pdf-to-markdown/examples/Closed-Syllables.md

Drill Bits

Drill Bits Phonics-oriented word lists for teachers

If you’re helping someone learn to read, you’re helping them unlock the connection between the printed word and the words we speak — the “sound/symbol” connection. This book is a compilation of lists of words which follow the predictable associations of letters, syllables and words to the sounds we use in speaking to each other.

This book does not attempt to be a reading program. Recognizing words and patterns in sound/symbol associations is just one part of reading, though a critical one. This book is designed to be used as a reference so that you can:

• Meet individual needs of students from a wide range of ages and backgrounds; VAT and TAX may be more appropriate examples of the short a sound for some students than CAT and FAN, which they may have memorized without learning the sounds associated with the letters.
• Teach students that exceptions are also predictable, and there are usually many examples of each kind of exception. These are called special categories or special patterns.

HOW THE LISTS ARE ORGANIZED

Word lists are presented in the order they are taught in many structured, multisensory language programs: Syllable type 1: Closed syllables — short vowel sounds (TIN, EX, SPLAT) Syllable type 2: Vowel consonant-e — long vowel sounds (BAKE, DRIVE, SCRAPE) Syllable Type 3: Open syllables — long vowel sound (GO, TRI, CU Syllable Type 4: r-controlled syllables (HARD, PORCH, PERT) Syllable Type 5: consonant-l-e words (CANDLE, TABLE, MUZZLE) Syllable Type 6: Vowel pairs — unique sounds (OUT, PAW), long vowel sounds (MAIN, COACH) Where syllables are broken down into different vowel sounds, easily confused vowels such as e and i are separated, so that the order of presentation is A-I-O-U-E-Y instead of the alphabetical A-E-I-O-U-Y. For the first syllable types, there are lists which focus on specific problems students may have, such as syllables with blends or without beginning consonants. (Not every student needs the skills broken down into small steps.) As the sound patterns advance, the first lists are still those which do not require the student to have picked up common patterns which have not been taught. More comprehensive lists follow, which include other syllable patterns and exceptional patterns such as

-TION and -TURE. In this way, teachers can choose appropriate words to include in an individual student’s program. Separate lists address some of the common special categories. Instead of telling students that NATION is one of so many words which are exceptions because the t in NATION does not make the sound it makes

in TIN, the student can learn there are thousands of words he or she can master by knowing that -TION often is pronounced SHUN. By learning that TI says SH in many other cases (-TIAL,- TIOUS), even more words can be unlocked.

This section has word lists for closed syllables. It’s an edited, updated version of the PDF I already shared.

Syllable type 1: Closed syllables SHORT A — EASY WORDS Have the student read each word in the word progressions and discover the connection between changing a consonant and changing the sounds in the word. An important and often overlooked part of this process is having the student figure out and explain in his or her own words what is happening when consonants change. The thought processes that he or she goes through to get beyond intuitively recognizing the effect of the change, to the point of being able to explain it, help lay the foundations for being able to transfer that knowledge successfully. At first this may be laborious and its worth questionable, especially if the student is accurately reading. And, since at this stage of teaching you’re trying to establish trust and successful habits, use your judgment if the talking-out task is frustrating. However, it’s precisely the connections between action and language that unlock the reading code for many struggling readers. It's especially those bright kids with specific language problems (and especially the impulsively fast responders), who learn isolated skills easily but don’t transfer that skill to reading in context, who most benefit from taking time to think and talk the process through. Use the second and third groups of words for the student to apply this knowledge and explain the changes to you. Encourage discovery and review of patterns (that SH makes one sound with two letters, for example), and discussions of meanings of words. Listen for troublesome consonants. Are blends much harder than single consonants? Are there some consonants — q, x or y especially — which are less securely known? If so, practice them! Never assume that a student is picking up on things — ask. Ask what’s changing from word to word. Asking is better than telling, too — just try to ask the right question so your student tells you the right answer. If you tell the student an answer, be sure to ask that question again. SHORT I INCT is not as hard as it looks; ask the student what INC would sound like (and if there is still hesitation, show INK and then change the k to c), and then add the t at the end. It also rhymes with WINKED. The hard nonsense syllables may be too frustrating to introduce at first. There may be students who need a lot of practice with the two sounds of c and g, so a special list is included. Too often a student has mastered vowel pairs — but still pronounces CENT as KENT. ABOUT THOSE EXCEPTIONS  Consider CHR as in CHRIS as a category to be taught as its own mini-lesson and incorporated into drill and review with the other letter/sound associations. CH is /k/ in many words of Greek derivation. The longer and more scientific the word, the more likely CH will represent the /k/ sound. CHR is always pronounced /kr/, as in CHRIS, CHRISTINE, CHRISTMAS, CHRYSANTHEMUM and PULCHRITUDE.  Especially with younger students, it can help to give letters “personalities.” “Bossy Ls that change the vowels” can be easier to remember than “the consonant which tends to change the vowel sound right before it.”  SHORT O There are several groups of o syllables that end in consonants, but have a long vowel sound (-OST, -OLD). These would be considered special categories. For the reasons stated above, they shouldn’t be introduced at the same time the student is learning closed syllables with short o sounds. O is also pronounced differently in different areas of the country. Students may confuse COM with CALM. If so, point out that CALM starts with the sounds of the word CALL,

then adds an m at the end. Stretch out the l part of CALM (CAL-L-L-L-LM DOWN) and have the student discover the different feeling of the word.  A similar confusion may occur between COW and CAL, which can be addressed in the same way. If the student is a sports fan, he or she may appreciate that Cal Ripken should not be confused with Cow Ripken. SHORT U The -UL combination is very easily confused with the o sound. The “Bossy L” personification can help here.  CALLUS is the word for the things that show up on your hands from doing hard work; CALLOUS is the adjective to describe people with “calluses on their heart.” SHORT E Note that the /j/ sound in -JECT is always spelled with a j, while in the syllable -GEST it is always spelled with a g (not the word, but again, don’t teach that simultaneously to avoid confusion.) Y AS A VOWEL Since words with y as a vowel have the same sound as short i, and are also easily confused with short e, it’s tempting to give these short shrift. Don’t! You may want to choose useful words and learn the closed syllables with y in the context of those words. If your students play hangman, the words where y is a vowel may prove very popular for the word givers.

Word progressions at cat sat sad had lad glad lad lack quack sack slack stack smack smash mash ash at

at
sat
spat
splat
splash
flash
flask
ask
mask
mast
last
past
pat
at
ax
tax

ash
hash
mash
trash
track
tract
act
fact
fast
fat
flat
that
splat
splash
trash
thrash

Basic short a syllables Ab fash quap nax grat fract grav

glam
shrap
jab
scrab
val
asm

alt*
mag
gand
ag
prac
wax

atch ack lask flam quag plat yak Syllables with blends

flam grat sprat scram thrax strag blan

clam
fraz
plast
shrag
splam
drast
bran

swag
graph
cras
smank
prax
wrath
glash

blab
brack
spratch
glant

Without beginning consonant ag apt ank ash ap

ant
ac
ad
am
amp

az
al*
ab
asm
af

ax
atch
alt*
aph
act
alp*
 *As in ‘altitude’, not alternative

Especially Challenging Syllables phland quank thrant shrap slank stratch pram blap swaft cath whamp stract clasm rapt

Vocabulary Enrichment brash rant spasm grasp shank drab chap sham shag clash bland cram prank malt clad daft flank graft chasm thrash slab cran dram asp hasp yak flax span clan ban dank swank yak shad

Words with different ‘a’ sound – pay attention to the patterns 

call stall squall fall mall stall small swall salt malt

balt
phalt
twad
halt
thank
flank
stank
swank
crank

thank
rang
sang
sprang
bang
clang
squat
swat
swab

swap
stalk
scald
chalk
walk
bald
quaff
calm
balm

CLOSED SYLLABLES: SHORT I Short I word progression it fit hit

quit
sit
sip

lip
slip
yip

quip
quiz
quick

quit
risk
frisk

Basic syllables lix inct lib twis pict im inch jim

kip
dif
ipt
shrim
ism
chig
quib

vid
gid
yit
gist
zil
tric
splin

sprit
kish
itch
shriv
fric
plish
twid

Syllables with Blends brit stim fris squin strict

writ
smin
swiv
lisk
ism

ilt
tinct
ipt
crin
prish

thrill
chrit
blimp
ink
sprin

scrib
ing
rift
slim
dwin

Syllables without a beginning consonant ism im inc it

ilt
ipt
ink
ing

in
inct

inch
itch
inge
ill

ic

isp id ig ish idge

ist
ilk
il
ind

Vocabulary Enrichment

sprint shrill jig skill skimp shrimp thrift

grim
strict
kilt
writ
spilt
chrism
flit

script
brink
vim
glitch
strict
nix

glib
shrift
rift
squid
miff
brig

grid
grist
brisk
twinge
shtick

a, i multisyllable nonsense review --Includes special category syllables salpig laprag imcash rifsam frintap

blapstag
mistflad
twiljam
danquim

shigman
thrapism
implist
valdip

stanting
biftril
dalnaft
safdis

trimplast
radvil
stalgram
haspic

a, I basic syllables review chisp frag ad in

ist
strad
sist
inct

hap
link

grat
imp
twim
sprat

chris*
ast
quib
squill

anch shat

ish
asm
ang
glam
isk
ab
fash
im
dras
ic

gic
cig
mand
brash
rift
squip
rav
glatch
phic
shrap
apt
ipt
amp
ict
act id
ad
ish

Closed Syllables: Short O Word Progressions PROGRESSION 1 top stop slop flop flog

log
lob
slob
slot
lot

pot
plot
plod
prod
pod

rod
cod
shod
shop
shock

stock
sock
mock
mom
mob

PROGRESSION 2 mob glob slop slob rob

throb
shop
clop
clod
trod

shod
log
bob
blob
cob

fob
gob
hob
job
lob

mob sob sock frock shock PROGRESSION 3 shock smock stock

lock
flock
flog

dog
frog
bog

botch
notch
scotch

scoff
doff
toff

Basic Syllables – omit “chron” if student hasn’t learned the ‘chr’ special category. ob vom yonk quon bol

ston
com
coc
cos
fol

ox
bot
chron*
hom
trop

bod
rost
holl
lob
pont

gond
tox
osk
strom

Vocabulary Enrichment frond throb opt clot blot

bloc
blob
clod
grog
prod

doff
fob
bond
Bronx
throng

splotch
cog
posh
romp
lob

chock
broth
smock
phlox

a, I, o basic syllables review *skip chron and chris if student hasn’t learned the “chr” pattern yet. clom writ snag oct om ism asm osm

im
ad
shriv
scot
chris*
chron*
wrath
strad

bom
drif
wint
inc
apt
drom
twip
thrax

sprill
dwin
vom
quip
quon
squin
ash

cim
cint
kom
mast
drab
hom
stinct

Two and three syllable words with a, i, and o consist contact astonish admonish district cosmic combat napkin ostrich contract caltrop transpond constrict optic quondam oblong codfish bombastic discomfit tomtom mascot

tonsil
jonquil
agnostic
contrast
abscond
insist
inflict
instinct
distinct
indistinct
district
kingpin
victim
misprint
pigskin
anthrax
lambast
flatfish
napkin
dishpan
dishrag

zigzag
Finland
candid
kidnap
frantic
tranquil
bandit
transfix
disband
miscast
pilgrim
brandish
windbag
mantis
baptism
drastic
fantastic
plastic
sandwich
mishap
baptist

tinsmith
tactic
impact
intact
aspic

WORDS
WITH
DOUBLE
LETTERS
gossip
shopping
commit
bobbin
soffit
rabbit
tannic

SHORT U Word Progressions up cup cut cub rub

shrub
scrub
stub
stump
slump

clump
rump
trump
truck
trust

rust
rut
hut
hug
rug

shrug
drug
drum
plum
plump

Basic Syllables mus tux tub rupt sug

sub
lug
hud
junct
sud

yup
punct
rud
jum
hum

scut
mum
sput
nun
pum

sus
suc
sum
mund
flus

Basic Blends blust rupt trum clut frug

guv
struct
fluct
ump
flust

shrug
funct
truc
drun
glud

spud
splud
runk
flut
grub

crump
bund
lunt
stut
scrub

Without Beginning Consonant un up ug unc ush

ust
ump
ud
unct
ut

umb
und
us
uck
unk

ux
ub
uct
upt

UL words and syllables full dull mull cull gull

bull
cul
cult
dult
sult

hulk
bulk
sulk
mult

bulb
culc
ult
vul

dul
ulk
ul

Multi-syllable words with a, I, o, u (*pronounce adult as “ad - ult” with short a, not ‘uh-dult’) fungus tiptop disgust mistrust construct instruct conduct adjust

disrupt
unzip
adjunct
pundit
uncommon
influx
drumlin
callus

induct
unsnap
obstruct
cuspit
updraft
submit
subsist
mustang

campus
abduct
sunlamp
album
brushland
WITH UL
adult *
Istanbul
culprit

pulpit
fulcrum
insult
consult
sultan
bashful
handful
cupful
wilful

SHORT E WORD PROGRESSIOSN ed red fred bred bed

bet
jet
pet
wet
whet

fret
set
sent
bent
went

west
quest
quench
bench
stench

step
strep
stretch
fetch
fed

Basic Syllables fess zed dren vex ject elt

rel
wren
vent
lect
vest
gest

trem
rel
cred
cem
cess
gel

cept
phren
ex
em
empt

reft
ef
met
esc

Syllables with blends fret ench rept trem cred est

clem
brell
shelt
dren
elk

feld
temp
flex
stress
shred

squelch
plent
splen
tress
fled

gresh
sprent
blen
venge
esh

c/g practice cent cest cem

cell
cept
cess

ence
edge
enge

gest
gent
gel

gen
gem
gex

Syllables without a beginning consonant ex eb ent et

est
elm
ef
elk

ed
empt
em
esk

en
ect
el
ev

esh
eld
elf
end

Vocabulary enrichment – single syllable left press fleck mess squelch

heft
end
flesh
shred
clench

deft
wren
mesh
elk
drench

crest
smelt
quench
cleft

flex
yen
dwell
vet

Multisyllable words convent magnet contest pummel descant selfish contest conquest

suggest
ingest
congest
absent
enchantment
dispel
splendid
compel

tendril
suspect
extend
advent
spectrum
subject
inject
falcon

entrap
impel
insect
shrapnel
convex
inspect
impending
contend

consent
connect
comment
happen

Y as a Vowel Real Words: Lynn gym

rhythm
crypt

lymph
gyp

lynx
lynch

hymn
myth

Y following c or g gypt cym

cyg
gyn

cyl
cyst

Syllables sys cym cyg dys mys hys crys byss

bysm
clysm
tyl
nym
cryl
thyst
lys
lyst

lyt
rysm
syl
lypt
cryph
cyp
glyph
typ

cyl
phyx
phys
sym
sympt
sync
byt
byz

phyll
myst
gypt
chrys
nyx
synth

Multisyllable words with y as closed syllable vowel - includes all syllable types & some categories. It’s a cool list  synthetic mystical cylinder syncopate chrysanthemum lymph cygnet physical gym analytic apocalyptic anonymity aneurysm anaphylactic synthesis mystery pygmy synchronize crypt lymphatic

cynic
encyclical
cyclical
gypsum
paralysis
cryptic
acronym
physicist
physics
syllable
rhythm
idyll
crystal
cyst
typical
misogynist
gymnasium
analysis
onyx
catalyst

polygamy
myth
hieroglyphic
syndrome
chlorophyll
acrylic
cystic
dysfunction
dyslexic
gypsy
paralytic
anonymous
amethyst
cynical
Egypt
Phyllis
Yvonne