Once students have learned the basic code, to decode CVC, CCVC and CVCC words, and to attack polysyllabic words, they are ready to learn that:

• • English has other vowel sounds; and
  • some of them are spelled with <a_e>, <e_e>, <i_e>, <o_e> and <u_e> split vowel digraphs (i.e. two letter combinations), like “make”, “Steve”, “fine” and “rule”.

In this scripted introduction to split vowel digraphs, we explain what they are, how to spot them in written words, and how to pronounce them, all in Plain English without resorting to “magic”, “bossy” or “silent” adjectives.