Syllables
Closed syllables
A closed syllable ends in a consonant, which closes the vowel in and makes it short: “cat”, “napkin”, “rabbit”. It is the most common syllable type in English and the first one taught.
Once a reader can spot closed syllables they can break two-syllable words apart reliably, which is the whole basis of decoding longer words.
Patterns and example words
Every word below is from the word list Cody generates from, not a hand-picked sample. The count is how many words in that list carry the pattern.
1 syllable closed
6,962 wordsam is was and of had has it
2 syllable closed (VCCV)
7,978 wordswilling cannot getting gotten thinking wanted wanting finding
2 syllable closed (VCV)
3,288 wordscoming backing longest something living began begin begins
2 syllable closed (VCCCV)
2,248 wordschildren control controlled controls described improved address addressed
Curricula that teach this
Cody generates material against the scope and sequence you already teach. This skill appears in Cody Curriculum, Custom Pattern Selection, UFLI Inspired, Wilson Reading System.
Make a decodable story for this skill
Cody generates stories, word lists and worksheets constrained to the patterns a student has already been taught, so practice on closed syllables does not smuggle in something they have not met yet.