1st Parent Reading Helps

A   a   as in Apple

B    b  as in Bell

C    c  as in Cat  

 D   d  as in Dog  

 E   e  as in Egg

 F   f    as in Fox

 G   g   as in Gas  

H   h   as in hat

I     i    as in ink

 J     j    as in jam

 K   k    as in kitten

L    l     as in log    

 M m   as in mop

 N     n   as in net  

 O     o   as in ox 

P      p   as in pin 

 Q     q   as in queen

 R     r    as in red   

S     s    as in sun  

 T     t    as in tent   

 U    u    as in up 

  V   v   as in van

 W  w   as in well

 X    x   as in ax

        Y   y  as in yell

       Z   z   as in zip

  Letter-Sound

If your child does not know all the letters or sounds when presented out-of-order, then please go back and play games with your child until recognition.  This may take 4 weeks or more.  DO NOT USE THE LIST BELOW AT THIS TIME.  YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THE LETTER NAMES AND SOUNDS OUT OF SEQUENCE of ABC ORDER PRIOR TO USING THE FOLLOWING LIST OF PHONETICALLY SPELLED WORDS.

Please see the “ABC Initial Practice” title under 1st Parent Help as identified and see the sounds that your child is expected to identify immediately, along with the recognition of the letter name.  Practice these sounds and letter names out of order after your child can say the ABCs in rote by order. 

As cited earlier, certain letters have more than one sound.  But initially PLEASE only focus on the one sound identified in the “ABC Initial Practice” title above.  There are many excellent letter books with bright colors and variety to help your child master their letter and sound matches.  You can check the Public Library.  Please ask the Librarian for help.  Furthermore, there is often inexpensive letters and sound books that I have purchased at the Dollar General Store. These books greatly assisted my granddaughter to be an excellent top reader in her class. 

A webpage for at-home practice if you have the internet can assist with letter-sound matches at www.starfall.com (there are many other sites) or if you do not have a computer, you can use your Public Library card for access on the internet for your child to work on letter sound matches.  But most important is your parent-child interaction in a loving environment where the letter names and sounds become a pleasant interchange.

Have fun with your child in this. 

If your child has already mastered his/her ABC letter names and sound matches, but has a limited or no word recognition —SELECT 10 TO 20 WORDS PER WEEK from the following list of phonetically spelled words.  Make certain the list you make is small enough to master in a week without placing undue stress on your child, and go over the words 10 to 20 minutes daily reminding your child of the sound that each letter makes and point to the letters as you say each sound in sequence from left to right to show visually and auditorily how each letter-sound would follow the other in a blended sound until your child has immediate phonemic (sound) recognition of the letters. 

Short Readers will be added to this site in the future to supplement and assist speed recognition in these phonetically spelled words.  And remember that word recognition is dependent upon your child.  So, 10 to 20 words per week may be too many.  Five words may be best per week.   Here is a list of word families with all short vowel sounds of a,e, i, o, u.