2.1 Connecting 'c' vs. 'k' to Other Phonics Skills

The structured literacy approach is systematic and cumulative. That means each time we teach a new phonics skill, we need to consider how it interacts with skills that students have already learned. We should explicitly make these connections for students. 

The 'c' vs. 'k' spelling rules are ones that will come up again and again as students learn more phonics patterns. Below you can see all the places in the phonics continuum where you’ll want to address 'c' vs. 'k'. Each time students learn a new rule that intersects with 'c' vs. 'k', you’ll want to explicitly teach how the 'c' vs. 'k' spelling rules apply in the new context. See more details about each skill below the chart.

Short Vowels: cap, kid

• While we don’t explicitly teach it when introducing short vowels, the curvy 'c' and straight 'k' rule applies for short vowels.

Glued Sounds: sank, pink

• In the glued sound '-nk', the /k/ sound is spelled with a 'k' as it is at the end of a syllable, like in sank and pink.
• Common mistake: using '-ck' after 'n', as in banck for bank.
• Learn how to teach this phonics pattern in the Glued Sounds Skill Explainer.

Blends: clap, scrape, mask

• When using the /k/ sound in a blend, students have to make a spelling decision based on its position in the word. The letter 'c' is used when followed by another consonant, as in clip and fact. The letter 'k' looks at nothing, meaning it stands alone at the end of a one-syllable word, as in mask.
• Common mistakes: using '-ck' in a blend, as in fackt for fact, masck for mask

-ck Pattern: neck, kick

• When introducing the '-ck' pattern, students will learn to use '-ck' when they hear /k/ at the end of a one-syllable word with a short vowel, as in neck and kick. 
• Common mistake: using '-ck' at the beginning of words, as in ckid for kid

'Y' as a Vowel: sky, pesky

• When the /k/ sound is followed by 'y' as a vowel, students follow the 'c' vs. 'k' rule that is taught in this skill explainer. Straight 'k' looks at straight 'y', as in sky and pesky.

Magic 'e': cake, bake vs. back

• When you hear the /k/ sound in a word with magic 'e', students should follow the 'c' vs. 'k' rule that is taught in this skill explainer. Straight 'k' looks at straight 'e', as in cake and hike. 
• Common mistake: rake spelled as racke and race
• Learn how to teach this phonics pattern in the Magic 'e' Skill Explainer.

Soft 'c' and Soft 'g': race, rice, circle, cycle

• In the 'c' vs. 'k' rule, we learn that the /k/ sound is spelled with a 'c' when it looks at the vowels 'a', 'o', and 'u'. When introducing soft 'c', students learn that 'c' makes its soft sound, /s/, when it looks at the vowels 'e', 'i', and 'y', as in race, circle, and cycle. 
• Common mistake: ​​rase for race, rise for rice

R-Controlled Vowels: bark, perk

• When spelling words with r-controlled vowels followed by the /k/ sound, we spell /k/ with a 'k', as in bark and perk. This is an extension of the rule we learned in this skill explainer, which says in a blend, 'k' looks at nothing. 'K' is not in a blend here, but we can remember it’s spelled with a 'k' because it’s still the last sound in the word.
• Common mistakes: parck or parc for park, barck or barc for bark

Vowel Teams and Diphthongs: week, leak

• When spelling words with vowel teams or diphthongs followed by the /k/ sound, we spell the /k/ sound with a 'k', as in week and leak. This is an extension of the rule we learned in this skill explainer, which says in a blend, 'k' looks at nothing. 'K' is not in a blend here, but we can remember it’s spelled with a 'k' because it’s still the last sound in the word.
• Common mistakes: weeck or weec for week

Consonant '-le': pickle, buckle, ankle

• When you hear the /k/ sound in a consonant '-le' syllable, we can spell it using a 'c', 'k', or '-ck'. If the /k/ sound follows a consonant, we spell it with a 'k', as in sprinkle. If the /k/ sound follows a vowel, we spell it with a 'c' or '-ck'.

Multisyllable Words: bucket, racket, locket, picnic, attic, panic

• In multisyllable words, we use 'c', when we hear /k/ in the middle or at the end, as in picnic, attic, and panic. When we hear /k/ in the middle of a multisyllable word that ends in '-et', we use '-ck', as in bucket and rocket. Also there are a handful of words that end in '-ock', such as hammock and buttock, but they aren't common.