The Lost and Found



The Keeping Quilt - Spelling Words

Spelling Skill – We have discussed short and long vowel sounds and their spellings at length in class. Please see the 34 page “First Grade Phonics Review for Third Grade” document on my web site if you need a refresher yourself or would like to review it with your struggling reader. (

All students now understand that a vowel is short unless there is a reason it’s long. We have discussed and developed lists in our “Gotta Know it Notebooks” for 4 of the 5 reasons a vowel can be long. Rule 4 is the Vowel Pair Rule. This rule states that in a vowel pair the first vowel tends to say its name while the second vowel stays silent.

Last week, our list focused on the Magic e. This week, our spelling list includes a variety of reasons vowels are long including vowel pairs, jail vowel pairs, and the ever elusive “a vowel on a clap is usually wrong” rule even makes an appearance. Some of the words can be read using several rules! Can you and your child highlight the correct phonics rules that help the reader decode these words? Here are a few hints:

Vowel Pair – Long A = ai and ay (Remember a letter is a vowel if it can change the sound of another letter. This is why y and w are sometimes considered vowels.)

Jail Vowel Pair – Long A = ei

Vowel Pair – Long E = ee and ea

A Vowel on a clap is usually long! (pre – pare)

1. paint

2. clay

3. feel

4. leave

5. paid

6. lay

7. need

8. weigh

9. spray

10. eight

11. seem

12. speak

13. neighbor

14. please

15. weakly

16. raisin

17. major

18. even

19. lazy

20. music

21. needle

22. crayon

23. Wednesday

24. squeal

25. squeak

Spelling Activities

1. Highlight the vowel spelling in each word.  I.e. bean, tape,  program, babies, blind, gym

2. Explain the phonics rule(s) in each word. For example,  

bean = The long e sound is made by a vowel pair where the first vowel says its name and the second is silent. (Ea can also be a jail vowel pair when saying the short e sound, but it’s not in this word.) 

tape = The long a is created by the power of the Magic e 

program = The long o sound in the first clap happens because a vowel on a clap (syllable) is usually long.  Also, the short a sound in the second clap comes from a consonant blend-vowel-consonant spelling pattern which most often leaves a vowel saying its short sound.

babies = The long a sound in the first clap is because a vowel on a clap is usually long.  Some people see the long a because of the Magic i.  The long e sound in the second clap is from the copy cat y saying the e sound. Also, to make the word “baby” plural, we need to change the y to an i and add es.

blind = The long i sound is long for “no reason in a one syllable word”.

gym = The short i sound is made from a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern where the vowel sound is most often short.  Also, a “g” followed by an e, i, or y says j.  Finally, y often copies the vowel I and is long or short as the I would have been in the word ….   I believe these are the best ways to really study spelling.  Parents, if you don’t know many phonics rules, your child would probably love to teach you! 

3. Use a dictionary and write each spelling word in syllables.  Ie. Back/pack  or so/fa.  This is also a third grade skill.

4. Rainbow write - write each word using at least three colors. (One on top of the other)

5. Make flash cards and play school.

6. Write the spelling word and then a synonym (similar meaning word).  Also, a third grade skill.

7. Write the spelling word and then an antonym (opposite meaning word).  Again, a third grade skill.

8. Write a silly story using all the words.  Use proper punctuation and your child will be practicing another third grade skill. ϑ

9. Write each spelling word and then categorize it as a noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, adverb, or compound word.  Yep, another 3rd grade skill. 

10. Alphabetize the spelling words.  *Third grade skill. 

11. Write each spelling word and then look them up in the dictionary.  On either side of each spelling word, write the guide words of the page.  *Third grade skill. 

12. Write the spelling words and then look each up in the dictionary.  Then write the phonetic spelling of the word found in the ( ) of the entry. (the pronunciation) *Third grade skill. 

13. Write each spelling word and then add a prefix, suffix, or both to alter the meaning of the word. (Word Forms) *Third grade skill.

14. Use the spelling words in similes using the words “like” or “as”.  *Third grade skill.

15. Write a tongue twister or twisters using all the words. (alliteration – third grade skill)

16. Go to or similar site and make a word search puzzle and solve. Making and solving the puzzle are both study activities.

17. Cut the words from a newspaper or magazine and make a word collage.

18. Mandatory - Take or give a spelling test.  Grade it. Study the words you miss and be prepared for the test ϑ

19. Write each spelling word and its meaning from the dictionary.  Is it a multi-meaning word?  How many definitions does it have?  Is the word used as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or several of these?  *All third grade skills. 

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