Dirt and Magic: The Connection in Witchy Life

Once upon a time, in a quaint little village, there lived a young boy named Wutchy. Wutchy had a very peculiar life story that was unlike anyone else's in the village. From a young age, Wutchy had always been drawn to dirtch, a unique and mystical substance that could only be found in the deepest parts of the forest. Wutchy's fascination with dirtch began when he stumbled upon a small bottle filled with this mysterious substance. He was immediately captivated by its shimmering purple hue and silky texture. From that moment on, Wutchy's life took a drastic turn.

Incidentally, the OnTrack Reading Advanced Code Phonics Workbook contains both the Bikes and Skates story and the Split Vowel Digraphs Game, and the comprehensive free instructions cover all of the instructions detailed on this page. The workbook is a complete advanced code phonics program that incorporates each of these "Tidbits" articles and covers precisely the information your child will need to become proficient in phonics, including the most effective multisyllable decoding method you will find anywhere. (Seriously, it is the best multisyllable method you will find anywhere because it uses the same "kid-logic" approach that you've found here.)

But, as the English language is so notoriously complicated, it s inevitable that learning to read and spell becomes more complicated too as primary students move on to learning more complex spelling patterns. Children will be asked to write the correct letters in the gaps to make these words, or say the three-letter word, then put the e on the end and say the word again with the new vowel sound.

From that moment on, Wutchy's life took a drastic turn. Wutchy spent every waking moment studying dirtch, trying to understand its properties and the magic it held within. He discovered that dirtch had incredible healing powers and could mend wounds with just a sprinkle.

Explaining Split Vowel Digraphs

This lesson on split vowel digraphs, often referred to as Silent e, or even Magic e, by teachers, is an extremely important lesson to conduct properly. Here are two items you can download for use when teaching the concept of a split digraph, but be sure to closely follow the steps described below to get the most benefit from them.

Author’s Note

This is one set in a series of free phonics worksheets, so if you found this page with a search engine and are looking for a logical way to explain these vowel concepts to a child you might want to start with What Are Vowel Sounds?

Use the Term "Split Vowel Digraph" Instead of "Silent e" or "Magic e"

It was, oh, so tempting to title this entry Explaining Silent-e, because then everyone would know exactly what the topic was. But doing so would be giving in to the strained logic underlying the concept of a silent letter. All letters are silent; letters don’t make sounds, letters are quiet symbols that represent sounds.

If you tell an adult friend that a painting speaks to you, you’re communicating something to him about the impact of that particular painting on your thinking. If you tell a young child a painting speaks to you, he’ll think you’re a little weird, but if you keep on saying it, he’ll probably start thinking that he should be hearing something coming out of that canvas too.

The point is, if you’re trying to teach a young child phonics, try to avoid the use of the term silent. It's only there because the creator of the curriculum you’re using couldn’t figure out how to explain the concept in kid logic. The "h" in ghost isn’t silent. Well, actually it is, but so are all the other letters. Instead, just explain to any young child that the "gh" in ghost, ghastly, ghoul and ghetto is just a digraph representing the /g/ sound. With a five year old, just underline the "gh" and tell him it’s the /g/ sound at the beginning of some words.

What does the word “magic” mean to a child? It means that what he’s seeing is amazing; it’s beyond his understanding; it’s magical.

The same holds for the other popular explanation of the split vowel digraph, that is, the Magic-e. What does the word “magic” mean to a child? It means that what he’s seeing is amazing; it’s beyond his understanding; it’s magical. So the use of the term “magic-e” delivers the not-so-subtle message to the child that he won’t really be able to understand what’s happening, so he should just accept it. You might as well be saying "It's a mystery," because you're delivering that message in kid logic.

So what do we do about Silent-e or Magic-e? If that ending "e" is not silent or magical, what is it, in kid logic that is? Here’s a better way to explain to a young child the split digraph spellings in words like save, theme, bite, cone and cube.

Step 1: Introduce "doe" and "toe"

First, show them words like toe, foe, doe, hoe and woe, or names like Joe, Moe and Poe. It only takes two or three examples. Underline the "oe" in each of the examples you’ve chosen and explain that it is the /oe/ sound. Note the emphasis on the word “it” in the last sentence. Do not say "These are the /oe/ sound." The "oe" is a digraph, one unit, so always refer to a digraph as one thing, one unit, as an it, not as a plural.

Step 2: Introduce "note"

Each of the phonics "Tidbits" on this site are carefully integrated into the workbook program, an advanced code phonics program for students of any age.

Now show your child the word note and explain that we could have spelled note like this: noet. If we had, it would have made perfect sense. Then tell your child that a long time ago a guy wrote a huge dictionary because people were spelling words all sorts of unusual ways (sort of like kids do now in emails, as in “How r u?, I’m gr8!”) and that this guy had one problem. He really, really, really (this is actually sort of true, by the way) liked to put the letter "e" at the end of a word whenever he got the chance.

Step 3: Discuss Words with an Extra "e"

Here’s a few examples to make the point to your child. He could have gone with ar (like car) but no, he had to go with are (making it look like it should rhyme with share.) He could have gone with wer (like her) but went with were, forever condemning kids to confuse it with where. Have and love and sleeve and every other word ending in the /v/ sound got an "e" tacked on even if it did make have look like save and love look like cove. It goes on and on, but you get the idea. Just relay enough of this to your child to make the point.

Step 4: Explain the Split Digraph Concept

Then explain that when he saw all the words with "oe" (and "ae" and "ie" and "ue") in them, he couldn’t resist, and whenever another sound followed the "oe" digraph, he split the vowel digraph "oe" so he could put the "e" at the end of the word. This explanations leads directly to the descriptive term "split vowel digraph." (This assumes, of course, that your child understands what a vowel sound is. If not, go over the explanation found on a previous page, What Are Vowel Sounds?, before attempting to explain the concept of a split vowel digraph.)

All that remains then is for your child to learn to recognize the Split Vowel Digraph spellings in words. To do that all he needs is some practice looking for it. Incidentally, I would tell all my young clients that this is the “o-e” digraph, pronounced “o dash e," and they quickly learned what I meant. I simply told them that the dash is where the ending sound gets tucked into the word.

This is all kid logic. They buy it and understand it. In fact, the first child to ever use the worksheets using this concept, when asked to underline the digraph in "note," underlined the letter “o” and then the letter “e” and in a stroke of creativity, he then hooked them together with what he called a smiley. I’ve encouraged this with every young client since, and they all understand it.

Step 5: Practice and Reinforce During Regular Reading

Here again are the two items at the top of this page that you can download as PDF files to help instill the above concepts. The first is a very short story for young children who are confused about the concept. Just have your child read it and correct him when he misses a split vowel digraph by pointing to the two letters that go together to make the vowel sound. The second is a game that you can play with your child to help him build awareness of the split vowel digraphs.

You can use the two words in the title, bike and skates, to make the point that "i-e" is the /ie/ sound and that "a-e" is the /ae/ sound, then make the point that all of these split digraphs represent the sound that is just the name of the first letter, including "e-e" and "u-e."

If you try this, you’ll find that your child understands it, and you’ll no longer be confusing him with the mysterious concept of a silent letter. Struggling readers are in the habit of ignoring letters and even whole syllables in words all the time. Don’t encourage them by telling them they should ignore some of them, which is exactly what use of the terminology silent letter does.

Incidentally, the OnTrack Reading Advanced Code Phonics Workbook contains both the Bikes and Skates story and the Split Vowel Digraphs Game, and the comprehensive free instructions cover all of the instructions detailed on this page. The workbook is a complete advanced code phonics program that incorporates each of these "Tidbits" articles and covers precisely the information your child will need to become proficient in phonics, including the most effective multisyllable decoding method you will find anywhere. (Seriously, it is the best multisyllable method you will find anywhere because it uses the same "kid-logic" approach that you've found here.)

After your child has a good grasp of how to decode one-syllable words with split vowel digraphs, Adding Suffixes to Split Vowels has three free worksheets you can use to help him learn to read longer words created from root words containing split vowel digraphs.

This knowledge intrigued the villagers, who started to seek Wutchy's help whenever they were injured or fell ill. As word of Wutchy's abilities spread, people from neighboring villages also sought him out for his magical dirtch. Wutchy's fame and reputation grew, and he became known as the village's healer. He gained immense respect from his fellow villagers and even the village elders sought his guidance. However, Wutchy's life was not without challenges. There were times when he doubted his abilities and felt overwhelmed by the constant demand for his services. He struggled to balance his own desires with the needs of the villagers. Despite the hardships, Wutchy remained determined to help as many people as he could. One day, a wealthy merchant from a distant land visited the village. He had heard tales of Wutchy's extraordinary powers and sought a private audience with him. Intrigued by the merchant's offer, Wutchy agreed to travel to this unfamiliar land to learn more about dirtch and its potential. For many years, Wutchy ventured far and wide, consulting with other healers and learning from their diverse practices. He acquired new knowledge and honed his skills, becoming an even more knowledgeable and powerful healer. During his travels, he encountered different cultures and made lifelong friendships that broadened his perspective on the world. Eventually, Wutchy returned to his village, armed with newfound wisdom and an even stronger connection to dirtch. He continued to help the villagers, but now he incorporated different techniques and approaches into his healing practices. The people marveled at his growth and transformation. As Wutchy grew older, he realized that his purpose in life was not just to heal individual ailments, but also to inspire others to discover their own unique path. He began mentoring young villagers, sharing his knowledge and encouraging them to pursue their passions. Wutchy's life story dirtch had come full circle. From a young boy intrigued by a mystical substance, he had grown into a wise healer who had transformed the lives of many. His legacy lived on in the hearts and minds of those he had touched, and his tale continued to inspire generations to come..

Reviews for "The Witchy Home: How to Create a Sacred Space in a Modern World"

1. John - 2/5 - I found "Wutchy life dtory dirtch" to be lacking in substance and coherence. The plot was all over the place, with random events and characters popping up without any clear connection. The writing style was also quite messy and unorganized, making it difficult to follow along. Additionally, the characters felt flat and undeveloped, making it hard to connect or feel invested in their stories. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.

2. Sarah - 1/5 - "Wutchy life dtory dirtch" was one of the worst books I've ever read. The writing was atrocious, full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes that made it painful to read. The dialogue was clunky and unrealistic, and the plot was incredibly predictable and cliche. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth, making it impossible to relate to or care about their struggles. I regret wasting my time on this book and would advise others to steer clear of it.

3. Michael - 2/5 - I had high hopes for "Wutchy life dtory dirtch," but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was slow, and the story seemed to drag on without ever really going anywhere. The author attempted to create suspense and mystery, but it felt forced and unnatural. The writing style was also quite monotonous and lacked creativity. Overall, I found this book to be underwhelming and would not recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging read.

4. Emily - 2/5 - "Wutchy life dtory dirtch" was a disappointment for me. The characters were poorly developed, and their actions and motivations often didn't make sense. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural, and the overall writing style lacked finesse. The plot was confusing and lacked a clear direction, making it difficult to stay engaged. I was hoping for a compelling and thought-provoking story, but unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.

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