Module 4 - Double consonants

Introduction

Unlike languages such as Italian and Finnish, English does not have double consonant phonemes within stem words – but we do have lots of double consonant letters, and learning when to write consonant letters double is one of the major difficulties in getting English spelling right. This Module builds on and out from the exercise set at the end of Module 4.

The phenomenon of the doubled consonant spelling at the junction between the two syllables in trochaic words showing that the consonant phoneme so spelt both closes the first syllable and opens the second syllable is called “Schärfung” ("sharpening") in German. The same pattern occurs in about 200 English words (like in <gabble>), but has no label in English (yet).

Objectives

1. The children recognise that (a) where there is a double consonant letter it shows that the consonant phoneme is both the end of the first syllable and the start of the second syllable; (b) the vowels in closed heavy first syllables of trochaic words are the same whether the syllable ends in a single consonant phoneme spelt double or in two consonants spelt separately; (c) ‘Gabble’ words include those like ‘crackle’ and ‘whistle’ with exceptional ‘doubled’ spellings.

2. Analysing words with double consonants like <gabble> in house formulas is a visualisation aid and supports the children's perception.

3. The children find minimal pairs against words of the “closed-syllable-list) and develop poetry jam or rap rhythms by juxtaposing the words.

Materials

• Blackboard or whiteboard

• Chalk or marker (blue, red and green)

Materials of/for students:

• Exercise books

• Pens or pencils (blue, red and green)

Worksheets

Activities

Children call out words they identified in the homework exercise at the end of Module 4 and introduces examples of trochees with double consonants. For the following activities M4.1 CLOSED SYLLABLES, and M5.1 DOUBLED CONSONANTS is needed.

In M5.2 HOUSE FORMULA TEMPLATE, the children analyse pairs of words with the same vowel letter in the first syllable but either a double consonant letter or two different consonant letters at the syllable boundary, for example

bubble/bumble, gabble/gamble, scrabble/scramble. Teacher encourages them to recite the pairs rhythmically. The term ‘syllable boundary’ should be reinforced here.

Auditory comparison between trochees with double consonants like <gabble> and those with two consonants at the syllable boundary: The teacher invites the children to listen carefully to the sound of the vowels in the first syllables and to observe that the vowel phonemes are the same.

The children should now make comparisons between the words and recognise the distinguishing detail for themselves.

gam -ble vs. gabble entries in house diagrams makes it easier to find the solution:

gam - ble: I hear two different consonants and can easily separate the syllables.
gabble: I hear only one consonant and need the trick of doubling the consonant letter so that I can close the first syllable and open the second syllable.

When writing into the house formulas, the connection between the stressed and unstressed syllables in words like <gabble> is represented by a bracket underneath.

Extensions: Using some <-ckle> words from the word list M5.1 , e.g. crackle, freckle, tickle, chuckle, the teacher leads the children to see that the doubled spelling of phoneme /k/ here is <ck>. Next, using wrestle, bristle, jostle, rustle, that the doubled spelling of phoneme /s/ here is <st>. 

Exercise/homework before next lesson

Find as many words as you can which have the same pattern as ‘gabble‘ – One or more consonants at the start, a single vowel letter with a short sound, a double consonant letter making one sound, and ending in <le>.