The English Alphabetic Code

Complex Code

1. Choose an order of introduction of letter/s-sound correspondences for a version of a simple code. Teach 3 to 6 correspondences per week. Provide a cumulative word bank (for the simple code) for modelling blending all-through-the-word for reading, and segmenting all-through-the-spoken-word for spelling. The ‘simple code’, in effect, is part of the complex code but it is just a ‘first step’ of introducing the complexities of the English writing system for reading and spelling.
2. Keep the simple code revised (reviewed) and begin to introduce spelling and pronunciation variations of the complex code at a rate appropriate to the age and stage of the pupils. The alphabetic code is not an ‘exact science’ and accents need to be taken into account at all times along with the notion of ‘tweaking pronunciations’ when decoding to reach the regional or preferred pronunciation of the target word. Tweaking pronunciations also helps to raise awareness of the ‘schwa effect’ (unstressed syllables) whereby in reality the sound /u/ is the spoken translation of the written code in words such as ‘sofa’ (sofu), ‘faster’ (fastu), ‘little’ (littul), ‘around’ (uround). The reverse of this is the need to be aware of the spelling possibilities when segmenting spoken words for writing - particularly with regards to the schwa effect. The ability to spell accurately relies on a growing knowledge of word banks (words with the same spelling and sound variations) and this knowledge takes much longer to acquire than learning to decode well. Always emphasize the relationship between sounds and letters when teaching spelling rather than relying on visual memory of letter order.