Notes to my book - Teach your child to Read - Part 3

 

Sounds of vowels

Tell your child/student that almost all the letters in the English language represent more than one sound. You don’t have to list out all the sounds but point it out to them as you come across them while reading.

In the first lesson in Teach your child to Read there are two sounds for the letter ‘a’. They are: ‘A’ as in apple and ‘A’ as in about. Point this out to him.

Here are the many sounds of the vowel A which you should point out when you see them.

A as in able, alien, ace (long sound of the letter A)

A as in axe, apple, ample (Short sound of the letter A)

A as in arc, arm, art

A as in agree, ahead, arrive

A as in all, although, always

Each of the vowels – AEIOU -  represent 3 or more sounds. 

There was a teacher on Facebook who complained that many of her students were confused when her students came across the word bald. They were stunned as the letter A in bald is neither a short nor a long sound that she had taught them.