4 Steps to Teach Reading Using set for variability

A paradigm shift from syllable types to set for variability

Orton Gillingham Teaching Revised using set for variability

Let’s explore “set for variability” vs. using syllable types to assist students with reading decoding. I have been teaching using Orton Gillingham principles for over 25 years and have successfully used those principles and concepts to teach countless children to read. However, I do not focus on syllable types in my teaching. I do mention them or use them when I feel they are helpful, but I don’t focus on them.

What is Set for Variability?

Set for Variability is a mental shift that learners make when encountering a word they can’t pronounce correctly at first glance—they try a different pronunciation until it feels right. A typical example is when a learner reads the word “head” as “heed,” applying their phonics knowledge incorrectly. They’ve learned that the “<ea>” can sound like /ee/ but need to realize that in this case, it sounds like /e/.

The key, is to provide learners with a quick method for self-correcting mispronunciations. Essentially, readers need to adopt a flexible approach to reading new words. If the first pronunciation attempt doesn’t work, they should try an alternative to see if it fits better. I find that most of the struggling readers I work with do not do this “flexing of sounds” naturally. I don’t usually ask students to “flex sounds.” At first, I give them the correct sound, such as /j/ in “gem” or Long I in “spider.” After practicing with certain sounds, I might say, “What other sound might we say here?

Equipping Young Readers with Mispronunciation Strategies

1. Building Conceptual Understanding

We must explicitly teach students that a spelling or grapheme can be pronounced in multiple ways. Once students grasp this concept, they won’t feel confused or startled when they find out that sound-letter correspondences they’ve learned can vary. They face this challenge early on. Consider the letter “<s>” in “sad” which changes its sound in “is” and “has.” When pronouncing “is” as /i/ /s/, guide them by saying, “It can be ‘s’ but here it’s /z/.” They then blend the sounds /i/ and /z/ to reach the correct pronunciation. This positive method helps novice readers retain their learning while teaching them a flexible strategy for tackling new words.

Take “<g>” as another example. A reader might initially use the /g/ sound in “gel” but must learn to swap to the /j/ sound for correctness. This only works if they are prepared for variability.

That is why it is helpful to show students that one spelling can represent more than one sound. This is not because we expect that students will immediately retain all those choices, but it is so they can maintain a flexible mindset.

I have worked with many students who become quite stressed when I say, “Say /ŭ/ here.” in a word like “around” because they say “My teacher says this sound says /ă/.”

2. Enhancing Phonic Knowledge

For readers to make the right pronunciation choices, they need solid phonic knowledge readily available. For “<ea>,” learners should know it can be pronounced three ways— /ee/ as in “dream,” /e/ as in “head,” and the rare /ae/ as in “great” (noting that only a few words like “great,” “break,” and “steak” actually use this). Teaching these options explicitly and integrating them into phonics lessons enables children to group words by their pronunciation.

3. Developing Phonemic Awareness

When children encounter a new word, they need phonic knowledge (knowing the sound a letter represents) and the ability to blend these sounds into words. If they make an error, they have to have the set for variability mindset to ” flex a sound” and try a different pronunciation.

Word chains are an effective way to develop this flexibility. By making changes like deleting, adding, or swapping a sound in a word, children strengthen this skill. Activities can include real words (e.g., “sit-fit- fat-flat-flag “) or, for older readers, nonsense words (e.g., “pod-prod-prom-prim-brim-rim-ram”). Real words work better for younger learners as nonsense words can be confusing, though older readers will benefit from the creative challenge of nonsensical syllables. Check out our free word chains resources to get started.

4.Develop Morphological Awareness as part of “Set for Variability”

It is also essential that students begin to see morphemes in words early in their reading journey to understand and recognize that in a word like “remixing” mix is the base and re- is a prefix meaning back or again and -ing is a suffix indicating happening now. Adding in morphology into lessons sets up children for set for variablity as well because of words like “health” which is often a noun and the <ea> is pronounced /ĕ/. But the word “”heal” is an verb and the <ea> is pronounced /ē/. But it differs in meaning from “heel” as the heel of a shoe.

Did you know Smart and Special Teaching Decodable Readers in Level 2 include books crafted to nurture the “Set for Variability” strategy? Can you identify the targeted spellings within these books?

By establishing these fundamentals, educators and parents can help children adapt and become more confident readers.