How to Teach the Sounds of Consonant Combinations in ENK Level-2 Classrooms | Word Families

Introduction

Once children have learnt the alphabet sequence and the vowels and consonants, the next two milestones (2 & 3) are used to teach children new sounds that are formed by joining two consonants together.

The students will learn how to combine two consonants to form a blended sound including 'ng', 'nk', 'nd', 'ck', 'll', and 'st'.

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Since English has only 26 alphabets, many of the sounds are produced by combining letters together.

This article focuses on the first set of consonant clusters that usually occur at the end of the word. The 2 milestones focus on the sounds that children are likely to hear and read in children’s literature and include the sounds ND/NK/NG and CK, LL, ST is added as a consonant combination that can occur both at the beginning and end of a word. Each of these sounds is taught separately.

The new sound is added to the 5 vowel sounds to get 3 letter word families. The 6 sounds introduced in milestones 2 and 3 are ND, NG, NK and CK, LL & ST. (see the images below).

ND, NG, NK, ST comes in a few 3 letter words (INK or AND) but they usually are found in 4 letter words or longer words. This is because they first join with a vowel to form a word family like AND or IND or ANG, ING or ONG. They then can join with a consonant to form words like BAND /SAND or WIND or SANG SING or SONG.

ST also forms the word families AST OST to form LAST or LOST. The reading of the Consonant cluster is taught in 3 stages through activities.

Teaching the Sounds of 'ND'

Since the activity will take place in small teacher-directed groups, it is important to designate one piece of the wall slate as the teacher board and conduct the reading and writing activities next to it with the group sitting around you.

Revision: revise the two-letter word families AP, EN, IG, OX, UN. Bring out the flashcards and place them in pairs in front and of the students and ask them to sound out the word family. Students have already done this exercise and should be able to sound out the word

families easily.

Related: How to Teach the English Alphabet Sequence to the Young Kids

Hand out the word family to students along with 2 sets of letters (A-Z) and ask each student to make one or two words by adding a letter to the front of the word family (cap/tap/ ten/pen, pig /big, fox /box, bun/sun). Get the student/s to read each of the words formed. This exercise is mainly to see if students understand the process of blending to form word

families and form words.

Step 1: Now bring out the flashcards N and D, place them together and ask student/s to sound out the word. This may be a little difficult because students may end up saying the two sounds separately. (One way of doing this is to hold the 2 flashcards in each hand and say each sound alternately as you bring them closer together and then pronouncing them together as they touch each other. Allow students to repeat your action) and explain that N&D together form the sound 'nd'. Write the word family on the board.

Step 1 & 2

Step 2: hold A in one hand and ND in the other saying the sounds separately as you bring them together and let the student sound out the word family when you join the sounds.

Hold E in one hand and ND in another and bring them closer saying the sound and let a student sound out the word family END when you join them together.

Hold I in one hand and ND in another and bring them closer saying the sound (i and nd) and let a student sound out the word family IND when you join them together.

Step 3: Place the word families AND END and IND in 3 rows or write them on the board.

Place the Letter H in front of AND. Ask children to sound out the word.

Step 3

Replace the H with a B (or rub out the H and write B) and then with S and let children sound out and read the words. Ask children if they know the meaning of the words and explain their meaning.

Repeat the process with END forming the words BEND SEND & LEND Repeat the same process with IND forming the words FIND KIND MIND (Explain that I in IND here is pronounced as I). In all cases the meaning of the words must be explained to children -else all further actions will be difficult.

Related: Teaching Consonant Blends - L, R, and S

Step 4: Go to card 11. Ask children to use the blending process they have learnt along with picture recognition to read the words in card 11. Since all the words have been introduced and their meaning explained, students should be able to recognize the picture and say the associated word in English. They should be able to give you the word if step 3 is done effectively.

Step 4

Step 5: Allow them to complete exercise 12 and write and say the words in the space provided sounding out each word. Since this is the first activity the words are the same. In later exercises, there will be new words that students must read by applying the rules of sound blending.

Step 5

Children are reading sentences with known words in Level 1. Since the sentences in Level 1 consist of familiar words, that they have heard in the stories, they can usually read and understand them easily.

However, children need to be able to hear or read a completely new sentence with some known words and comprehend its meaning by placing known words in the context. This is what is done in Level 2

Related: Overview of Reading and Writing Section of English Nali-Kali Level-2

Step 6a: students have to learn to experience hearing the keyword in a sentence and understanding its meaning.

Explain to children that you will use each of the words in a sentence. Make this a fun exercise. Explain that this will be a modified TPR exercise where you will act out the sentence and the students must tell its meaning!

Step 6a

Go to page 13 and read out the first sentence acting out each word in the sentence “I write a letter with my hand” Allow children to try and explain the meaning. (it may be necessary on the first few occasions to ask them the meaning of individual words such as write /letter/).

Similarly, read the other sentences “I tie my hair with a band / To wear my socks, I bend / I think with my mind / I play on the sand / We must always be kind” and ask children if they can explain what it means. Draw attention to your actions and let them guess. Sometimes it is difficult to act out words like always so the meaning should be explained with the word from the mother tongue.

Step 6b: students open to Page 13 and follow the sentence with their finger as the teacher reads it out pausing at the ND word and let the children fill it in for you.

Teaching the Sounds of 'NK'

Follow the same process as above for teaching the sound NK.

Step 1: Bring out the flashcard N&K, place it together and ask children to sound out the word family. This time it will be easier for the children.

Step 2: Place an A in front of NK and ask children to sound out the word family.

Place an I in front of the NK and let children sound out the word family. Place the word families ANK and INK in 2 rows.

Step 3: write the words ANK AND INK on the board.

Place the Letter B in front of ANK. Ask children to sound out the word. Replace the B with an R and then with T and let children sound out and read the words. Ask children if they know the meaning of the words and explain their meaning.

Repeat the same process with INK forming the words PINK SINK WINK.

Step 4 and 5: Go to the card 14-15. Ask children if they recognize any of the pictures in the workbook. Allow them to fill in the letters and read them. Allow them to write and say the words in the space provided sounding out each word. As in the first set of words here also the words are repeated so that students are eased into reading.

Step 4

Step 6a: Explain to children that you will use each of the words in a sentence. Read out the first sentence acting out the sentence “There is water in the tank”. Allow children to try and explain the meaning. (e.g. you have already taught the word tank and children will know water - so it should be easy). Similarly, read the other sentences -There is money in the bank / There are pans in the sink / We close one eye when we wink / After the exam all children get a rank / We mix red and white colour to get pink and ask children if they can explain what it means. Draw attention to your actions and let them guess. Explain the meaning of each word and the sentence.

Step 6b: Get children to open to Page 16 and follow the sentence with their finger as you read it out pausing at the NK word and let children fill it in for you.

Related: How to Teach Sight Words in English Nali-Kali Classes

Teaching the Sounds of 'NG'

Follow the same process as above for teaching the sound NG.

Step 1: Bring out the flashcards N and G, place them together and ask children to sound out the word family.

Step 2: form the word family.

• Place an A in front of NG and ask children to sound out the word family
• Place an I in front of the NG and let children sound out the word family
• Place an O in front of the NG and let children sound out the word family

Step 3: form the words.

• Place the word families ANG ING and ONG in 3 rows.

• Place the Letter B in front of ANG. Ask children to sound out the word. Replace the B with an H and then with R and let children sound out and read the words. Ask children if they know the meaning of the words and explain their meaning.

• Repeat the same process with ING forming the words RING KING WING.

• Repeat the same process with ONG to form the words GONG LONG SONG.

Step 4 and 5: Go to the card 20- 21. Ask children if they recognize any of the pictures in the workbook. Allow them to fill in the letters and read them. Allow them to write and say the words in the space provided sounding out each word.

Step 4

Step 6: Explain to children that you will again use each of the words in a sentence. Read out the first sentence acting out the sentence “Ravi ring the bell’. Allow children to try and explain the meaning. Similarly, read the other sentences - Ravi, ring the bell./ Sita, sing a song / Rahim, bang on the drum / Rita, beat the gong / Vicky, hang the coat / Rani, wear your ring and ask children if they can explain what it means. Draw attention to your actions and let them guess. Explain the meaning of each word and the sentence.

Step 6: Get children to open to Page 22 and follow the sentence with their finger as you read it out pausing at the NG word and let the children fill it in for you.

Practice Exercises:

Activity 15: Adding 'ing' to change the word from present to present continuous. This has already been covered in the oral class and reinforces the changing of words from present to present continuous. The teacher reads the sentence and pauses at the verb allowing the child to fill it in. this has already been done in the oral class.

Practice Exercises - 'ing'

Story-based Exercises:

Activity 17: Recognizing Sight Words

The sight words are introduced and explained in the story. A game for recognizing the sight word is also played and if time permits the story is read as a cloze exercise and students fill in the sight words.

By now students should know the sight words by sight and do exercise 17 on their own. Activity 18 is a drill exercise and also an independent activity.

Activity 19: Reading Sentences

This is the first time that students will be expected to read the sentences by themselves. Often children will find it difficult as many of the words are still new and not decodable and they may come back with words they cannot read. Teaching students to read a sentence and guess the new words by understanding the context is very important here. Work through the first 2 sentences with the student/s.

• In sentence 1 “The queen was fat” the only difficult word is queen. If students know the story many of them will be able to predict the word “queen” and read the sentence.

• In the same way in sentence 2 “The king was thin” the only word students cannot decode will be thin. Ask children to connect with the story and read the sentence. 

Once this is done allow the students to work singly or in pairs and read the remaining sentences and come to you for a review. As far as possible, let children work in pairs.

Often children will find it difficult as many of the words are still new - and not decodable e.g. fatter thinner size and they may come back with words they cannot read. Do not worry - explain the word in the context of the story. 

Do not make them learn the sentences by heart.

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Teaching the Sounds of CK, LL, and ST

The word combinations CK, LL, and ST in milestone 3 are taught in the same way as milestone 2.

When teaching combination LL explain to students that when 2 identical letters come together, they are read as a single sound.

Summary

• The 6 sounds introduced in milestones 2 and 3 are ND NG NK and CK LL  & ST.

• In milestone 2 we Along with a vowel, they form 3 letter word families ending with ND NG NK.

• Along with a Consonant, they form 4 letter words ending with ND NG NK.

• Similarly, CK, LL, and ST join with a vowel to form 3 letter word families and 4 letter words when a consonant joins the 3letter word family.

• Students learn to read words and understand them in the context of a sentence.

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Download the Module: Word Families - Milestones 2&3

Credits: Samagra Shikshana Karnataka and UNICEF{alertInfo}