English words do not end in V. There will always be an E after the V. If you can hear the “v” sound at the end of an English word, it’s a safe bet to put the letter E after it.
The saying I was taught is: “No English words end in V, it will always be followed by an E.”
Examples:
Active
Effective
Behave
Hive
Have
Grove
Serve
Salve
Solve
Reprieve
Receive
When teaching short vowels… if you are from the south, you may not want to teach “i” and “e” together. Southerners tend to say things like, “Go git (get) your brother.”
If you are from the north, you may not want to teach “a” and “o” together. Northerners tend to say things like, “Get a jab (job).“
A good way to teach short vowels is to make vowel strips.
On a strip of paper use markers and write the vowels out. Have the student recall the sounds as a drill. You might follow up this exercise by dictating some short vowel words – only use words of the letters you have taught.
Below are vowel strip examples.
Short Vowel Strips
You will never see, in the English language, the letter q without a u following it. The exception here is in proper names, like Q-tip, but that is the only exception. The rest of the time, qu is always together.
For this reason, in OG, Qu is a consonant together and the sound it makes is “kw.”
After I learned this, I started thinking of words and sure enough, qu is always together.
Queen, quarter, quilt, quill, quiet, quite, quick, quit, question, quack, quality, quip, quintuplet, quagmire, squint, squat, squirt, squirrel … I could keep going but I’m sure you get the point.
Review:
Qu is always together, and together it is considered a consonant.
Consonants b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q(u), r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z
Vowels a, e, i, o, u, y
I spent a year taking a course on the Orton Gillingham (OG) method of teaching reading and spelling. I took the class at The Schenck School, a school specifically for dyslexic children. My teacher was a dynamic woman named Rosalie Davis. She was hands down the best teacher I have ever encountered. Or, was it that what she was teaching was so enchanting? I think the answer is both.
What makes OG a special method for teaching kids to read and spell is that it is multi-sensory. What that means is, students of OG are taught to see, hear and feel each element of the language. Students are required to see it and say it, then say it and write it. The method starts with the most basic part of the language, the letter sounds, and builds from there. At the end of the course I took, I felt I had a complete knowledge of the English language.
The completeness came from multiple layers of learning. I was taught letters and letter combinations, correct letter pronunciation, and the best order for the letters to be taught. And it wasn’t in the same order as the Alphabet Song. I also learned a way to divide words into syllable types. This made word pronunciation much easier because there were rules associated with each syllable type. I was taught spelling rules, plural rules, and doubling rules which made it easier to read and spell words. I learned a ton about where English words came from, how they relate to other languages, and how to break down a word to discover its meaning just by knowing the parts.
Most of all, I was given a tool to teach others how to learn the language as well. I became a tutor of Orton Gillingham. I love words. I always have and taking this course made me love words more. I have created this platform because I believe in the Orton Gillingham method for teaching English. I think all people could benefit from this information, not just dyslexic kids. Although, it is amazing what it can do for someone dyslexic.
Kids and adults alike can benefit from Orton Gillingham. Please do not use this site as a substitute for tutoring. There is nothing like one on one treatment for someone struggling and a website like this will not compensate. But if you want to learn some rules and information about English that can help with learning, this is your site.
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