Home > Reading and Spelling Lessons & Word Lists> Doubling Introduction

The Doubling Rule - Introduction

This is done best with a "landscape" view (paper turned sideways), because it's wider than it is long. It can also be done on two facing pages in a binder, so the student can see both pages at once.

Take the time to talk through these ideas and discover the logic behind doubling consonants. It's tedious, but very much worth the effort. This is truly a case where if this is taught as a "rule to be memorized," it will have overwhelming details and exceptions. If it is taught as a principle to be understood and applied, then the same principle can be applied to the different situations that make the rule so difficult to remember.

Depending on your situation & the personalities involved, this can be an adventure, romance, or cut-and-dried description. Don't be afraid to be dramatic!

Have the student write out the analysis of the problems and solutions several times before introducing short-cut abbreviations; frequently have the student explain those abbreviations, as well.

This is also an excellent lesson in practicing logical thinking and application of principles. It's worth patience and guidance -- ask questions instead of giving answers... and celebrate when it's mastered!

Explanation:

Usually, when there is only one consonant between two vowels, the first vowel gets its "long" sound - its name. Examples: spoken, final, defend.

When you add a suffix to a short word, you may have to "protect" that vowel from being close to another one, making it look like it should have its "long" sound.

There are several ways the short vowel can be 'protected' from the danger of becoming long:

• the suffix could begin with a consonant (-ly, -ness), so that consonant provides the extra letter to protect the short vowel.

• The base word could end in two consonants (hunt, salt), so there are two consonants before a vowel shows up.

• The vowel in the base word could be long in the first place, so it doesn't need protect (rain, load)

• The base word could be more than one syllable, which we'll worry about later. (Often doing this makes the second syllable a "schwa" instead of a short vowel sound because of where the word is stressed, and schwas don't generally need protection).

The student should be able to identify which of the above situations is happening. But IF the vowel is unprotected because it's a "1-1-1" word -- One syllable, One short vowel, One consonant at the end -- then double that last letter before you add one of those suffixes that starts with a vowel.

Practice:

Get out a ruler and copy the table below, leaving out the parts in italics. Have the student write these in as you discuss this. (If writing is a challenge, have the student dictate to you.)

Lots of practice is a very good idea with this one, as well as practice reading columns of v/cv next to vc/cv words so that students associate the vcv pattern with the long vowel sound.

back to top

Example Page:

Beginning Practice

WORD	SUFFIX	Spelling, Just Adding Suffix	Is there a problem?	Decision	Final Spelling
sad	ly
camp	er
hail	ing
fool	ish
crab	y
big	est
glad	en
hint	ing
stop	ed
wish	ful
can	ing
fun	y

 

 

Challenging Practice: