Lesson 114
Alternate /ā/
Long a /ā/ can be spelled EI, EY, EIGH, AIGH, and EA
Although the various spellings of /ā/ can produce many words, these are far less common than the previously taught spellings.
Today's plan
about 20 min- Step 1Warm up our ears (blend & segment)2 min
- Steps 2 & 3Look & Say / Listen & Spell4 min
- Step 4Blending drill3 min
- Step 5New concept6 min
- Step 5Read & spell the new words5 min
Warm Up Our Ears
Say the sounds; students blend them into a word. Then say a word; students break it apart.
Blend it (teacher says sounds → you say word)
Break it (I say word → you say sounds)
Sound Drills
Full-screen cards for the class. Tap a card to check the answer, or press Hear the words to hear the example words read aloud.
👂 Listen & Spell — teacher list (9 sounds)
Say each sound; students write the spelling(s). Read straight from this list.
- /ear/ear · hear
- /air/air, are, ear · chair
- /er/er (as in her), ir (as in bird), ur (as in turn), or (as in doctor), ar (as in car) · fern
- /ī/i (as in find), ie (as in pie), igh (as in night) · night
- /d/d (as in dog), -ed · dog
- /ā/a (as in table), ai (as in rain), ay (as in play), ei, ey (as in key), eigh, aigh, ea (as in eat) · rain
- /ē/e (as in me), y (as in baby), ea (as in eat), ee (as in see), ey (as in key) · bee
- /ow/ou (as in out), ow (as in cow) · shout
- /oi/oi (as in coin), oy (as in boy) · coin
Blending Drill
Change one part at a time and read the new word.
New Concept
Today we learn five more, less common, ways to spell the long A /ā/ sound: EI, EY, EIGH, AIGH, and EA.
Highlighted words are the ones to show and practice reading — tap one to hear it.
We have learned many ways to spell the long A /ā/ sound: A_E like in cake, AI like in rain, AY like in gray, and A in an open syllable, like the A in acorn. Today we are going to learn five more, less common, ways to spell the long A /ā/ sound. ei /ā/: EI can spell /ā/ like in vein. EI only comes in the middle of a word, like in rein and veil. ey /ā/: EY can spell /ā/ like in hey. EY only comes at the end of a word, like in they and obey. eigh /ā/: EIGH can spell /ā/ like in eight. EIGH can come in the middle of a word, like in weight and freight. EIGH can come at the end of a word, like in neigh and sleigh. EIGH can also come at the beginning of a word, like in eight and eighty. aigh /ā/: AIGH can spell /ā/ like in straight. AIGH only comes in the middle of a word, like in straight and straighten. ea /ā/: EA can spell /ā/ like in great. EA as /ā/ only comes in the middle of a word like in break.
ei /ā/
EI comes in the middle of a word, like rein and veil.
ey /ā/
EY comes at the end of a word, like they and obey.
eigh /ā/
EIGH can come in the middle (weight), end (sleigh), or beginning (eighty) of a word.
aigh /ā/
AIGH only comes in the middle of a word, like straight.
ea /ā/
EA can spell /ā/ in the middle of a word like break and great.
How our mouth moves
Review articulatory gesture, as needed.
Sound wall
Add 'ei', 'ey', 'eigh', and 'aigh' to sound wall under /ā/ (with 'a_e', 'a', 'ai', 'ay').
Open the digital sound wall →Read & Spell
Read — I do
Read — We do
Spell — I do
Spell — We do