How to Teach Right-Brained Phonics and Spelling Successfully

English spelling can seem confusing to children who are just learning to read and spell. The same sound can be represented by different letters, and the same letters can sometimes represent different sounds.

But English spelling is not random. There are many predictable relationships between the sounds we hear in spoken words and the letters we use to represent them.

When children learn these sound-spelling relationships, they gain tools for decoding unfamiliar words and spelling words they want to write.

That's the purpose of Child1st's Right-Brained Phonics & Spelling resources.

These materials combine explicit instruction in sound-spelling patterns with illustrations, meaningful sentences, word sorting, and hands-on practice.

This guide explains how to use the resources together to help children develop their reading and spelling skills.

Understanding Sound-Spelling Patterns

When children learn to read and spell, they need to understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds, or phonemes, and that written letters and letter combinations represent those sounds.

For example, the long A sound /ā/ can be spelled in several ways:

• A-E as in ATE

• AI as in RAIN

• AY as in DAY

• EY as in THEY

• EA as in BREAK

• EIGH as in EIGHT

• EI as in REIN

• AIGH as in STRAIGHT

These spellings do not occur equally often, and they do not all follow the same patterns of usage.

Children benefit from learning common sound-spelling relationships systematically, practicing them in words, and gradually becoming familiar with less common spellings.

A child who has learned AY in DAY can use that knowledge when reading words such as PLAY, STAY, and TODAY.

As children gain experience with spelling patterns, they become better equipped to recognize familiar letter combinations in longer words such as PLAYMATE.

Rather than memorizing the appearance of every word independently, children learn how to connect sounds with the letters that represent them.

The Three Right-Brained Phonics & Spelling Resources

The Right-Brained Phonics & Spelling materials are designed to work together.

Each resource has a particular purpose.

1. The Illustrated Book of Sounds & Their Spelling Patterns

This book serves as both an instructional guide and a student practice resource.

The lessons are arranged in order of difficulty, allowing children to develop their understanding of sound-spelling relationships progressively.

The book introduces spelling patterns and provides activities for identifying, reading, and writing words that contain them.

Before beginning, read the introductory instructions carefully, especially the sections titled “Fundamentals” and “Daily Routine.”

These sections explain how to organize lessons and guide children through the activities.

2. Sound Spelling Display Cards

The Sound Spelling Display Cards provide a visual reference for the different ways a particular sound can be spelled.

For example, the Long A Display Card includes eight spellings of the long A sound.

The card uses an illustrated sentence to connect the spellings:

“One day eight reins were not straight, so they took a break and ate in the rain.”

The highlighted spelling patterns help children see how the same sound can be represented in different words.

You can post the Display Card where children can refer to it during instruction and practice.

Although the card shows several spellings together, introduce and practice individual patterns according to the instructional sequence and the child's readiness.

3. Sound Spelling Teaching Cards

The Sound Spelling Teaching Cards provide focused instruction for individual spelling patterns.

For Long A, the kit includes eight Teaching Cards corresponding to the eight spellings on the Display Card.

Each card features a spelling pattern, a keyword, and an illustration or sentence designed to make the pattern more memorable.

For example, when teaching AY, use the corresponding Teaching Card to draw attention to AY in words such as DAY, PLAY, and STAY.

After teaching a pattern, you can place its Teaching Card near the Display Card.

Over time, children will have a visual reference showing the spelling patterns they have learned.

Preparing to Teach

Before beginning, gather the materials you'll need.

For the teacher:

• The Illustrated Book of Sounds & Their Spelling Patterns

• Sound Spelling Display Cards

• Sound Spelling Teaching Cards

• A whiteboard and marker

• A place to display the cards

For each child:

• A whiteboard and marker

• The appropriate lesson page

• A highlighter or colored pencil

• A notebook or paper for word collections, if desired

Find the Right Starting Point

If you're teaching one child, look through the lessons beginning with Lesson One.

Identify the first lesson containing sound-spelling patterns your child does not yet know well.

Then go back a lesson or two and begin with material your child can handle successfully.

This gives you both an opportunity to become comfortable with the teaching routine before introducing unfamiliar patterns.

If you're teaching a classroom, assess children's current knowledge and group them according to the skills they need.

Some children may be ready for advanced vowel patterns while others still need instruction in more foundational relationships.

The goal is to provide instruction at an appropriate level rather than moving every child through the same material at the same pace.

How to Teach a Sound-Spelling Pattern

Let's walk through a lesson using the long A sound and the spelling AY.

Step 1: Introduce the Sound

Select the Long A Sound Spelling Display Card and post it where the children can see it.

Explain:

“We are learning different ways to spell the long A sound. This card shows several spellings that can represent /ā/.”

Read the illustrated sentence aloud.

Point out the highlighted letter patterns, but explain that today's lesson will focus on just one spelling: AY.

This allows children to see that several spellings represent the same sound without requiring them to learn all eight at once.

Step 2: Introduce the AY Teaching Card

Find the AY Teaching Card (Card 49).

Show the children the illustration, which uses the sun behind the A to suggest DAY.

Then read the sentence:

“I say, ‘Today, I may stay and play all day in the spray!’”

Ask children to listen for the long A sound in the words.

Next, write the AY words in a column:

SAY
TODAY
MAY
STAY
PLAY
DAY
SPRAY

Highlight AY in each word.

Explain that AY represents the long A sound in these words.

Help children notice that AY commonly appears at the end of a word or syllable.

Step 3: Practice Reading Words With AY

Point to each word and model how to read it using the sounds represented by its letters.

Then have children read the words.

You might begin with:

DAY
MAY
SAY
PAY
WAY

Then progress to:

PLAY
STAY
SPRAY
TODAY

Provide guidance as needed.

Encourage children to look carefully at the entire written word, identify familiar spelling patterns, and blend the sounds to read it.

Step 4: Practice Spelling Words

Now reverse the process.

Say a word aloud and ask children to identify its sounds.

For example, say PAY.

Guide children to segment the word into /p/ and /ā/.

Ask which letters can represent those sounds in this word.

Then have children write PAY on their whiteboards.

Repeat with additional words.

This connects reading and spelling by helping children move between spoken sounds and written letters.

Step 5: Find the Corresponding Workbook Lesson

Open The Illustrated Book of Sounds & Their Spelling Patterns to page 15.

This lesson contains three long A spellings.

If you're teaching AY, focus on the column on the right.

Have children find and highlight AY in the bold words.

Discuss how the letters represent the long A sound in each word.

Then complete the appropriate activities using the book's Daily Routine.

Step 6: Create a Word Collection

As children encounter additional words containing AY, invite them to add the words to a classroom display or personal notebook.

For example:

DAY
PLAY
STAY
SPRAY
TODAY
PLAYMATE

You can write AY at the top of a long strip of paper and add words as they are learned.

Alternatively, students can keep individual notebooks organized by spelling pattern.

These collections provide opportunities to revisit familiar patterns and observe how they appear in different words.

Step 7: Review and Apply the Pattern

In subsequent lessons, review AY alongside previously taught spelling patterns.

Ask children to read and spell words containing the patterns they've learned.

Then provide opportunities to read sentences and connected text containing those words.

For example:

We may play today.

I will stay and play.

The goal is for children to recognize and use spelling patterns accurately when reading and writing, not simply identify them on a card.

Teaching Additional Long A Spellings

Once children are secure with AY, continue through the appropriate lessons in the instructional sequence.

For example, when teaching AI, you might introduce the keyword RAIN.

Write a group of AI words on your whiteboard:

RAIN
MAIL
SAIL
TAIL
PAIL
NAIL
SNAIL
WAIT

Align the AI spellings so children can easily notice the shared pattern.

Explain that AI represents the long A sound in these words and often occurs within a word rather than at its end.

Guide children through reading, building, and spelling the words.

As children learn additional long A spellings, compare them.

For example:

RAIN — DAY
MAIL — PLAY
SAIL — STAY

Help children recognize that different spellings can represent the same sound while also learning when particular spellings are commonly used.

This comparison supports their understanding of the English spelling system.

Adjusting the Pace of Instruction

Always pay attention to how children respond.

At first, lessons may take more time because children are learning both the sound-spelling relationships and the instructional routine.

They may need repeated demonstrations, guided practice, and review.

As the routine becomes familiar, children may be able to complete parts of the lesson more independently.

However, don't assume that familiarity with the routine means a child has mastered the spelling pattern.

Continue checking whether children can read and spell words accurately, including unfamiliar words containing previously taught patterns.

If a child struggles, provide additional modeling and practice before moving forward.

What I Observed Teaching Students in the Title I Program

During my years as a Title I director, I taught small groups of children from kindergarten through seventh grade.

Many of these students had experienced significant difficulties with reading and spelling.

I began using sound-spelling instruction with visual supports, word patterns, and hands-on practice.

One of the most encouraging things I observed was how the children gradually became more independent.

About halfway through the school year, some students had become so familiar with our routine that they would enter the room, ask for their papers, and begin identifying the day's sound-spelling patterns without waiting for me to direct every step.

We would read the sentences together, and some would turn their papers over and say:

“Test me!”

I loved seeing that change.

Children who had once approached spelling with frustration were beginning to recognize patterns and take pride in demonstrating what they knew.

In that particular year, I observed substantial improvement among the students I taught, including students who reached grade-level expectations on our assessments.

That experience reinforced my belief in the importance of clear instruction, meaningful practice, and materials that help children understand what they're learning.

Every child's progress will be different, but providing systematic instruction and opportunities for success can make an important difference.

Helping Children Become Confident Readers and Spellers

The purpose of teaching sound-spelling patterns is to give children knowledge they can apply independently.

When children understand how sounds connect to letters, they have tools for reading unfamiliar words and spelling words they want to write.

Illustrations, meaningful sentences, word collections, and hands-on activities can help reinforce those relationships.

But the essential learning comes from explicitly teaching the connections between sounds and spellings and providing opportunities to practice them.

With the Right-Brained Phonics & Spelling resources, teachers and parents can combine systematic instruction with engaging activities that make English spelling patterns easier to explore and understand.

Explore Right-Brained Phonics & Spelling Resources