2. When to Teach Consonant '-le' Syllables

Once students know closed, open, r-controlled, and vowel team syllables, they can learn about consonant '-le' syllables. 

Here's a reminder of where you are on our phonics continuum — what you have taught and what's coming up. This is not the only way to do things, and many programs will teach skills in a different order. That's okay, as long as students learn all the skills.

We typically begin teaching students about the consonant '-le' syllable type in the second half of first grade. At this point, students can accurately read a variety of syllable types in one-syllable words and have learned about syllable division and reading multisyllabic words.

Before learning about consonant '-le' syllables, students should:

1. Know the terms consonant and vowel
2. Be able to identify consonants and vowels
3. Have a basic understanding of what a syllable is
4. Be able to identify, read, and spell one-syllable words with different syllable types (closed, open, r-controlled, and vowel team syllables)
5. Be able to divide, read, and spell multisyllabic words

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. 

Here are some other phonics skills that connect to the consonant '-le' syllable type. You'll want to talk about these connections explicitly with your students. 

Connect students' knowledge of closed syllables to words with the consonant '-le' syllable. When students read a word like giggle, they'll divide the word into a closed syllable, 'gig-', and add that to the consonant '-le' syllable, '-gle'. Since closed syllables are something students have had a lot of practice with (and should be pretty accurate with), starting your consonant '-le' lesson with words that include closed syllables will allow them to focus on the new learning, the consonant '-le' syllable.

Connect students' knowledge of open syllables to words with the consonant '-le' syllable. When students read a word like cable, they'll divide the word into an open syllable, 'ca-', and add that to the consonant '-le' syllable, '-ble'. Students should have had practice with reading open syllables before this, so they should be accurate at reading the first syllable, allowing them to focus on the new consonant '-le' syllable.

Connect students' knowledge of r-controlled vowel syllables to words with the consonant '-le' syllable. When students read a word like turtle, they'll divide the word into an r-controlled syllable, 'tur-', and add that to the consonant '-le' syllable, '-tle'. Since r-controlled syllables will have been something students have practiced prior to this, they should be able to read it with ease, which allows them to focus on the consonant '-le'.

Connect students' knowledge of vowel team syllables to words with the consonant '-le' syllable. When students are ready to read a word like eagle, they will divide the word into a vowel team syllable, 'ea-', and add that to the consonant '-le' syllable, '-gle'. Students will need to have learned about vowel teams before this to accurately read the first syllable and add it to the consonant '-le' syllable.