I – IV LEARN more ending consonant blends. Remind your student that, as always, we sound out the letters in a word from left to right.

IV NEW PATTERN. Here we learn the nds ending consonant blend. When we pronounce nd, the letter d is clearly enunciated, as in land and mend. However, when s is added to form nds at the end of a word or syllable, the tongue goes to the place where d is pronounced but the sound for d is not clearly made. Rather, the d is mostly silent because the tongue stays on the roof of the mouth. Illustrate this by saying the word lands. Now say the word mends. Notice how the d sound almost dissolves or disappears.

V & VI NEW PATTERN. We now will learn the second sound for the letter n. This sound is manifested in words ending in nk, nks, ng, or ngs, as in bunk, bunks, song, and songs. The n in nk(s) and ng(s) is not pronounced like the basic sound for the letter n. A lone n is pronounced with a nasal hum that creates vibration and involves the tongue touching the top of the mouth just behind and above the top teeth. The letter n in the consonant blends nk and ng [bunk, song] is pronounced farther back, more in the center or back of the roof of the mouth. Have your student pronounce the word run, emphasizing the n |rŭn|. Then have him say the words bunk |bŭngk| and song |sŏng|, paying attention to the difference in the sound of the letter n. The n sound in both of these words is nasal and voiced. Have him touch his throat with his finger tips and feel the vibration that occurs when he says |n|, |ng|, and |ngk|. It can be quite helpful to explain these differences.

VI NEW PATTERN. There is a second sound for the letter g, as it appears in the ending consonant blends ng and ngs, as in song and lungs. Here the g is pronounced without a |gŭh| sound. First, have your student say the word bag, emphasizing the letter g, and notice the slight |gŭh| sound, |bă gŭh|. Then have him say the word lung and remark that the sound of the letter g is shortened and pronounced without the |gŭh| sound. Likewise, we say |sŏng|, not |sŏng gŭh|.