Routine · Longer words
One consonant between vowels: try long, then short
Split before the middle consonant and try the first vowel long; if it does not make a word, split after it and try it short.
- Time
- 4 to 6 minutes
- Skill
- Longer words
- In a session plan
- Word reading
When to use it
Once open syllables are known, for words such as robot and lemon.
Materials
- The word list
- A pencil
Steps
Shown with example words: word lemon; words robot, lemon, seven.
Get ready
Show lemon. Dot the two vowels. Point out that only one consonant sits between them.
I do
Split before the consonant first so the first part ends with its vowel, which says its name. Read it. Ask if it is a real word. If not, move the line after the consonant, read the vowel short, and check again.
Say: First try: open, long vowel. Is that a word I know? If not, I move the line and make it short.
We do
Do two words together, one that works on the first try and one that needs the second.
You do
The student reads robot, lemon, seven, trying long first and switching when needed.
Student: Splits, reads, checks for a real word, and flexes if needed.
Check
Ask the student to tell which words needed the second try and why.
If the student...
Says a made-up word and moves on.
Ask if that is a word they know. Model moving the line and reading the vowel short. Have them read it both ways, then pick the real word and reread it.
Say: Does that sound like a real word? Try the other way.
Tips
- This only works if the student knows the word when they hear it. Talk about meaning for unknown words.
- One to one, let the student hold a pencil as the movable line and slide it.
Example words
- Word
- lemon
- Words
- robot, lemon, seven
Original routines written by Literacy Trail. In the app, every routine is filled with your student's lesson.
Related routines
- Open and closed syllablesTell whether a syllable ends with its vowel or with a consonant, and read the vowel to match.4 to 6 minutes · Word reading
- Flexible routine for big wordsA step-by-step way into any long word: circle the parts, find the vowels, split, read, flex, check.4 to 7 minutes · Word reading
- Sound-by-sound blendingRead a new word one sound at a time, joining each sound to the ones before it.3 to 6 minutes · Word reading
- Stretch and readHold each sound and slide into the next without a break, then say the word.2 to 5 minutes · Word reading
Have this routine filled in for every lesson
In Literacy Trail, the session plan picks a routine for each block and fills it with the words, sounds and sentence from your student's lesson. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial.