Single Letter Sounds
Know the primary sound for each consonant and the short and long sounds for the five major vowels; respond speedily to single-letter graphemes
What a learner can do afterwards
- Say the most common sound for each consonant when shown the letter
- Distinguish short vowel sounds in CVC words (e.g. /a/ in 'cat' vs /e/ in 'bed')
- Associate long and short vowel sounds with common single-letter spellings
The lesson
Every letter has its own sound. Look at a letter, and say its sound fast, before you even think.
Look at the word cat. The letter a says its short sound, /a/, like the a in apple.
Vowels are a, e, i, o, and u. Each one can say two sounds. Short a says /a/ like in cat. Long a says /a-name/ like in cake.
Don't spell the letter or say its name. Just say the sound it makes, right away.
Say the sound fast: one sound for most consonants, and a short or long sound for each vowel.
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.