Phonics Facts to help decode words

We have 26 letters in our alphabet. Do you know how many sounds there are? 

 

Forty-four!!! That’s a lot of different sounds to learn. 

When we decode words, we apply our knowledge of letter-sound relationships to pronounce the written words. Periodically, I’ll be posting Phonics Facts to help you and your child practice phonemic awareness (identifying the specific sounds that letters or group of letters make(s).)

For example: 

What sound does sh- make? 

Shhh, as in ship, show, and sheep.

The word sheep has five letters, but how many sounds does it make? 

Answer: Three sounds. 

1. Sh

2. ee

3. p

This is phonemic awareness.