- English Language Arts and Reading
- Grade 5
- Developing and sustaining foundational language skills
decoding words with consonant changes, including/t/ to/sh/ such as in select and selection and/k/ to/sh/ such as music and musician;
Provide students with cards that have base words ending in /k/ or /t/ on the front and the same word with a consonant change (with the addition of -ian or -tion) on the back. Task students with reading the words aloud. Students will read the base word first and then flip the card over to read the new word that has a change in the pronunciation of the consonant.
Word cards might include the following:
This assessment requires students to apply knowledge of sound-spelling patterns in words with consonant letters that change in pronunciation. With the addition of the suffix -ion, students should be able to decode the /t/ sound to /sh/. Students should also apply a change in consonant letter sound in words when the suffix -ian is added to words ending with the letter c and the suffix -ian changes the /k/ sound to /sh/. This knowledge is acquired through practice and experience with decoding. As students read, observe and document whether they are able to accurately decode the words. Word work can occur in all modalities to support all learning styles.
Treiman, R. (2018). What research tells us about reading instruction. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 19(1), 1–4. doi: 10.1177/1529100618772272
Summary: Treiman provides an overview of how reading develops. The primary purpose of this study is to inform educators, researchers, and parents on which strategies are the most effective in teaching reading. The author includes a discussion on the ongoing debate of whole language versus phonetics.