A Phonics Instruction Sequence
for CLAD Reading

Compiled by

Jill Kerper Mora, Ed.D.
San Diego State University

 

There are many sources for sequences of teaching of phonics. The following is based on various resources listed below, along with other valuable resources.

The points of phonics and phonemic awareness that may be difficult for Spanish speakers learning to read in English are indicated here. This information is useful for CLAD teachers who are working with students who already read in Spanish, or who are developing biliteracy skills simultaneous with English, or who are learning to read in English as a second language.

English as a second language learners and other emergent readers benefit most from phonics instruction that proceeds from whole to part  based on analysis and synthesis of meaningful language. Word study  is such an approach. Click here for a description of word study in the biliteracy classroom.

Click here for a slide show presentation on approaches to phonics instruction.
 

1.    Single consonants

Various orders of teaching are suggested in instructional materials.

In biliteracy programs, a correlation approach between Spanish and English orthography is suggested. Click here for a Curriculum Framework for Biliteracy Development.

2.    Short vowels

One-syllable words that have the same ending and rhyme all belong to the same word family.  Go through the alphabet to find beginning consonants to use with the word families below.  Then generate three-letter words; for example, -ab:  cab, dab, gab, jab, lab, nab, tab.

   -ab          -ib          -ob          -ed          -ub
   -ad          -id          -od          -eg          -ug
   -ag          -ig          -og          -en          -um
   -am         -in          -op          -et          -un
   -an          -ip           -ot
   -ap          -it
   -at

None of these short vowel phonemes exist in Spanish.

3.    Beginning blends

Use the beginning blends below with the list of word families above to generate four-and five-letter words; for example, -ap:  clap, flap, slap, snap, trap, scrap, strap.

l blends           r blends         s blends             3-letter blends

bl-                     br-                      sc-                      scr-
cl-                     cr-                      sk-                      spl-
fl-                      dr-                      sm-                     spr-
gl-                     fr-                       sn-                      squ-
pl-                     gr-                      sp-                      str-
sl-                     pr-                      st-
                          tr-                       sw-

The l blends and r blends are the same in Spanish as in English. The s blends and 3 letter blends do not exist in Spanish. If str occurs, the s and tr are separate syllables.

4.    End blends

Mix beginning consonants and beginning blends with the end-blend word families below to generate four- and five-letter words; for example, -and:  band, hand, land, sand, bland, gland, brand, grand, strand.

   L blends             N blends            T blends            Others

   -all                      -and*                       -ant                       -ass
   -alm                    -ang*                       -art                       -amp*
   -ill*                      -ank*                       -ast                        -iss
   -old*                    -ing*                       -ift*                        -oss
   -oll*                      -ink*                       -irt                         -omp
   -ell                       -int                           -ist                        -ess*
   -elp*                   -ond*                       -ort                        -ump*
   -ull                      -ong                        -ost
                               -end*                       -eft
                               -end                         -elt
                               -ung*                       -est*
                               -unk*                       -ust*

*Most common three-letter word families

None of these end blends exist in Spanish.
 

5.    Beginning and end digraphs
 

Mix beginning consonants, beginning blends, and beginning digraphs with the word families below to generate four- to six-letter words; for example, -ash:  bash, cash, dash, gash, hash, lash, mash, rash, clash, slash, brash, crash, trash, smash, stash, splash.  (Note that when ch follows a short vowel, a t or r is added before it.)

   -ash              -ish              -osh               -esh               -ush
   -ath              -ith                -otch              -etch              -utch
   -atch            -itch              -oth                -erch              -urch
   -arch            -irth              -orch
 

These phonemes may present difficulties for Spanish speakers since they do not exist in Spanish.

6.    Long vowels with silent e

Mix beginning consonants, beginning blends, and beginning digraphs with the word families below to generate four- to six-letter words; for example, -ade:  fade, jade, made, wade, blade, glade, grade, spade, shade.

     -ace              -ice              -ode
     -ade              -ide              -oke
     -age              -ife               -ole
     -ake              -ile               -one
     -ale               -ine              -ope
     -ame             -ite               -ote
     -ape              -ive
     -ate

This spelling pattern does not exist in Spanish. There are very few silent letters in Spanish. Every written vowel is pronounced except for the u after g before e or i, unless it carries a diérisis (ü) and after q in qu.

7.    Long vowels in two-vowel combinations

Mix beginning consonants, beginning blends, and beginning digraphs with the word families below to generate four-to six-letter words; for example, -eek:  leek, meek, peek, reek, seek, week, sleek, creek, cheek.

   long a          long e              long e              long o

   -aid              -each                  -eed                  -oach
   -ail               -ead                     -eek                  -oad
   -ain              -eak                    -eel                    -oam
   -ait               -eam                   -eem                  -oan
   -ay               -ean                    -eep                   -oat
   -eat              -eet

The only vowel combinations that exist in Spanish are diphthongs. For a description of the rules of how these are formed and pronounced, click here: Using the written accent in Spanish.

8.    Miscellaneous vowel combinations

Mix beginning consonants, beginning blends, and beginning digraphs with the word families below to generate four-to six-letter words; for example, -ook:  book, cook, hook, look, nook, took, brook, crook, shook.

   -oil                 -ook               -ound
   -oin               -oom               -our
   -oint               -oon               -ouse
   -oist               -oop               -out
   -oot
 

Diphthongs are formed in Spanish by combining a, e, o with i or u, or combining i and u in a single syllable. These are the only "vowel combinations" in Spanish.

9.    Vowels controlled by r, l, and w

Mix beginning consonants, beginning blends, and beginning digraphs with the word families below to generate four- and five-letter words; for example, -ark:  bark, dark, hark, lark, mark, park, spark, shark.

   -ar               -ird             -ald              -aw
   -ard             -irt              -alk              -awn
   -arm            -or              -eld              -ew
   -arn            -ord             -elt               -ow
   -art              -ork             -ild              -own
   -er               -orn             -old
   -ern             -ir                 -ur

These phonemes may present difficulties for Spanish speakers since they do not exist in Spanish.
 

References

Bear, D. R., Templeton, S., Invernizzi, M. & Johnston, F. (1996).  Words their way:  Word study for phonics, vocabulary and spelling instruction.  Englewood Cliffs, NJ:  Merrill.

Blevins, W. (1998). Phonics from A to Z. New York, NY: Scholastic Professional Books.

Moustafa, M. (1997). Beyond traditional phonics: Research discoveries and reading instruction. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Rosenthal, N.  (1987).  Teach Someone to Read. Belmont, CA: Fearon Education.

 

English “Demons” for Spanish Speakers

All the short vowels-hat, bed, hit, top, up

The sh of shoes, mission, nation, ocean, chef, special, sugar (One sound with six spellings!)

The th of this and the th of thank

The j of jello, edge

The z of zero, has

The v of voice, very

The r-controlled vowels-especially the one sound (ir, er, ur)

The zh of measure, mirage

The d of day, ladder, bad

The h of home, house, hare

Source: Thonis, E. (1983). The English-Spanish Connection.  Compton, CA: Santillana.

 

 

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Metalinguistic Transfer in  Spanish/English Biliteracy	Curriculum Framework for  Biliteracy Development
Cross-linguistic Transfer  in L2 Reading	Word Study in  Dual Language Classrooms
Phonics Instruction for  Bilingual Learners	Road Map to Effective ELD Instruction
Spanish Orthography	Road Map to Effective Biliteracy Instruction

 

This page was last updated on 07/26/02