B2.2. Using Orthographic Knowledge
Orthographic knowledge involves understanding that phonemes can be spelled in various ways and knowing how to choose the correct graphemes for spelling.
Overall, students learn that:
- There are multiple ways to spell some phonemes
- The position of the sound in a word often influences the spelling
- The position of a grapheme in a word often influences its pronunciation
NOTE: The B2 continuum outlines a scope and sequence for teaching orthographic knowledge. The spelling knowledge taught in Grade 1 should be reviewed and consolidated, and there are some new parts of the code to introduce this year.
In some cases, it may be necessary to re-teach some skills in the Kindergarten/1 or Grade 1 column to the whole class. If this is the case, it is important to work through these skills at an accelerated pace to ensure you can also meet the grade two expectations by the end of the year.
During Grade 1, the focus was on:
- Spellings of the /k/ sound
- The most frequent spellings for final consonant sounds after a short vowel
- /ch/ spelled <-tch>
- /j/ spelled <-dge>
- The FLSZ doubling rule <-ff>, <-ll>, <-ss>, <-zz>
- Common ending spelling patterns
- Long vowels in VCC words
- <–ild>, <–old>, <–ind>, <–olt>, <–ost>)
- Long vowel /ī/ and /ē/ spelled <y>
- consonant <–le> (e.g., bundle)
- I J U V spelling rule
- Positional spellings for
- <ai> vs <ay>
- <oi> vs. <oy>
- <ou> vs. <ow>
- Plural <-s> vs. <-es>
- Irregular plurals
- Suffix spelling changes
- Doubling rule for <-ed>,<ing>
- Doubling rule for <-er>, <-est>
- Dropping <-e> rule
- <-y> to <i> rule
New for Grade 2:
- <–ar>, <–or> = /er/ (e.g., dollar, doctor)
- <air>, <are>, <ear> = /air/
- <ear> = /ear/ (e.g., bear)
- alternate long /ā/: <ei>, <ey>, <eigh>, <ea>
- alternate long /u/: <ew>, <eu>, <ue> = /yū/; <ou> = /ü/ (e.g., soup)
- <ough> = /aw/
- signal vowels (<e>, <i>, <y>) for soft <c> and soft <g>
- <ch> = /sh/, /k/
- <gn> = /n/
- <gh> = /g/
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all expectations in this strand. For a more detailed view, please see the official Ontario curriculum.
A Note About Programs: Using a phonics program that has a detailed scope and sequence, simple-to-follow daily routines, and pre-made lesson plans can significantly reduce the time needed for planning in this area. Your board may have selected a program they are encouraging you to use. There are advantages to using a common scope and sequence across your school or board, however there is no one Ministry recommended program.
Further Reading
- How Spelling Supports Reading (Moats, 2006)
- Evidence Challenges Teaching Words by “Sight” (Moats, 2020)
- Spelling in a Complex Orthography: Can knowing better really help do better? (Stone, 2022)
Suggested Resources
- Applying Orthographic Knowledge: An Overview
- ONlit vowel frequency chart
- Spelling Pattern Reference Guide
- Search “orthographic knowledge” in the Resource Library for more!
