Phonics Tip # 1 

When a vowel is followed by a consonant, the vowel is short and is coded or marked with a breve.

Phonics Tip # 2 

Twin consonants make one sound and are coded by crossing out the second consonant. 

Phonics Tip #3   C or K rule 

When you hear the /k/ sound in a word use the following guidelines to help 

you decide when to use a c and when to use a k. 

*Use a c with the vowels a, o, or u, and any other consonant. Example: 

	cat 		coat 		cut 		clap 

*Use a k with the vowels e, i, and y 

	key 		kite 		Kyle 

Phonics Tip #4   Compound Words 

A compound word is made up of two words that come together to make a whole new word. 

	*Tip* 

	Give your child a compound word and ask him/her to tell you the two words 

	that make up the compound word. An example would be "cowgirl" 

		What are the two words in cowgirl? 

			cow and girl 

	We also do this activity in phonics - 

		I will say, "Say the word cowgirl." 

			(children repeat) 

		"Say it without cow." 

			(children say girl) 

	You can play this fun game in the car

Phonics Tip #5   Syllables 	Syllables are simply word parts. 

	We can identify how many syllables are in a word by clapping it while saying it. For example: 

		There are 4 syllables in Kindergarten. 

		We would clap four times for each syllable 

			"Kin - der - gar - ten"

  			     1             2             3          4

Phonics tip #6:

	Put a box around a suffix in a word. Suffixes are: s, y, ed, ing.   Suffix -ed will: 

• 	make the /t/ sound when followed by an unvoiced letter, as in hopped

• 	make the /d/ sound when followed by a voiced letter, as in loved

• 	make the /ed/ sound when followed by a t or a d, as in sanded

Phonics tip #7:

A final stable syllabe is found at the end of a word. When you see a final stable syllable, 

put a bracket around it and cross out the e.    For example: Sta [ ple ]

Phonics tip #8:    Put an arc underneath combinations such as er.

Phonics tip #9: 

	Code diagraphs and triagraphs by putting a line under them.

	Some diagraphs are: ck, th, ng, sh, ee, and oo. Triagraphs are: igh

Phonics Help

http://saxonpublishers.harcourtachieve.com/HA/correlations/pdf/p/Phon1_Info.pdf