Words in Colour

Words in Colour is an approach to literacy invented by Caleb Gattegno.[1] Words in Colour first appeared in 1962, published simultaneously in the UK and US. Later versions were published in French (French: Lecture en Couleurs) and Spanish (Spanish: Letras en Color).[2]
Words in Colour is a synthetic phonics system that uses colour to indicate the phonetic properties of letters.[3] The system has been adapted for the use of deaf children,[4] and for dyslexic children.[3] Words in Colour was one of a number of colour assisted schemes, being followed by Colour Story Reading, Colour Phonics System and English Colour Code.[5]
Caleb Gattegno created a phonic chart named Fidel™.[6] Its purpose is to teach children how to correlate different sounds with letters.[7]
Colours
[edit]| Letters and Groups | IPA | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| t, tt, te, ed, d, tte, pt, bt, ct, cht, th, phth, 't | /t/ | Fuchsia; #b43a84 |
| w, wh, u, o | /w/ | Aqua; #77c3b2 |
| m, mm, me, mb, lm, gm, mn, 'm | /m/ | Orange; #dd492b |
| a, e, u, o, i, ou, io, oi, iou, oa, eou, eo, ia, ai, ie, ei, au, iu, ea, eau, ah, ough, he, y | /ə/ | Yellow; #fff105 |
| s, ss, se, 's, c, ce, sc, st, sw, ps, sce, sse, sch, sth, tz | /s/ | Lime Green; #85be51 |
| o, oe, ow, owe, oa, ou, ew, oh, ough, eau, oo, au, eo, ot | /oʊ/ | Brown - Aqua; #8d4923 to #77c3b2 |
| p, pp, pe, ph, bp | /p/ | Chestnut; #922b25 |
| s, ss, se, 's, z, zz, ze, x, si, thes, sth | /z/ | Lilac; #a54e8f |
| f, ff, fe, ph, gh, lf, ft, ffe, pph | /f/ | Mauve; #a993ba |
| r, rr, re, wr, rh, rps, rp, rt, rrh, rre, lo, 're | /ɹ/ | Light Orange; #e77a2d |
| h, wh, j | /h/ | Pale Blue; #cfe5d9 |
| l, ll, le, lle, 'll | /l/ | Bright Blue; #0078aa |
| e, ee, ea, y, ie, ei, i, eo, ey, ay, oe, ae, is | /i/ | Red; #d92329 |
| v, f, ve, lve, ph, 've | /v/ | Khaki; #9f8b18 |
| th, the, h, t, phth | /θ/ | Pale Lime; #d9e596 |
| th, the | /ð/ | Sod Pink; #d26785 |
| g, gg, gu, gh, gue, ckgu | /ɡ/ | Gray; #90918e |
| u, o, a, ou, oo, oe | /ʌ/ | Pale Yellow; #fffac9 |
| d, dd, de, ed, ld, 'd, t, tt | /d/ | Green; #1e9a44 |
| e, ea, a, u, ai, ay, ie, eo, ei, ae | /ɛ/ | Ice Blue; #69a0bd |
| b, bb, be, bu, pb | /b/ | Bottle Green; #19726a |
| a, au, ai, i | /æ/ | Buff; #d88d86 |
| i, y, o, ey, a, ay, u, ui, e, ee, ia, ai, ie, ei, ea, hi, ae, hea, is, ois | /ɪ/ | Dark Pink; #de4681 |
| s, z, ge, t | /ʒ/ | French Blue; #006290 |
| n, nn, ne, kn, gn, pn, mn, gne, in, on, dne, nd, ln | /n/ | Lavender; #736da4 |
| o, a, ho, oh, ow, eau | /ɒ/ | White; #ffffff |
| y, i, j, u | /j/ | Pink; #ea90a5 |
| u, e, o, i, ea, ou, y | /ɜ/ | Blush; #e56c7d |
| o, a, au, aw, awe, ough, oa, augh, oo, ou, hau, ho, ao, oi, owa | /ɔ/ | Ochre; #c78f64 |
| a, ea, ah, aa, au, e | /ɑ/ | Purple; #915793 |
| k, kk, ke, ck, c, cc, ch, lk, qu, que, che, cqu, cch, co, kh | /k/ | Gold; #f3b44c |
| o, oo, ew, ou, ui, u, oe, ue, eu, ough, wo, ieu | /u/ | Dark Green; #008042 |
| a, ai, ea, e, ei, hei, ae, aye, ayo, ey | /ɛə/ | Turquoise; #00ab91 |
| oo, ou, u, o | /ʊ/ | Mouse; #a98d85 |
| m | /m̩/ | Yellow - Orange; #fff105 to #dd492b |
| n | /n̩/ | Yellow - Lavender; #fff105 to #736da4 |
| 's | /əz/ | Yellow - Lilac; #fff105 to #a54e8f |
| l, le, 'll | /l̩/ | Yellow - Bright Blue; #fff105 to #0078aa |
| wh | /ʍ/ | Pale Blue - Aqua; #cfe5d9 to #77c3b2 |
| r, re, 're | /ɹ̩/ | Yellow - Light Orange; #fff105 to #e77a2d |
| u, you, eu, ue | /jɚ/ | Pink - Mouse; #ea90a5 to #ad8b87 |
| o, a, au, oa, oo, ou, ho, ao, oi, owa | /ɔː/ | Brown; #8d4923 |
| sh, ch, t, s, ss, c, sch, sc, che | /ʃ/ | Sky Blue; #00a5cc |
| ch, tch, t, c, che | /tʃ/ | Dark Magenta; #95406a |
| ng, n, ngue, nd | /ŋ/ | Olive; #706916 |
| I, i, y, ie, ye, igh, eye, eigh, is, ais, ei, aye | /aɪ/ | White - Pink; #ffffff to #ea90a5 |
| a, ai, ay, ey, ei, eigh, ea, aigh, et, ae, au, e, ee | /eɪ/ | Ice Blue - Pink; #69a0bd to #e98fa5 |
| u, you, ew, iew, eau, ue, ieu, ewe, yew, hu, eu, eue | /ju/ | Pink - Dark Green; #ea90a5 to #008042 |
| ou, hou, ow, ough | /aʊ/ | Purple - Aqua; #915793 to #77c3b2 |
| oi, oy, aw | /ɔɪ/ | Ochre - Pink; #c78f64 to #ea90a5 |
| oi | /wɑ/ | Aqua - Purple; #77c3b2 to #915793 |
| o | /wʌ/ | Aqua - Pale Yellow; #77c3b2 to #fffac7 |
| j, g, d, dge, ge, gg, dg, dj | /dʒ/ | Green - French Blue; #1e9a44 to #006290 |
| qu, cqu | /kw/ | Gold - Aqua; #f3b44c to #77c3b2 |
| x, xe, cc, xc | /ks/ | Gold - Lime Green; #f3b44c to #85be51 |
| x | /ɡz/ | Gray - Lilac; #90918e to #a54e8f |
| x | /kʃ/ | Gold - Sky Blue; #f3b44c to #00a5cc |
| x | /ɡʒ/ | Gray - French Blue; #90918e to #006290 |
| z, zz | /ts/ | Fuchsia - Lime; #b43a84 to #85be51 |
See also
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Teacher's Guide to Words in Colour Gattegno.
References
[edit]- ↑ Brenda Hopkin (November 1964). "Eight Hours to Literacy". Schools and College.
- ↑ "Words in Colour Catalogue". The Cuisenaire Company. 1973.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - 1 2 Stringer, Bobrow and Linn (9 May 2011). "Jacob, a case study of dyslexia in Canada". In Peggy L. Anderson; Regine Meier-Hedde (eds.). International Case Studies of Dyslexia. Routledge. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-136-73592-9.
- ↑ Sister Caterina, O.P. "Words in Colour for the Deaf". Educational Explorers.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ↑ Experiments and Innovations in Education (1–9). Unesco Press: 18–20. 1973.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Gattegno, Caleb. "The English fidel". Archived from the original on January 13, 2025.
- ↑ "Color Key for the American English Fidel". Archived from the original on September 23, 2019.