OpenReading™ Sound Movements

Sound + Movement = Reading Success

Solo Letter Sounds

Stretchy Sounds
Snap Sounds
Tricky Sounds

Solo Letter Sounds are the sounds the individual letters of the alphabet make most of the time. This is in contrast to any alternate sounds a letter may make and does not include sounds made by pairs of letters or groups of letters. Solo Letter Sounds are not the same as letter names. 

There are three types of Solo letter Sounds which we introduce in the following order: Stretchy Sounds, Snap Sounds, and Tricky Sounds. 

Stretchy Sounds

o (short vowel) | s | n | i (short vowel) | f | u (short vowel) | r | m | a (s vowel) | l | z | e (short vowel)

These Solo Letter Sounds can be held a long time without distorting the sound. Hold your mouth in the same position from the start to the end of the sound to pronounce them accurately.  

o (short vowel)

O

s

S

n

N

i (short vowel)

I

f

F

u (short vowel)

U

r

R

m

M

a (short vowel)

Alligator, apple, ask

l

L

z

Z

v

V

e (short vowel)

End, empty, exercise  

Snap Sounds

t | b | p | g | c | k | ck | d

These Solo Letter Sounds should be said quickly to avoid adding extra sounds like “uh” to the end of the sound. When saying these sounds, hold your mouth as still as possible or close your mouth as soon as you finish the sound. Technically speaking, “ck” isn’t a Solo Letter Sound, but it’s best to teach this Sound Motion right after teaching the “c” and “k” Sound Motions.

t

T

b

Bug

p

P

g

G

c

Cat

k

K

ck

Duck, sick, peck

d

Dig

Tricky Sounds

h | y | w | qu | j | x

These Solo Letter Sounds are challenging to pronounce and are often taught incorrectly. The letter “q” is almost always followed by a silent “u”, so we teach /qu/ as it’s Solo Letter Sound. 

h

H

y

Y

w

W

qu

Qu

j

J

x

X

Alternate Sounds
(long vowel sounds)

Alternate Sounds are also known as the long vowel sounds. Use the same Sound Motions as you do with the short vowels, but shake your hand and arm as you move them. These sounds are typically the same as the letter’s name, so you can remember to shake the movement by thinking, “When you tell someone your name, you shake hands to say hello.” The letter “u” is unique in that it’s long vowel sound isn’t the same as its letter name and it also has another, commonly used alternate sound – the u (grunt) sound.

long vowels: a | e | i | o | u

a (long vowel)

Ate, bake, late

e (long vowel)

E

i (long vowel)

Ice

o (long vowel)

Open

u (long vowel)

Tube

u (grunt)

Pull

Partner Sounds

Easy Partners
“r” Partners
First-Name Vowel Partners
Tricky Vowel Partners
Laughing Partners

Partner Sounds are made by two letters pairing up. There are five types of Partner Sounds which are introduce in the following order: Easy Partners, “r” Partners, First-Name Vowel Partners, Tricky Vowel Partners, and Laughing Partners. 

Easy Partners

th | sh | ch | ph | wh | kn | wr

These Partners Sounds are made by two consonants pairing up to make a single sound. 

th

Teeth

sh

Ship

ch

Cheek

ph

Phone

wh

When

kn

Knee

wr

Wrist

"r" Partners

er, ir, ur | ar | or

These Partner Sounds are made by a vowel pairing up with an “r.”

er, ir, ur

Bitter, bird, burn

ar

Car

or

Cord

First-Name Vowel Partners

ai, ay | ea, ee, ei | ie | oa, ow | ue, ui

These Partner Sounds are made by two vowels pairing up to make the long-vowel sound of the first letter.

ai, ay

Bait, bay

ea, ee, ei

Eat, feet, either

ie

Pie, tie

oa, ow

Toad, snow

ue, ui

glue, suit

Tricky Vowel Partners

au, aw | ew, oo | ou, ow | oi, oy

These Partner Sounds are made by two vowels pairing up to make a new sound.

au, aw

pause, yawn

ew, oo

new, hoot

ou, ow

ouch, how

oi, oy

oil, boy

Laughing Partners

ci | gi | ce | ge | cy | gy

These Partner Sounds are only made when “c” and “g” pair up with /i/, /e/, and /y/. 

ci

city

gi

magic

ce

center

ge

gentle

cy

juicy

gy

energy

Team Sounds

Easy Teams
“gh” teams
“sh” Teams

These sounds are three to five-letter combinations that make a different sound together than they would make individually. Many learners don’t need to use Sound Movements by the time they’re learning Team Sounds. However, these Sound Motions are available to those who need them.

The three types of Team Sounds are introduced in the following order: Easy Teams, “gh” Teams, and “sh” Teams.

Easy Teams

ing | ang | eng | ong | ung | ank | ink | onk | unk | sure (v1) | sure (v2) | ture | tive | sive | ous

These Team Sounds are relatively easy to learn and see in words.  

ing

sing

ang

bang

eng

length

ong

song

ung

hung

ank

tank

ink

blink

onk

honk

unk

junk

sure

measure, treasure

tive

active

ture

venture

ous

dangerous

sive

massive

"gh" Teams

igh | eigh | augh | ough

These Team Sounds are the 3-letter /ī/, the four letter /ai/, the four letter /o/ and the 4-letter /oa/. They all end with a silent /gh/.

igh

sigh

eigh

weigh

augh

caught

ough

though

"sh" Teams

cious, tious, xious | sion, tion | cian, cien, tien | cial, tial | ciate, tiate

These Team Sounds all start with a /sh/ sound.  

cious, tious, xious

delicious, cautious, anxious

sion, tion

mission, fiction

cian, cien, tien

pediatrician, efficient, patient

cial, tial

special, initial

ciate, tiate

appreciate, initiate