First graders have learned many phonetic rules that they apply in their reading, writing, and spelling.  However, in our language, there are many exceptions to the rule.  So, what happens to words that don’t follow phonetic rules?  They go to word jail of course!  As we learn to decode or read words and then write words, first graders are noticing that many words in the English language don’t follow the phonetic rules or patterns being taught.  A fun way to help students remember how to read and write these words is to include them in our class word jail.  As you’re continuing to read with your child each day, be on the look out for words that break the rules!