From Sound to Letters

A Synthetic Phonics Approach to Fluent Reading

THE LONG VOWEL BOOK

A Long Vowel First, Phonics-First Approach to Teaching

Fluent Reading, Cursive Handwriting and Accurate Spelling.

The Concepts and Skills of Synthetic Phonics

Taught in a Orderly and Logical Sequence

Based on Caroline Yale’s Northampton Charts,

Mildred McGinnis’ Association Method,
Priscilla McQueen’s Curriculum Design
and Ann Hughes Writing Ability.

May 30, 2009

 Rational
Long Vowels First: Unlike most other phonics programs, From Sounds to Letters
teaches the long vowels first. It does this because the long vowels are easier to
discriminate, to hear in words, and to recognize, because the sounds are the same
as the letter names. We also teach long vowels first because there are many ways
to spell them. The sound /ā/, for example, may be spelled a as in acorn a_e, as in
tape, ai_ as in tail, and _ay as in day. The short vowel sound /ă/ is just spelled a, as
in hat. By beginning with long vowels, we are giving the children more time to
learn to read and write words that use their various spellings. We want the children
to be able to spell and to write as well as they read. We also want them to be able
to write as many words they know as possible. The long vowels are much easier
for the children to discriminate, isolate, retrieve, and blend into syllables and
words than the short vowels so it is wise to start with the long vowels. The long-
vowel-first approach has proven itself highly effective in hundreds of thousands of
classrooms across America for many decades in programs that followed Priscilla
McQueen’s curriculum design.
Sound Association Picture: From Sounds to Letters helps the children associate
each spelling by its sound by using a special picture. Each of these pictures, except
the long vowel cards, show a picture of a situation in which a sound is being
produced, not an object that begins with that sound. It also shows the most
common spelling of that sound. We teach the children to associate sounds with
actions, not with objects, so they can recognize sounds anywhere in a word, not
just at the beginning.
Cursive Handwriting: Cursive handwriting is taught first because it is a proven
aid in preventing problems with reversals. It aids in teaching sounding-out or
blending because the letters within words are all connected (threaded together). It
eliminates the unnecessary and difficult step from manuscript to cursive. Words
are perceived as single units composed of individual connected parts.
Spelling: Oral and written spelling is taught simultaneously with the reading so
the children will be able to automatically and accurately write anything they can
read. There is no need for separate spelling lessons.
Last edited 6/24/09

  1  
 Vowel and Consonant Sounds and Spellings
Taught in the Long Vowel Book

Lesson
1. m, ē, s, ee
2. t, ea (written upper and lower case b)
3. h__, w__ (written letter c)
4. f, th, th (written letter d)
5. l, d (written letter g)
6. r, e_e, z, s
7. ī, __ ȳ, īe (written letter j)
8. i_e (written letter k)
9. igh (written letters o and p)
10. n (written letters q and u)
11. v (written uppercase letters y and x)
12. sh
13. ā, ay
14. a_e, ai__
15. b
16. ō, _ōw, oe
17. o_e, oa__
18. g
19. y__, o͞ o
20. ū, u_e
21. __ew, _ue
22. __y, __ï_
23. er, ir, ur
24. p

  2  
 Lesson 1

m M e ee
  3  
 me

  4  
 s S see

See me.
  5  
 Lesson 2

t T meet

Meet me.
  6  
 e E ea eat meat

See me eat meat.

  7  
 Lesson 3

h H heat meats

He eats meat.
  8  
w W we sea seat

We eat meat.
  9  
 Lesson 4

f F feet we seat

We see feet.
  10  
 th the teeth
the feet the teeth

See the seat.

  11  
 Lesson 5

L l meal Lee leaf

See the seal.

  12  
 d D feed weed seed

See me feed the seal.

  13  
 Lesson 6

r R here read hear

rear free three

We see the real feet.

  14  
 z Z freeze sees these

He sees these feet.

  15  
 Lesson 7

i I _y, _ie,
tie my fly

We’ll fly.
  16  
1. I me my
2. free fry fries
3. flea fly flies
4. tie lie die

5. we we’ll
6. I I’ll wild sly
7. we’ll he’ll I’ll
  17  
 Lesson 8

i_e ride hide mile

He rides a mile.

Lee smiles.
  18  
1. mile smile, smiles, smiled
2. wife wise wide
3. size side
4. ride, rides hide, hides
5. try tries tried

6. sea side seaside

7. sea weed seaweed

  19  
 Lesson 9

_igh sigh high light

Lee sees the lights.

  20  
1. my might mile
2. fly flies flight
3. side sigh sight
4. life light lies
5. rise right ride
6. tie ties tied
7. fry fries fried
8. fire fight fright

  21  
 Lesson 10

n N a fire need
I’m fine nine line

Lee needs a meal.

  22  
1. need neat near Neal
2. fine fight fire find
3. mean, means lean, leans
4. freeze sneeze
5. my mine mind dime
6. team steam street stream

night I mean
flight I’ll mine
right I’m lean

  23  
 Lesson 11

v V vine Eve
We’ve seen Eve.

The night flight leaves.

  24  
1. five hive I’ve live
2. Eve leave we’ve
3. ȧ live ȧlive
4. wife wives life, lives
5. leaf leaves
6. evėn Stevėn
7. sevėn

miles read might

meals ride neat
real right hide
  25  
 Lesson 12

sh she sheet shine

She shines the light.

The lights shine.

  26  
1. she she’ll she’s sheet
2. fine shine nine line
3. he he’ll he’s heat
4. we we’ll we’re we’ve
5. I I’ll I’m I’ve

6. lie, lies, lied

7. dry, dries, dried
she we’ve five
sheet I’ve hive
meet I’m alive
  27  
 Lesson 13

_ay say way hay

He may see me.

Ray finds seaweed. He lays the

seaweed near the sea. He rides away.
  28  
1. way say lay hay
2. ray Ray may May
3. find mind lined dined
4. sea weed seaweed
5. ȧ way ȧway eight
6. weasėl frightėn frightėned

7. fire light firelight

8. night light night light

  29  
 Lesson 14

a_e ate made save

late
ai_ rain snail
She’ll wait here.
  30  
 Eve sees waves.
The seaweed sails away.
“Ray!” says Eve. “Wait!
See the waves.”
Ray wades. He saves the
seaweed.

  31  
 1. sail save same safe
2. aim lame flame shame
3. wave wait wade way
4. lay laid late lane
5. vane rain and
6. ate hate snail
7. says made Dave

8. saved waved sailed

mine mind find leaf leaves five

night light right my fly fry
  32  
 Lesson 15

b B beats blaze able

bite blame
brave wade

Wait by the table.

  33  
 Ray needs heat. Neal
lights a fire. The flames rise.
The fire blazes.
Ray lays the seaweed by
the fire. The heat dries the
seaweed.

  34  
1. bee beat beets beard
2. be beside besides
3. behind beneath between
4. able table
5. near by nearby
6. bite bright
7. blaze blame brave

8. haste taste waist waste

  35  
 Lesson 16

ō no so
_ow throw show
_oe toe hoe
Show me the leaves.
  36  
 Eve waits beside the fire. She
daydreams.
The low flame dies, and Eve
sneezes.
“We need heat,” she says.
“We’ll feed the fire.”
“No,” says Neal. “We’re late.
So we’ll leave.
  37  
1. low slow flow blow
2. show row throw snow
3. no so sow below
4. day dream daydream
5. both most don’t won’t
6. old sold hold bold
7. tail teeth train tree
8. toe doe hoe dȯes

9. foldėd weedėd
10. fōur fōurth frȯm
  38  
 Lesson 17

o_e home drove hole mole

stole
oa_ boat coat load road

  39  
 Ray loads the boat. He says,
“I’ll row.”
Neal says, “We’ll both row.”
They leave, and Eve rides
home alone.
Neal and Ray see Eve ride.
Neal waves. He and Ray row the
boat home.

  40  
1. bone boat bowl board
2. road rose robe roast
3. hole home hose hoes
4. ȧ ȧway ȧlone before
5. stay they wȯn one
6. toad load mole those
7. sȯme
stay stays stayed; load loads loadėd
float floats floatėd; steal stole stolėn
drive drives drove; ride rides rode

  41  
 Lesson 18

g geese gray grow

gate grain

The goats go by.

  42  
 Gail waits beside the
road. She rides a gate.
She sees goats eat hay.
She finds a slow
snail beside the gate.
She sees geese fly
low. They fly away.
  43  
1. go goat goes goal
2. gave gate Gail game
3. old sold hold gold goldėn
4. eagle beagle

5. grain grains glow glows

6. night time nighttime
7. day time daytime

  44  
 Lesson 19

yo-yo you year

too room soon moon
  45  
 Gail leaves the gate. She
meets Dave.
Dave says, “My tooth
seems loose.”
He feels the loose tooth.
Gail says, “I feel a loose
one, too. Do you see mine?

  46  
1. food fool
2. soon moon noon room
3. loose goose moose tooth
4. zoo too to do you
5. tȯday tȯnight
6. your year yes

7. you’ll you’re you’ve

  47  
 Lesson 20

u_e mule use fuse

Blow the bugle.

rule fool room use

food groom muse
  48  
 Dave gave Ruth beet seeds.
Ruth sowed the seeds, row by
row. She hoed between the rows.
The heat made the leaves dry.
They needed rain.
Dave used the hose.
Soon the rain saved the beets.
The rain made the leaves green.
  49  
1. Ruth rule rude room
2. use fuse
3. table able beagle bugle
4. so sow snow hoe

5. too tune tube tool

6. move

  50  
 Lesson 21

_ew

new dew stew grew

_ue
blue glue true
blow blew glue blue
grow grew mow mew
  51  
 Ruth weeded, and the beets
grew.
Soon they seemed the right
size. Ruth sold most of the beets.
She gave a few to Dave.
Dave ate the beets and the beet
greens too.
______ Dave ate the beets.
______ Ruth sowed the seeds.
______ The beets grew.
  52  
1. few new news dew
2. grew threw drew
3. stew flew blew blue
4. true glue Sue due
5. green greens ȯf
6. deer dear hear here
7. two

fly grow throw stew

flies grows throws stews
flew grew threw stewed
  53  
 Lesson 22

_y rainy baby babies

See the shiny streets.
lazy easy baby hazy
  54  
 Rainy day,
Shady and gray
Time to stay home.
And read and dream.
And wait for the rain
to be blown away.
  55  
1. rain, rainy greed greedy
2. shade, shady shine, shiny
3. baby, babies lady, ladies
4. duty, duties ruby, rubies
5. safe, safely brave, bravely
6. or for store story

7. fairy, fairies navy, navies

8. thief field bėlieve blown
blow thief blow safe
blew thieve blew safely
blown leaves blown safety
  56  
 Lesson 23

er her herd over tiger

ir bird fir girl
ur turn burn nurse

A bird flew higher.

  57  
 A fir tree grew by a road. The tree
was a home for birds.
The mother bird flew away. She
needed to find food.
Her babies stayed behind.
One tiny bird tried to fly. He glided
to the road below.
A girl was near. She gave the baby
bird a ride.
The mother bird returned.
  58  
1. low, lower high, higher
2. fly, flier own, owner
3. her hurt hurry herd
4. sir serve fir first
5. girl shirt thirty thirsty
6. her were weren’t wȯrd
7. wȧs wȧsn’t mȯther third
8. lazy, lazier, easy, easier

shade dirt shine turn

shady dirty shiny return
shadier dirtier shinier returned
  59  
 Lesson 24

p P pay pipe open

sleep ape pole deep
sheep
I feel sleepy.
  60  
By boat, And soon,
By train, Fly again,
By a speedy plane, Ride again,
Hurry away Sail again
To a shiny sea. Home to me.

  61  
1. pay paid paint paper
2. deep sheep leap sleep
3. play plane plate plain
4. ȧgain ȧgainst

5. spider asleep speedy

6. pony, ponies persȯn pēople
7. soūp six ten

sleep speed pipe prize

sleepy speedy wipe surprise
sleepier speedier wiped surprised

  62  
 Word List for 1 – 4

me see meet
eat meat he
seem sea seat
heat eats we
the feet teeth

  63  
 Word List for Lessons 5 – 8

seal meal leaf

heel feed feel
Lee weed read
hear free three
freeze my fry
these fly tie I
smile wide size
wife side wise
  64  
 Word List for Lessons 9 – 12

might need she

near right five
leave line sigh
sheet fire nine
fight rise fine
shine mine night
sight neat ride
mile have we’ve
  65  
 Word List for Lessons 13 – 16

say sail bee

and lay save
be late laid
may find away
show by old
throw bite made
slow wait snail
wave rain beets
  66  
 Word List for Lessons 17 – 20

boat hole gray

road fool home
go food goat
use tooth load
gave goose Ruth
gold year moon
zoo you flute
too soon mule
  67  
 Word List for Lessons 21 – 24

few baby tiny

new blue lazy
deep turn sheep
grew shiny first
her shady rainy
lower hurt threw
girl pipe sleep
plane paper true
  68  
 Correct Order of Sounds
1. m 22. o͞ o
2. ē 23, ū
3. s 24. p
4. t 25. i__
5. h__ 26. c
6. w__ 27. __ng
7. f 28. a__
8. th 29. j__
9. l 30. o__
10. d 31. __x
11. r 32. e__
12. z 33. ch
13. ī 34. wh
14. n 35. __u
15. v 36. qu__
16. sh 37. ow
17. ā 38. är
18. b 39. aw
19. ō 40. oi__
20. g 41. o͝ o
21. y__ 42. _s̮ _

  69  
 Notes on this Document
by a Previous Teacher and Ardent Admirer
of the Original Open Court Phonics Reading Program
June 12, 2009

I prepared this document of excerpts from the original Long-Vowel-First Phonics Reading
Program as it left the hands of Priscila McQueen and was subsequently revised by Ann Hughes
and others for publication by the Open Court Publishing Company owned by Brouke Carus and
his family. There were two distinguishing marks of this program. 1. Long vowels were taught
first with most of the consonants. 2. All the sentences and stories were totally decodable without
the need of any sight-word instruction.
Several controlled studies over the years, as well as high levels of student success in classrooms
of diverse populations across the nation, confirm the overwhelming superiority of the program to
produce superb literacy levels. I recommend especially Miss Geraldine Rodgers’ 1977-78 oral
reading research Why Jacques, Johann and Jan Can Read.
It is my sincere hope that curriculum developers will consider the unique properties of this type
of long-vowel-first program in developing superior readers among ALL students. It has proven
particularly valuable in preventing artificially induced whole-word dyslexia in young children.
Older students who are victims of sight-words instruction (whole-language, guided-reading,
balanced-literacy) will be able to improve their fluency and comprehension by switching from
whole-word guessing to accurate phonetic decoding with the use of this long-vowel-first
approach.
I should add that one reason for my personal passion for this program is the fact that two of my
children learned to read with it. They are both superior readers. I actually taught the entire
program to my son in the evenings after school so I am intimately acquainted with the program. I
also use it in my daily tutoring because it assures fast and sure progress with every student.
Although the program is - unfortunately - not in publication anymore, all the superior benefits
can be achieved with another program which is based on the same underlying linguistic theory
and pedagogical processes: School Phonics published by Didax.
I will be publishing more information on vowel-first approaches to teaching beginning reading
on my web site, www.donpotter.net, as I expand my research into this methodology.

This document was last edited on 6/27/09.

  70  
 Sounds to Letters
Long Vowel Lessons: Audio Instruction

Lesson/Track Pages Date Introduced Date

Mastered
1. m, ē, s, ee 3-5 ______ ______
2. t, ea 6-7 ______ ______
3. h__, w__ 8-9 ______ ______
4. f, th, th 10-11 ______ ______
5. l, d 12-13 ______ ______
6. r, e_e, z, s 14-15 ______ ______
7. ī, __ ȳ, īe 16-17 ______ ______
8. i_e 18-19 ______ ______
9. igh 20-21 ______ ______
10. n 22-23 ______ ______
11. v 24-25 ______ ______
12. sh 26-27 ______ ______
13. ā, ay 28-29 ______ ______
14. a_e, ai__ 30-32 ______ ______
15. b 33-35 ______ ______
16. ō, _ōw, oe 36-38 ______ ______
17. o_e, oa__ 39-41 ______ ______
18. g 42-44 ______ ______
19. y__, o͞ o 45-47 ______ ______
20. ū, u_e 48-50 ______ ______
21. __ew, _ue 51-53 ______ ______
22. __y, __ï_ 54-56 ______ ______
23. er, ir, ur 57-59 ______ ______
24. p 60-62 ______ ______

  71