Alternative Spellings for Known Sounds
Recognise alternative grapheme-phoneme correspondences for known phonemes (e.g., /dʒ/ as ge/dge/g, /s/ as c, /n/ as kn/gn, /r/ as wr, /ʒ/ as s), reading words with less common spellings for familiar sounds
What a learner can do afterwards
- Read words with less common spellings for familiar sounds: 'badge', 'giraffe', 'city', 'knock', 'gnaw', 'write', 'treasure'
- Identify that the same phoneme can be represented by different graphemes (e.g., /dʒ/ spelled g, ge, dge)
- Select the correct alternative GPC to decode an unfamiliar word in context
The lesson
You already know lots of letter sounds. But some sounds like to hide. The /j/ sound you hear in 'jump' can also be spelled g or dge, like in 'giraffe' and 'bridge'. Same sound, new spelling.
Ben reads the word 'knock'. He sees k-n at the start, but he only hears /n/. The k stays silent. He blends the rest of the word and reads knock.
When a word looks strange, try the sound you already know. Watch for kn, gn, wr, dge, ge, c, and s. They can be clues for a familiar sound in a new spelling.
The same sound can wear different spellings, so try what you know and check if the word makes sense.
Watch it
Where it sits
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.