Phonics Lesson Digraph Review Lesson 53: Oct 14-17 (Reading Practice Book)

Phonics Lessons: Digraph Review wh /w/, ph /f/, ng /ŋ/, nk /ŋ/

We have learned that when we put letters together, they can make one sound. This is called a consonant digraph because it is two letters that come together to make one sound. 

wh /w/

The consonant digraph wh spells /w/ like at the beginning of the word whistle. This is the same sound as the consonant w. The digraph wh can only come at the beginning of the word, such as when and whip. This is tricky as there is no hard and fast rule for when we use w and when we use wh! This is a tricky one!!   

ph /f/

The consonant digraph ph spells /f/ like at the beginning of the word phone. This is the same sound as the consonant f. Ph can come at the beginning of a word or an end of a word.

ng /ŋ/

This makes a nasally n sound when followed by a g, like in the word ring. The letters ng together only come at the end of a base word. 

nk /ŋ/

This letter combination also makes that funny nasally n sound when followed by a k like in the word think. The letters nk for the sound /ŋ/ only come at the end of a word.

In this week's text called, The Ship Dock, students are looking for words that have one of our consonant digraphs for the week (wh, ph, ng, nk). They are looking to highlight (the whole word that has that spelling pattern). Be careful for spelling patterns that are included in the story that include those letters that aren't part of this spelling pattern. Students are also looking to illustrate the story to demonstrate their understanding of the text.  

Heart (Irregular) Words of the Week

Heart words are words that do not decode or follow the spelling rules that we have been learning. We have to know them by 'heart'. However, once we learn more spelling rules, they may be only temporary heart words and the rules will come along later! In the meantime, we have been focusing on reviewing and learning the words below with focused in class practice.

This week we are reviewing (introduced last year):

• they
• their
• were
• talk
• walk

We are introducing as more review words also introduced last year:

• could
• would
• should
• or
• for
• there
• where

Fluency Grids
With each lesson, there is a fluency grid with the lesson focus that is intended to help students recognize the phonics rule and assist in reading it with accuracy and automaticity. At home, challenge your young reader to read the word (aim is to decode/read each word within 3 seconds) and then recall it each time they see it within the grid of mixed up, repeated words. A couple minutes of practice is all they need. This acts as a warm up before reading the text that also applies the same skill while building on all the previous skills as well. Each week we are building on the previous week to become more fluent readers so we can focus on what the text is sharing rather than spending all the time decoding the words.

Homework Reminders 

Students have been working on the story in their Reading Practice book that will come home each weekend. At school, they work with a partner to complete their fluency grid, read with someone their story and highlight the focus words. Following, they are illustrating a picture for the text to show their understanding. At home, students are to finish the above tasks and read to an expert the week's lesson(s). After completing, parents are to initial at the indicated spot at the top. This week, we are have completed one lesson so there will be one story to complete in their white Reading Practice booklet. Please see the information letter in the front of the book for more, detailed information about this weekend practice book coming home. Please return on Monday (or Tuesday if there is a no school day on Monday). 

Happy reading!