1. Teach Onsets & Rimes

Onsets and rimes are two different parts of one word. The onset is the single consonant or blend of consonants at the beginning of a word. The rime is the first vowel in the word along with the string of letters that follow (both vowels and consonants). For example, the rime would be -at. The onset would be any consonant or blend of consonants that are added to the beginning of the rime -at, such as: c, f, br to make the words: cat, fat, and brat.

Rimes

There are thirty-seven common rimes that need to be taught: ack, ail, ain, ake, ale, ame, an, ank, ap, are, ash, at, ate, aw, ay, eat, ell, est, ice, ick, ide, ight, ill, in, ine, ing, ink, ip, it, ock, oke, op, ore, ot, ug, ump, unk.

Onsets

Again, these are the consonant letters or blends that come before the rime. The important part here is that your child knows the sounds that each consonant letter makes and then knows how to blend them. For example, b and r, blended together we get br. Both the b and the r keep their sound, it’s just blended together. But there are onsets that make new sounds: kn, sh, ch, th, ph, and wh. Those will take practice.

2. Teach Chunking & Rubberbanding (aka Break It, Say It, Make It)

Chunking

Chunking is when you take a word and break it down into syllables (or chunks). Then you sound out each syllable and put it back together again.

Rubberbanding

Rubberbanding is speaking the word out loud in a long, drawn out way so that it slows down each sound for the child to hear. You put an emphasis on each syllable but slowly blend them together.

Another way to rephrase chunking and rubberbanding is to break it, say it, make it. It’s done the say way:

• Break it: break each word into syllables
• Say it: Say each syllable, blending the sounds together.
• Make it: Put the syllables back together to make the word.

There are a few great spelling programs out there, and you can find more on our resource page. But one way to customize help for your child is to take words out of their own writing. After they write something in a journal, or a short essay, circle words that you’d like them to practice spelling for a week. Help them to spell it correctly after you’ve circled them by using the above techniques of chunking & rubberbanding. Then, have them practice these words each day for about 5-10 minutes. They can write them down 5 times each, they can draw them with their finger in sand or shaving cream, or they can create a sentence for each word, using the word (spelled correctly) in the sentence. Get creative!

Your Homework:

What’s a homeschool blog without a little homework?

• Assess where your child is when it comes to spelling: Do they need to go back and work on onsets and rimes? Would they benefit from chunking & rubberbanding?
• Find seven words your child needs help with and use the tools to have them practice these words for one week.
• Check out spelling programs (if needed) on our resource page.