[Before starting this section complete Script for Word Attack. After the first challenge start each session by reviewing previous challenges until they are mastered.

Don't hesitate to make changes in the steps in the scripts that seem desirable for your learner.]

You have probably figured out that one of the tricky things about spelling is that sounds are often spelled in more than one way. You will now learn the "other" consonant spellings you need to remember.

Script for Next Challenges I will say a consonant sound and point to each spelling in turn and say the keyword. You say and write the keyword. I will point to the plus words and you say them along with me. We will say each of the practice "spelling words" together. You say each practice word, say and write each sound, and say the word again. {If a spelling is incorrect, cross it out, show him the word, and have him write it three times.] Completing the Challenge You write the keywords for each spelling in your Word Part Catalog in My Word Book and underline the different spelling studied.

CHALLENGE 1: Spellings for the /d-d-d/ sound.

d: dad
-dd: odd + add

Spelling words: dad, add

CHALLENGE 2: Spellings for the /f---/ sound.

f-: fun
-ff: stiff + stuff, cuff, scoff - Common at the end of a word.
ph: phony + phonograph, photograph, telephone, physical
-gh: rough + tough, enough, cough, laugh
-lf: calf + half -ft-: often + soften

Spelling words: fun, stuff, photograph, tough, half

CHALLENGE 3: Spellings for the /g-g-g/ sound.

g: gag
gu-: guess + guest, guilt, guide - The u separates the e in "guess" from the g so that it makes its hard sound. - "guar" words: guard and guarantee.
-gue: vague + intrigue, fatigue, dialogue, league, rogue
gh-: ghost + ghetto, ghastly, ghoul

Spelling words: guest, fatigue, ghastly, guard

CHALLENGE 4: Spellings for the /h---/ sound.

h-: hot
wh-: who + whom, whose, whole, whoop - This spelling is only used in a few words when it is followed by o.

Spelling words: hot, whom, whose, whole

CHALLENGE 5: Spellings for the /j-j-j/ sound.

j-: jam - Most common before a, o, u.
g-: gem + gin, germ. Common before e, i, y. Some exceptions are give, gift, and get.
-ge: hinge +large, change, cringe. Common at end of a word.
-dge: badge + hedge, bridge, budge. The silent d keeps the vowel short, and the ending signal e tells the reader that the g has the soft /j/ sound.

Spelling words: jam, germ, large, hedge

CHALLENGE 6: Spellings for the /k-k-k/ sound.

k-: kind - Most common before e, i as in kind and kept and after a vowel pair as in seek or open vowel as in bake.
c-: cat - Most common before a, o, u and after a closed vowel in a longer word: magic, electric.
-ck: luck - Standard after a closed vowel in monosyllables.
ch-: chorus + chord, character, school, Christmas
-que: antique + clique, plaque, physique, opaque, unique, technique

Spelling words: kind, cat, luck, school, talk,

CHALLENGE 7: Spellings for the /m---/ sound.

m: mum
-mb: comb + crumb, climb, bomb, lamb, limb, numb
-mn: hymn + autumn, column, solemn, condemn
-lm: calm + palm, psalm

Spelling words: mum, climb, calm, autumn

CHALLENGE 8: Spellings for the /n---/ sound.

n: nine
kn-: knee + know, knew, knife, knob, knot, knit
gn-: gnat + gnaw, gnash, gnarl, gnome, gnu

Spelling words: nine, knife, knit, gnash

CHALLENGE 9: Spellings for the /r---/ sound.

r: rare
wr-: wrist + write, wrong, wring, wrench, wrap, wreck, wrinkle
rh-: rhino + rhyme, rhythm, Rhine, rheumatism,

Spelling words: rare, wrong, wrap, rhino

CHALLENGE 10: Spellings for the /s---/ sound.

s: sis
-ss: mess + guess, fuss, moss - S is usually doubled at the end of a short word.
c-: city + race, bicycle - C has the s sound before e, i, y.
sc-: science + scene, scent, scissors
sw-: sword + answer
ps-: psalm + pseudonym, psychology, and other "psych: words" -st-: listen + castle, wrestle, whistle

Spelling words: sis, guess, race, science, psalm

CHALLENGE 11: Spellings for the /t-t-t/ sound.

t: tot
-ed: liked - common for ed ending after f, k, p, ss, sh
-bt: doubt + debt
pt-: ptomaine + ptarmigan

Spelling words: tot, licked, doubt, debt

CHALLENGE 12: Spellings for the /v---/ sound.

v-: van
-ve: have + give, love, live

CHALLENGE 13: Spellings for the /w-w-w/ sound.

w-: wish
-u-: persuade + suede, suite (connected rooms), quit, quite.

Spelling words: wish, quit, quite, persuade

CHALLENGE 14: Spellings for the /z---/ sound.

z-: zoo
-zz: razz - Z is usually doubled at end of a word.
-s: dogs - S stands for the /z---/ sound after b, d, g, l, m, n, r, w.

Spelling words: zoo, fizz, ribs, rise

CHALLENGE 15: Spellings for the /ch-ch-ch/ sound.

ch: church, such, and much
-tch: itch + ditch, witch, pitch, notch, hutch, batch, latch
-tu-:, capture + puncture, adventure
-ti-: question + action, attention

Spelling words: church, witch, question, capture

CHALLENGE 16: Spellings for the /sh---/ sound.

sh: shop, wish
-ti-: nation + cautious, partial - common spelling
-ssi-: session + mission, passion
-ci-: special + delicious
Other: machine, conscious, sugar, ocean, conscience

Spelling words: shop, wish, nation, session, special, ocean

CHALLENGE 17: Spellings for the /zh---/ sound.

-s-: measure + leisure, exposure
-si-: vision + decision, version

Spelling words: measure, decision, vision

CHALLENGE 18: Review spread over several days

I will say each keyword for each spelling of a sound, and you say and write it.

Back to Beginning

VOWEL SPELLINGS

Some vowel spellings are tricky, but if you read a lot and see them in print often, you will soon learn them.

You will now learn other spellings for closed vowel sounds:

Script for Next Challenges I will say a vowel sound, and you read the keyword. I will read the plus words and point to the letters that spell the vowel sound. I will say each of the keywords and plus words, and you say and write them and underline the vowel spelling. You may look at the line of words. I will point to words in the line out of order, and you say them "quick as a flash." [Drill until mastered.]

CHALLENGE 1: Spellings for the closed /eh/ sound.

men + brEAd; mAny; sAYs; agAIn, said; frIEnd

CHALLENGE 2: Spellings for the closed /ih/ sounds.

sin + hYmn, myth, sympathy, bicycle; bUIld; bUsy, business; wOmen; bEEn,

CHALLENGE 3: Spellings for the closed /o/ sound.

rob + fAther, watch and some other "wa" words

CHALLENGE 4: Spellings for the closed /uh/ sound.

rub + sOn, some, oven; blOOd, flood; dOUble, couple

REVIEW: [Keep reviewing the main and other keywords until they are mastered.]

Now you are going to learn other spellings for open vowel sounds:

Script for Next Challenges I will say a vowel sound and point to each spelling in turn and say the keyword. You say and write the keyword. I will point to the plus words and you say them along with me. We will say each of the practice "spelling words" together. You say each practice word, say and write each sound, and say the word again. {If a spelling is incorrect, cross it out, show him the word, and have him write it three times.] Completing the Challenge You write the keywords for each spelling in your Word Part Catalog in My Word Book and underline the different spelling studied.

CHALLENGE 1: Spellings for the open /ay/ sound.

-a-: baby + lady, vacation - common spelling in open syllables
-a_e: hate + game, made, cane
-ai-: paid + afraid, aid - common before the end of a word
-ay: play + day, spray - common at the end of a word
-ey: they + obey, convey
-eigh: weigh + eight, freight, neighbor
Other: vein; break

Spelling words: paid, play, they, weigh

CHALLENGE 2: Spellings for the open /ee/ sound.

-e: we + he, me, she - common in open syllables
-e_e: Pete + complete
-ee-: feet + gee, feel, need
-ea-: heat + eat, meat, mean
-ey: honey + money, alley, valley - common at end
-y: baby + lady, body, army - common at end
-ei-: receive + other "ei after c" words; either, seize,
-ie-: believe + field, piece, thief and other "ief" words

Spelling words: we, feet, heat, alley, lady, either, believe

CHALLENGE 3: Spellings for the open /ie/ sound.

-i-: hi + Friday - common in open syllables
-i_e: hide + fine, rise, time
-igh-: night + right, sight, high
-y: sky + fry, try - common at end of words of one syllable beginning with a blend
-ie: tie + pie, die - common at end of words of one syllable after one consonant
Other: buy, guy; height

Spelling words: hide, try, pie, guy

CHALLENGE 4: Spellings for the open /oh/ sound.

-o: go + no, soda - common in open syllables
-o_e: robe + mole, tone, rose
-oa-: coat + loan, toad - common in the middle of a word
-oe: toe + foe, hoe, doe - common at the end of a word,
-ow-: low + blow, known, bowl
Other: bureau; sew; shoulder, boulder; dough, though

Spelling words: robe, coat, toe, blow, dough

CHALLENGE 5: Spellings for the open /yoo/ sound.

-u_e: cute + compute
-ue: cue + argue, rescue, value - common at end
-ew: few + hew
Other: view

Spelling words: cube, value, few, view

Here are still other vowel spellings:

CHALLENGE 1: Spellings for the open /oo/ sound.

-oo-: food + moon, fool, zoo
-ue: blue + clue, true, due - common at the end
-ew: new + knew, stew, threw- common at the end
-ou-: group + soup, troupe, ghoul, youth
-ui-: fruit + juice, suit, cruise
Other: do, move, to, who; truth, Ruth, flu; true; through

Spelling words: boot, true, grew, soup

CHALLENGE 2: Spellings for the closed /oo/ sound.

-oo-: cook + book, took, good
-u-: bull + full, pull, bush, cushion
-ou-: could + would, should

Spelling words: book, pull, should, could

CHALLENGE 3: Spellings for the /ou/ sound.

-ou-: loud + out, slouch, found
-ow: cow + now, how, brow- common especially at the end of a word

Spelling words: loud, cow, sound, now

CHALLENGE 4: Spellings for the /aw/ sound.

-aw-: draw + jaw, raw, dawn - common especially at the end of a word
-au-: fault + haul, cause, Paul - common in the middle
-augh-: daughter + caught, taught
-a-: ball + call, tall, bald - common in "l-controlled" words
Other: bought, brought; cost, lost, frost; broad

Spelling words: draw, haul, taught, ball, bought, cost

CHALLENGE 5: Spellings for the /oy/ sound.

-oy: boy + toy, joy, annoy - standard at end of word
-oi-: boil + oil, coin, voice - standard in middle of word

Spelling words: toy, boil, annoy

CHALLENGE 6: Spellings for the /er/ sound.

-er-: her + herd, germ, jerk
-ir-: bird + dirt, girl, first
-ur-: burn + hurt, curl, lurch
-ear-: learn + earth, earn, search (w)or-: word + work, world, worth

Spelling words: germ, dirt, hurt, earth, work

CHALLENGE 7: Spellings for the /air/ sound pattern.

-air: hair + fair, stairs, chair
-are: care + rare, share, dare
-ear: bear + wear, pear, tear (paper)
Other: where and there, millionaire

Spelling words: hair, dare, wear, where

CHALLENGE 8: Spellings for the /ear/ sound.

-ear: fear + dear, hear, near, tear, year
-ere: here + mere, severe, sincere
-eer: deer (four legs) + sneer, beer, jeer, queer, sheer
Other: pier

Spelling words: fear, tear, here, sheer

CHALLENGE 9: Spellings for the /or/ sound pattern.

-or-: fork + cord, corn, force
-ore: tore + more, bore, shore
-oar: roar + oar, boar (pig), soar
-oor: door + floor
Other: mourn, war

Spelling words: corn, more, roar, floor

REVIEW: [Keep reviewing the main and other keywords until they are mastered.]

Back to the Beginning