SWR can help EXPLAIN English spelling, they cannot always PREDICT it

瑜珈

问：

I have tried my best to look through the previous posts but it is a bit overwhelming and kind of hard to navigate. I'm not sure if things have changed recently with yahoo's display. Anyway, here are my various rule questions...


1. Did I miss the part on learning the mb ending?
2. For AU/AW and OU/OW (I know English words don't end in U) but how do you explain when to use either one for words like dawn and down? or awful?
3. S vs Z as in cheese and freeze. When to use which? Wondering if there is some rule for this?
4. C vs S (I know c says /c/ before E, I, or Y but how do you know which one to use in words like case and house? Why is it an S?
5. Also would it be fair to say that single vowel words don't end in C. At least in the Wise Guide (like gas, yes, etc...and that's why we use an S)?
6. How do you explain doll vs ball or roll vs bowl? Do you just use the fingergrams in the beginning and their amazing brains learn the way it's spelled and it's then memorized at that point?


Perhaps some of these things are just memorization. But if there are rules or little tricks that I have missed, I'd love to know them before I miss the prime opportunity to teach them.


I have been using SWR for a couple years and overall, we love it. It is a lot to digest at first, but it works perfectly with my child's way of learning as we homeschool classically and this is very classical in nature.


Thanks for any help with my questions!


Sincerely, Laura

瑜珈

答：

Hi Laura:


I'm glad that you're asking these questions. That's the best way to learn. Let's see if I can help with these.


From your questions, it would appear that you're looking for rules that are going to help you reliably PREDICT spelling. While the rules in SWR can help EXPLAIN English spelling, they cannot always predict it. Why does one word spell the /s/ sound with C whereas another spells it with S? Why can the sound /O/ be spelled in different words with O, OA, EAU, OUGH, among others? English is made up of numerous language influences, and it will, therefore, have different kinds of spellings depending on its trail through history and languages. Studying the word’s etymology often sheds light on the reasons for particular spellings. It can quickly get frustrating to find patterns in simple words (such as words ending with -as) and assume that those patterns will stand up to the language as a whole, only to find that it just isn't so. That's one of the reasons we don't want to teach faulty phonics (see SWR Appendix A), because it sets the student up to have erroneous assumptions about the language.


Some of SWR’s rules will help us predict when to use one phonogram over another. For example, Rule #6 alerts us as to why we would need to use OY at the end of a word instead of OI when we hear this sound. Rule #20 tells me that it’s perfectly understandable that there would be a C after the X in “except” because I cannot use S immediately after X.


However, we have to be very careful that we’re really thinking about these rules and what they’re telling us--and ONLY what they’re telling us. Remember, we’re not just teaching spelling and reading, but we’re teaching our students how to think and to use logic. Let me give you two examples.


I just reviewed Rule #27 with my younger students today. We learned that if we hear the /z/ sound at the beginning of a base word, it cannot be spelled with S. They were quite pleased with themselves when I asked them to tell me which phonogram they had to use to spell the first sound in the word “zoo,” an easy word in a beginning list. But let’s look at the rule closer to see how it applies to the language as a whole.


Rule #27 says, “Z, never S, spells /z/ at the beginning of a base word.” What is that rule telling us? It simply means that the S cannot say its second sound when it is at the beginning of a base word. Does that rule tell us that Z is the ONLY letter we could use to spell the /z/ sound at the beginning of a base word? What about the word “xylophone?” In this word, the X is saying an advanced phonogram sound /z/, and it’s at the beginning of a base word. Did that word violate Rule #27? That would be the case only if the rule had said, “Z is the only letter that can ever be used to spell /z/ at the beginning of a base word.” In actuality, the focus of Rule #27 is to rule out S as a possibility in this situation, not to restrict that situation to using Z and Z alone.


Here’s another common example. Rule #25 says, “CK is only used after a single vowel which says /a-e-i-o-u/ (back, peck, pick, pocket, truck).” Many people interpret this to mean that when I am saying /k/ after a single, short vowel, I will use CK. That works for the words listed as examples and many other beginning level words. Unfortunately, that assumption doesn’t hold true for the rest of the language. (Notice I said “assumption” not “rule.”) What about the words “music,” “stomach,” or “liquor?” Each of these words don’t spell the /k/ sound with CK, even though they fit the pattern of Rule #25. Is this a violation of the rule? No, because the rule never said you cannot use another spelling of /k/ in these situations; it merely identified where CK would be used. See what I mean? When we try to apply the rules to mean something they don’t, we get frustrated thinking they’re not working or they’re not explaining the language. Frustration ensues because we made assumptions that weren’t true. The problem lies with our assumptions, not the language.


All this to say,


• You cannot put the English language in a nice, neat box and predict all spelling words. You could, on the other hand, predict the spelling of controlled vocabulary readers which only have words that follow the rules (often erroneous) that have been taught, but which do not give a more global exposure to the language. The result is an inaccurate understanding of how the language works and a conclusion that English is inconsistent and inexplicable.


• You have to dig into the language to learn it. There will be nuances to some vocabulary words and spelling patterns that are unusual. When you work your way through the Wise List, you’re not just teaching those specific 2,000 words. You are teaching a core set of words that illustrate the spelling patterns of an entire language that currently has over 1 million words in it. (Isn’t it nice to know you don’t have to teach all 1 million words?) Instead, you teach your students the core components of that language (70 phonograms and 28 simple, reliable rules), maximize their brain capacity to learn and apply this information to that huge language (multi-sensory learning with meaningful repetition and review), and then teach them the spelling patterns for the entire language (the Wise List). Sounds pretty impressive, eh?


• Yes, memorization is required. You nailed it in your question. For example, I taught the words “exhort” and “answer” from List P-6 today. Both of these words have silent letters that are no longer spoken but have retained them in the spelling. For us in 2014, they’re just plain, weird words. So how do we teach them? We analyze them for the rules and phonograms that are in use. We use the “think to spell” tool for remembering those lost sounds. But in the end, the kids have to remember to use the silent H and W to spell those words correctly. To help that happen, I will review those words in meaningful language contexts throughout the week, having the kids practice the “think to spell” several times, having them say the words while they write them, and in the end, they’ll remember.

瑜珈

Okay, now let me address your specific questions.


1. Did I miss the part on learning the mb ending?


There is no specific rule or phonogram that addresses this spelling pattern. You learn it along with many others by working your way through the Wise List.


2. For AU/AW and OU/OW (I know English words don't end in U) but how do you explain when to use either one for words like dawn and down? or awful?


How do they know which to use? I tell them. When you’re teaching your student, you will use fingergrams to represent the phonograms while the student is sounding out the word. In the case of AW or AU, I would hold two fingers together to represent the two-letter phonogram. There is more than one possibility for how to spell the /aw/ sound (AU or AW). In the examples you gave, this phonogram is not at the end of a word (in which case we’d know which to use). Therefore, it is my responsibility as the teacher to clarify which one to use. I’d point to my two fingers being held together and say, “Use (name of phonogram) .” Personally, I make sure I have eye contact, say this a couple times, and pause while they process the information. Then they write it. After they’ve written the word, they dictate it back to me. We then compare our work. “Does yours look like mine?” This is where they correct anything they wrote incorrectly.


Remember to think clearly about the rule. English words don’t end with U, so I have to use AW when that sound is used at the end of the word. The rule does NOT tell me that I cannot use AW in the middle of a word, only that the U phonogram (whether single or at the end of a multi-letter phonogram) cannot be used at the end of a word.


3. S vs Z as in cheese and freeze. When to use which? Wondering if there is some rule for this?


No, there’s not a rule. You clarify which phonogram to use when teaching the word. BTW, following is a look at the history of these two words, demonstrating that we’re coming at the spelling of similar sounding words from two completely different origins.


Freeze: of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vriezen and German frieren
Cheese: Old English cēse, cȳse; related to Dutch kaas and German Käse; from Latin cases


4. C vs S (I know c says /c/ before E, I, or Y but how do you know which one to use in words like case and house? Why is it an S?


You’re wondering why “case” and “house” use the S and not the C to spell the /s/ sound. Let’s look at our phonograms, rules, and the etymology of these words to find the answer.


What is the C Rule #2 telling us? It tells us about the behavior of the letter C. It usually says /k/. In fact, it is the most common letter to spell the /k/ sound. However, when the letters E, I, or Y appear behind it, the C changes to its /s/ sound. That’s the sum total of the C rule.


What does the silent final E rule #3 tell us about the C? When a C is followed by a silent final E, it’ll change to its second sound, which of course relates back to the C Rule #2.


What do these two rules NOT tell us. They DON’T say that when we hear the /s/ sound followed by a silent final E, we have to spell the word with a C. Instead, they’re merely explaining what is happening when the C is in front of a silent final E.


What else do we know about our phonograms? When we hear the sound /s/, the most common letter to spell this is S. That’s what we’re using in both of these words. So far, that’s pretty consistent with the common spelling of words. Here’s what the etymology of these words reveals.


Case: Middle English: from Old French cas, from Latin casus ‘fall’
House: Old English hūs (noun), hūsian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch huis,German Haus (nouns), and Dutch huizen,German hausen (verbs).


In all these cases, the S is consistently used (except for the Dutch huizen, but we know of the relationship between S and Z, and since I don’t know Dutch, I cannot say anything further on this one.)


5. Also would it be fair to say that single vowel words don't end in C. At least in the Wise Guide (like gas, yes, etc...and that's why we use an S)?


Do you mean consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words? The only way you can have a C saying /s/ is if it is followed by an E, I, or Y. That would go outside of the CVC pattern.


6. How do you explain doll vs ball or roll vs bowl? Do you just use the fingergrams in the beginning and their amazing brains learn the way it's spelled and it's then memorized at that point?


If you mean how do I explain this to the student, then I teach the word with his completely active participation. I demonstrate the spelling with the fingergrams. I clarify whenever there’s a potential for confusion. He writes it while saying it. He teaches it back to me. He practices it during the week (and in weeks to come) in meaningful language contexts. He learns it with his amazing brain (love that one!).


If you mean how do I explain that there are words that sound alike but look different, I'd refer you to SWR pg 193 in Wanda's Senate Speech.


Perhaps some of these things are just memorization. But if there are rules or little tricks that I have missed, I'd love to know them before I miss the prime opportunity to teach them.


I don’t think you’re missing anything. Just focus on what the rules are actually teaching, and try not to make assumptions about what they’re not saying. You’re doing a great job analyzing patterns. Keep that up! You are trying to make sense of a complex language. You’re to be commended for taking on this awesome task. You don’t want to miss a prime opportunity while teaching your children. You’re to be congratulated for your perseverance and faithfulness.


Hope that helps,
Liz FitzGerald
Endorsed SWR Trainer, Northern CA
SWR List Moderator
http://www.swrtraining.com
http://www.facebook.com/SWRTraining
http://www.8thdimensionthebook.com

bailechen

谢谢瑜伽老师的分享，学习了。