Supporting the Core Knowledge sequence is LCS’ phonics-based literacy program. LCS’ literacy method is a phonics-based program that is inspired from the work by Dr. Samuel T. Orton that began 120 years ago. The program teaches students the foundational sounds made by letters and groups of letters. As young students learn to read, they are able to sound out words by using the phonograms already instilled in them. They are able to compare the sounds with words they already know until they eventually speak the correct combination. As they do this, they can identify what is right and what is not. In doing so, students learn to become self-sufficient in reading alone. It offers practical support to teach the following language arts "strands" and various components of cognitive development:
- "Explicit" phonics with dictated initial letter formation
- Phonemic and graphemic awareness
- Correct spelling with the standardized 47 spelling rules of English
- Fluent oral and silent reading
- Oral and print comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Pronunciation and speech
- Creative and organizational composition
- Grammar, syntax, punctuation and capitalization
- Analytical and inferential thinking
- Auditory, visual, verbal, and motor cognitive development in:
- Attention
- Discrimination
- Association
- Memory
Want to Know More?
We offer training sessions designed to inform parents about basic information pertaining to our phonics-based program, as well as how to effectively work with your student(s) using our techniques outside of the classroom.Alphabetized Phonogram List
Quick Guide to Spelling Markings
a | /a/ - /A/ - /ah/-/aw/ | at, la•zy, want, talk |
b | /b/ | big |
c | /k/ - /s/ | cat, cent |
d | /d/ | dad |
e | /e/ - /E/ | end, e•ven |
f | /f/ | fast |
g | /g/ - /j/ | good, gym |
h | /h/ | hat |
i | /i/ - /I/ - /E/ | it, i•tem, ra•di•o |
j | /j/ | just |
k | /k/ | kit |
l | /l/ | let |
m | /m/ | met |
n | /n/ | nice |
o | /ah/ - /O/ - /OO/ | odd, go, to |
p | /p/ | pan |
qu | /kw/ | quit |
r | /r/ (not /er/ or /ruh/) |
ran |
s | /s/ - /z/ | sit, as |
t | /t/ | tip |
u | /u/ - /U/ - /OO/ - /oo/ | us, u•nit, true, put |
v | /v/ | vase |
w | /w/ | walk |
x | /ks/ | box |
y | /y/ (consonant) /i/ - /I/ - /E/ (vowel) |
yard, gym, by, ba•by |
z | /z/ | zip |
ai | /A/ two-letter /A/ that we do not use at the end of English words* |
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ar | /ar/ (the pirate phongram) | car |
au | /aw/ that we do not use at the end of English words* |
sauce |
aw | /aw/ that we do use at the end of English words |
saw |
ay | /A/ two-letter /A/ that we do use at the end of English words |
may |
ch | /ch/ - /k/ - /sh/ | child, echo, chef |
-ci | /sh/ short letter /sh/ used at the beginning of most syllables after the first one |
spa•cious |
ck | /k/ two-letter /k/ used only after a single vowel which says /a/ - /e/ - /i/ - /o/ - /u/ |
back (-ack -eck -ick -ock -uck) |
dge | /j/ three-letter /j/ used only after a single vowel which says /a/ - /e/ - /i/ - /o/ - /u/ |
edge (-adge -edge -idge -odge -udge) |
ea | /E/ - /e/ - /A/ | eat, bread, steak |
ear | /er/ the ear of early |
ear•ly |
-ed | /ed/ - /d/ - /t/ (past tense ending) |
graded, pulled, picked |
ee | /E/ double E always says /E/ |
feet |
ei | /A/ - /E/ that we do not use at the end of English words* |
veil, ceiling |
eigh | /A/ four-letter /A/ |
weigh |
er | /er/ the er of her |
her |
eu | /OO/ - /U/ that we do not use at the end of English words* |
neutral, feud |
ew | /OO/ - /U/ that we do use at the end of English words |
grew, few |
ey | /A/ - /E/ that we do use at the end of English words |
they, valley |
gn | /n/ two-letter /n/ used either at the beginning or end of a base word |
gnat, sign |
ie | /E/ - /I/ (piece of pie, the backward phonogram) |
piece, pie |
igh | /I/ three-letter /I/ |
high |
ir | /er/ the ir of first |
first |
kn | /n/ two-letter /n/ used only at the beginning of a base word |
know |
ng | /ng/ | ring |
oa | /O/ the /O/ of boat |
boat |
oe | /O/ the /O/ of toe |
toe |
oi | /oy/ that we do not use at the end of English words* |
noise |
oo | /OO/ - /oo/ - /O/ | for |
or | /or/ - /er/ | for, doctor |
ou | /ow/ - /O/ - /OO/ - /u/ | out, four, you, touch |
ough | /O/ - /OO/ - /uff/ - /off/ - /aw/ - /ow/ | though, through, rough, trough, thought, bough |
ow | /ow/ - /O/ (cow in the snow) |
plow, snow |
oy | /oy/ that we do use at the end of English words |
toy |
ph | /f/ two-letter /f/ (older classes may say /f/ Greek /f/) |
phone |
-si | /sh/ - /zh/ used at the beginning of most syllables after the first one |
ses•sion, vi•sion |
sh | /sh/ used at the beginning of a word, at the end of a syllable but not at the beginning of most syllables after the first one, except fo the ending "ship." |
she, dish, (relationship) |
tch | /ch/ three-letter /ch/ used only after a single vowel which says /a/ - /e/ - /i/ - /o/ - /u/ |
catch (-atch, -etch, -itch, -otch, -utch) |
-ti | /sh/ tall-letter /sh/ used at the beginning of any syllable after the first one |
na•tion |
th | /th/ - /th/ first is quiet [unvoiced], second is noisy [voiced]) |
think, this |
ui | /OO/ - /I/ - /i/ that we do not use at the end of English words* |
fruit, guide, build |
ur | /er/ the ur of nurse |
nurse |
wh | /hw/ | when (where, why, what, which) |
wr | /r/ two-letter /r/ (not /er/) |
write |
Marking | Explanation | Examples |
Syl·la·ble Breaks | important because many spelling and pronunciation rules are based on syllabication | open syllable rule: "Vowels A, E, O, U usually say their name at the end of a syllable."![]() |
Single Underline | multi-letter phonograms – letters that work together to produce a sound in a word | ![]() |
single vowel when it is saying its name – this is a long vowel or second sound | ![]() | |
certain letters in some silent final e words | Refer to that section. | |
Double Underline | silent letters | ![]() |
Numbers above phonograms | indicates which phonogram sound – other than the first one which is not marked | ![]() |
Think to Spell: ^ | over a phonogram not making one of its typical sounds | ![]() |
over a vowel not making one of its typical sounds: usually a schwa sound (uh) in an unaccented syllable | ![]() |
Silent Final E Jobs and Markings
Job 1 | Say your name, say your name! | ![]()
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Job 2 | V or U? Job 2! English words do not end with V or U. | ![]()
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Job 3 | C or G? Job 3! The silent final E softens C to /s/ and G to /j/ their second sounds. | ![]()
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Job 4 | "4" every syllable, we must have written vowel. | ![]()
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Job 5 | Just an Odd Job E The silent final E that does any job not covered by the other four. |
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