Have you ever noticed that some phonics vowel patterns have several different ways you can pronounce them? That’s one reason I created this simple phonics patterns with multiple sounds chart.
You might also like all our 100+ Phonics Cards, great for helping kids with reading and spelling.
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**The free download can be found at the END of this post. Click on the teal download button.
Phonics Patterns with Multiple Sounds
While working with my 1st grader this past week, we began to explore two other sounds for the ea vowel team. She had already learned the long e sound of ea and was very confident with it.
But learning those two extra sounds for ea was a little overwhelming for her. Instead of being a confident reader with the ea pattern, she didn’t want to try anymore because she didn’t like having so many options for one pattern.
There are several phonics patterns that do this same thing. Here are a few examples:
- oo, like in moon and hook
- ea, like in leaf, head, and break
- ow, like in snow and cow
- ei, like in eight and seize
- ie, like in chief and pie
And don’t even get me started when learners are spelling these ambiguous patterns versus just reading them. Then, we open an even bigger can of worms!
I felt that I needed a plan for her… a kind of step-by-step plan to give her a strategy to tackle those ea words {or any other phonics patterns that have multiple sounds}. I’m sure there are other strategies for doing the same thing with tricky vowel patterns, but I’ve already seen this strategy begin to build her confidence back.
The trick is to try one sound for the vowel pattern first. Then think, “Does that make sense?” If it doesn’t, learners can try another sound they knows until they find the sound that makes sense for the word and sentence.
She keeps it near by when reading now, but I’m sure she won’t need it soon because it’s so simple. There’s certainly nothing magical about it. But there is something kind of magical about watching the spark come back in your learner’s eyes when her confidence is built back.
You Might Also Like
Long Vowel Picture CardsLong Vowel Roll & Read Games
Free Phonics Cards
Vowel Spelling Chart
Enjoy!
~Becky
Many many thanks! I only recently discovered your website and am surprised by the massive ideas and resources available. Currently, I am researching a curriculum for students with learning disabilities, particularly with dyslexia, and I am thrilled to try some of the materials found here. Hope you will continue to post these excellent articles!