USING AND DISPLAYING YOUR THRASS PICTURECHART

This chart was designed as an explicit teaching chart as well as being a valuable reference. For those who know
how to use it, the chart is a powerful and empowering tool. THRASS training course dates can be found on our
website.

Our training will show how to use the chart effectively as a 'TEACHING' tool, not just a reference. The chart
should always be placed as close to learners as possible so as to allow for easy reference and 'explicit' teaching.
The chart should be accessible 'all day', 'every day' of the teaching year.

It is also important that all learners can see all of the boxes on the chart. For young learners we recommend a
sitting area in front of the chart for 'explicit' teaching. Most importantly your chart should be positioned as in
the picture below with the consonant sections above the vowel section.

The Full-Colour Chart and The Yellow Chart

The full-colour chart found on the rear of the yellow chart is for use with early learners in more informal learning
environments such as pre-schools and play groups, where it is used for oral language skills as well as learning
the basic geography of the chart, in preparation for more formal learning. Ironically in the context of learning to
read and spell, the use of colour is actually a distraction to the eye. Colour distracts from identifying print, words
and graphemes - the main focus of using the chart, which in turn makes the reading and spelling process more
difficult. Alternatively, the abstract black and white pictures on the yellow chart create a prompt only and do not
distract the eyes from the words and graphemes, so use this chart once you start formal work.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

bird rabbit cat kitten duck school queen chair watch dog ladder fish coffee dolphin gate egg
b bb * c k ck ch q * ch tch * d dd * f ff ph * g gg **
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

hand jam giant cage bridge leg bell mouse hammer lamb net dinner knee king ink
h * j g ge dge * l ll * m mm mb * n nn kn * ng n **
bird rabbit cat kitten duck school queen chair watch dog ladder fish coffee dolphin gate egg

b bb * c k ck ch q * ch tch * d dd * f ff ph * g gg **

panda hippo rain cherry wrist sun dress horse city ice treasure shark station chef tap letter
p pp * r rr wr * s ss se c cehand* jam sgiant
* sh bridge
cage ti ch * * leg bellt tt *
mouse hammer lamb net dinner knee king ink
h * j g ge dge * l ll * m mm mb * n nn kn * ng n **

thumb feather voice sleeve water wheel quilt yawn zip fizz sneeze laser cheese
th * th * v ve * w wh u * panda hippo y * rain cherry zwristzz ze
sun sdressse horse
* city ice treasure shark station chef tap letter

p pp * r rr wr * s ss se c ce * s * sh ti ch * * t tt *
IT IS AN ILLEGAL ACT TO PHOTOCOPY OR RE-CREATE THIS CHART

THRASS® PICTURECHART ©1998 DENYSE RITCHIE & ALAN DAVIES ISBN 978 1 876424 01 5
2012 - THE THRASS INSTITUTE (Australasia & Canada)
www.thrass.com.au • enquiries@thrass.com.au
Code: T-102

thumb feather voice sleeve water wheel quilt yawn zip fizz sneeze laser cheese
th * th * v ve * w wh u * y * z zz ze s se *
ant baby tape snail tray hair square car banana bed bread me beach tree key pony
a * a a-e ai ay * air are * ar a * e ea * e ea ee ey y * IT IS AN ILLEGAL ACT TO PHOTOCOPY OR RE-CREATE THIS CHART
THRASS® PICTURECHART ©1998 DENYSE RITCHIE & ALAN DAVIES ISBN 978 1 876424 01 5
2012 - THE THRASS INSTITUTE (Australasia & Canada)
www.thrass.com.au • enquiries@thrass.com.au

ear deer teacher collar doctor measure zebra garden fossil lion circus fern shirt worm fur
ear eer * er ar or ure a e i anto ubaby* tape snail tray erhairir square
or ur car banana bed bread me beach tree key pony
*
a * a a-e ai ay * air are * ar a * e ea * e ea ee ey y *

tin pyramid tiger kite light fly frog swan nose boat note snow coin toy
ear deer teacher collar doctor measure zebra garden fossil lion circus fern shirt worm fur
i y * i i-e igh y * o a * o oa o-e ow * oi oy *
ear eer * er ar or ure a e i o u * er ir or ur *

book bull moon screw glue lure fork ball tin sauce
pyramidsaw door
tiger kite cowlighthousefly glove swan
bus frog nose boat note snow coin toy
oo u * oo ew ue * ure * or a au
i yaw* oor * i i-e ow
igh ou
y ** u o o* a * o oa o-e ow * oi oy *

book bull moon screw glue lure fork ball sauce saw door cow house bus glove
oo u * oo ew ue * ure * or a au aw oor * ow ou * u o *

THE THRASS INSTITUTE Australasia & Canada

 HOW TO USE THE CHART
Each phoneme box shows one or more spelling choices for a
specific speech sound of English. For example, the graph ‘n’
in net and the digraphs ‘n’ ’n’ in dinner and ‘k’ ’n’ in knee, can
all represent the same speech sound, ( n ). Not all spelling
choices (including some common ones) are on the chart, as it
was designed primarily as an explicit teaching chart, not just
as a reference chart.

Apart from ‘word level’ work such as ‘THRASSING OUT’ words,

the chart can be used for much of a teacher’s oral and written
language development, including grammar activities such as
IT IS AN ILLEGAL ACT TO PHOTOCOPY OR RE-CREATE THIS CHART
introducing nouns, pronouns, adjectives and verbs.
©1998 DENYSE RITCHIE & ALAN DAVIES ISBN 978 1 876424 02 2 • Code T-103
THE THRASS INSTITuTE (Australasia & Canada) 2012
IT IS AN ILLEGAL ACT TO PHOTOCOPY OR RE-CREATE• www.thrass.ca
www.thrass.com.au THIS CHART
©1998 DENYSE RITCHIE & ALAN DAVIES ISBN 978 1 876424 02 2 • Code T-103
THE THRASS INSTITuTE (Australasia & Canada) 2012
www.thrass.com.au • www.thrass.ca

me beach
me beach

pyramid
ypyramid
y

lure
ure
lure*
ure *
GCA (GRAPHEME CATCH-ALL)
The asterisk in each box denotes that there are
The chart should always be displayed as above
or may be, more spelling choices possible for
and permanently placed at a height and distance
this particular speech sound.
from learners so as to facilitate ‘explicit’ teaching.

‘THRASSING OUT’ WORDS USING THE CHART

THE NEUTRAL VOWEL BOX (SCHWA)
Use the chart to read and spell words, including so-called ‘sight words’. Take
This is the largest box on the chart and the most important
for example the word was, which is often referred to as a ‘sight word’. This is
for English speakers. The sound that this box represents is
how to teach it using the chart. It is done by using analogy.
known commonly as the neutral vowel or the ‘schwa’. It is
Brackets ( ) indicate a speech sound. Apostrophes ‘ ‘ indicate letter names.
often not taught at all or is taught poorly, yet it is the most
The letter ‘w’ makes the speech sound ( w ) like in water. important speech sound we make and has the largest number
The letter ‘a’ makes the speech sound ( o ) like in swan. of spelling choices by far. Without a complete knowledge of
The letter ‘s’ makes the speech sound ( z ) like in laser. this sound and its multiple spelling choices, a learner’s spelling
and reading potential are severely compromised.

BASIC TERMINOLOGY
Phoneme: A speech sound.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THERE ISN’T A SPELLING CHOICE Grapheme: A spelling choice. Either a graph, digraph, trigraph

ON THE CHART? or quadgraph.

For example, the word said (another so-called sight word). Obviously there
Graph: A one-letter spelling choice e.g. (‘a’ as in cat)
is no correct spelling choice available in the ( e ) phoneme box, that we can
Digraph: A two-letter spelling choice e.g. (‘c’ ’h’ as in school)
use to represent the ( e ) sound in this word. Therefore write the letters ‘a’ ‘i’
Trigraph: A three-letter spelling choice e.g. (‘a’ ‘r’ ‘e’ as in square)
(the correct spelling choice), next to the asterisk in the ( e ) phoneme box.
Quadgraph: A four-letter spelling choice e.g. (‘e’ ‘i’ ‘g’ ‘h’ in eight)

A spelling choice that isn’t on the chart, is referred to as a GCA (Grapheme

Catch-All). The same GCA (‘a’ ‘i’) could be used to ‘THRASS OUT’ other words If you use the above terminology
such as again, where the digraph ‘a’ ‘i’ represents the phoneme ( e ). correctly it is very easy to talk accurately
about speech sounds and spelling
The teaching, learning and application of GCAs is integral to THRASS. The
choices.
PICTURECHART is the explicit teaching tool that plays a pivotal role in this.
Automatic knowledge of the chart is vital to THRASS teaching.

Note: To avoid confusion for readers unfamiliar with the IPA, the most common phonic representation of a speech sound is used instead of IPA symbols.

THE THRASS INSTITUTE Australasia & Canada