Teaching Kids Simple U Sounds in Spelling
Understanding Vowel Patterns and Long Vowel Sounds
Apr 9, 2009
The trick in teaching English spelling is to get kids to correlate the sound of a word with the way it is spelt. Explain that spelling is a written code for the spoken word. Begin with short vowel sounds, then move on to long sounds and vowel patterns. Discuss the long “a” sound, the long “ee” sound, the long “i” sound. Once this is familiar, introduce the long “u” sound. For starters, stick with the simple “u” sounds.
Graphic Aids for Learning Spelling
- A big graphic “U” cutout, made of stiff cardboard or acrylic will make the activity fun and greatly aid understanding and retention. Use your imagination, and make a bright, sturdy capital “U” with the top bars of the cutout overhanging a bit to carry along small cutouts of other letters for a ride.
- Using the same material or bright coloured paper, also make smaller cutouts of lower case alphabets “c”, “t”, “s”, “e”, “i”. Allow space on either side so you can punch holes and string them, so they can ride on the top bars of the graphic “U”.
- Have handy some blank paper and colourful pieces of string to create and attach additional letters if new words are thrown up in the course of the activity.
Vowel Patterns: Begin with the Basic “u” Sound
Before getting into the long “u” sound, spend some time exploring the basic “u” sound. Make the pursed “u” sound with your mouth, expel air making the short "u" sound, then the long “oooh” sound, and ask the child to do the same. Slowly change the shape of your mouth to make the more rounded “um” sound. Play around, explore the variants, have fun together discovering the various shapes the mouth makes in saying “u”.
Vowel Patterns: Short “u” Words
Bring in the graphic “U”, and ask the child to make words with the smaller cutouts riding on the top bars. Begin by making the word BUT, by adding the small “b” and small “t” on either bar. Say the word out aloud, savouring the sound it makes. Then get him or her to make more words with the same "u" sound. For starters, stick to simple three letter words like FUN, PUP, MUD. Make up a story about a pup having fun in the mud! Make it a point to spell the word PUT, experiment with the sound, and spend some time discussing why it makes a different sound.
Explain that the important thing about English spelling is knowing the rule, and then knowing the exceptions to the rule.
Vowel Patterns: Long “u” Sound
Once the child is comfortable with the short “u” sound, make the long “u” sound as in words like UNIFORM and UNICORN. Make the child practice the sound, but do not get into spelling the longer words right now. Identification of the sound, however, is important.
Then, discuss the sound made by the same letters when attached in front of other words, as a suffix, as in UNFAIR, UNCLEAN. Discuss the use of the suffix, and how the sound is different, though the letters "U" and "N" are the same. Ask if the child notices any patterns and any differences in the patterns.
This is the first part of the “u” session. Go over the simple “u” sound with the child, and make sure she is familiar with the variant sounds. Play around with the shape of the mouth and the different sounds of “u” covered in the exercise. Once the child is comfortable with these, she is ready for the more complex “u” sounds.
