The ABC's and All Their Tricks: The Complete Reference Book of Phonics and Spelling

A Practical Phonics and Spelling Guide for Teachers and Adult Learners

The ABC's and All Their Tricks is a comprehensive phonics and spelling reference that explains the rules, patterns, and apparent exceptions of written English. Designed for teachers, adult learners, tutors, and homeschool parents, it helps you understand how English spelling and pronunciation work―and gives you clear explanations you can use when teaching or learning phonics.

Many of the "exceptions" that make English seem unpredictable actually follow recognizable patterns once you know where to look. Trusted by teachers and homeschool families for over 40 years, this resource helps you:

• Find Phonics Rules Quickly: Look up letters, sounds, blends, digraphs, and spelling patterns in an easy-to-use alphabetical format.
• Understand How English Works: Discover the logic behind English spelling and pronunciation instead of simply memorizing lists of rules and exceptions.
• Build Your Phonics Knowledge: Develop a deeper understanding of the English sound-spelling system, whether you are teaching students or learning phonics yourself.
• Know What to Teach and When: Find guidance on suggested grade levels for introducing different phonics elements.
• Recognize Patterns and Exceptions: See how frequently spelling patterns occur and identify words that do not follow the usual patterns.
• Support Struggling Readers: Find additional guidance for learners who need help with phonics, decoding, and word analysis.
• Connect Phonics and Spelling: Understand why spelling should be taught alongside phonics and how the two reinforce one another.
• Support Structured Literacy Instruction: Use the book as a reference alongside explicit, systematic phonics instruction and structured literacy approaches.

Clear Answers to Difficult Phonics Questions

English spelling can seem confusing―even to experienced teachers and adult learners. The ABC's and All Their Tricks gives you a practical reference to turn to when questions arise, such as:

• Why does c say /s/ in city but /k/ in cat?
• Why is have spelled with a silent e?
• Why do we double the consonant in words such as running?
• Why can ough represent so many different sounds?
• When should different phonics patterns be introduced?

Rather than treating English as a collection of unpredictable exceptions, the book reveals the recurring rules and patterns that make the language more systematic than it may first appear.

For Teachers, Adult Learners, and Homeschool Families

Teachers can use the book as a professional reference for planning instruction, answering students' questions, strengthening their own phonics knowledge, and helping struggling readers.

Adult learners can use it to develop a deeper understanding of phonics, spelling patterns, pronunciation, and the logic behind words that may initially seem irregular.

Homeschool parents and tutors can use it alongside an existing reading or spelling program to teach with greater understanding and confidence.

The ABC's and All Their Tricks is not a student workbook or scripted reading curriculum. It is an in-depth phonics and spelling reference designed to complement the reading, phonics, or spelling program you already use―or to serve as a guide for anyone who wants to better understand the structure of written English.

The book also includes a full chapter devoted to remedial reading and decoding instruction.

Margaret M. Bishop is the author and compiler of The ABC's and All Their Tricks, a comprehensive reference on phonics, spelling, pronunciation, and the history of English. Her work organizes sound-spelling patterns, rules, exceptions, and examples into a practical resource for parents, teachers, and learners.