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

Phonogram
Sound Represented
Word Examples
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/ - /aw/ odd, go, to cost
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*		 mail
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/ for
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)
wor /er/
the wor of works		 works
wr /r/
two-letter /r/ (not /er/)		 write
MarkingExplanationExamples
Syl·la·ble Breaksimportant because many spelling and pronunciation rules are based on syllabicationopen syllable rule: "Vowels A, E, O, U usually say their name at the end of a syllable."
Single Underlinemulti-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 wordsRefer to that section.
Double Underlinesilent letters
Numbers above phonogramsindicates 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 1Say your name, say your name!
  • underline the vowel that says its name
  • underline the consonant that the e jumps over
  • double underline the silent final e

Job 2V or U? Job 2!
English words do not end with V or U.
  • underline the V or U
  • double underline the silent final e

Job 3C or G? Job 3!
The silent final E softens C to /s/ and G to /j/ their second sounds.
  • underline the C or the G
  • double underline the silent final e

Job 4"4" every syllable, we must have written vowel.
  • underline the silent final e

Job 5Just an Odd Job E
The silent final E that does any job not covered by the other four.
  • keeps a non-plural word from ending with –s
  • adds length to a short main-idea word
  • gives distinction in homonyms
  • retains earlier spelling when the silent e was pronounced
  • any other miscellaneous reason