Dictation Decisions in Words with '-dge' or '-ge'

Marlene Gannaway: All right, friends. So now we're going to move into dictation. You're going to pull out your binders. We're going to be risk takers today with dictation too. I'm going to try a new style.

Narrator: These second graders at Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta, Georgia are in the middle of a phonics lesson on how to spell the /j/ sound at the end of a word. Should it be '-dge', like in "budge" or '-ge' like in "stage"?

Marlene Gannaway: We're going straight to words today because you guys are so smart. We've already reviewed our sounds. You're going to draw a line straight down the middle.

Narrator: During the dictation section of the lesson. Teacher Marlene Gannaway and reading Coach Carla Stanford will guide students through this spelling decision. Some of them already have a pretty good handle on the rule.

Marlene Gannaway: Amelia, how will we know '-dge' or '-ge'?

Amelia: If it has a consonant before it, then you spell it '-ge'. And if it is right after a vowel, you spell it '-dge'.

Marlene Gannaway: What kind of vowel?

Amelia: Short.

Marlene Gannaway: Immediately after a short vowel in a one syllable word. When you hear the /j/ sound, you spell it '-dge'. Good job. If it's a long vowel sound, if it's a bossy R or if there's a blocker, then we're going to spell it 'ge'.

Narrator: For this exercise, Ms. Gannaway will give the students a word that ends in the /j/ sound. They'll need to decide if it's spelled '-dge' or '-ge', and then write it in the correct column on their paper. Ms. Stanford explains how they will think through their decision.

Carla Stanford: So when Ms. Gannaway gives you the word, you have to make a decision. This is a spelling decision you're making, so she's going to say the word, you're going to repeat it. You're going to tap it. When you get to that vowel you're going to think, "what decision do I need to make?" and then you're going to point to the one that you would choose and give us a thumbs up so we can check before you write.

Narrator: If a word has a short vowel sound immediately before the /j/ sound, like in badge or fudge, we use '-dge'. If the word has a long vowel sound, like in stage or a bossy R like in large, or a consonant blocker, like in bulge, then we use '-ge'.

Marlene Gannaway: The word is huge. Repeat.

Students: Huge.

Marlene Gannaway: Stop. Think. Point. Where are you going to spell it?

Carla Stanford: Do you guys need to tap this one together? Can we do it? Yeah. Yeah, let's do it.

Marlene Gannaway: For sure. For sure. All right, friends, elbows up, eyes up. Here we go. The word is huge. Repeat.

Students: Huge.

Together: /h/, /ū/, /j/.

Carla Stanford: Huge. What do you hear? What do you guys hear?

Students: Long vowel.

Carla Stanford: A long vowel sound. If we hear a long vowel sound, how are we going to spell the /j/ sound? Everyone.

Students: '-ge'.

Carla Stanford: Yes. Do you see what we had to do? We had to say the word. We had to tap and get to the vowel. We had to think about the vowel, and then we had to make our decision. That's a lot of work. You guys, that's amazing.

Marlene Gannaway: Next word. Ready, friends? The word is barge. Repeat.

Students: Barge.

Marlene Gannaway: Stop. Think. Tap carefully.

Together: /b/, /ar/, /j/.

Marlene Gannaway: Point. Where are you going to put it? Where are you going to put it? Piper, where do you think we're going to put it?

Piper: '-dge'.

Marlene Gannaway: '-dge'? The word is barge. Let's tap it together everybody. One more time.

Together: /b/, /ar/, j/.

Marlene Gannaway: /ar/ is the vowel sound. What are we going to do? Is that a short sound?

Piper: No.

Marlene Gannaway: What kind of sound is that? What vowel sound is that? /ar/. /ar/.

Piper: Bossy R.

Marlene Gannaway: It's a bossy R. So can we spell it '-dge'?

Piper: No.

Marlene Gannaway: Thank you for thinking through that with me. So where are we going to put it?

Piper: '-ge'.

Marlene Gannaway: '-ge', not '-dge'. Barge.

Narrator: By asking a quick, thoughtful question. Ms. Gannaway helped guide Piper to the rule they have been practicing, which is exactly what dictation is for.

Carla Stanford: It's one thing to know the '-dge' rule, but it's another thing to know when you can't use it. So part of a rule is knowing when to use it, but you guys are learning when you can't use it. That is really hard work. That was excellent thinking. Thank you for thinking out loud for us with that.

Marlene Gannaway: Ready for the next word? The word is … listen, carefully… cringe. Repeat.

Students: Cringe.

Marlene Gannaway: Tap it. Stop. Think. Tap. /k/, /r/, /ĭ/, /n/, j/.

Narrator: Cringe is a little tricky. It has a short vowel sound, but students will need to decide if that consonant /n/ sound changes things.

Carla Stanford: Can we talk through this one?

Marlene Gannaway: Yes.

Carla Stanford: This one is hard for us.

Marlene Gannaway: Yes. We can talk through this one.

Carla Stanford: Okay, everyone say cringe.

Students: Cringe.

Carla Stanford: Pretend like you're going to cringe. What does it look like when you cringe? So everyone repeat, say cringe.

Students: Cringe.

Carla Stanford: Tappers up. I want you to tap with me and I want to hear it.

Together: /k/, /r/, /ĭ/ ...

Carla Stanford: Wait, I heard a short vowel. Did you?

Students: Yes.

Together: /k/, /r/, /ĭ/ ... /n/ ...

[Ms. Stanford emphasizes /n/]

Carla Stanford: Everyone say famous blocker!

Students: Famous blocker!

Carla Stanford: Do you hear that /n/?

Students: Yes.

Carla Stanford: Immediately my brain is going "uh oh. Guess what I don't get to use."

Students: '-dge'

Carla Stanford: Uh uh. Because the blocker is there blocking. /r/, /ĭ/ ... /n/ [Ms. Stanford emphasizes /n/] ... /j/. How am I going to spell the /j/ at the end of cringe, everyone?

Students: '-ge'.

Carla Stanford: Thank you. Make sure you put it in the right space.

Marlene Gannaway: My word is pledge. Repeat.

Students: Pledge.

Marlene Gannaway: Stop. Think. Tap.

Together: /p/, /l/, /ĕ/, j/. /p/, /l/, /ĕ/, j/.

Marlene Gannaway: What kind of vowel sound did you hear? Point to where you're going to put it. You guys are getting more confident. You're writing it already. Good job. Reagan, why are we going to put it there?

Reagan: Because it has a short vowel.

Marlene Gannaway: Because it has a short vowel.

Carla Stanford: So it had to be the short vowel, and then immediately we have to hear the /j/. That's what you guys heard, right?

Narrator: Making the correct spelling choice is great, but knowing why you made that choice, that's when the learning sticks.

Marlene Gannaway: Excellent

Narrator: Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim and Donna Barksdale, the Hastings/Quillen Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the AFT, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and anonymous donors. Special thanks to Burgess-Peterson Academy and Atlanta Public Schools. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel @RUTeaching. Reading Universe is a service of WETA, Washington D.C., the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book.