Final answer:
In explicit phonics instruction, short vowels are usually taught first as they are foundational for learning more complex phonics structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
In explicit phonics instruction, one of the first phonics generalizations typically taught is B) Short vowels (a as in apple, e as in bed). Short vowels are foundational components of phonics and are often introduced before more complex concepts such as vowel digraphs, consonant clusters, and consonant digraphs. It is important to have a solid understanding of short vowels because they are common and provide the basis for decoding many simple words.
As for the examples provided to understand vowel sounds:
- bang - short
- cake - long
- fame - long
- jam - short
- math - short
The pattern that can be observed with the VC, VCC, and VCCle constructions is that the presence of a consonant following the vowel typically indicates a short vowel sound, as marked in the provided examples.