation
a syllable that ends with a vowel (e.g., the words we and go)
a syllable that includes a vowel followed by the consonant r so its pronunciation is influenced by the /r/ and is neither a long or short vowel sound (e.g., farm, her, first)
a syllable that includes a vowel followed by a consonant followed by a silent e; in this type of syllable, the first vowel is usually long
two vowels that together represent one phoneme or sound (e.g., ea, ai, oa, ou)
Two types of vowel teams are vowel digraphs and diphthongs.

Research

1. Gates, L., & Yale, I. (2011). A logical letter-sound system in five phonic generalizations: this article introduces a strategy for teaching systematic phonics with a logical system of grapheme-phoneme relationships. The Reading Teacher, 64(5), 330+. Retrieved from https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A249869571/PROF?u=tea&sid=PROF&xid=02914556

Summary: Researchers look at phonetic knowledge and show teachers an approach to basic vowel words, providing examples of one-syllable CVC words, one-syllable VCe words, and one-syllable CVVC words. The article provides guidance on individualizing phonetic instruction and connecting it with daily reading to build students' phonetic knowledge.

2. Fitzer, K. R., & Hale, J. B. (2018, February 07). Evidence-Based Reading Intervention Strategies: Decoding, Fluency, and Comprehension. Retrieved from https://www.ldatschool.ca/teaching-the-brain-to-read-strategies-for-enhancing-reading-decoding-fluency-and-comprehension/

Authors share about the importance of teaching phoneme-grapheme correspondence throughout the early grades, as opposed to teaching word memorization. Authors provide concrete strategies for "word attack" skills for students.