Teaching spelling generalisations: Floss rule transcript
Elaine Stanley:
Our next spelling generalisation is the ‘floss’ rule. This tells us that if we have a one-syllable word ending in f, l, s or z, and that letter comes after a short vowel sound, then we need to double that final letter in the word. This is an example of how adjacent letters can signify the sound a letter or letter pattern will make. If students are reading a ‘floss’ word, they will know that if they see double f, double l, double s or double z, then the vowel that's just before those letters will make a short sound when they're reading that word. When they're spelling, if they can hear a short vowel sound and then it's followed by one of those ‘floss’ letters, then they'll known to double that last letter in the word when they write it.
The ‘floss’ rule is taught in Phase 7 in our progression, and you can see that this whole phase involves instruction around this spelling generalisation, and students are now working with CVCC words or CCVC words, so they're moving along from that CVC level. As the teacher, you can make the decision to teach each one separately, as we've shown here, or if you think your students are ready, you can actually teach them all at once, so you teach that whole phase at once, and especially if you're teaching older students, then you might do that. We're going to show you that example today.
Here is our phonics lesson for the ‘floss’ rule. Here is the link for the slide set and also the worksheet that goes with that lesson.
https://www.literacyhub.edu.au/search/phonics-lesson-slides-spelling-generalisation-for-ff-ll-ss-zz/
What we're going to do is demonstrate parts of the lesson again and how you would introduce the spelling generalisation.
I would say to students …
Teacher:
Today, we are going to learn about the ‘floss’ rule. This rule helps us know that if a one-syllable word ends in one of these letters: f, l, s or z, and it follows a short vowel sound, then we're going to double the final letter in the word. If we look at the word ‘floss’, we can see the sounds in that word are /f/, /l/, /o/, /s/. We've got a short vowel sound, /o/, and it is followed by one of our ‘floss’ letters, it's followed by s, so we are going to double that s at the end of the word, which you can see there.
It's important for students to know that when we double the letter, it still keeps that single sound. I am going to demonstrate saying my sounds, /f/, /l/, /s/, /z/, and then you'll get students to help you.
Teacher:
We're going to do it together.
Teacher and student:
/f/, /l/, /s/, /z/.
Elaine Stanley:
And then I would demonstrate reading some ‘floss’ words and talking about why it's a ‘floss’ word, and then we'll get students to join in. We'll demonstrate that.
Teacher:
Let's use our letters and sounds.
Teacher and student:
/f/, /u/, /z/. Fuzz.
Teacher:
Okay. Fuzz. So sometimes you get little bits of fuzz on your jumper, little bits of wool, fuzzy wool. Why have we doubled the z at the end of this word, Kerrie?
Student:
Because z is a ‘floss’ letter, and it follows a short vowel sound.
Teacher:
That's right. Well done.
Elaine Stanley:
Then we would do the same with ‘doll’ and ‘smell’ and talk about why they're ‘floss’ words. Then I would demonstrate spelling some words and really think about whether it's a ‘floss’ word and what I need to do. We're going to demonstrate that together.
Teacher:
Our first word we are going to spell together is ‘buzz’. Let's stretch it.
Teacher and student:
/b/-/u/-/z/. Buzz.
Teacher:
What sounds can you hear?
Student:
/b/, /u/, /z/.
Teacher:
All right. I want you to think about what you need to do to that word. We've got a short vowel sound and then we've got /z/. Can you have a go writing that word?
And then we'd be checking that everyone's on track with that.
Teacher:
All right. When you're ready, you can chin your board, make sure yours looks like mine. Okay. Kerrie, can you tell me why you put double z at the end of that word?
Student:
It's one of our ‘floss’ letters and it follows a short vowel sound.
Teacher:
That's right. It's one of our ‘floss’ words.
Elaine Stanley:
Then we would repeat the same thing with words like ‘hiss’ and ‘spill’ and get students to explain why they've doubled the final letter. Then we'd move on to reading sentences. I would demonstrate one. Let's imagine our students have decoded this one. Then I might again have that extra layer of questioning.
Teacher:
Kerrie, can you tell me one word in our sentence that's a ‘floss’ word?
Student:
Toss.
Teacher:
And why has the s been doubled at the end of this word?
Student:
Because it's one of our ‘floss’ letters and it follows a short vowel sound.
Teacher:
Beautiful. Well done.