Let’s look at some examples of phonics patterns in words! The first word is cat. The word cat has two consonant sounds and one short vowel sound. It follows a closed syllable pattern, or CVC word pattern. Learners who can recognize this pattern can apply it to other words, like top and fib. Though each letter in these words make different sounds, they all follow the CVC closed syllable pattern. You will also notice the vowel sound is short. Students who can recognize patterns can learn many more words than those who seek to memorize the words alone. Phonics instruction is crucial in mastering skills needed to become a reader. The alphabetic principle of letter sound correspondence is based on recognizable patterns. We cannot expect young readers to memorize every word they’ll encounter in a book. Therefore, it is most important that students learn the patterns letters use to make sounds. In this way, students can decode unknown words piece by piece. When early readers begin to recognize and apply the patterns in written words, they build a strong foundation to use when encountering new words.
There are many activities you can use at home to help build phonics skills. Here is a fun scavenger hunt activity that can be modified to reinforce many different phonics skills! First, introduce or remind your student of a phonics skills. For this example, we will be using the digraph sh. Have your learner search the house or classroom for object that begin with this sound or have this sound somewhere in the word. For a more hands on and visual approach, try using sticky notes! Write out (or have your student write out) the phonics pattern on sticky notes. Then, go around the area you are using and label items with the sticky note. Hopefully, you and your learner will both have fun with this phonics scavenger hunt! If you’re looking for more activities to practice these skills, check out our printable phonics worksheets below.
