A New Way to See Words!

If you haven't read my last few posts about the Nebraska Christian Home Educator's Association, after you read this post, click on the title of my blog and scroll down to read other reviews from the workshops I attended.

    The very first workshop I attended, I approached it like I was attending a sales presentation.  There was not a presenters name attached to the workshop description in my conference program...just a companies name...but I was trying to keep an open mind.  I was right, it was a sales pitch to a certain degree, but such an eye opener for me.  I was all set to buy the program that she was promoting, however my husband wasn't on board.  That is o.k. though.  I instead just bought their little cheat sheet foldout...who needs an ENTIRE $90 text if you can buy a $10 cheat sheet and teach the concepts on your own?  I also purchased a little game book and game cards.  

The workshop was presented by the company Logics of English.    If you are just starting out or have kids struggling with phonetics and spelling, I totally get why this program works.  There are A LOT of spelling rules in the English language and this program breaks these rules down.  So I am not going to regurgitate what she said in the workshop...but ask you a few questions...I didn't know these things, but after thinking about different words out there...all I have to say is...duh!!  I also started teaching these little rules to Jocelyn (6 years) and she is having duh moments as well!

1.  Did you know that English words do NOT end in an i, v, j, or u??

           

--I didn't.  So when teaching the word "have"...kids might spell it out h-a-v.  But if they know this rule...they know that they need something else at the ending.

2.  Did you know that A E O U usually say their names at the end of a syllable?  

--For example:  ba sin.....be fore...hu  man....ro bot

3.  Did you know that C softens to /s/ when followed by E, I, or Y, otherwise, C says /k/?

--For example:  center....circus...icy  there is a soft C. 

4.  Did you know that G may soften to /j/ when followed by E, I or Y, otherwise G says /g/?

--For example:  biology...germ...ginger

5.  Did you know every syllable must have a written vowel?

--For example bi cy cle....bun dle....ta ble

and there are 25 other rules! 

You may already know these five rules.  I consider myself an average speller, but just knowing these rules...makes me feel a little bit more confident when teaching my kiddos!!