In the real-life example below, the student needed to learn how to spell the sound of /k/ at the beginning of a word. She, like many students, didn't know when to use the letter c and when to use the letter k.

Take a look at the words can and kit.

Both start with the sound of /k/, but one is spelled with a c and the other with a k.

How do we explain this to the student, so that she can make correct choices between the letters c and k at the beginning of a word?

Without the tiles

Without using letter tiles, the explanation would be something like this:

"At the beginning of a word, we spell /k/ with a c or a k. We use c before an a, o, u, or any consonant. We use k before an e, i, or y. Why don't we use a c before the e, i, or y? Because the letter c says /s/ before those letters."

With the tiles

With the tiles, the explanation is clear and concrete. You can actually show your student this important spelling concept in a way she can remember it:

"You know that the letter c can say /k/ or /s/. We have a way to tell which sound the c is going to make."

 
"In front of e, it says /s/."


"In front of i, it says /s/."


"In front of y, it says /s/."

Next, we lay out a different set of tiles: a, o, u, l, and r.

"If the letter c is followed by any other letter, it says /k/."

"In front of a, c says /k/."

This is repeated for o, u, l, and r.

Next, we mix up the letters e, i, y with the other letters and place the c in front of each one, one at a time.

"Does the c say /k/ or /s/?"

This activity is repeated until the student clearly understands the concept.

"I want to spell the word kit. I am going to put in the blank tile for the /k/ sound."

"There are two ways to spell /k/ at the beginning of a word: c and k."

"We always try the c first. Does c work?"

Student responds: "No."

"Why not?"

Student responds: "The c says /s/ because of the i."

"So we know that we spell /k/ with a k in this word."

This activity is repeated with the following words, using a blank tile for the /k/ sound. The student replaces the blank with a c or a k. Remind him, if necessary, that we always try the c tile first.

cut     craft     kid     camp     kept

In the next lesson, the student writes the spelling words with paper and pencil, and can be successful because he has already practiced choosing the correct letter to make the /k/ sound.