Oftentimes, a word with a short vowel is transformed into a long vowel by placing a silent letter “e” at the end of the word. One exception is the letter “e,” wherein the addition of a silent “e” rule does not apply.
By adding “e,” “mat” becomes “mate.“By adding “e,” “win” becomes “wine.“By adding “e,” “hop” becomes “hope.“By adding “e,” “tub” becomes “tube.”
There are many similar exceptions that can cause child confusion when first starting. It requires the teacher to stage the instruction to outline each rule and exception individually. By working closely with the teacher, you, as the parent, can begin helping out at home. When a child starts learning long vowels, the instruction will generally be constrained to one-syllable words. Longer words and more complex rules (such as “I before E except after C” ) will usually be introduced in second grade or later.
Using “ai” to create the word “wait"Using “ea” to create the word “meat"Using “oa” to create the word “boat”
By contrast, “oo” is pronounced in many different ways such as “hoop,” “look,” “brood,” and “boo.” Of course, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule, and that can be part of the fun. By picking out the inconsistencies, children can start to intuitively work out how a word is spoken as they move from reading words to entire sentences.
The letter “o” followed by “ll” can become “stroll.“The letter “i” followed by “nd” can become “kind.”
So, even if words like “sing,” “long,” and “hill” don’t adhere to double consonant rules children will quickly get the hang of it as they become better at working out the sound and context of a word at the same time. On the other hand, if your child is falling behind and you’re worried there is a real problem, there are several things you can do:
See your pediatrician and get a physical examination, including a vision and hearing test. If there is any indication of hearing impairment, you can see a specialist and explore if there is frequency hearing loss. If you suspect expressive or receptive language problems, have your child tested by a qualified speech and language pathologist. You can also speak with your child’s teacher about screening for learning disabilities or request a referral for a full assessment to determine whether your child may benefit from special education services.
