Spalding Help for DEN Parents:
- If you have an Android based device you can purchase for $3.99 “Spalding Phonograms”. It is simple, VERY user friendly, and sounds the phonograms for you.
- If you have an Apple device, the phonogram app is coming in approximately 6 weeks. However, in the meantime, you can go to the Spalding Store and purchase a CD to help you at
- You can go to Spalding offers 2 parent online courses for a minimal fee and tutor options for parents.
- You can talk to other parents at Spalding Forums
- You can get the list of phonograms for your child’s grade level called “Individual Oral Phonogram Assessments” by going to and clicking on your child’s grade. There are also forms for teacher, but you can print any at home.
All 70 that are to be learned eventually are listed below. For proper pronunciation see #1 above.
- a
- c
- d
- f
- g
- o
- s
- qu
- b
- e
- h
- i
- j
- k
- l
- m
- n
- p
- r
- t
- u
- v
- w
- x
- y
- z
- Spalding rules and cues can be found at: It is also provided below:
Spalding Phonogram Rules and Cue Words
- In OPR Step 2, teach cue words and initially ask knowledge questions.
- In OPR Step 2, ask application questions when students understand the rule.
- In WPR Step 2, give only cues after students say sound(s) of the phonogram.
- Apply rules that govern phonogram placement/usage in the writing lesson.
Number(s) / Phonogram(s) / Cues/Rules / WPR Cues
1-26 / Single Letters / none / none
27-34 / sh, ee, th, ow, ou, oo, ch, ar / none / none
35 / ay / "used at the end of a word" / say sound only
36 / ai / "not used at the end of a word because English words do not end in "i" / not used
37 / oy / "used at the end of a word" / say sound only
38 / oi / "not used at the end of a word because English words do not end in "i" / not used
39-43 / er, ir, ur, wor, ear / " word" (her, first, nurse, early) / her, first, nurse, early ("wor" does not need cue.)
44-45 / ng, ea / none / none
46 / aw / "used at the end of a word" / say sound only
47 / au / "not used at the end of a word because English words do not end in "u" / not used
48 / or / none / none
49 / ck / 2 letter "used after a single vowel that says its first sound" / 2 letter
50-51 / wh, ed / none / none
52 / ew / "used at the end of a word" / say sound only
53 / ui / "not used at the end of a word because English words do not end in "i" / not used
54 / oa / "word" (boat) / boat
55 / gu / none / none
56 / ph / 2 letters / 2 letters
57 / ough / none / none
58 / oe / "word" (initially toe) / none
59 / ey / none / none
60 / igh / 3 letters (initially) / none
61 / kn / 2 letters "used only at the beginning of a word" / 2 letters - beginning
62 / gn / 2 letters "used at the beginning or end of a word" / 2 letters
63 / wr / 2 letters / 2 letters
64 / ie / none / none
65 / dge / 3 letters "used after a single vowel that says its first sound" / 3 letters
66 / ei / none / none
67 / eigh / 4 letters / 4 letters
68 / ti / tall / tall
69 / si / none / none
70 / ci / short / short
Additional Phonograms Rules and Cue Words
- In OPR Step 2, teach cue words and initially ask knowledge questions.
- In OPR Step 2, ask application questions when students understand the rule.
- In WPR Step 2, give only cues after students say sound(s) of the phonogram.
- Apply rules that govern phonogram placement/usage in the writing lesson.
Number(s) / Phonogram(s) / Cues/Rules / WPR Cues
71 / tch / 3 letters "used after a single vowel that says its first sound in a 1-syllable word" / say sound only
72 / eo / "word" (people) / people
73 / eau / 3 letters / 3 letters
74 / augh / 4 letters / 4 letters
75 / ce / "word" (ocean) / ocean
76 / gh / "word" (ghost) / ghost
77 / gi / "word" (region) / region
78 / our / "word" (journey) / journey
79 / di / "word" (soldier) / soldier
80 / cu / "word" (biscuit) / biscuit
81 / aigh / "word" (straight) / straight
82 / sc / "word" (scene) / scene
83 / ge / "word" (pigeon) / pigeon
84 / rh / "word" (rhyme) / rhyme
85 / eu / none / none
86 / sci / "word" (conscientious) / conscientious
87 / pn / "word" (pneumonia) / pneumonia
- FINALLY, Spalding RULES may be helpful. They are not available online, however, Spalding has given us permission to adapt them for your understanding.
Rule 1: The letter “q” is always followed by “u” and together make the “kw” sound (queen). The “u” is not considered a vowel here.
Rule 2: The letter “c” before “e”, “I”, or “y” says “s” (Cent, city, cycle), but followed by any other letter says “k” (cat, cot, cut).
Rule 3: the letter “g” before “e”, “I”, or “y” may say “j” (page, giant, gym), but followed by any other letter says “g” (gate, go gust). The letters “e” and “I” following “g” do not always make “g” say “j” (get, girl, give).
Rule 4: Vowels “a” “e”, “o”, and “u” usually say their second sounds at the end of a syllable (Navy, me, open, music).
Rule 5: The letters “I” and “y” usually say a short “I” (big, gym), but may say long “i” (silent, my, type).
Rule 6: The letter “y”, not “i”, is used at the end of an English word (my).
Rule 7: There are five kinds of silent final “e’s” (sfe).
Job 1: The first job of the sfe is the vowel, consonant, sfe pattern. The sfe lets the vowel say its second sound.
Job 2: The sfe is added to the end of a word because English words do not end in “v” or “u” (love, true)
Job 3: The sfe lets “c” and “g” say their second sounds. (dance, large)
Job 4: The sef is added to a syllable, that has a consonant and the letter “l”, and sfe is the only vowel in the
syllable. Every syllable must have a vowel.
Job 5: The sfe has no job. It is often called the no job “e”.
Rule 8: There are five spellings for the sound “er” including: “’er” (her), “ir” (first), “ur” (nurse), “wor” (works) “ear” (early). (Her first nurse works early)
Rule 9: For one-syllable words that have one vowel and end in one consonant (hop), write another final consonant (hop+ped) before adding suffixes (endings) that begin with a vowel.
Rule 10: Words of two syllables (begin) in which the second syllable (gin) is accented and ends in one consonant, with one vowel before it, need another final consonant (begin+ning) before adding a suffix (ending that begins with a vowel.
Rule 11: Words ending in a silent final “e” (come) are written without the “e” when adding a suffix (ending) that begins with a vowel (coming).
Rule 12: After “c” we use “ei” (receive). If we say “a” we use “ei” (vein). In the list of exceptions, we use “ei”. In all other words, the phonogram “ie” is used.
Rule 13: The phonogram “sh” is used at the beginning or end of a base word (she dish), at the end of a syllable (finish), but never at the beginning of a syllable after the first one except for the suffix “ship” (worship, friendship).
Rule 14: The phonograms “ti”, “si”, and “ci” are the spellings most frequently used to say “sh” at the beginning of a second or subsequent syllable in a base word (nation, session, facial).
Rule 15: The phonogram “si” is used to say “sh” when the syllable before it ends in an “s” or when the base word has an “s” where the base word changes (tense = tension)
Rule 16: The phonogram “si” may also say “zh”, as in vision.
Rule 17: We often double “l”, “f”, “s” following a single vowel at the end of a one-syllable word (will, off, miss).
Rule 18: We often use “ay” to say long “a” at the end of a base word, never “a” alone.
Rule 19: Vowels “I” or “o” may say their second sound if followed by two consonants (find, old).
Rule 20: The letter “s” almost never follows “x”.
Rule 21: “All”, written alone, has two “l’s”, but when written with another syllable, only one “l” is written (also, almost)
Rule 22: “Till and “full”, written alone, have two “l’s”, but when written with another syllable, only one “l” is written (until, beautiful).
Rule 23: the phonogram “dge” may be used only after a single vowel that says a short “a”, “e”, “I”, “o”, or “u” (badge, edge, bridge, lodge, budge).
Rule 24: When adding a suffix (ending) to a word that ends with a consonant and “y” use “I” instead of “y” unless the ending is “ing”. (baby = babies).
Rule 25: The phonogram “ck” may be used only after a single vowel that says a short “a”, “e”, “I”, “o”, or “u” (back, neck, lick, rock, duck).
Rule 26: Words that are the names of titles of people, places, books, days, or months are capitalized (Mary, Honolulu, Bible, Monday, July).
Rule 27: Words beginning with the sound “z” are always spelled with “z”, never “s” (zoo).
Rule 28: The phonogram “ed” has three sounds and is used to form the past tense of verbs (reflected, frightened, searched).
Rule 29: Words are usually divided between double consonants within a base word (but ton, effect).
- Adapted by permission from Spalding. Taken from the text ofThe Writing Road to Reading(pp 221-223) and The Writing road to Reading Participant’s Binder (Spelling pp 11-18).