Handy English Encoder Decoder

Take the mystery out of spelling and reading! Is it “their,” “they’re,” or “there”; “accept” or “except”; “advice” or “advise”? What are the five ways the “j” sound can be spelled? These questions and more are answered in Trivium Pursuit’s newest book Handy English Encoder Decoder: All the Spelling and Phonics Rules You Could Ever Want to Know by Harvey Bluedorn.

English spelling employs several different and sometimes complex codes and rules for representing sounds. How this all works is a mystery to many people. Encoder Decoder solves this mystery by conveniently arranging these codes and rules in an easy and accessible format.

Students, teachers, writers, and speakers will find the Encoder Decoder handy for looking up any spelling or phonics rule. Encoder Decoder collects in one place what is needed to become a better speller and a more proficient reader.

This one little volume contains:

• more than 60 categorized spelling rules;
• over 200 phonics rules;
• rules for dividing words into syllables;
• commonly confused spellings and word pairs;
• spelling and phonics games; and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Review at Midwestbookreview.com
Handy English Encoder Decoder is not a book about cryptography per se; rather, it is a straightforward instruction manual to understanding the codes and rules for representing English phonics and spelling. Comprising of more than 60 categorized spelling rules, over 200 phonics rules, rules for dividing a word into syllables, commonly confusing word spellings and word pairs, spelling and phonics games, and much more, Handy English Encoder Decoder is a concise, quick-reference, easy-to-use supplement highly recommended for any writer or editor's reference collection.

Especially recommended for anyone working on their pronunciation skills or learning English as a second language.

If you’re working with words, whether in reading or spelling, it doesn’t take long to realize that the English language is full of rules – and rule breakers. Harvey Bluedorn has taken some of the "mystery" out of our language by compiling the Handy English Encoder Decoder – All the Spelling and Phonics Rules You Could Ever Want to Know.

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Review at homeschoolingfromtheheart.com
Designed to enhance (not replace) your spelling and phonics program, the Handy English Encoder Decoder cracks the "code" of our language and arranges the rules in an easy to access, brief, and orderly format. The book is divided into two sections. The first, the Encoder, covers more than 60 spelling rules and their exceptions and also includes a list of commonly confused spellings and word pairs. The second section, the Decoder, lists over 200 phonics rules listed in alphabetical order for quick reference.

Also included in this section are the rules for dividing words into syllables. The Handy English Encoder Decoder also includes an appendix listing some suggested spelling and phonics games, as well as an exhaustive list of homophones (words which are pronounced the same but spelled differently).

The Handy English Encoder Decoder is one of those books you will find yourself referring to again and again. Adults and children will both benefit from having this incredibly comprehensive and indeed, "handy" resource at their fingertips!

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Review by Jean Hall at eho.org
The subtitle of this slim volume is All the Spelling and Phonics Rules You Could Ever Want to Know. I second that! I wouldn't exactly call this a "good read," unless you need to lull yourself to sleep some insomnia-laced night, but it is not meant to be entertaining. It is an excellent reference. The author maintains that "nearly anyone who applies diligence to learning the general spelling rules and who consults his dictionary regularly can be a good speller." He adds that "phonics rules help spelling and spelling rules help phonics." (Did you know there's a spelling rule that says no word can end with the letter "j"? I was only halfway through the introduction and already I had learned something!)

Helpful chapters include "Commonly Confused Spellings and Word Pairs;" prefix and suffix rules; hyphenation (my own personal nightmare); and dictionary rules of syllable division, which, as the book explains, are not always the same as the natural division of syllables in common speech, or how we say the word. No wonder I struggle in this area! My dictionary is my closest confidante when it comes to dividing words, but if I memorize this single page of rules I might be able to fly solo. Having a short list of rules at my fingertips is a start to conquering the difficulty.

A large portion of the book is given over to the phonics rules. I admit I found the symbols, meant to allow easy generalization, annoying. Algebra was never a strong point of mine, as it substituted letters for actual numbers, and this book works the same way, using symbols where you can substitute any number of letters in their place. Thankfully the explanation of the phonics symbols and rules is bolstered by a hefty number of examples for each rule.

In the appendices you'll find two spelling games and a phonics game, both designed to help you begin to make use of this book, and finally a list of homophones. Tell me, how many times have you confused stationary and stationery?

This book will make a fine addition to the reference section of any homeschooler's or writer's library.

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Review in Homeschooling Today Magazine at homeschooltoday.com
If you or your children answer to the call, "Bad spellers of the world, unite!," you need The Handy English Encoder Decoder: All the Spelling and Phonics Rules You Could Ever Want to Know by Harvey Bluedorn. This easy-to-tote-around reference book has over 60 spelling rules, 200 phonics rules, rules for dividing syllables, a list of often misspelled works, suggested games to aid in learning spelling and phonics, and more! Learning these rules and tricks will not only improve spelling ability but also reading skills. If the old rhyme "I before E except after C has eliminated spelling errors for you, you may be shocked to find out what this book could do! We expect to hear an advertisement for Mr. Bluedorn's book from the winner of next year's national spelling bee! reviewed by Naomi Valine

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Review by Dena Wood of timestales.com
This little booklet packs a big whallop! Literally hundreds of spelling and phonics rules are easily categorized in this handbook. Commonly confused and misspelled words, homophones, capitalization rules and much, much more are also covered. The wonderful thing about this book is that, while it gives you the answer you need, it is brief and to the point. It's small enough to carry with you or keep right at your desk. It provides a quick and simple answer to your spelling or punctuation quandry. No need to sift through page after page, trying to find what you're looking for. This user-friendly guide puts the answer at your fingertips and is a great resource for any aspiring writer.

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Review in Mary Pride's Practical Homeschooling May/June 2005 issue
Just what is a Handy English Encoder Decoder? The author likens spelling to encoding and reading to decoding. This book helps you to do each of these. . . . This small paperback book would fit just about anywhere, making it easy to keep on hand should you want to refer to it often. Reviewed by Melissa Worcester

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Review by Kristine Jacobson, Forest Lake, Minnesota
Simple and certainly “handy”! I wish I had this back in my school days. Almost as useful during the schooling years as your Noah Webster’s Dictionary, this book clearly walks you through all the spelling and phonics rules you will come across. Written in its clear and precise format, it is quite an aid in teaching the phonics rules to your children, as well as having them seek out the rules for themselves.