Thoughts From My Notebook

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Why are there two ways to write /w/?

Why are there two ways to write /w/? Is that a <w> or <wh>? How often have you heard that from your student? How do you explain the difference? Do they really sound different? Let’s take a deep dive into...

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Too many rules and exceptions!

As the Science of Reading pushes awareness of how to teach reading and spelling, people are jumping on the bandwagon. Publishers also see an opportunity to make money, so they are cranking out a “phonics-based “ curriculum with all the...

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Yes, I know it isn't a suffix...

Before I get bombarded with comments, yes, I know <tion> is not a suffix, and yet I teach it as a whole unit. Yikes! I can sense so many of you want to jump to the comment section to set...

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How about these two softies?

Let's talk about soft c and g!  I am not a linguist or a word historian; I am just curious about the English Language structure. I spend late nights reading obscure books and chasing google rabbits down deep holes. I...

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Why teach syllable accents?

Why teach syllable accents?

I don't hear syllable accents, do you? Have you ever wondered how many of your students are unable to discern the stressed syllable from the unstressed syllable? Teaching syllable accents seems to be a prevalent activity in classrooms and many...

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