Explicitly teaching students when to use 'c' vs. 'k' in spelling comes in at several other points in our phonics continuum as well. As students learn more advanced phonics patterns like magic 'e', vowel teams, and multisyllabic words, they can learn to decide if they need a 'c' or a 'k' in words such as cake, coat, and basket. See the module on Integration with Other Skills to see how to make these explicit connections for students.
Grade Level
We begin teaching students 'c' vs. 'k' with vowels toward the end of kindergarten. There are a lot of steps students need to take in order to decide whether to use a 'c' or 'k', so we don't expect this to be mastered when it is first introduced in kindergarten.
We continue to work on this in first grade, adding in the pattern about spelling /k/ in blends after teaching blends. We keep practicing this in both one-syllable and multisyllabic words as students progress through the grades.
Prerequisite Skills
Before learning about whether to spell with 'c' or 'k' when the /k/ is followed by a vowel, students need to be able to:
- Identify consonant sounds and short vowel sounds
- Read closed syllables
Before learning about whether to spell with 'c' or 'k' in a blend, students need to be able to:
- Identify blends
- Read and spell words with blends
