When Is the Letter Y a Consonant? (and Other Tricky English Letters)
Y can be a consonant predominantly when it is found at the beginning or onset of a word or syllable. Words such as /yes/, /yellow/, /lawyer/ and /kayak/
ESL | Phonics | Teaching | Teaching English | TEFL
How to Teach a Child to Read Long Words (tips and Ideas)
An effective strategy to teach children to read long words in English is to teach a variety of reading skills. Segmentation of words, phonics, awareness of prefixes and suffixes
ESL | Phonics | Teaching | Teaching English | TEFL
Why is English Hard for Russian Speakers? (And Teaching Tips)
Slavic languages such as Russian can have vastly different tongue and mouth positions when compared to English pronunciations
Phonics | Teaching | Teaching English | TEFL
Do Spelling Tests Improve Spelling? ( and Alternatives)
Spelling tests should be about more than rote memorization. You can test a student’s ability to spell through specific activities and authentic sources.
Do Adverbs Always End in -ly?
The majority of adverbs do end in ”ly” but it is not a set rule. There is more to consider than just the ending spellings of words to determine what meaning to apportion to them
Phonics | Teaching | Teaching English | TEFL
Should You Teach Vowels Or Consonants First?
It is not recommended to teach vowel and consonant sounds in isolation. Many phonics instruction methods introduce a mix of common vowel and consonant sounds
When Should Children Be Able to Read Silently?
Many readers begin to read with support around age five or six (grade 1 and grade 2). With a few years of practice, children will begin reading to themselves.
Does Tracing Improve Handwriting? (And Free Resources)
Handwriting can be practiced by tracing letters; however, tracing mazes and shapes are better suited to practice handwriting
The Best Free Online Sentence Games
Sentence games are a successful way to introduce both the initial concepts of sentence construction to young learners, and then extending that learning with more complex structures
What To Do When Phonics Doesn’t Work
Methods such as whole language instruction, balanced literacy, and Native Instruction are alternatives to phonics and work well for many children, including those with Dyslexia.