This is the phonics program that I put together for my own children, and the way that I taught all of my children to read. The instructions for my phonics cards are available to you for free.

This is also available as a PDF here.

 

DIRECTIONS FOR USE

 

  1. Create a set of 3x5 cards for the phonograms.  On the front of each card (the plain side), write the phonogram large, in the center of the card, using lower-case letters, in the style of handwriting you want the student to emulate.  (If you have not thought about handwriting, I recommend Cursive First.  Doing an internet search for “Cursive First” will show you an image of the “Alphabet & Numerals” page.)  On the back of each card (the lined side), write the phonogram, and then the sounds, and then a single key word for each sound for your use only.  Write the number in the lower left corner.  Choose key words from the chart below, or choose your own.  I have also noted letters that are silent in some words – do not teach key words or silent letters during phonics learning, they are only here for reference.
     

 

  1. How to use the cards:  Each day have the student go through all of the phonogram cards and say the name of the phonogram (just say the letter(s) on the front of the card), and then say the phonogram sounds.  IMPORTANT:  Do not teach the key words or the phonetic markings, which are for reference only.  Start with just the first 6-8 cards for non-readers, or the first 26 cards for readers.  Add some cards each week.  As far as pronunciation goes, say the sounds the way your family says the sounds!  Do try to keep the sounds as short as possible; do not let your student say, for example, “b buh c kuh suh shuh d duh”.  This part of the lesson should take less than 5 minutes. 
  2. If your student is writing or learning to write, choose a few words for the student to copy onto a practice pad.  If your student is already reading and writing, choose a few words for the student to use in sentences.
  3. This should be non-frustrating for the student!  Start slow and build up.  The entire lesson should take less than 15 minutes.
  4. This is a work-in-progress.  As you come across phonograms you need to explain to your student, please add them to your list.  After the first 26 phonograms there is no magic to the order.  I have them in this order for no particular reason; it just works for me this way.  Put them in whatever order suits you, remembering to introduce words only after all of the phonograms in the word have been introduced.
  5. There is really nothing new here.  For a short while I was an intense student of dictionary pronunciation charts and phonics programs as I prepared to teach my first child to read.  I have looked at nearly every major phonics based program available.  I decided to make my own.  Once I had done it, and taught two children to read, I decided to share it with you.  I cannot guarantee that it will work for you, but I can tell you that it works for me.  I have successfully taught six children to read with this program. 
  6. *There are a few systems of phonetic sound marking. Please feel free to shop around and find the one you like the best! My phonetic markings are what was easily available to me on the computers that I had available. 

 

 

 

 

Name

Sounds and phonetic markings

and (silent)

Key words and alternate key words

and (silent)

1

a

ă  ā  ŏ  ŭ  (a)

dad baby walk ago mat ate ball was (artist musically)

2

b

b  (b)

bad barn (limb debt)

3

c

k  s  sh  (c)

cab city special cow ice ocean (indict scissors)

4

d

d  (d)

dad bad dab dog (hedge Wednesday)

5

e

ĕ  ē  ŭ  (e)

bed be seven pet he silent  

(silent e is it’s own entry, below)

6

f

f  v  (f)

fed of off fad fish (fifth)

7

g

g  j  (g)

bag gem gab beg egg  (sigh gnat though)

8

h

h  (h)

had he home (sigh hour ghost)

9

i

ĭ  ī  ē  ŭ  (i)

if ice ski pencil did hid dig fig bid I find big (business)

10

j

j

jab jag jig

11

k

k  (k)

kid keg kite (knife)

12

l

l  (l)

led lad leg lid all ball (calm calf should)

13

m

m  (m)

me gem am mad him mill mom (mnemonic)

14

n

n  (n)

nab kind hand den can men and fan end in an final giant nine (hymn limb)

15

o

ŏ  ō  ŭ  o:  w  (o)

on go lemon do one mom doll cold no off ago love (people)

16

p

p  (p)

pig pond nip pink cap pen peg pan help nap mop open piano (psalm receipt)

17

qu

kw  k  (q)

quill etiquette quip squash (lacquer)

18

r

r  (r)

ran grab drop barn red roar germ (February)

19

s

s  z  sh  zh  (s)

smell has tissue vision sat send miss kids slip his as son sugar grass glass dolls as kiss is squid ski skip horses cages wisdom casual (debris aisle island)

20

t

t  sh  ch  (t)

tent nation question quilt ten to not at fast it toss quit sent cent get jet start lotion action cat sit cost question silent ghost tot (castle)

21

u

ŭ  ū  u:  o:  ĭ  ĕ  w (u)

run music put tuna busy bury assuage cut puff unit us pull full tulip fly up until truly business flu busy (biscuit guess)

22

v

v

vanilla river vast vest vent clever

23

w

w  (w)

will swim water went wagon we (sword two who wrench)

24

x

ks  gz  z  (x)

fox exit xylophone Xerox fixes box ox oxen six flax exact (faux)

25

y

y  ē  ī  ĭ  (y)

yes baby cry syrup city dry gym snowy lyric yellow days yet guy by boys obey my navy sly myth (beyond)

26

z

z  s

zoo waltz zigzag buzz zip zebra quartz zero

 

 

 

 

27

th

th  th:

this thin then bath truth the birth worthy think myth

28

ch

ch  k  sh

chair school machine echo stomach mustache child chilled chilly chili chic catch chin chef chance church latch chorus chivalry chief

29

ck

k

rock kick stick pickle neck back pack pock puck lucky

 

 

 

 

31

aa

ă  ā

aardvark Aaron salaam bazaar

32

ae

āĕ

aerial maelstrom

33

ay

ā  ĕ  ī

hay prayer papaya clay mayor pay

34

ai

ā  ĕ  ă

trail said plaid ail stair paid mail

35

au

ŏ

autumn saucer fault cause

36

aw

ŏ  oi

draw lawyer yawn 

 

 

 

 

37

sh

sh

worship bush dish shut push she wish shiny

38

ci

sh

gracious artificial musician

39

xi

sh

anxious

40

si

sh  zh

session decision tension provision erosion

41

ti

sh  ch

action suggestion essential creation nation

 

 

 

 

42

 

introduce the silent e here

mane here ride tone tube site rage urine gentle vase blue nurse verse value have horse polite love give ice imagine

*exceptions  acme café

 

 

 

 

43

ea

ē  ĕ  ā  ŭ

eat bread break ocean mean breathe head breath heavy great zeal bear steak

44

ee

ē  ĕ  ā

tree been matinee sheep queen teen

45

ei

ē  ĕ  ā  ī  ĭ

receive heifer vein neither forfeit  ceiling either beige receipt leisure height protein reign sovereign eight heist

46

ey

ē  ā  ī

key obey eye they money monkey valley

47

eo

ē  ĕ  ŭ  ō

people leopard luncheon yeoman

48

eu

o:  ū

neutral feud sleuth

49

ew

o:  ū  ō

threw few sew blew new knew crew

 

 

 

 

50

ed

ĕd  ĭd  d  t

planted spotted played jumped decided saved baked backed baked warmed seized added called jumped loved hummed

51

dge

j

edge badge fridge lodge judge

 

 

 

 

52

augh

ăf  ŏ

laugh daughter caught taught

53

ough

ō  o:  ŭf  ŏf  ŏ  au ŭp

though through rough cough bought bough hiccough dough  enough caught drought thought

54

eigh

ā

sleigh eight freight weigh

55

igh

ī

high sigh fight light fright

 

 

 

 

56

ia

ŭ

marriage

57

io

ŭ

nation question action vision session equation gracious noxious fashion

58

ie

ī  ē  ĭ  ĕ

lie believe mischief friend flies lilies tie field friendship belief piece pie collie

 

 

 

 

59

ng

ng  nj

sing hinge sang song among fringe wing orange ring icing king

60

gn

n

sign gnat reign gnaw foreign

61

kn

n

knee knit knelt knot

 

 

 

 

63

oa

ō

coat board foal toad throat

64

oe

ō  ŭ  o:

toe does shoe doe hoe goes

65

oi

oi  ŭ

soil porpoise noise toil noisy point boil oil

66

oy

oi  ī

joy coyote oyster voyage loyal royal

67

oo

ŭ  o:  u:

blood boot foot lagoon good brook too tooth

68

ou

au  ō  ŭ  o:  ū

sound soul country soup you loud our mouse court you out four yours trouble about famous bouy

69

ow

au  ō

cow snow how blow brown town own flow yellow now low know

 

 

 

 

70

ould

u:d

could should would

 

 

 

 

71

ph

f

telephone graph nephew elephant

72

ps

ps   s

eclipse psyche

73

st

st  s

Christ whistle lost apostle listen thistle test worst best

 

 

 

 

74

ua

wŏ

quarter suave

75

ue

ĕ  u:  o:

guess guerilla glue

76

ui

o:  ĭ  ī  wē

fruit build guide suite juice suit

77

uy

ī

buy

 

 

 

 

78

wh

w   h

why whole

79

wr

r

write wrong wreck wrap

 

 

 

 

80

ar

ĕr  ōr  ăr  ār  

solar war far arid

81

aar

ăr  ār

aardvark Aaron bazaar

82

ear

ĕr  ēr  ăr  ār

earth appear heart bear early earn fear learn earnest      

83

er

ĕr  ēr ār  

fern here very over error her herd perfect father berry anger

84

eer

ēr  ēĕr

sneer freer eery decreer

85

eur

ēūr  o:r

Europe neurotic eureka

86

ir

ĕr  ēr  īr

dirt spirit fire stir girl bird miracle first

87

or

ĕr  ōr  ăr

worms for tomorrow world corn storm works

88

oor

ōr

door floor poor

89

ur

ĕr  ūr  ār

turn urine bury burn hurt curl turtle nurse fury

90

our

ĕr  ōr  our

journal four hour our

91

yr

ĕr

martyr satyr

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment: 
PDF icon homeschool phonics 2022.pdf