ILTS Middle Grades Language Arts (201) Practice Exam

The CVCe syllable pattern refers to a specific phonetic structure in which a consonant-vowel-consonant is followed by a silent 'e'. The presence of this silent 'e' at the end of the word signals that the preceding vowel should be pronounced with a long sound. For instance, in the word "cake," the 'a' is long due to the 'e' that is silent at the end of the word. This pattern plays a crucial role in phonics instruction, as it helps students understand the relationship between sounds and spelling, particularly in recognizing and pronouncing long vowels.

The other options mention different structures that do not pertain to the CVCe pattern. A short vowel pattern would not include the influence of the silent 'e' that signals a long vowel. Compound words combine two independent words and do not fit the CVCe pattern's structure, which focuses on syllables and vowel sounds. Lastly, the r-controlled syllable structure involves vowels that are followed by an 'r', which changes the way the vowel is pronounced; this is distinct from the effect of the silent 'e' in the CVCe pattern.