Phonics patterns
Phonics patterns, one page each
Every pattern a structured phonics sequence teaches, from short vowel words to multisyllable words. Each page explains the pattern, gives a three-step way to teach it, and has practice words, decodable sentences and spoken warm-ups you can use today.
In short
Teach the patterns roughly in the order below: short vowels first, then digraphs and blends, silent e, syllable types, vowel teams, and word parts. Each pattern page lists sample practice words written for teaching, plus the lessons in the UFLI Foundations sequence that cover it, if you use that program.
Short a words (CVC)
A CVC word is consonant, vowel, consonant, and in a short a word the vowel says /ă/ as in apple.Short i words (CVC)
Short i words have one vowel, i, between two consonants, and the vowel says /ĭ/ as in itch.Short o words (CVC)
Short o words are CVC words whose vowel says /ŏ/ as in octopus.Short u words (CVC)
Short u words are CVC words whose vowel says /ŭ/ as in up.Short e words (CVC)
Short e words are CVC words whose vowel says /ĕ/ as in echo.Mixed short vowel words
Once every short vowel has been taught, mixed lists check that the student is reading the vowel rather than guessing it from the last list.Consonant digraphs
A digraph is two letters that spell one sound: sh, ch, th and wh, with ph later.The FLSZ rule: ff, ll, ss, zz
In a one-syllable word with a short vowel, f, l, s and z at the end are usually doubled: puff, bell, miss, buzz.Ending blends
An ending blend is two consonants at the end of a word, each keeping its own sound: best, hand, camp.Beginning blends
A beginning blend is two or three consonants at the start of a word, each keeping its own sound: flag, step, trim.ck, tch and dge
Right after a short vowel at the end of a one-syllable word, /k/ is usually spelled ck, /ch/ is usually spelled tch, and /j/ is usually spelled dge: duck, catch, badge.Silent e (VCe) words
In a VCe word, a final e makes no sound of its own and the vowel before it says its long sound, its name: cap becomes cape, pin becomes pine.Open syllables
An open syllable ends in a vowel, and the vowel usually says its long sound: go, me, and the first syllable of hotel.R-controlled vowels
When a vowel is followed by r, the r changes the vowel's sound: ar as in car, or as in fork, and er, ir and ur, which all say /er/.Long vowel teams
A vowel team is two or more letters that spell one vowel sound.Other vowel teams
These vowel teams spell sounds that are not the long vowels: oo as in book and as in moon, au and aw as in haul and saw, ew as in grew.Diphthongs: oi, oy, ou, ow
A diphthong is a vowel sound that glides from one position to another: /oi/ as in coin and boy, /ow/ as in out and cow.Inflected endings: -s, -es, -ed, -ing
Inflected endings change a word's number or tense without changing its meaning: hens, wishes, rested, helping.Two-syllable closed words
Two-syllable words made of two closed syllables, like basket and tennis, are usually the first longer words a student reads.Suffixes: -ful, -less, -ly, -er, -est
A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word that changes its meaning or how it is used: hopeless, kindly, softer.Prefixes: un-, re-, pre-, dis-
A prefix is a word part added to the start of a base word that changes its meaning: undo, retell, preset, dismiss.Multisyllable words
Multisyllable words combine syllable types (closed, open, VCe, r-controlled, vowel team, and consonant -le) with prefixes and suffixes.
Literacy Trail is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Florida Literacy Institute. It contains no UFLI lesson content, only lesson names and order.
Sessions planned for every pattern
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