Over the last several weeks, #phonologicalfriday has been focusing on syllables. This is the sixth post in a 7 part series on syllable types written by Massey University’s Dr. Tom Nicholson. He has previously written on closed syllables, open syllables, vowel-consonant-e syllables and the r- affected vowel pattern. This week he has created a sample lesson plan for teaching the vowel teams.
Vowel teams or vowel pairs are two adjacent vowels found in the same syllable that create one vowel sound.
Some syllables include more than one vowel. These are vowel teams (or digraphs) such as EI, OI, OU, EE, AI, EW, AY. The vowel teams only have one sound. There are some exceptions to this rule. They are unstable digraphs where each vowel keeps its sound (e.g., QUI-ET, CHA-OS).
Opening of the lesson
Teacher: Can you tell me a two-syllable word that contains a vowel team?
Student: No
Teacher: How many syllables in FIFTEEN?
Student: Two, FIF-TEEN
Teacher: I will write the word. There are three vowels but you say there are only two syllables. Why is that?
Student: Is it because we only hear two syllables in the word?
Teacher: Yes, it is because the EE stands for just ONE sound. The EE pattern is called a vowel digraph or vowel team because the team gets together to make just one sound.
Middle of the lesson
Teacher: I will write these words on the whiteboard. I want you to check the vowels and put a line between the syllables. Read these words with me
ee | ai, ea | oi | aw |
fifteen | daisy | appoint | awful |
oyster | peacock | ointment | fretsaw |
between | weaken | joiner | awkward |
cheetah | beaver |
Close of the lesson
Teacher: What did we study today?
Student: Vowel teams
Teacher: It was the vowel team syllable type where there are two vowels like AW or OY that make one vowel sound.
Dr. Tom Nicholson is a freelance writer, formerly a professor of education at Massey University in New Zealand and a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. One day, in the future, he plans to have his own website, write a children’s book on phonics and how it can help you to read, and learn how to sketch with proper perspective.
You can contact Dr. Nicholson at: t.nicholson@massey.ac.nz
Reference:
Henry, M. (2010). Unlocking Literacy: Effective decoding & spelling instruction (2nded.). Baltimore, Maryland: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.
Stanback, M. L. (1992). Syllable and rune otters for teaching reading: Analysis of a frequency-based vocabulary of 17,602 words. Annals of Dyslexia, 42, 196-221.
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