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Basic 3 · Ghanaian Language · Phonics: Letter and Sound Knowledge

Decoding Words

In this topic you will use your knowledge of the alphabet to read (decode) new words.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Name vowels and consonants
  • Sound out and blend new words
  • Read words with letter pairs

What you already know

  • Adding sounds

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
Reading
Sub-strand
Phonics: Letter and Sound Knowledge
Indicator
B3.2.4.1.1-3 – Use alphabetic awareness to decode words

Introduction

When you meet a new word, do not guess. Sound out each letter, then blend them together. This is decoding.

1. Vowels and Consonants

Letters of the alphabet
VowelsConsonants
a e i o uall the other letters: b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z

Tip: Ghanaian languages have extra vowels, like ɛ and ɔ. Learn the vowels of your language.

2. Decoding Steps

  1. Look at each letter.
  2. Say each sound.
  3. Blend the sounds together.
  4. Read the word and check that it makes sense.

Example

Decode "frog".

  1. f – r – o – g
  2. Blend: fr – og

Answer: frog

Letter cards f, r, o, g blended into the word frog with a picture
Figure 1: Decoding a word Decode and write three new words.Illustration: Sirbus

New words

vowel
One of the letters a, e, i, o, u.
consonant
Any letter that is not a vowel.
decode
To read a word by sounding it out.
blend
To join sounds together.

Summary

  • English vowels are a, e, i, o, u.
  • Decode by sounding out each letter and blending.
  • Check that the word makes sense.

Class activity: Decode It

  1. Pick a word card with a picture covered.
  2. Sound out and blend the word.
  3. Uncover the picture to check.

You need: Locally made letter cards, Word cards with pictures of local objects, Bottle tops marked with letters

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. Which is a vowel?

    • A. e
    • B. b
    • C. t
    • D. k
    Show answer
    Answer: ea, e, i, o, u are vowels.

  2. 2. Blend s – t – o – p.

    • A. stop
    • B. spot
    • C. post
    • D. tops
    Show answer
    Answer: stops-t-o-p.

  3. 3. "b" is a consonant.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueIt is not a vowel.

  4. 4. We should guess new words without sounding them out.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseSound them out.

  5. 5. To read a word by sounding it out is to ______ it.

    Show answer
    Answer: decodeThat is decoding.

  6. 6. Decode and write: d – r – u – m.

    Show answer
    Answer: drumBlend the sounds.

Homework

  1. Decode five new words from a storybook.