The Phoneme Song

A phoneme is a small units of distinctive speech sounds  In simple terms a phoneme is a sound that floats in the air.  You can hear phonemes but not see them.  Being able to identify and manipulate phonemes in written words is a powerful indicator of decoding and encoding (spelling) success for learners in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades.

Thanks to Mrs. McKinney for showing us how to sing the phoneme song.

The Closed Syllable Song

As most of you know we have been reviewing concepts of a closed syllable in first and second grades.  In simple terms a closed syllable has the following characteristics:

1)  There is one vowel in the word    
2) The vowel is followed by a consonant (or two or three)
3)  The vowel will use its short sound

Here is the song the children have been learning in class.

Thanks for Mrs. Williams for crafting the words!  Thanks to Mrs. McKinney for lending your lovely singing skills to this video clip!

Open and Closed Syllables

First Grade is talking about open and closed syllables this week.  This is a great little activity to have on had to help your children remember the difference between an open and closed syllable.

Click here to download the PDF

The Logic of English: The Problem of English

Hey Parents and Teaches!
We are beginning a new book study in our professional development group.  The Logic of English. by Denise Eide.  If you want a clear and simple explanation of what is happening in the English phonics system, this is a great resource.  Here are our  note from the first session.   Stay tuned we will be posting our notes weekly.   Happy Tuesday!

The Schwa

The schwa is defined as...  

the neutral vowel sound typically occurring in unstressed syllables in English, however spelled(ie: a in alone and sofa, e in system, i in easily, o in gallop, u in circus)... which in short means the schwa occurs when a vowel is not making the sounds it is suppose to make.  It is acting a bit lazy and will say "uh" or "ih" in place of its expected vowel sound.  The chart below shows some common vowel endings (and middles) that are often flexed to a schwa sound.  

Syllable Types Posters

Hello!  Here are the syllable types posters we shared last night.  Please remember that the Really Great Reading program teaches only six syllable types, while seven syllable types are represented here.  Really Great Reading considers the diphthong vowels (oi, oy, ou, ow, au, and aw) to be the same as vowel teams (ie: ee, ea, ai, ay, etc.)

 Click the link here to access the PDF file 

Really Great Reading - Parent Meeting

Here is the slide show for the Really Great Reading presentation.  Thank you all for coming.  We are all so excited about the growth and learning our children will experience this year.  If you have questions please let us know.  You can email your child's teacher or Mrs. Chandler (kchandler@paideiaknoxville.org)