Alternative Spellings for Known Sounds

PROCEDURAL

English›Phonics & Word Reading|Ages 6—8|ID: mt_OgJPbGkrYk

Recognise alternative grapheme-phoneme correspondences for known phonemes (e.g., /dʒ/ as ge/dge/g, /s/ as c, /n/ as kn/gn, /r/ as wr, /ʒ/ as s), reading words with less common spellings for familiar sounds

Mastery Evidence

Read words with less common spellings for familiar sounds: 'badge', 'giraffe', 'city', 'knock', 'gnaw', 'write', 'treasure'
Identify that the same phoneme can be represented by different graphemes (e.g., /dʒ/ spelled g, ge, dge)
Select the correct alternative GPC to decode an unfamiliar word in context

Assessment Prompt

“Does [child] know that the /j/ sound can be spelled different ways — like in 'jump', 'cage', and 'bridge' — and can they read words with these less common spellings?”

Curriculum Standards27 alignments

RF.1.2.aCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.1.2.a

Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.

English Language Arts

RF.1.3Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.1.3

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

English Language Arts

RF.1.3.aCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.1.3.a

Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.

English Language Arts

RF.1.3.bCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.1.3.b

Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

English Language Arts

RF.1.3.cCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.1.3.c

Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.

English Language Arts

RF.2.3Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.2.3

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

English Language Arts

RF.2.3.aCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.2.3.a

Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.

English Language Arts

RF.2.3.bCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.2.3.b

Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

English Language Arts

RF.2.3.eCommon Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

RF.2.3.e

Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences.

English Language Arts

Eng/KS1/Y2/WR/1The national curriculum in England

Apply phonic knowledge

continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent

English · Key Stage 1

Eng/KS1/Y2/WR/2The national curriculum in England

Blend sounds

read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far, especially recognising alternative sounds for graphemes

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_01The national curriculum in England

Sound /dʒ/ spelt ge, dge, g

The /dʒ/ sound spelt as ge and dge at the end of words, and sometimes spelt as g elsewhere in words before e, i and y.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_02The national curriculum in England

Sound /s/ spelt c

The /s/ sound spelt c before e, i and y.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_03The national curriculum in England

Sound /n/ spelt kn and gn

The /n/ sound spelt kn and (less often) gn at the beginning of words.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_04The national curriculum in England

Sound /r/ spelt wr

The /r/ sound spelt wr at the beginning of words.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_05The national curriculum in England

Sound /l/ or /əl/ spelt –le

The /l/ or /əl/ sound spelt –le at the end of words.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_06The national curriculum in England

Sound /l/ or /əl/ spelt –el

The /l/ or /əl/ sound spelt –el at the end of words.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_07The national curriculum in England

Sound /l/ or /əl/ spelt –al

The /l/ or /əl/ sound spelt –al at the end of words.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_08The national curriculum in England

Words ending –il

Words ending –il.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_09The national curriculum in England

Sound /aɪ/ spelt –y

The /aɪ/ sound spelt –y at the end of words.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_14The national curriculum in England

Sound /ɔ:/ spelt a

The /ɔ:/ sound spelt a before l and ll.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_15The national curriculum in England

Sound /ʌ/ spelt o

The /ʌ/ sound spelt o.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_16The national curriculum in England

Sound /i:/ spelt –ey

The /i:/ sound spelt –ey.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_17The national curriculum in England

Sound /ɒ/ spelt a

The /ɒ/ sound spelt a after w and qu.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_18The national curriculum in England

Sound /ɜ:/ spelt or

The /ɜ:/ sound spelt or after w.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_19The national curriculum in England

Sound /ɔ:/ spelt ar

The /ɔ:/ sound spelt ar after w.

English · Key Stage 1

Eng_App1_Y2_20The national curriculum in England

Sound /ʒ/ spelt s

The /ʒ/ sound spelt s.

English · Key Stage 1

Prerequisites4

Consonant Digraphs
hardAges 4—7
Vowel Digraphs
hardAges 4—7
Single Letter Sounds
hardAges 4—6
Blending Sounds to Read Words
hardAges 4—7

Show full prerequisite tree

Consonant Digraphs hard
Must know consonant digraphs before learning alternative consonant GPCs
- Single Letter Sounds hard
  Must know single letters before digraphs
  - Knowing all letters hard
    Must recognise letters before learning their sounds
    - Understanding print hard
      Must understand print direction before letter identification matters
Vowel Digraphs hard
Must know common vowel digraphs before learning alternative representations
- Single Letter Sounds hard
  Must know single letter sounds before vowel digraphs
  - Knowing all letters hard
    Must recognise letters before learning their sounds
    - Understanding print hard
      Must understand print direction before letter identification matters
Single Letter Sounds hard
Must know single letter sounds before learning alternatives
- Knowing all letters hard
  Must recognise letters before learning their sounds
  - Understanding print hard
    Must understand print direction before letter identification matters
Blending Sounds to Read Words hard
Alternative GPCs build on basic blending ability
- Single Letter Sounds hard
  Need GPC knowledge to blend
  - Knowing all letters hard
    Must recognise letters before learning their sounds
    - Understanding print hard
      Must understand print direction before letter identification matters
- Onsets & Rimes hard
  Phoneme awareness needed for blending
  - Rhyming words soft
    Rhyme awareness supports finer phoneme skills
  - Syllables soft
    Syllable awareness builds toward phoneme level

Unlocks3

Syllables (age 6+)
softAges 6—9
Alternative Spellings for Sounds
softAges 6—9
Reading with Expression and Accuracy
softAges 6—10