This skill explainer gives you the how and what for teaching this phonics skill and is rooted in a body of knowledge and backed by research. Here you will find the research that supports your understanding of why you are teaching using the structured literacy approach.
While there is little research on teaching the '-dge' spelling rule specifically, we do know:
- Introducing phonics skills and spelling rules cumulatively, starting with simple patterns before moving to more complex ones, helps students with mastery of new skills. (Spear-Swerling, 2018; Snow, Griffin, & Burns, 2005)
- Explicitly teaching spelling rules helps students become stronger readers and spellers. (National Reading Panel, 2000)
- Knowledge of word meanings has a significant effect on reading comprehension. (Graves, 1986)
