Wheeler Speller Audio • Lesson 87 (Little Jack Frost & Word Length)
Wheeler's Elementary Speller • Page 48 POETRY • ORTHOGRAPHY • MORPHOLOGY Student Worksheet
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Lesson 87 • “Little Jack Frost” & Word Length Analysis
Consonant Doubling vs. Vowel Teams • Page 48
1 Poetry Recitation & Study: Read the three stanzas of “Little Jack Frost” aloud with lively expression.
3 STANZAS • ANONYMOUS
Stanza I • Winter's Arrival
Little Jack Frost tripped ’round and ’round,
Spreading white snow on the frozen ground,
Nipping the breezes, icing the streams,
Chilling the warmth of the sun’s bright beams.
Stanza II • Dame Nature's Spring
But when Dame Nature brought back the spring,
Brought back the birds to chirp and sing,
Melted the snow and warmed the sky,
Little Jack Frost went pouting by.
Stanza III • Blooming Earth
The flowers opened their eyes of blue,
Green buds peeped out and grasses grew;
It was so warm and scorched him so,
Little Jack Frost was glad to go.
2 Orthographic Discovery Question: Explain the spelling rule in your own words.
WHY TWO P'S VS. ONE D?
Textbook Question:
“Why two p’s in tripped, and only one d in spreading?”
Think: How many vowels come before the final consonant in each base word?
3 Word Classification: Hunt through the poem and write words that have five or six letters each.
WORD LENGTH SORT
Words with 5 Letters (e.g., Frost, white, beams...)
Words with 6 Letters (e.g., Little, frozen, ground...)
Key Orthographic Rules to Remember
1. 1-1-1 Doubling Rule: In 1-syllable words with 1 short vowel ending in 1 consonant (trip), double the consonant before a vowel suffix (tripped, nipping).
2. Vowel Team Rule: When two vowels stand together before the final consonant (spread → ea), do not double the consonant (spreading).
3. Word Length Analysis: Grouping words by letter count (5 letters: frost, chirp; 6 letters: frozen, spring) strengthens visual orthographic memory.