We all learned in school that vowels (in English) are A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y. So this should mean that consonants are all other letters in the alphabet. But what makes a vowel a vowel?

What Is A Consonant And A Vowel

Phonetics is the study of sounds that humans produce. Linguists state that vowels and consonants are sounds, not letters. Vowels and consonants are two different categories of sounds that linguists use to better understand how speech sounds work.

This video gives a great description of Phonetics and using Sound Walls!

Consonant Versus Vowel

Vowels

Vowels are made with open-mouthed speech sounds pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract centered around a spoken syllable. Vowels vary in quality, loudness, and length. Depending on your accent, there are about 18 vowel sounds. What? I thought there were only 10 long and short vowel sounds!

Consonants

So, What is a consonant? According to vocabulary.com a consonant is a speech sound that is not a vowel. Simple right? Kind of, but there is more to what makes a consonant. A consonant is a sound made with your mouth being at least partially closed. Consonants require more precise articulation than vowels.

Saying consonant sounds involves constricting airflow in different locations in your mouth by:

• briefly stopping then releasing the air (“p”, “b”, “t”, “d”, “k”, “g”),

• diverting the airflow and associated resonance to your nose (“m”, “n”, “ng”),

• squeezing the air through a narrow space (“th” as in “thin”, “th” as in “then”, “f”, “v”, “s”, “z”, “sh”, “zh” as in “vision”, “h”, and in posh dialects, “wh”),

• combining stopping then squeezing (“ch”, “j”), or

• narrowing the vocal tract (“w”, “y”, “r”, “l”).

Check out Spelfabet for more information.

Vowel Examples

Check out this video in which Dr. Dahlgren explains the importance of understanding how the mouth forms to create vowel sounds.

Consonant Examples

What is a Consonant Vowel Consonant Word?

What are Word Families?

How to Teach a Consonant Vowel Consonant Word

I personally created these resources and lessons to use during my phonics program for struggling readers. These word recognition activities and student workbooks align with the Science of Reading.

1.Word Families- Phonics Programs for Struggling Readers

As a Title 1 Reading Teacher, I use this phonics program for all of my struggling readers who do not meet state benchmarks. This can be used for Kindergarteners through older students who are continuing to struggle with connecting phonics skills to fluently reading words. These lessons for phonics are designed for you to teach during a whole or small group reading phonics lesson. This curriculum provides explicit phonics instruction in each important component, including skill work, decoding and blending, word mapping, connecting phonemes to text, and purposeful phonics practice.

This phonics program includes:

2. Phonics Student Workbook for Word Families - Students will each have their ready-made phonics packet. Each lesson is 4 pages long. All you will need to do is print. These phonics student books include phonics activities for skill work, decoding, blending, word mapping, connecting skills to text, and purposeful phonics practice.

What More Information? 13 Powerful Lessons for Phonics that You Need to Know

2a. Phonics Word Lists

Phonics-based word lists are a list of real & nonsense dynamic words that are targeted to the specific phonics skill being taught. 

I have personally used these word family word lists in my small reading groups. My students were able to apply their decoding skills to develop fluency in reading word family words with short vowels. These word lists are an excellent phonics resource, which can be used to individualize your intervention reading groups. They are a great resource for students to reference for additional reading support.

The phonics word lists are systematic and sequential. The first word list introduces the short a vowel sounds. The teacher can read from the word list and students can differentiate the sounds. The next 6 days introduce a new short a vowel families (example- day 2: -at, day 3: -ap, day 4: -an, day 5: -am, day 6: -ag, day 7: -ab, etc.). The 8th day reviews all short a vowel sounds taught. This will also be the same for short e, i, o, and u.

What More Information? 7 Fun Activities for Decoding of Words Using Phonics Based Word Lists

2b. Digital Phonics Word Lists

Are you having a hard time finding a phonics activity that will have your students build words? Looking for a highly effective way to practice and improve your students' decoding and blending skills? What is orthographic mapping and how can I use it to help my students read more fluently?

The word lists are systematic and sequential. They start with the phonics skill your students need to work on and will continue to review previously taught phonemes throughout each list. This means that the consonant digraphs will not have silent e, r-controlled vowels, vowel teams, etc. The word lists will review previously taught sounds (i.e. short vowels and double consonants). This digital resource is EDITABLE!

What More Information? Discover How to Increase Student’s Reading Progress Using Digital Phonics Word Lists

3. Orthographic Mapping Word Families

Orthographic mapping or word mapping is the process of looking at a word, reading the word, breaking down the words into sounds, writing the letter combinations of each phoneme, and writing the entire word. Word Mapping will allow students to build their word recognition skills to permanently connect speech phonemes to the graphemes.

What More Information? 5 Effective Strategies to use Orthographic Mapping for Reading Success

4. Word Families Worksheets

Do you have students who still need help to build words during their phonics, decoding, and fluency practice? You can also use this phonics packet during an word families lesson for the school year or send it home with your students for a summer packet! These NO PREP targeted phonics worksheets will free up your time and you can use them all year long! No more searching for phonics worksheets that help build the word in a word family and use both real and nonsense words. Just print and go! Over 200 pages of ready-made phonics worksheets that help to build words and build other words that follow the Phonics Word Lists: Word Families (real and nonsense words)

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