Spelling Help!

It's really about memorization for part of it.

I always say that "C" really does not have it's own sound. It "borrows" either the K or the S. That still doesn't really help kids know which one is which though.

I've noticed that words with the "I" vowel tend to be K, because c with the I vowel is almost always a soft (s sound) C.

Notice: Kite, kitten, king, kit, kin, kid, kick
But: City, cite, citizen, circle, cider, circus

I've also noticed that same pattern with the E vowel:

Notice: Keg, Keen, keep, key
But: Ceiling, celery, celebrate, cement, cent

For a,o and u most of the time it takes the C.
Now, that's not an official rule - - it's just one I've made up. So, I am sure that someone will come up with a list of a zillion exceptions! But, I did check the dictionary and it pretty much seems to hold true.

Another general technique for memorizing spelling choices is making lists.
For example -- work on the long A sound. Make a column for a with a silent e, ai, ay. Have the child come up with words with the long A sound in the middle and sort them into the proper columns. Then - keep that sheet around (in a classroom in might be hanging on a word wall, at home you might want to file it in a notebook). Same idea for ee and ea. They can easily look it up, and eventually memorize it.