Where Phonograms Fit in Literacy Essentials
THE JOURNEY FROM SPELLING TO READING
Where phonograms fit
A considered path through the first steps of Literacy Essentials.
Where should phonics begin? In Literacy Essentials, children work from sounds to written spelling patterns, then use those patterns to spell and read words. Phonogram cards belong in that larger journey alongside handwriting, reading practice, literature, grammar, and writing.
First, a pattern. Then, a word.
A phonogram is a letter or group of letters and the sound or sounds it represents. Children learn these common spelling patterns through seeing, saying, hearing, and writing them. They begin informal spelling with patterns they know, then blend the sounds to read the words they have written. As instruction continues, they encounter new patterns while revisiting earlier ones.
The cards are a teaching tool, not a stand-alone schedule. The Teacher Guide supplies the lesson order and shows how phonograms connect to spelling and reading.
A first-grade example
The current First Grade Teacher Guide, Part 1 begins with a review of kindergarten skills. Its year-at-a-glance sequence shows how the phonograms are introduced and revisited:
- Weeks 1–2: Review phonograms 1–26. These are the alphabet letters, practiced with handwriting. Students also read and spell simple Basic Code words during the opening review weeks.
- Weeks 3–5: Introduce phonograms 27–55. The guide brings in multi-letter patterns used in early spelling vocabulary.
- Weeks 9–10: Introduce phonograms 56–72. Students continue practicing earlier patterns in spelling and reading as new ones are added.
This is the first-grade progression, not a universal timetable for every learner. Follow the weekly lessons in the Teacher Guide for the full scope and sequence.
The cards, in context
The Phonogram Card Set includes the 72 common English spelling patterns. Each card shows a pattern on the front and guidance for the teacher on the back. Use the cards to introduce a new phonogram and to revisit the patterns a student needs to practice, following your grade-level guide.
Explore the Phonogram Card Set →
Continue the journey
The phonogram cards are one part of Literacy Essentials: The Journey from Spelling to Reading. The curriculum’s grade-level Teacher Guides organize instruction across phonograms, handwriting, spelling, reading, literature, grammar, and writing. Use the guide for your learner’s grade to see when and how each part is introduced and practiced; the first-grade sequence above is one illustration, not the entire curriculum.
Look for the supporting teacher materials under two names: Companion Volume is the updated name for what earlier editions called Copy Masters. The First and Second Grade materials use the name Companion Volume; Kindergarten and Third Grade materials use Copy Masters. Check the edition and grade when choosing materials.
Classroom accessories work within this plan, too: Alphabet Strip Posters display letter forms consistent with the handwriting instruction, while the Wall Chart Kit for Kindergarten and First Grade and Wall Chart Kit for Grades 2+ provide charts for organizing and displaying instruction. Choose the materials that correspond to your grade-level guide and setting.
Explore the full Literacy Essentials collection →
Learn more about Literacy Essentials on its official website ↗
Source for the first-grade example: Literacy Essentials, First Grade Teacher Guide, Part 1 (2026), Introduction pp. 3–12, especially “Phonogram,” “Informal Spelling,” “Reading,” and “Scope and Sequence.” The general teaching approach is also described in the Teacher Training Guide (2021), pp. 54–62 and 79–85. This page is an overview, not a substitute for the full grade-level curriculum.
