LESSON 169 TEACHER GUIDE & ANSWER KEY
ORTHOEPY • VOWEL DIGRAPHS • EE / EA
Wheeler's Elementary Speller • Page 88
| Word | IPA | Digraph Type | Teaching Prescription |
|---|
| beaver | /ˈbiːvər/ | ea | Old English beofor. First syllable ends in vowel ea = long /iː/. |
| season | /ˈsiːzən/ | ea | Latin satio (sowing time). Voiced s = /z/; unaccented -on. |
| needle | /ˈniːdəl/ | ee | Old English nǣdl. Double ee + syllabic -le. |
| steeple | /ˈstiːpəl/ | ee | Old English stēpel (high tower). Double ee + syllabic -le. |
| breeze | /briːz/ | ee | Spanish briza. Voiced /z/ spelled -ze. |
| squeal | /skwiːl/ | ea | Blend squ- + digraph ea + liquid l. |
Exercise 1 Sorting Key:
• Double ee: breeze, freeze, sneeze, squeeze, needle, beetle, steeple, asleep.
• Digraph ea: beaver, season, treason, squeal.
Both groups represent long /iː/.
Exercise 3 Solutions:
1. beaver / season.
2. needle.
Spelling Clinic: Enforce the difference between steeple (tower) and people (persons).
- Which spelling of long 'e' is more common in words ending in '-ze': 'ee' or 'ea'?
- Look at 'needle' and 'beetle'. What two letters make the last syllable?
- How does a beaver prepare for the winter season?
Dictation & Oral Application Sentences (Read slowly at normal speaking pace):
1. A cool evening breeze blew through the tall church steeple.
2. The wise beaver built a sturdy lodge before the freeze of winter.
3. Mother threaded her sharp steel needle with black thread.
4. Spring is the joyful season when flowers awake from sleep.
Wheeler's Elementary Speller • Lesson 169 • Teacher Master Key
Page 2 of 2 (Instructor Reference)