Reading: Basic Decoding & Word Recognition
Lesson 2: Basic Phonics - Consonant & Short Vowel Sounds
Before You Read 🧠
Key Vocabulary
Learning these words will help you understand the lesson.
Phonics
The method of learning to read by using letter sounds.
Consonant
Any letter in the alphabet that is not a vowel (e.g., b, d, m, p).
Vowel
The special letters A, E, I, O, U.
Blend
To mix sounds together to make a word.
Part 1: Common Consonant Sounds
Consonants are all the letters that are not vowels. Let's learn the sounds for some common consonants. Listen to the audio and repeat.
B b
⚽ ball
D d
🐶 dog
M m
👨 man
P p
🖊️ pen
S s
☀️ sun
T t
🔝 top
Part 2: The Short Vowel Sounds
The vowels are A, E, I, O, U. They are in every English word. Today we learn their "short" sounds.
A a
🐱 cat
E e
🖊️ pen
I i
📍 sit
O o
🔝 top
U u
☀️ sun
Part 3: Let's Blend!
Now, let's blend the sounds together to read words. This is how reading works!
/c/ + /æ/ + /t/ → cat
/s/ + /ʌ/ + /n/ → sun
/p/ + /ɪ/ + /n/ → pin
Practice What You Learned 🎯
Quiz: What's the Vowel Sound?
Read the word. Which short vowel (a, e, i, o, u) do you hear in the middle?
- map → Answer: a
- hit → Answer: i
- leg → Answer: e
- cup → Answer: u
Key Vocabulary Reference
- Phonics The method of learning to read by using letter sounds.
- Consonant Any letter in the alphabet that is not a vowel.
- Vowel The letters A, E, I, O, U.
- Blend To mix sounds together to make a word.
Your Reading Mission ⭐
Practice Blending
Practice reading these words aloud. First, say each letter sound. Then, blend the sounds to say the word.
- b - a - t → bat
- p - e - t → pet
- d - i - g → dig
- h - o - t → hot
- r - u - n → run