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The problem with the magic e is that some times (see what I did?) it doesn't work. Some would sound like soem, (not like sum) if its magic e had worked. But the good thing about the magic e, although it's inaccurate is that it's simple for children to learn and it works often enough to be very useful. I taught my daughter split digraphs and the magic e.

I tried getting her to read the word pineapple on a drink in our supermarket and she couldn't read it. So I explained that in the word pine there was a magic e. And it was in the middle of the whole word pineapple. She looked at me for quite a while (holding up the supermarket queue) and then replied, if it's in the middle of a word then it's not a magic e.

I was silent for a while after that.

You'll have to start teaching her about compound word, lands

Thanks, maizie. Yes, I'll have to put some thought into it. But I think they'll need to be compound words with an element of difficulty in them, because compound words which look naturally the way that they sound she has no trouble with. But, yes indeed.

We mostly call everything by the letter sound. I might then add that it is a capital version and tell DS the proper letter name possibly. I don't really see the name of the letter as important right now in R.

we talk about a silent 'e' sometimes - as in care

we talk about 'y' making an 'eye' or a 'yh' sound

we talk about the letter 'c' making a 'ch' and a 'sss' sound.

we talk about a silent 'e' sometimes - as in care

Come again? [hm]

The 'e' is part of the 'are' grapheme; which spells /air/

When does 'c' spell /ch/? (go on, confound me with some obscure word... )

Cello...

Oooh

Rudolph, don't forget "y" can also make an "ee" sound (sticky, messy, funny)! ;)

Cello...

A word which crops up quite frequently in children's early reading experience

Nor it is an obscure word

is it bloody sausage fingers