There are two kinds of letters: Consonants and Vowels

The consonants are: b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z

The vowels are: a e i o u y w (y and w can be both consonants and vowels)

Consonants have no voice. (No sustained sound) If you talked only using

consonants, you would sound like an alien. Try it! (Note: When you say your consonant sounds, do not add short u or short a sounds to the end of them. That’s giving them a voice they don’t have!)

Vowels are SUPERHERO letters. They have special powers that:

1. Give them voice. (Sustained sound) Try it. Sing them!2. This means every word must have at least one!3. They have the power to say more than one sound.4. They have the power to change the sound of other letters.

Long Vowel sounds are the letter names: A E I O U. A straight line over a vowel is the symbol we use to show a long vowel sound.

Short Vowel sounds are the sounds you here in this silly sentence: At Ed’s It’s Odd Up (there). A smiley mouth over a vowel is the symbol we use to show a short vowel sound. Say the sentence with words and then only say the short vowel sounds. Say them over and over again until you can say them quickly, easily, and clearly.

Our language is made up of letters, sounds, and rules. This is called phonics. Learn the letters, sounds, and rules and you’ll be a wonderful reader and writer!

Let’s learn and practice the phonetic alphabet and we’ll learn the rules as we read and study together.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z a k e g i o kw s u ya s e j i o z u i u aw e

uHow fast can you say the phonetic alphabet?

Let’s take a closer look at the short vowel sounds. Remember vowels are short unless there’s a reason they’re long. Short vowel sounds are found in the following spelling patterns. (C = consonant, V = vowel, CB = consonant blend) CVC = cat, CBVC = spit, CVCB = dish, CBVCB = flashLet’s play a game! Help me make a list of words for each short vowel sound using the spelling patterns above. It’s easy. Try it with me. (Think about rhyming!)

a e i o uhat set pig top tubbat met wig hop rubcat pet big shop stubflat petting bigger shopper mudflash pen pin shot muddlesap men spin hot puddlemap mend spinners hotter hutstrap mender milk otter mutttrap unmended silk potter shuttrap end tilt pot shuttertrapper send retilt spot clutterash sender split stop buttermash lending splint drop dusttrash pen lint dropper musttrashed pencil lit hopper crustsad stencil litter flop crushlad bent splitter lock brushladder tent sick sock bunhatch dent lick stock sunhatched dented kick clock stunmatch undented rekick clocker stunningrematch undenting kicker dock stump

We’ve learned that a vowel is short unless there’s a reason it’s long. Here are the reasons a vowel is long.

1. In very short, one syllable words, ending in a vowel the vowel’s long. 2. In a short, one syllable word, a vowel can be long for no reason3. Magic E, Magic I, and Magic Y4. Vowel pairs5. In longer words, a vowel on a clap is usually long

Let’s take a closer look at each rule:

1. When a very short, one syllable word ends in a vowel, the vowel is long. Let’s develop a list so you have a good understanding of this rule.

we be my buy Ime so fly whyhe no shy tryshe go cry fry

2. In short, one syllable words, a vowel can be long for no reason. There are not many words that fall into this rule, but let’s develop a list for better understanding.

haste sigh hold sold mostpaste old fold gold ghostwaste told bold toll truthtaste mold cold knoll signmind find kind blind blindspoll roll

3. There are many words that have long vowel sounds thanks to the Magic E, Magic I, and Magic Y. These letters can jump over one vowel sound, spread their magic dust, and make a vowel say its name. There are so many of them, I thought we could develop lists by long vowel sounds. Let’s start with the

Long A – Magic E, Magic I, Magic Y

bake shaker gate shaver ladycake shaking gated shaved ladieslake shaked graze shaving hazyLakers case grazes pave haziertake place grazing paves madetaking placed grazed pavers namewake base grazer paving namedwaking lace lazy paved samemake chase lazier shade planemaker chaser wave shady flamemaking chased wavier shadier flamedrake chasing tame baby flamingraking race tamer babies shameraked racer tamed babied shamedrakes racing taming crazy shamingshake raced shave crazier wadeshakes ate shaves crazed wader

We are on a roll. You love doing this and you’re good at it!!!! Let’s go right onto building Long E vowel words using the Magic E, Magic I, or Magic Y rule.

Long E - Magic E, Magic I, Magic Y

even elect complete evefever these athlete eveningmeter concrete gene competing

Let’s do more!

Long I - Magic E, Magic I, Magic Y

nice bites timed hikes prizenicer biter timing hiker prizedmice biting grime hikers surpriselice white grimy hiked surprise

dsplice whiter bike hiking tinyslice whites bikes vine shinesliced dime biking vines shinedslices dimes biked line shinyslicing time bikers lines fine mine timer hike liner finerminer glide kite tide strideminers glider kites tides strides

bite gliding kiting tidy striding

This Magic stuff is a

Let’s brainstorm words having the Long O sound using the Magic E, Magic I, and Magic Y rule!

Long O - Magic E, Magic I, Magic Y

nose holed joking broken ropednosy holes home stone hoperose mole homes stones hopesrosy moles robe stoned hopedbone throne robes globe hopingbony thrones note globes slopehose joke notes rope slopeshoses jokes noted ropes spokehosed joker noting roper shonehole joked close roping conesmoke vote closer pony zonesmokes votes closely ponies zonedsmoked voted dove drove zoningsmoking voting broke woke atoneWe’re almost done with this rule. Let’s finish strong with words having the Long U sound using the Magic E, Magic I, or Magic Y rule!!!!

Long U - Magic E, Magic I, Magic Y

tune cute use flutes ruletuner cuter useful include rulertuning puny ruby included ruledtuned punier rubies includes mixturesuper puniest flute including mixtures

You did it! That was amazing. As much as I love playing and building words using the Magic E, Magic I, and Magic Y rule, I like the next rule even more. Here is the 4th rule that makes vowels say their long sound!

4. While reading, have you ever noticed vowels that like to hang out with each other? They are friends and we call them vowel pairs. Vowel pairs are the next rule that make a vowel long. I used to tell kids, the first vowel does the talking and the second vowel does the walking. Then, I realized kids didn’t understand what this means. Simply speaking, in a vowel pair, the first vowel says its name while the second vowel is silent. Once again, there are so many vowel pair words, I’d like us to develop lists of understanding for each long vowel sound. Come on and help me!

AY = Long A (Notice the Y is acting like a vowel by changing the short a to a long a!)

day hay gray daydream playssay way stay yesterday playerbay tray pay birthday playedclay lay crayon Wednesday playingmay layer payment play players

AI = Long A raid pails snails gain contain

raider sail tail pain containerraiding sails tails pained containers

paid sailor tailor aim raisemaid sailing rain aiming afraidmaids hail rained chair paintpail snail raining hair painter

You might as well learn, right away, that letters make bad choices and misbehave just like people do. As we develop these lists that help us understand vowel pairs and the long vowel sounds they make, I’m also going to introduce you to some “Jail Vowel Pairs”. Look for the “jailed” picture to identify these “Jail Vowel Pair” lists.

EI = Long A

neighbor neighbors weigh weight weighted

EA = Long A

break breaker breaking steak steaks

You’re doing a wonderful job! Now let’s move onto the Long E Vowel Pair spellings.

EE = Long E

cheese greener bee sneezing tweetcheeses knee bees free sheepcheer knees tree meet sheetscheers seek trees meeting fleecheered seeks week seed fleescheek eel seem feed fleececheeks eels sleep feeding deerfreeze needle sleeper peek speedfreezer seeking weeks creep speedsfreezing see sneeze creeps speedygreen sees sneezes creeper speedier

EA = Long E

cheap meat each beaming dearcheaper read sea bean seam

seal treat seas beans dreamneat treated teach jeans dreamy

neater treating teaches pea creamtea ear teacher peas creamyseat real teaching heat eat

seated wheat mean heater tweakflea peach meaner heating steamfleas peaches beam heats steamer

please scream beneath beat beachpleases screamer peanut beating beaches

EY = Long E(Notice the Y is acting like a vowel by changing the short e to a long e!)

donkey chimney moneymonkey honey turkey

IE = Long E

chief thief brief field piecechiefs thieves briefs fields pieces

EI = Long Eeither neither

Take a bow, you’re doing great. Let’s move onto the Long I Vowel Pair words. Help me, please.

IE = Long Ipie pies skies cries friestie ties tied cried frieddie dies died tries spieslie lies lied tried spiedfly flies

*sky skies *try tries *dry dries * fry fries *spy spies * fly flies

That was easy! Now let’s climb another mountain and learn through a list of Long O Vowel Pair words……..

OA = Long Osoap goat float coat road

soaping boat floating throat cloaktoast boater coast groan cloaks

toasted coat boast groaning toad

OE = Long Otoe goes hoe oboe

You’re going for gold!

OW = Long O

bow blower tomorrow bowling glowedbowed blowing grow bowled flow

tow mow grower crow flowstowed mower slow crowing ownertowing yellow slower crowed elbowshow window slowly stow shadow

showed low slowing stowed pillowshowing lower bowl glow follow

blow lowered bowler glowing shallow

That leaves only Vowel Pair words with the Long U sound. I have found that students sometimes don’t here a Long U sound because it often doesn’t have the “y” sound in the word but rather the OOOOOOOOOO sound. If you are having doubts, just say the word with the Long U (letter name) sound and see if it’s a pretty close match.

UE = Long Ublue clue statue argued barbecueglue clues value arguing continueglued cue valuing rescue cruelgluing cues valued rescued duetrue hue argue rescuing fuel

EW = Long U

new stew chew pews crewnewer stewed chewed grew crewedfew brew chewing flew drew

fewer brewing pew blew dew

OO = Long U

moo hoop groom sooner scoopmooed hoops room noon scoopermooing food moose stool stoop

zoo brood boot stools stoopedzoos mood booted loop gloomtoo doodle boom goose gloomyboo doodling boomed choose schoolboos noodle booming baboon boothtroop noodles spoon bloom balloontroops moon soon blooming cocoonfoolish roof choose hooray droop

UI = Long Usuit suitedsuits unsuited

That was a lot of long vowel pair words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5. Finally, the last rule that makes short vowels long is this: A vowel on a clap is usually long. As we divide longer words into chunks, find words within words, root words, prefixes, suffixes, common endings, and familiar spellings we will also look for vowels that fall on a “clap” or syllable. These vowels are usually long. Let’s develop more lists of understanding by long vowel sound. (A slash in a word tell us where the “clap” or breaks are in each word. Look for the long vowels on the clap!)

Long Apa/per sta/plers ta/bleta/per cra/dle ba/sic

tor/na/do cra/dles pa/styra/di/o a/wake ha/stya/corn la/bor ma/plea/ble la/bel ta/ble

sta/ple wa/vy cra/dle

This rule is very important as you learn to read longer, multi-syllabic words (many claps). Knowing when to keep a vowel short or when to pronounce its long sound is the key to reading fluency and understanding.

Let’s go right into the Long E vowel sound when the vowel is on a clap!

Long E

Step right up to listing words that have a Long I sound because the vowel is on a clap!

Long Ipi/per ti/ger pi/lot vi/o/lin ti/nyli/on ti/tle gi/ant vi/ta/min

li/bra/ry spi/der si/lent dri/ver

You’re a star!!!!

pre/tend ze/bra e/lev/en de/cidebe/fore be/low e/ven re/lo/catepre/pare fe/male fe/ver le/galpre/soak re/frig/er/a/tor me/ter re/actpre/school re/mem/

berre/gal be/neath

pre/fer ze/ro e/lect he/ropre/read de/code be/hind ce/ment

OK….. let’s find and list words that have the Long O vowel sound because the vowel is on a clap.

pro/gram ro/bot pro/tect go/ing pro/pelso/fa go/pher o/pen pro/duce pro/gram/er

to/fu yo/del o/boe pro/duc/er pro/nounce

We’ve almost reached another finish line. Let’s finish with words that have a long vowel sounds because the vowel is on a clap listening for the Long U sound.

You did it! Now you know that vowels are short unless there’s a reason they’re long. There are no more secrets because now you even know the five reasons they are long!!!! I’m proud of you.

stu/pid mu/sic bu/gle mu/se/umsu/per fu/el cu/cum/ber por/cu/pinehu/man u/nit men/u tu/nastu/dent u/ten/sil ar/gu/ment hu/mor

Do you remember when we said vowels were SUPERHERO letters and one of the powers they had was “voice”? It’s because vowels have voice that we need a vowel in each word. Actually, it’s more than that. We need a vowel in each syllable or clap. Let’s develop a list of two, three, four, and five syllable words to prove that each syllable (clap) has at least one vowel sound whether it’s

long or short!

2 Syllables be/low po/ta/topre/pare u/nit to/ma/topro/gram pu/pil peace/ful/lypost/er vel/vet qui/et/lyhun/gry back/pack de/ci/dedhap/py pic/nic ter/ri/blepar/ty o/bey lum/ber/edsup/er twink/le Sat/ur/daysup/per mar/ble ra/di/oblan/ket rab/bit 4 Syllablespep/per pic/kle tri/um/phant/ly

ap/ple may/be mis/un/der/stand

sweet/ly 3 Syllables hap/haz/ard/ly

tor/toise art/ful/ly in/ad/ver/tent

doc/tor hap/pi/ness 5 Syllablestip/toe help/ful/ly mis/un/der/stand/ing

mush/room hon/est/ly in/ad/ver/tent/ly

cab/bage tri/um/phantpan/cake el/e/phantbath/room fan/tas/ticcar/pet lol/li/popplas/tic u/su/al

Now, I’d like to introduce you to the Bossy R. The Bossy R is bossy. He wants to silence all the vowels so he can shout rrrrrrrrrrrrrr! A is the most powerful vowel and she fights back as hard as she can but she still can’t say her short or long sound. Instead, we hear RRRRRR as in star! Unfortunately, the E, I, O, and U vowels try their best but the Bossy R overpowers them and we hear rrrrrrrrrrrrr! It’s really quit sad. We will talk about the naughty O in a minute.

AR AR ER IR URfar yard summer wire turnstar harm perch sir curlcar quartz finger dirt hamburgerpark scarf sister dirty turnipmark arms her twirl hurtbark cartoon zinger whirl furheart carton singer inquire turtleargument party zipper tire churchcarve charm mermaid fire surroundarmor charming marker bird urgentquart farm person shirt burstgarden bar water stir pursedark marker person girl nursetart marble water firstkangaroo tart cover thirstybarn jar butter whirlingscar garbage opera twirlingshark guard under squirmart cart funeral squirmedstart card patter squirmingstark farmer silverhard libertyyarn jerk

The O is very mischievous. It likes to pair up with the Bossy R and it makes the sound or = ore as in short and shore. Let’s make a final Bossy R list.

shore score horn store tornshort color corn for bornfort horse gorilla before storyexplore worn fork bore storiesoral forest more tore sport

Before we begin reading in earnest, I’d like to review just a few more phonics rules that will help make decoding quick and easy. This will be our…”Did you know?” section!!!!

Did you know that c followed by and e, i, or y says SSSSSSSSS? We can call it a Copy Cat letter! Please don’t beg, of course we can make another list!

Ce spice race decidecenter lice palace scissorspolice nice twice pencilsaucer price grace circusmace rice trace circleplace ace juice cindertrace pace fence cinchvoice space centipede citrus

licorice fleece cement cinnamonmice cell lettuce Cycent excellent Ci cycle

century brace city juicy

Did you also know that g followed by an e, i, or y says J? Yes, this is another Copy Cat letter.

Ge genie garbage Gi gymcabbage vegetable rage giant gymnastics

gerble huge cage gingerlarge age germ magicfudge average gem giraffebadge page gentle enginebadger stage cottage Gy

Do you know what an untouchable is? An untouchable is basically a consonant blend with a twist. Consonant blends are simply consonants that like to hang out together so much that we say their blended sound automatically. These are consonant blends like str, sp, and spr. Untouchables are just a little different. They are two or three consonants blended together but together their sound is much different than if the letters were blended together one at a time. Here are the untouchables.

sh ch wh Hard th Soft thshed church whale these thickshot munch whistle thus thinshin munches whip that mothshine chin when this clothfresh chest where there clothingfish chill why them thinkpush chiller whir thinkershop checked which thumbshut chatting threadshell chimp thoughtscrash champ togetherlash rich thuddish search bath

smash perch thanks

Did you know s surrounded by vowels says ZZZZZZZZ? This is another Cody Cat letter. Boy, letters sure do like to copy!

nose used tease raise visitrose usual amuse noise fuseuse unusual music muse museum

Did you know ink can be blended with other consonants to make words that have the strange “ink” sound? It’s hard to hear the short i sound because many people say it like it’s a Long E sound.

ink fink linked blink rinkstink link linking blinked stinking

Did you know that the d is in love with ge? It’s true. Any time that the d can hang out with the ge, he is very happy. That’s why we have a number of words that sound like j spelled not only ge but dge.

smudge ledge fridge nudge judgebudge hedge grudge ridge judgededge fudge badge bridge nudged

Did you know that the t is in love with ch? It’s true too. Any time that the t can hang out with the ch, she is very happy. That’s why we have a number of words that sound like ch spelled tch.

match watch etch pitch ditchcatch scratch stitch pitching fetchhatch batch stitched pitcher itch

Did you know the “U” is in love with the “G” and is too shy to speak in these words?

guest guess guerrilla

Did you know the “h” is also in love with the “G” and is too shy to speak in these words?

ghost ghostly ghastly

Did you know that the i is in love with gh? It’s true too. Any time that the i can hang out with the gh, she is very happy. That’s why we have a number of words that sound like Long I but they are spelled igh.

high fight frighten tightening

brightly

sigh tight mighty lightly brightestright sight tighter tightrope lightestlight bright tighten daylight might

Did you know that some students have trouble saying and spelling the ng blend? Ng can be paired with any vowel sound, but the ng sound is a bit strange. Let’s make a short list for understanding.

sing ring song swung kingthing rang sang stringwing gong clang bring

Did you know that f loves to play jokes on readers? That’s why f lets ph copy his sound in the following words:

photo telephone gopher photograph nephewphase elephant dolphin geographyphrase alphabet nephew cellophanegraph trophy saxophone pharmacy

Did you know that “sy” are so mean the “p” they don’t let him speak!

psychologist psychiatrist psychosomatic

Did you know that q is almost always followed by u. The sound they say together is KW. Totally weird, huh?

quiet quart squirrel squirmed quayqueen quarter squad quiz quitquick quill squint squid quipquack squirt squirm quartz

Did you know we have a few letters that are so shy, they can’t say a thing when written? They are the silent k, w, and b!

knife wreck combknowledge wrap tomb

know write bombknown writing lambknack writer limbknee writes thumbknob wroteknit wrong

knock wristkneel wrench

knuckle wrestleknew wreathknight wrinkleknot wring

unknown wholedoorknob wholesale

acknowledge who

knead whose

Did you know, from your study of the phonetic alphabet, that “y” can sound like Long E? There are many words that follow this pattern so let’s make a list.

lady happy happily try shyshady lovely sweetly dry mybaby puppy softly frypretty softly cry by

Did you know that when you hear the “k” sound in a word that has a short vowel sound, the “k” will be spelled “ck”? We call this the short vowel double kick rule!

tick jack picker luckier kickstick pack picking luckiest lock

sticker packing rocket buckle clockflick tack speck track heck

flicker sacked duck tracker tockflicking peck puck black dock

track deck muck lack suckstack wreck stuck slick stock

stacked wrecker pickle trick flockknack tickle rack click jockback pick lucky sick hock

Did you know when an “r” is near a “ch” it says “k”?

chrome chromium chronic

Did you know words that end in “a” sound like Short U?

China tuba Carla

Did you know words that end in “ia” sound like “ee-uh”? Words like…

India Claudia Philadelphia

Did you know that “sion” and “tion” sound like “shun”? Also, “cial” has a

similar sound of “shul”. These are !

tion sion cialstation television social

invention vision partialvacationmotion

attentionreservation

solutionlotionnation

constructionactioncaution

Do you know how to stop the magic? The Magic E, Magic I, and Magic Y rules work so well that we have to be careful to stop the magic when we write a root word in another word form. What does this mean? For example, to turn hop into hopping we MUST double the consonant p or we would have a Magic I and the word would be hoping!!!!! We need to develop a long list for understanding on this one.

crabby hopped patter supper rubbersitter hopping putter batter happensitting stopped puttering batted happeningnapped stopper puttered batting runner

napping stopping slipped tunnel runningbuggy winner slipping better silly

Did you know in many words you must drop the e or the y before adding an ending?

body bodiescrab crabby crabbier crabbiest

happy happier happiestlazy lazier laziestrace racy racier raciestfry fried fryer (jail)dry dried driertry tried trying (jail)cry cried crying (jail) crier

penny pennieshurry hurriedstudy studierfamily families

We’re nearing !!!!! This next section addresses a few Jail Breakers that happen often enough that we should talk about them and prepare for them. We need to get ready for a break out and not let them hijack our reading speed or understanding. These following lists are jail spellings and sounds or their simply

!

EW often says the Long U sound (few, blew…) but can also break the rules to say Long O in the following words!

sew sewer sewing sewed

OO can say the Long U sound as in tooth and smooth but OO can also say the Short U sound as in foot and shook. Let’s develop another list of understanding for OO = Short U.

foot hood good cook lookershook stood crooked cookie wool wood nook flood

Two more rule breakers or Jail Vowel Pairs are WO, OU. On occasion they can say the Long U Vowel sound.

two soup troupe

EA is a Vowel Pair that says Long E (treat) but it can also say Short E!

feather head meadow ready deadweather read spread pleasant breathbread instead treasure breakfast

The following Odd Ball spellings have similar sounds: alk, all, aw, au, ough, and augh. Can you hear the sound? It’s that sound everyone makes when they are disappointed!

alk all aw au ough aughwalk all crawl cause cough caught

talk call crawler because rough daughter

chalk caller crawling auto bought taughtstalk calling brawl maul broughtbalk fall brawler fault thought

tall fawn applaud soughttaller fawns August foughtball law saucer enoughstall saw pause tough

stalling draw flaunt oughtmall claw astronautshall awful laundry

install shawl haullawn daughterdawn

awningstraw

Another odd ball spelling is “ould” that sounds like Short U.

would could should

Perhaps the most naughty Jail Vowel Pairs are IO and OY. They make the strange sound found in the following words….

OI OYpoint toymoist boy

oil joysoil coytoil employfoil employer

spoil employedboil enjoybroil enjoyedjoin enjoyingcoin oystervoicenoise

Another odd spelling happens when we double the consonant at the end of some words found in the following list.

stuff fuzz buzz muff

jazz cuff puff mosspress boss toss brassoff pass fuss

This next list is extremely odd. Let’s list the many different ways to spell the sound “air”.

air ere are ear eirair there share bear theirfair where stare pear heirstair care tearflair square wearhair rare

harecarefuldaremare

Look! We can use some of the Odd Ball spellings from above only this time they say “ear”. Who thought of this stuff?

ear erehear hereyear mereclearbeardshearnear

dearearfeargeartear

yearsspeared

OW and OU can say Long O but they also break the rules and say OW like you hurt yourself!

“ED” places an action in the past. Did you know “ed” can say three sounds? They are ed, t, and d.

OW OU OU OUcow counter hour aboundhow ground hours astoundnow grounded sour astoundedplow grounding flour astoundingdown bounce couch houndclown bouncer couched blousecrowd bounced pouch louse

crowded bouncing house foulcrowding bound housed cloudgrowl rebound mouse scout

chowder proud loud scoutedshower grouch louder scoutingflower grouchy loudest surroundpower grouchier sound surroundedtown grouchiest sounding surrounding

brown out playgroundcrown outer outsideowl pout mountain

towel pouter countgown shout counter

nightgown shouted countingfowl shouting roundallow about rounded

allowance our rounding

ed t dbedded marked triedwedded walked shoveledheaded parked leveled

Here is a list of one-of-a kind words to memorize.

friend answer says have youdoes colonel the said onelaugh of gone lieutenant

Here are a few odd words where the “a” sounds like short e!

anytime any many

In this odd list, “a” sounds like a Short O

mama father

When an O is near a “th” the O sounds like a Short U in these words.

smother mother other brother

When an “O” is patterned with a Magic E, it can sound like Short U.

come none something done

Now that you’re dividing words into syllables to help you identify vowels sounds, counting vowel sounds, looking for familiar spellings, and for words within words, chunks, root words, prefixes, suffixes, familiar endings….. I’d like for us to make a list of compound words. Compound words are nothing more than two words tossed together to make up something entirely new. They are also a great way to learn to “chunk” words into familiar words and spelling patterns. Let’s make a quick list!

rainbow playground seashore postcard bedroombedbugs downtown daydreamer fireplace bedtimebarnyard groundhog mailman tightrope tiptoebackpack knapsack moonlight daylight bookmark

lipstick flashlight afternoon haircut cardboard

zigzag quicksand cookbook newspaper something

afternoon handshake chalkboard peanut nightmare

bluebirds cupcake doorknob ladybug friendship

nightgown rainstorm butterfly eyelids backbonelifetime anybody railroad schoolhouse nowhere

sunflower without inside fireflies baseballbasketball football earthquake upstream because

another today themselves himself somewhatsomewhere nowhere everything keyboard backstage

anymore anyplace somehow bookend teenager

supermen waterfall anytime supersensitive repairman

anyplace bookstore bookshelf forgive update

backhand bookmark superstar lifeboat firefighter

backstage honeybee someone underachieve watermelon

bookworm keyword anyway grandparent waterproof

forklift lifelike backpack grandson firecracker

lifeguard supernatural noisemaker caveman sidewalk

One more tiny item….What’s a contraction? A contraction is a way to write dialogue closer to the way we really speak. They sound less formal. Let’s develop one last contraction list!

BE WILL WOULD HAVE HAD

I I'mI am

I'llI will

I'dI would

I'veI have

I'dI had

you you'reyou are

you'llyou will

you'dyou would

you'veyou have

you'dyou had

he he'she is

he'llhe will

he'dhe would

he'she has

he'dhe had

she she'sshe is

she'llshe will

she'dshe would

she'sshe has

she'dshe had

it it's (or 'tis)it is

it'llit will

it'dit would

it'sit has

it'dit had

we we'rewe are

we'llwe will

we'dwe would

we'vewe have

we'dwe had

they they'rethey are

they'llthey will

they'dthey would

they'vethey have

they'dthey had

that that'sthat is

that'llthat will

that'dthat would

that'sthat has

that'dthat had

who who'swho is

who'llwho will

who'dwho would

who'swho has

who'dwho had

what what's/what'rewhat is/what are

what'llwhat will

what'dwhat would

what'swhat has

what'dwhat had

where where'swhere is

where'llwhere will

where'dwhere would

where'swhere has

where'dwhere had

when when'swhen is

when'llwhen will

when'dwhen would

when'swhen has

when'dwhen had

why why'swhy is

why'llwhy will

why'dwhy would

why'swhy has

why'dwhy had

how how'show is

how'llhow will

how'dhow would

how'show has

how'dhow had

WORDS (negating a verb) CONTRACTIONis not isn't

are not aren'twas not wasn'twere not weren'thave not haven'thas not hasn'thad not hadn'twill not won't

would not wouldn'tdo not don't

does not doesn'tdid not didn'tcannot can't

could not couldn't

should not shouldn'tmight not mightn'tmust not mustn't

WORDS (woulda-shoulda-coulda) CONTRACTIONwould have would'veshould have should'vecould have could'vemight have might'vemust have must've

Now get out there and read!