Blends: sks sts

I LEARN the sks and sts end consonant blends, as in asks and lists. These words have two instances of the sound of s. This results in a slight tongue twisting effect. If your student struggles with these words, have him first pronounce the word without the s ending, then add the s. The progression is thus: |ask| + |s|, or |asks|.

II – IV REVIEW end consonant blends.

Why So Much Review?

We review in order to integrate patterns, not to memorize words. Review exercises allow for practicing one, a few, or all of the previously introduced patterns. Sometimes new words are presented to help you assess whether or not your student is genuinely applying the patterns.

If your student continues to confuse any of the alphabet letters or syllable patterns, such as j and g, spend time reviewing words that have these patterns until your student becomes proficient. For example, first, read only words with the letter j, as in jot, until the words are mastered. Then review words having the other letter, g, as in gal. Finally, review words that have one or both of the letters g and j until these are easily handled (e.g., jug, jig, jog, gill, jot, gal).

Is your student having a difficult time spelling? Follow a routine of reading and spelling until mastery occurs.

Recognizing Improvement

At this point in the lessons, many common words have not been learned yet.
For example, your student has not learned all of the patterns for pronouncing begin, explain, choose, decide, turn, page, follow, multiply, divide, start, instruction, tiger, dinosaur, and directions. The building blocks for acquiring these words are being put into place. So be patient!

Your student might be halfway through these lessons before the people in his life recognize that he is reading better. Most students themselves recognize immediately that their ability to read and spell and comprehend has improved.

Consider Spelling the Words First

We teach students how to pronounce a word, then have them practice how to spell it. In some cases, your student might be helped by spelling a word first, then learning how to pronounce it. You might try this reverse protocol if the typical approach is not working smoothly for your student. We trust you to decide if he will benefit from spelling, then reading. If you are teaching a new sound or spelling pattern in the lesson, mention this before you begin. This has been particularly beneficial for students diagnosed with dyslexia.