You've helped them one at a time. The real understanding is how the ideas CONNECT — teach that next.
Digby (digraphs — two letters that make ONE sound (sh, ch, th)) ×Blenda (consonant blends — a cluster where each letter still makes its OWN sound (st, bl, cr))
"ship" starts with "sh" and "stop" starts with "st" — both two letters. Why does Digby take one and Blenda the other?
Digby then says: “"th" in "this" is a blend — I can hear the t and the h.” — is that right?
The link: two consonants either MERGE into one sound (digraph) or STAY two (blend) — listen for the count.
One sound? Digby. Two sounds? Blenda.
Rootley (the root/base that holds the meaning core) ×Fixby (suffixes tacked onto the END — and the spelling-change rule they guard)
Why does "hop" become "hopPED" but "jump" just becomes "jumped"? What is Fixby doing at the seam with Rootley?
Rootley then says: “"run" + "ing" is just "runing" — you never change the root.” — is that right?
The link: a suffix lands on the root's end, and the spelling rule lives right at that seam.
Root first, suffix at the end — and watch the seam.
Capstone — decode "restarting" together
One word, three pieces. Bring in the cast member for each part of "restarting".
The "re-" clipped onto the FRONT. Who owns that?
Who do you bring in?
The "st" cluster in "start" — two sounds you still hear. Who owns that?
Who do you bring in?
The "-ing" tacked onto the END. Who owns that?
Who do you bring in?
The synthesis: prefix on the front, root in the middle, suffix on the end — decode a long word by its pieces, not letter by letter.
