Those Splitting Digraphs: Is it Bossy ‘E’, Magic ‘E’, Silent ‘E’?

Phonics terminologies can be very perplexing for anxious parents and guardians who are key partners in education. One such terminology is split digraph, used in schools in the United Kingdom (UK), but not as much in the USA, where it is referred to as the silent ‘e’, magic ‘e’, or bossy ‘e’. ?

A?digraph?is?two letters (two vowels or two consonants or a vowel and a consonant) that together stand for a sound. The split digraph is a vowel team that stands for a long vowel sound. In words with split digraphs, the consonant splits or separates the vowel digraph. However, the long vowel sound is still retained. For instance, the word tie becomes tile, with the consonant ‘l’ interjection. The letter ‘e’ plays a key role in a split digraph. It is the signal that the preceding vowel stands for a long sound. It is also a signal that the letters ‘c’ ’s’ and ‘g’ stand for the sounds /s/, /z/, and /j/ respectively, in words with split digraphs: race, hose, and rage.

?Many educators argue that teachers should use the term split digraphs when they teach long vowel sounds with separated digraphs. They also state that students should learn how to separate digraphs to create split digraphs. However, are our parents and young children interested in linguistic jargon? Most parents I have spoken to want their young children to learn to read fluently and build their writing and comprehension skills, with teachers using the most effective strategy to accomplish this. Teaching students how to separate digraphs would require that long vowel sounds represented by the vowel teams ae, ee, ie, oe, and ue, be taught first. Students will then learn how to separate vowel teams that form these digraphs to create split digraphs. The word ‘cue’, when separated becomes ‘cube’, with the interjection of consonant ‘b’. Interestingly, there are few words with these vowel teams to separate to create words with split digraphs. For instance, where are the ‘ae’ words to separate?

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Is it Magic ‘E’ or Bossy ‘E’, or Silent ‘E’?

Well, should we then use the magic ‘e’ strategy to teach children how to read? Some believe that it confuses children. In this strategy, the letter ’e’ is added at the end of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) and consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant (CCVC) words, to make new words with long vowel sounds. For example: cap x e = cape and grad x e = grade. Most children understand the concept of magic, as they are introduced to stories, such as fairy tales, with these elements. Many, too, love to see a teacher or student all dressed up as the phonics fairy or wizard, with a wand that adds the letter ‘e’ to CVC or CCVC words, transforming them into words with long vowels. One thing about the magic ‘e’ you can build far more words with long vowels, by adding the letter ‘e’ to CVC and CCVC words, than by “splitting” digraphs. But what about words such as come and some, where the magic does not work? And what about the bossy ‘e’, that bullies short vowels to say long sounds? Then there is the silent ‘e’ that seems to have many jobs including distinguishing singular from plural (pleas, please), signaling to the reader that the vowel has a long sound (cane), and clarifying the meaning of words among others (or, ore).

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What Should Teachers Do?

Teachers should follow the approved curriculum of their school district, state, or country. However, they should ensure that the approach used to teach split digraphs makes students learn to decode words with these digraphs easily. The approach teachers use should also make phonics instruction fun and memorable. I prefer using the magic ‘e’ strategy. When a child gets older will they remember the term split digraph or how their teacher made learning long vowels engaging and unforgettable?

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How Can Success with Phonics and Bible Phonics Help Children

Success with Phonics and Bible Phonics are two excellent resources to teach split digraphs. Success with Phonics supports public school K-2 English language arts (ELA) curriculum, while Bible Phonics is targeted at Christian schools and children’s Bible classes by integrating K-2 ELA/Reading content areas. I use Bible Phonics during my children’s Bible classes – Sunday school and Vacation Bible School (VBS). Why Bible Phonics? Churches also have a role to play in education. Integrating public school themes in children’s Bible classes, such as Sunday school, is a great way to increase youth attendance, and teach early English skills - all while sharing the gospel. It is a win-win. ?Both books contain a variety of activities to teach split digraphs: spelling, comprehension, reading, and sentence building.

Teaching Split Digraphs

Before the Lesson

1. Review the long vowel sound you will be teaching. Be aware that some children will have more advanced phonics knowledge than others. Use differentiated instruction to meet each student’s needs.
2. Read other literature on long vowel sounds, in particular split digraphs.
3. Develop an exciting and engaging lesson that allows for multi-sensory activities and integrates technology where applicable. For example, the Success with Phonics series has interactive digital lessons to accompany its books
4. Make sure that children have the necessary resources to participate in the lesson.
5. Ensure lessons have activities to foster home-school connections.
6. Read a connected text to support the lesson to further reinforce the letter sound taught. In Bible Phonics each letter sound has a connected text as reinforcement. For example, the word, gate, is used to introduce the split digraph ‘a_e’ and the parable of wide and narrow gate is the accompanying Bible story.

Delivering the Lesson

1. Review - Review previously taught sounds and sight words.
2. Phonemic Awareness - Invite children to listen carefully as you say a picture name with the long vowel sound. Stress the sound and model the proper mouth position to say the letter sound correctly. For example, say, ‘gate’ and stretch the long ‘a’ sound. Invite children to say the picture name, and identify the letter sound they heard in the middle of the word.
3. Phonics - Write the word on the board. For example, write the word ‘gate’ on the board. Tell children that vowels also make long sounds, or say their names. For example, the letter ‘a’ also stands for the sound /ā/ which is also the name of the letter. Ask children what they noticed about the letter ‘e’ word. Inform them that the letter ‘e’ in the word gate, serves as a signal that they should say the long vowel sound.
4. Reading Connection – Read a connecting text to promote reading, a sense of story, comprehension skills, and as reinforcement strategies. Ask students questions about each story.
5. Word Building - Have children build words with long vowel sounds, by adding the letter ‘e’ to words with short vowel sounds. For example, write the word ‘can’, on the board. Have children read the word. Write the letter ‘e’ at the end of the word. Ask them to read the new word. Discuss the new meaning of unfamiliar words.
6. Reading – Have children read and spell words with split digraphs and guide them with the remaining activities.
7. Revision - Review constantly until children have mastered this phonics principle.
8. Assessment - Use authentic assessment to measure students’ progress.

It should be noted that some words such as come, have, and give, have similar spelling patterns as those with split digraphs. The letter ‘e’ serves a different function in these words. These words should not be taught while children are learning split digraphs, to avoid confusion and mispronunciation when spoken.

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How to Access the Resources

CLICK the links below to access the resources

Bible Phonics on Amazon

Success with Phonics on TPT

Success with Phonics on Amazon

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Allison Hall has over twenty years of experience in education. She has worked as a public relations officer and education officer with the Ministry of Education, Jamaica. Allison is the creator of the Success with Phonics, Bible Math, and Bible Phonics series. She holds a Diploma in Teaching, a Diploma in Educational Management, a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, and a Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies. Ms. Hall's work has been featured in Jamaica's early childhood, primary, and secondary schools. She is currently a Reading Specialist at a middle school in Boca Raton, Florida, USA.