step056.htm/21DEC2001

Step 56‑60. i,y ai,ay oi,oy

Read through one set of words earlier in the programme, every day, and put the date. Sound out a longish word (as you did CRUST) and see if the pupil can complete it:

splendid s....... plendid

sp.... lendid

spl . endid

sple...ndid

splen... did

splend...id

splendi...d ........... splendid!

Learning one spelling rule 'unlocks' dozens of words. There is a rule:

No English word ends in q u v j or i.

This section is about the last one. ski is a Norwegian word, Spaghetti, macaroni, broccoli are Italian. Taxi is half of taxicab (we say taxi, the Americans say cab). In the word I, I iS the beginning, middle and end.

If a word ends with y, look carefully at what happens when we add extra letters and sounds to it at the end. You change the y into i when you add on at the end:

Adjective happy happily happier happiest happiness

Verbs: hurry hurries hurried but hurrying (we cannot have two i's together)

worry worries worried worrying

and the long i sound:

cry cries cried crying

reply rep .......... rep ............. rep ...................

Nouns: pony, ponies cherry, cherries fly, flies

This works whether the word is adjective, noun or verb, and whether the y is long or short.

You cannot have i at the end, but you can have y anywhere. Like W, at the beginning of a word or syllable, y is a consonant (yes, beyond). Elsewhere it is a vowel, making the same sounds as i.

Y saying the short sound Y saying the long sound.

Funny p_jamas h_drant def_

sill_ p_ramid d_namo den_

s_stem s_rup d_namite repl_

famil_ m_ster_ multipl_ p_thon

m_th d_slexia satisf_ verif_

i/y in ai/ay, oi/oy

I and Y can be part of a letter‑group, and they keep the same rules, You can't have i at the end. AI says the long A sound as in SAIL, but at the end of a word, it has to be AY, as in TRAY. OI says the sound in COIN, but at the end it is oy, BOY. Have the pupil(s) say three times:

"You can't have I at the end." then "a‑i says ay, a‑y (ay‑wye) at the end"

then o‑i says oi, o‑y (oh‑wye) at the end."

Work through an exercise then play a game. As the pupil reads through the lists of words, he must say each word, pronounce it correctly, and either know what it means, tell you if you are not sure he understands it, or he must ASK. So many children in these days of look‑say, look‑and‑guess, look and wait to be told, think that saying the word is enough, and do not ask for the meaning. Asking must be strongly encouraged, they must ask. Make sure they realise that asking for the meaning is a sign of intelligence and common sense, not a sign of being stupid. Indeed, it IS stupid to jump over words saying them without understanding.

r‑controlled ai: As with other vowel groupings, when r follows ai, the sound changes slightly. AIR, chair, fair, should be one syllable and not ay‑er. Once the pupil gets used to AIR, it will be easily read in other words. (oir is rare; choir is pronounced kwire, quire, and is an irregular word.) There should be a sound in AIR rather like AI: if 'fair hair' is pronounced as 'fur her', encourage more of an AI (long A) sound in the AIR.

In "said", the spelling is regular; it is the pronunciation that is irregular.

Make or use the games and "Is it?"

Words for Bingo

aim maintain holiday noise boy

chair obtain play spoil enjoy

nail pain Thursday point annoy

railway rain Sunday join

entertain train stray foil

explain strain pray coin

tray boil

ray coil

Sing the alphabet.

Read through a column of earlier words. Play the games (bingo, s/ladders, pairs). Read the

"Is it?" words then see if you can spell them and words from earlier work.

Jokes (for dictation)

1) What does a cat do when it rains? It gets wet.

2) Who drives all his customers away? A taxi‑driver.

Write the letter‑group in the space, for each column; say the word. If you do not understand the meaning, find out from your tutor, parent or dictionary.

ai ay oi oy

paint play boil boy

tr __ n cl __ f __ l t __

……………………………………………………………..

| p __ d from p __ | sp __ l R __

| l __ d from l __ | p __ nt enj __

| s __ d from s __ | c __ n ann __

| …………………………………………………………..|

ag __ n tr __ n j __ nt destr __

afr __ d spr __ t __ let empl __

expl __ n aw __ n __ se __ ster

obt __ n m __ app __ nt r __ al

m __ nt __ n displ __ p __ son l __ al

f __ l holid __ av __ d c __

n __ l h __ m __ st

i, y; ai,ay; oi, oy

Read these words, then write each one in the correct column. Write the word without looking (copying) if you can.

boy chain toy trailer boiling spray waiter nail snail

coil(of rope) tail saint joint (in wood) coin train pointing oil‑can

hay pray tray paint‑brush rain royalty oyster fray

play layer railway paid destroy

Find out the meaning of any new words.