Sound Code Slides Reading & Oracy Lab
60-Minute Phonics Masterclass
Sound Code Masters
Crack the secret sounds of our language: Short vs. Long Vowels, Hard vs. Soft C, and Hard vs. Soft G.
1
Vowel Rules
Short /æ/ vs Long /eɪ/
2
Consonant C
Hard /k/ vs Soft /s/
3
Consonant G
Hard /g/ vs Soft /j/
Secret 1
Vowel Power: Short vs. Long
Oracy Mouth Mechanics
SHORT VOWELS
Breve (˘)
Mouth is relaxed or dropped open. The vowel does not say its alphabet name!
cap Open jaw drops down: /æ/
pet Slight grin, open throat: /ɛ/
kit Relaxed front teeth: /ɪ/
hop Wide round mouth: /ɑ/
cub Neutral belly breath: /ʌ/
LONG VOWELS
Macron (¯)
Vowel says its own name ! Often triggered by Silent E or vowel teams.
cape Glides to high mouth: /eɪ/
Pete Wide stretched smile: /iː/
kite Jaw opens then rises: /aɪ/
hope Lips purse into ring: /oʊ/
cube Full glide sound: /juː/
Say with your partner: "Cap → Cape! Kit → Kite! Hop → Hope!" Feel your chin move!
Secret 2
The Letter C: Two Personalities
The E-I-Y Rule
HARD C = /k/
Like "Cat"
Followed by A, O, U or Consonants
Back of the tongue taps the roof of mouth with a sharp pop of air.
Cat /kæt/
Coat /koʊt/
Cup /kʌp/
Clap /klæp/
SOFT C = /s/
Like "Sun"
Followed by E, I, or Y
Tongue tip behind top front teeth with a gentle continuous hiss.
Cent /sɛnt/
City /ˈsɪti/
Cycle /ˈsaɪkəl/
Ice /aɪs/
Golden Rule: Look at the letter RIGHT AFTER C. Is it E, I, or Y? Then say /s/!
Secret 3
The Letter G: Throat & Tongue
The Same E-I-Y Power!
HARD G = /g/
Like "Game"
Followed by A, O, U or Consonants
Put hands on throat: feel vocal cords buzz with a heavy burst.
Gate /geɪt/
Go /goʊ/
Gum /gʌm/
Glad /glæd/
SOFT G = /dʒ/
Like "Jam"
Followed by E, I, or Y
Lips push out slightly; tongue pops off the palate into a j-buzz.
Gem /dʒɛm/
Giant /ˈdʒaɪənt/
Gym /dʒɪm/
Cell Soft pair
Memory Chant: “E, I, Y make C and G sigh /s/ and /j/!”
Practice 1
Partner Oracy Drill: Tongue Trippers
Voice Projection & Articulation
A
Vowel Stretch & Snap (Partner A leads, Partner B echoes):
“The mad maid made a ripe plum cake in the cave.”
Notice: Short /æ/ in mad vs. Long /eɪ/ in maid and made .
B
The C-Sound Swapper (Partner B leads, Partner A echoes):
“The cool cat drank cider in the central cave.”
Contrast: Hard /k/ in cool, cat, cave vs. Soft /s/ in cider, central .
C
The Giant G-Jumble (Both in unison chorus):
“A giant in the gym dropped golden grapes into a huge cage.”
Listen: Soft /j/ in giant, gym, cage vs. Hard /g/ in golden, grapes .
Oracy Target: Crisp final consonants • Clear mouth shaping • Active partner listening
Practice 2
The Sound Detective Duel
Partner Protocol
1
Investigate
Look at the target word on your card. Spot the vowels and the letters right after C or G.
2
Read & Defend
Read aloud using the sentence stem: “I pronounce this word with a [soft/hard] sound because it is followed by...”
3
Judge & Echo
Partner listens, verifies the rule, and echoes the word with exaggerated mouth posture!
Duel Words in Play:
cement • cosmic • danger • dragon • pine • pin
2-Minute Partner Switch
Reflective Wrap-Up
Oracy & Reading Metacognition
Key Takeaways
Vowels: Short vowels are clipped; long vowels say their name with mouth glide.C & G Rule: Followed by E, I, or Y = Soft (/s/ and /j/). Followed by A, O, U = Hard (/k/ and /g/).Oracy Power: How our mouth shapes the air makes our speech clear and effortless.
Final Debrief Questions
1. When you see an unfamiliar word with C or G , what is the exact next letter you must scout?
2. Which pair felt easiest to say clearly, and which one required the most mouth control?
Ready for the Exit Check! Grab your Sound Code Ticket and whisper-test each word!
Sound Code Partner Activity Sound Code Masters
Reading & Oracy Partner Activity • 60-Minute Masterclass
Student: ___________________
Partner: ___________________
Date: ___________________
1. Vowels Short = quick/relaxed (/æ/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /ɑ/, /ʌ/). Long = says its name!
2. Rule of C Before E, I, Y = Soft /s/ . Before A, O, U = Hard /k/ .
3. Rule of G Before E, I, Y = Soft /j/ . Before A, O, U = Hard /g/ .
1 Round 1: Vowel Whisper & Echo Drill
Partner A reads Word 1; Partner B echoes Word 2, stretching the long vowel
Short Vowel (Clipped) Long Vowel (Glide) Partner Oral Check Mouth Articulation Observation 1. c a p (/kæp/) 1. c a p e (/keɪp/) Clear /æ/ vs /eɪ/ Jaw drops open → lifts up into glide 2. r i d (/rɪd/) 2. r i d e (/raɪd/) Clear /ɪ/ vs /aɪ/ Teeth relaxed → wide jaw to smile 3. r o b (/rɑb/) 3. r o b e (/roʊb/) Clear /ɑ/ vs /oʊ/ Round open → lips purse tight 4. c u b (/kʌb/) 4. c u b e (/kjuːb/) Clear /ʌ/ vs /juː/ Neutral throat → glide through lips
2 Round 2: Consonant C & G Investigation & Verbal Defense
Say the word aloud to your partner, state the rule, then classify
Partner Oracy Stem: “I say this word as _____ with a _____ sound because the letter after it is _____.”
Letter C Trials Circle Hard /k/ or Soft /s/
1. c i d e r [ Hard /k/ | Soft /s/ ] Next letter: ____
2. c a b i n [ Hard /k/ | Soft /s/ ] Next letter: ____
3. c y c l e C1: [ /k/ | /s/ ] C2: [ /k/ | /s/ ]
Letter G Trials Circle Hard /g/ or Soft /j/
1. g i a n t [ Hard /g/ | Soft /j/ ] Next letter: ____
2. g u t t e r [ Hard /g/ | Soft /j/ ] Next letter: ____
3. g e m s [ Hard /g/ | Soft /j/ ] Next letter: ____
Page 1: Sound Decoder & Verification Turn to Page 2 for the Reader's Theater Script →
Round 3: Oracy in Action
Reader's Theater: Mystery at the Gem City Gallery
Roles:
Sound Code Teacher Guide Sound Code Masters
60-Minute Teacher Facilitation & Oracy Guide
Grade 2–4 Phonics & Oracy
60-Minute Masterclass Pacing Breakdown
00–10 min Multisensory Hook Mouth shapes & Vowel glide modeling
10–22 min C & G Direct Modeling Throat buzz, tongue pops, E-I-Y rule
22–37 min Practice Round 1 Partner Whisper & Echo, minimal pairs
37–50 min Practice Round 2 Reader's Theater & Oracy Duel
50–60 min Reflective Wrap-Up Metacognitive debrief & Exit Ticket
Direct Modeling & Articulatory Think-Aloud Scripts
Script 1: Vowel Jaw Drop & Tongue Glide (05–08 min) I DO → WE DO
“Class, place your fingertips under your jawbone. Say cap. Feel how your chin drops down abruptly into a short, clipped space? That is the short /æ/ sound. Now watch my mouth change when I add a silent E : cape. Feel your chin lift and your lips stretch into a glide: /eɪ/. The vowel is saying its own name! Turn to your shoulder partner and test: hop vs. hope.”
Script 2: The Soft C Hiss vs Hard C Pop (11–16 min) PHYSICAL CUE
“The letter C is a chameleon. It has no sound of its own! When followed by A, O, or U , it borrows K’s sharp throat burst: /k/ as in cat, cot, cup. But whenever it meets the trigger vowels E, I, or Y , it turns soft and whispers like an S: /s/ as in cent, city, cycle. Put your hand 2 inches from your lips: feel the steady stream of cool air for soft C, and the quick pop for hard C.”
Script 3: Throat Buzz /g/ vs Lip Push /dʒ/ (17–22 min) VOCAL CORDS
“Place your hand flat against the front of your throat. Say gate. Feel that strong motor buzz at the back of your throat? That is hard G! Now say gem. Feel how your lips push out slightly and your tongue taps right behind your upper front teeth? That is soft G, which sounds like J: /dʒ/. The exact same rule applies: E, I, and Y trigger the soft sound!”
Oracy Norms for Partner Rounds
1. Active Ear: Look directly at your partner's lips and jaw when they articulate.
2. Rule Defense: Never just give the answer; always state the vowel trigger.
3. Echo Coaching: If a partner miscues, say: "Check the next letter with me!"
Page 1: Scope, Pacing & Articulation Scripts Turn to Page 2 for Error Correction & Wrap-Up Protocol →
Teacher Reference
Diagnostics, Differentiation & Reflective Debrief
Target: Fluency, Articulation, Phonic Decoding
Diagnostic Error Correction Protocols
Sound Code Exit Ticket Sound Code Fluency Ticket
Individual Reading & Oracy Mastery Check
Name: _________________________
Date: _________________________
My Confidence Today:
Short vs. Long Vowels Hard vs. Soft C Hard vs. Soft G
1 Task 1: Oral Whisper-Read & Sound Labeling
Whisper each word aloud to yourself, feeling your mouth move
p a c e Target: Vowel & C
Vowel sound: [ ] Short /æ/ [ ] Long /eɪ/
C sound: [ ] Hard /k/ [ ] Soft /s/
g e m Target: Vowel & G
Vowel sound: [ ] Short /ɛ/ [ ] Long /iː/
G sound: [ ] Hard /g/ [ ] Soft /j/
c a b l e Target: Vowel & C
Vowel sound: [ ] Short /æ/ [ ] Long /eɪ/
C sound: [ ] Hard /k/ [ ] Soft /s/
g u l f Target: Vowel & G
Vowel sound: [ ] Short /ʌ/ [ ] Long /juː/
G sound: [ ] Hard /g/ [ ] Soft /j/
2 Task 2: Sound Detective Classification
Identify the sound and write the trigger letter
Mystery Word Target Consonant Sound It Makes Next Letter Trigger 1. c i r c u s First C [ ] Hard /k/ [ ] Soft /s/ Letter: _________ 2. g i a n t Letter G [ ] Hard /g/ [ ] Soft /j/ Letter: _________ 3. c u p c a k e First C [ ] Hard /k/ [ ] Soft /s/ Letter: _________ 4. g y m n a s t Letter G [ ] Hard /g/ [ ] Soft /j/ Letter: _________
3 Task 3: The Golden Sound Rule (Reflective Wrap-Up)
In your own words, explain how you know whether the letters C and G will make a hard or soft sound when reading a new word:
Sound Code Exit Ticket • Lesson Formative Check Teacher Score: _____ / 10
Sound Code Spelling Assessment Sound Code Spelling Assessment
Dictation & Orthographic Sound Analysis
Student Name: ______________________
Date: ______________________
Score: ______ / 15 pts
Directions: Listen to your teacher dictate each word. Spell it accurately on the line, then check the correct sound code boxes for that word.
1 Part 1: Dictated Words & Sound Rules (10 Points)
# Spelling Word Line Vowel Sound Consonant C or G Sound 1 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long [ ] Hard /k/ [ ] Soft /s/ 2 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long [ ] Hard /k/ [ ] Soft /s/ 3 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long [ ] Hard /g/ [ ] Soft /j/ 4 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long [ ] Hard /g/ [ ] Soft /j/ 5 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long [ ] Hard /k/ [ ] Soft /s/ 6 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long [ ] Hard /k/ [ ] Soft /s/ 7 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long [ ] Hard /g/ [ ] Soft /j/ 8 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long [ ] Hard /g/ [ ] Soft /j/ 9 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long N/A (Vowel Check) 10 ______________________ [ ] Short [ ] Long N/A (Vowel Check)
2 Part 2: Dictation Sentence (4 Points)
Teacher reads sentence 2 times. Capitalize, punctuate, spell target words.
3 Part 3: The Golden Trigger Letters (1 Point)
The 3 trigger letters that turn C into /s/ and G into /j/ are: ____ , ____ , ____
Student Assessment Sheet • Sound Code Masters Page 1 of 2
Teacher Dictation Script & Scoring Key
Standardized Teacher Script, Answer Key & Rubric
Teacher Administration Master
