Teaching Sound-Spelling Patterns: Part 3

English spelling becomes easier for children to understand when we help them recognize sound-spelling patterns rather than treating every word as a separate collection of letters to memorize.

Sometimes several letters work together to represent one sound. Sometimes the same spelling represents more than one sound. And sometimes the same sound can be spelled in more than one way.

In this lesson, we'll explore several examples:

• AR and ARE
• OW as in COW
• OW as in SNOW
• OU as in HOUSE
• OU as in SOUP

We'll begin by explicitly examining the sounds and spellings. Then we'll add Sarah's visual stories, movements, and other multisensory memory anchors to help make those patterns easier to remember.

How to Teach AR

Begin with some familiar words:

car
far
star
farm
park

Read the words aloud together.

Ask children to listen carefully to the part spelled AR.

What sound do they hear?

In these words, ar represents an R-controlled vowel sound.

Underline the spelling in each word:

car

far

star

farm

park

Connect AR to Bossy R

If children are already familiar with Bossy R, this is a natural time to make that connection.

When a vowel is followed by r, the r affects the vowel sound. That's why these are commonly called R-controlled vowels.

Sarah's Bossy R character gives children a memorable way to think about this relationship: R is so bossy that the vowel doesn't get to behave the way children might normally expect!

Bossy R – How to Teach R-Controlled Sound Spellings

First explicitly teach:

AR → /ar/

Then use Bossy R as the memory anchor that helps children remember what they've learned.

Build and Spell AR Words

Use letter tiles or write on a whiteboard to build:

car → far

Then:

far → farm

Try another family:

park → bark → dark

Have children underline ar each time.

Next, remove the written words and dictate several of them.

This gives children practice moving in both directions:

spelling → sound

and

sound → spelling

How to Teach ARE

Once children are comfortable with AR, introduce words containing ARE:

care
dare
hare
share
stare

Read them together and highlight are.

Then compare:

car — care

far — fare

star — stare

Ask:

“What changed in the spelling?”

Then:

“What changed when we said the word?”

This helps children attend to the whole ARE spelling pattern and its pronunciation rather than simply assuming that every word containing ar will sound the same.

Use Sarah's ARE Visual

After children have explicitly examined the sounds and spelling, use Sarah's character and story to make the pattern memorable.

"Oh my, here’s Bossy R again! He makes our language tricky and interesting! This time A got reinforcements to be able to talk when Bossy R is around. Instead of just poking Bossy R when he started to talk, she decided to learn to speak up for herself. So, in these words, when you see ARE, it is going to sound like long A and “rrrr.” Normally we spell this sound like this: AIR. "

Then return to plain print.

Have children read:

care
dare
hare
share
stare

Finally, dictate several words so children retrieve the spelling without the visual.

The story helps establish the memory connection, but independent reading and spelling are the goal.

The Two Sounds of OW

Now we're going to look at a spelling that can represent more than one sound.

Write:

cow

and:

snow

Underline ow in both words.

Ask children:

“Is OW making the same sound in these two words?”

No.

In cow, OW represents /ow/.

In snow, OW represents long /ō/.

That's an important concept:

The same spelling can sometimes represent more than one sound.

Let's teach each one separately.

How to Teach OW When It Sounds Like OW

Start with:

cow
how
now
town
brown

Read each word aloud.

Ask children:

“What sound do you hear where you see OW?”

They should hear the /ow/ sound—the sound we might make if we got hurt:

“OW!”

Underline ow in every word.

Then say:

OW → /ow/

Add Sarah's “OW!” Visual

Connect the spelling to the familiar exclamation:

“OW! That hurts!”

Let children exaggerate the expression and say OW!

Then return immediately to the printed spelling:

OW

The expression and visual give children another way to remember the correspondence they've just been explicitly taught.

Build OW Words

Build:

cow → how → now

Then:

town → down

Add:

brown → crown

Ask children what stays the same.

The OW spelling and /ow/ sound remain consistent within these word families.

How to Teach OW When It Sounds Like OH

Now show children:

snow

Ask:

“Does OW represent /ow/ in this word?”

No.

Here, ow represents long /ō/.

Write several examples:

snow
glow
grow
flow

Underline ow.

Read them together.

Explain:

OW can also represent the long /ō/ sound.

Add Sarah's “OH!” Visual

Now show children the Sound Spelling OH image.

Look at the child in the picture.

What do you think happened?

Maybe he just remembered that he forgot to do his homework.

Maybe he suddenly remembered how to solve a math problem.

Whatever happened, he looks as though he suddenly thought of something:

“OH!”

Have children imitate the child's expression and say:

“OH!”

Then show:

OW

and connect it to:

/ō/

Sarah's visual gives children a memorable contrast:

OW! as in cow

and

OH! as in snow.

Look for OW Inside Longer Words

Once children recognize the pattern in:

snow
glow
grow
flow

show how it remains recognizable inside longer words:

snowball

snowfall

growing

flowing

Underline ow in each word.

Ask:

“Does OW still represent long /ō/?”

Yes.

This helps children recognize a familiar spelling pattern even when it appears inside a larger word.

Sound Out and Write the Words

Practice together first.

Say a word, segment it as appropriate, and write it on the whiteboard while children participate.

Then reverse the responsibility.

Call out:

snow

Have children say the word, listen to its sounds, and write it on their own whiteboards.

Continue with:

glow
grow
flow
snowball
snowfall
growing
flowing

Have children underline OW in each word to make the target spelling stand out.

Compare the Two Sounds of OW

Now put both groups together:

Read down each column.

Then mix the words and have children sort them under:

OW as in COW

and

OW as in SNOW

The lesson isn't simply:

“OW says /ow/.”

or:

“OW says /ō/.”

Instead:

OW can represent more than one sound. We learn the different pronunciations through explicit instruction and practice with words.

Sounds of OU

Now introduce another important spelling:

OU

Like OW, OU can represent more than one sound.

We'll begin with the /ow/ sound.

How to Teach OU When It Sounds Like OW

Write:

out
pout
mouse
house
cloud

Read each word.

Ask:

“What sound do you hear where you see OU?”

Children should hear /ow/.

Underline:

OU

Explain:

OU is another common spelling for the /ow/ sound.

This means children now know two ways they may see /ow/ represented in words:

OW

and

OU

Compare OU and OW

Write:

OU

out
pout
mouse
house
cloud

OW

cow
how
pow-der
brown
clown

Say the words together.

All contain the /ow/ sound, but the spelling isn't always the same.

Notice Where the Spellings Often Appear

Children can also begin noticing useful spelling tendencies.

OU frequently occurs at the beginning or in the middle of a word:

out
pout
mouse
house
cloud

OW frequently occurs at the end of a word or syllable:

cow
how
pow-der

It also appears in familiar patterns such as:

brown
clown
down
town

These are useful tendencies rather than absolute rules, so children still need plenty of practice with real words.

Add Sarah's Mouse and House Visual

Now show the Sound Spelling OU image.

Look at the mouse running around the house.

Maybe someone is chasing the mouse around the house.

And what might they do when they catch it?

SHOUT!

Now children have a memorable group:

mouse

house

shout

Underline the common spelling:

mouse

house

shout

In all three, OU represents /ow/.

The silly picture and story connect several words with the same sound-spelling relationship.

Read and Spell OU Words

Practice:

out
pout
mouse
house
cloud
loud
round
shout

Have children underline OU.

Then hide the words and dictate several of them.

Children now have to retrieve the spelling rather than simply recognize it.

Compare OU and OW for /ow/

Once both spellings are familiar, mix:

cow
house
brown
cloud
how
round
town
shout

Have children sort the words under:

OW

and

OU

Ask:

“What sound do all of these words contain?”

/ow/

“Is it spelled the same way in every word?”

No.

This teaches another important principle:

The same sound can be represented by more than one spelling.

How to Teach OU When It Sounds Like OO

Just when children think they've figured out OU, along comes another group of words!

They've just practiced:

cloud
loud
house
mouse
round

where OU represents /ow/.

Now show:

you

soup

group

Read the words together.

Ask:

“Does OU represent /ow/ in these words?”

No.

In this group, OU represents the /oo/ sound.

Underline the target spelling:

you

soup

group

Explain:

OU can represent more than one sound. In these words, OU represents /oo/.

Compare the Two Sounds of OU

Put the groups side by side:

Read each column.

Ask:

“What's the same?”

Every word contains OU.

“What's different?”

The sound represented by OU changes.

This gives children a clear comparison rather than asking them to memorize conflicting “rules.”

Add Sarah's Soup Pot Visual

Now show the Sound Spelling OU image for /oo/.

Look at:

OU

What could those two letters become?

The O looks like the lid of a soup pot.

And the U looks like the pot holding the soup.

That leads to Sarah's memorable sentence:

“You eat soup in a group.”

Look at the three target words:

YOU

SOUP

GROUP

All contain OU, and in each of these words OU represents /oo/.

The soup pot story gives children a memorable visual connection to this less common pronunciation.

Add the OU Hand Motions

Now use Sarah's original OU hand spelling.

Make the O/lid by touching your fingertips to the tip of your thumb.

Then make the U/pot with your hand.

As children make the two shapes, have them say:

“O-U, /oo/.”

Then repeat:

“You eat soup in a group.”

The movement has a specific purpose: it helps children remember the O-U letter sequence associated with these words.

Retrieve the Spelling

After practicing, hide the image and written words.

Say:

soup

Have children listen to the sounds and write the word.

Then:

group

Then:

you

Reveal the words afterward so children can check their spellings.

The visual and hand motions provide temporary support.

The goal is for children eventually to read and spell these words without needing the memory anchor.

Sort the Two Sounds of OU

Give children:

house
soup
cloud
you
round
group
mouse
loud

Have them sort the words beneath:

OU as in HOUSE

and

OU as in SOUP

Then read each group aloud.

Children now understand something much more useful than simply memorizing:

“OU says /ow/.”

They know:

OU can represent different sounds, and we learn those sound-spelling relationships by examining and practicing real words.

Compare OW and OU

Now children are ready to bring the lessons together.

They've learned:

OW can represent /ow/

cow
brown

OW can represent /ō/

snow
grow

OU can represent /ow/

house
cloud

OU can represent /oo/

soup
group

Create four headings and have children sort word cards into the correct group.

This requires them to pay attention to both the spelling and pronunciation.

For an extra challenge, call out a word without showing it and ask children to write it beneath the correct heading.

What If Children Confuse OW and OU?

That's understandable.

The /ow/ sound can be represented by either spelling:

brown

round

Say both words.

Then look at them.

brown uses ow.

round uses ou.

Rather than telling children to “just remember,” compare related word families.

OW

down – town – brown – crown

OU

round – sound – found – ground

Read the groups.

Build the words.

Write them.

Then dictate them.

Grouping related words gives children an organized pattern to remember instead of a collection of isolated spellings.

Use Sarah's Visuals as Memory Anchors

Sarah's lessons use pictures, stories, characters, and movements because an abstract spelling becomes much more memorable when it has meaning attached to it.

In this lesson:

Bossy R helps children remember R-controlled spellings.

“OW!” provides a connection for OW as in cow.

“OH!” helps distinguish OW as in snow.

The mouse running around the house reinforces OU as /ow/.

The soup pot and “You eat soup in a group” story reinforce OU as /oo/.

And the OU hand motions help children remember the O-U letter sequence.

The important instructional sequence is:

teach the sound-spelling relationship

↓

make the tricky part memorable

↓

practice retrieving it

↓

apply it in reading and spelling

↓

gradually remove the support

The picture is not a cue for guessing the word. It is a memory anchor for a sound-spelling relationship that has already been taught.

Practice Reading and Spelling

Mix words from the lesson:

car
care
brown
snow
cloud
grow
round
soup
town
group
stare
flow

Have children:

1. Read the word.

2. Find the target spelling.

3. Say the sound represented by that spelling.

Then reverse the process.

Dictate several words and have children write them.

This is especially useful with contrasting pairs such as:

brown — round

cow — cloud

snow — grow

car — care

Practice in Sentences

Once children are successful with individual words, use the patterns in connected text:

The brown cow walked through town.

The mouse ran around the house.

The snow began to flow down the hill.

A dark cloud covered the town.

You can eat soup with the group.

Take care when you park the car.

Have children find and underline the target spellings.

Then choose one or two sentences for dictation.

You can also have children make up their own silly sentences using several target words.

A Simple Routine for Teaching Sound-Spelling Patterns

Whether you're teaching AR, ARE, OW, OU, or another sound-spelling pattern, the basic process remains the same.

1. Start with the spoken word

Make sure children know the word and its meaning.

2. Listen to the sounds

Help children identify the phonemes in the word.

3. Show the spelling

Explicitly identify the grapheme representing the target sound.

4. Compare words

Group words with similar spellings and pronunciations.

5. Contrast confusing patterns

Put patterns such as OW/OU or the two sounds of OW side by side.

6. Add the memory anchor

Use a meaningful picture, story, or purposeful movement when it helps.

7. Practice reading

Move from supported examples to ordinary print.

8. Practice spelling

Use word building and dictation so children retrieve the spelling themselves.

9. Apply the learning

Read and write the words in phrases, sentences, and connected text.

10. Review

Return to previously taught patterns so children continue retrieving them over time.

Making Sound-Spelling Patterns Memorable

English spelling is complex, but complex doesn't mean random or impossible to teach.

When children encounter words one at a time, spelling can feel overwhelming.

But when we organize words into meaningful groups, children begin to see relationships:

cow – how – brown

snow – glow – grow

out – house – cloud

you – soup – group

car – far – star

care – dare – stare

Some patterns are highly consistent. Others have more than one pronunciation. And the same sound can sometimes be represented by different spellings.

Our job is to explicitly teach those relationships and give children enough practice to use them independently.

For children who benefit from additional memory support, Sarah's visual stories, hands-on activities, and purposeful movements make those abstract patterns concrete and memorable.

At Child1st, that's how the pieces work together:

explicit sound-spelling instruction + meaningful multisensory reinforcement + retrieval practice + application in real reading and writing.

Explore the Complete Sound-Spelling Patterns Series

Part 1: What Are Spelling Patterns? How to Teach Sound-Spelling Patterns

Learn what sound-spelling patterns are and how to combine explicit instruction with meaningful multisensory reinforcement.

Part 2: How to Teach AUGH and OUGH Words: Sound Spelling Patterns

Explore the spellings in laugh, enough, through, thought, though, and related words.

Part 4: How to Teach the IGH Spelling Pattern and Other Sound Spellings

Learn how IGH represents long /ī/ and explore additional sound-spelling patterns.

Sound Spelling Teaching Cards

Child1st's Sound Spelling Teaching Cards use memorable visual connections to reinforce sound-spelling relationships after they have been explicitly introduced.