step061.htm/21DEC2001

Step 61,62 ea

Letter‑groups which are consistent and reliable are easier to learn. We can say "s‑h says sh" and it will, every time (except in the one word mis‑hap, not much used by beginning readers). However, EA is not consistent. There are many words where EA says the same sound as EE, and many others where it says the short sound as in HEAD. Make (or use) an "Is it?" book with both sounds, and tell the pupil to try the EE sound first; if that does not produce a real word, try the short e. Peas ‑ the long EE works; steady, try 'steedy' which is not a word, so try 'steddy', and that is the sound. There is no rule as to which is which. In a few words the same letters give different‑ sounding words: Can you read it? I have read it. A lead pencil, Lead the way.

You have already learned that the five vowels change their sound when followed by an

r. We say they are r‑controlled. EA can also be r‑controlled producing three different

sounds:

In four words, EAR sounds like AIR: bear p ___ w ___ t ___

In a few words, EAR sounds like ER: earn l ___ n ___ ly ___ th

s ___ ch p ___ l h ___ d

In two words, EAR sounds like AR: h ___ t h ___ th

In other words, EAR sounds the same as EER: ear year fear dear appear

Words for the bingo game:

please reason steal deaf bread dreadful

leave clean meat ready jealous thread

dear feast least steady weather feather

fear breathe near instead healthy spread

year teach appear easy tread weapon heavy sweat

Jokes (for dictation)

1. Teacher: Why are you late, Kevin?"

Kevin: "I was dreaming about this football match, and it went into extra time so I had to stay asleep to see the finish."

2. "Frank", said the weary math master, "If you had £7 in one pocket and £7 in another, what would you have?"

Frank: "Someone else's jeans on!"

3. Cookery Teacher: "Jane, how can we stop food from going bad?"

Jane: "By eating it, miss."

4. "Did you hear about the fool who keeps saying 'No' ?" "No."

"Oh, so it's you!"

5. "What's the difference between a railway train and a tree?"

"One leaves its shed, and the other sheds its leaves."

Complete the words by writing in, ea :