Five Phonetic Skills

Phonics Reading Strategies

The Five Phonetic Skills allow students to identify the five common patterns of English words and “prove” the vowel sound in a word. Proving words using the Five Phonetic Skills is an indispensable tool and reading strategy used to decode, pronounce, and spell new words.

The Five Phonetic Skills are:

• Phonetic Skill #1: When one guardian consonant — and nothing more — follows the vowel, the vowel will be short.
• Phonetic Skill #2: When the vowel is followed by two guardian consonants and nothing more, the vowel will be short.
• Phonetic Skill #3: When a vowel stands alone, it will be long.
• Phonetic Skill #4: Silent E makes the first vowel long.
• Phonetic Skill #5: When vowels are adjacent, the second vowel is silent, and the first vowel is long.

These skills are gradually internalized and become automatic, resulting in greater reading speed and fluency.

To learn how to teach all of skills taught in Reading Horizons unique and effective program, sign up for a 30 day free trial to Reading Horizons Online Workshop ›