“The phonics lessons usually start with the a card for the short-a sound (apple /a/) and with four or five consonant cards for letters which have only a single sound, are not easily confused with one another, and can be combined to form several phonetic three-letter words that the pupils know by ear……Other groups of consonants are introduced at subsequent lessons; these are also blended with the short-a sound into simple words, and practice is then given in seeing and hearing the likeness and the difference between words according to their initial and final letters.” Orton, A Guide To Teaching Phonics, Educators Publishing Service, p. 19