Last Updated: March 14, 2026
By: Amy Schlueter
This all started because of one. very. funny. student.
I was teaching the schwa in my Step 3 lesson—frustrating and confusing— especially for Samantha. A couple of days later, she misread a word, paused, looked at it again, and then dramatically corrected herself by saying, “How dare you, e!!!,” angrily poking the page. She looked up at me. And then… we completely lost it. Full-on laughter.
But once we settled down, something clicked for me.
Instead of correcting and moving on like I normally would, I leaned into it. I started calling it Evil Schwa during our lessons with her. And instantly, everything changed. Stress melted away. Frustration became playful. She wasn’t shutting down anymore—she was ready.
Ready to spot it.
Ready to call it out.
Ready to conquer it.
What used to feel like a “gotcha” moment became a challenge she actually wanted to take on. That one comment sparked everything.
From there, Evil Schwa was born— she morphed from a vague idea into a character that I print, cut, and laminate. And she didn’t stay alone for long. Quickly she had quite a bit of company… and my phonics lessons were never the same.
Today, if you walked into my room mid-lesson, you might see a tiny superhero flying across the whiteboard… a sassy villain smashing vowels… and a naughty puppy tearing up a perfectly good word.
Welcome to structured literacy—with a twist.
When I started teaching Wilson, I loved the explicitness of syllable types, but let’s be honest… it can feel borrrrrrringggggg (😴) for some kids. Especially my students who already think reading is hard. They don’t need dry—they need something that sticks.
So I leaned into my love of storytelling and flair for drama.
Meet the Characters Running Our Phonics Block
Super Hero E is a student favorite. He literally flies in to save the vowel and make it say its name. When we build words, kids will grab him and swoop him into place: “Wait! Don’t read it yet—Super Hero E has to do his job!”
And just like that, magic e isn’t abstract anymore—it’s alive.
Then there’s Evil Schwa… the first and most dastardly villain of the alphabet. She smashes vowel sounds and leaves kids going, “Ewwww!” (which honestly just reinforces the concept even more). Any time a vowel makes that lazy /uh/ sound, someone will whisper, “She’s back…”
Her little sister? Bossy R. Not quite as destructive, but definitely in charge. She bends vowels to her will, and the kids LOVE calling her out:
“Ugh, Bossy R is being so bossy again!”
And we cannot forget Naughty O-V-E—their troublemaking puppy. This one gets laughs every time. Why doesn’t “ove” play fair? Move, love, drove?! Kids quickly learn: if that puppy is around, you better be on guard.
And just when my students think they’ve figured things out… along comes Tricky Ex- Fox.
He shows up in Step 3, wearing a little mask (because of course he does), and he is sneaky. Decoding with “ex” can throw kids off fast—and spelling it? Even harder.
Think about it. When you read extend, it sounds like there’s an s in there. And exam? Suddenly it sounds like a gz. This absolutely trips kids up.
And when spelling is already such a heavy lift for our students, this is the kind of thing that can completely derail their confidence.
So instead of letting it become another frustration point, I introduce Tricky Ex- Fox.
We talk about how he tries to fool us. He makes it sound like extra letters are there—but they’re not. He’s just being tricky.
Then I give them a rule they love:
X is enemies with S and Z.
They will never be side by side in a word. No exs... No exz…
That simple idea is powerful. It gives students something concrete to hold onto when their ears are telling them one thing and the word is showing them another.
So now, instead of guessing or shutting down, my students will stop and say,
“Wait… is this Tricky Ex- Fox trying to trick me?”
And just like that—they’re back in control.
Why This Works (and Why Kids Remember It)
These characters take abstract phonics rules and turn them into something concrete, visual, and honestly… hilarious. It’s also very freeing for them to have villains they can blame for their reading and spelling woes! And when kids are laughing, they’re remembering.
Each time I introduce a new concept or syllable, we add a color-coded poster to our wall (aligned with Wilson steps). The room slowly transforms into this visual roadmap of everything they’ve learned.
But here’s the game changer…
I don’t just leave the posters on the wall.
I print, cut, and laminate the clipart characters so students can use them. When we’re reading or building words, they physically place Super Hero E next to a word. They drop Evil Schwa in when a vowel goes rogue. They “warn” each other when Naughty O-V-E might strike.
It turns phonics into something interactive instead of passive.
Let’s Talk Tricksters
Because of course… English doesn’t like to follow its own rules.
That’s where my Tricksters come in—those sneaky little exceptions hiding in nearly every syllable type. I represent them as little monsters, and the kids immediately get it:
“This word is breaking the rule—it’s a trickster!”
Instead of frustration, we get curiosity (and a little side-eye toward the English language).
The Best Part
My students don’t just learn these concepts… they own them.
They reference the characters independently. They correct themselves. They laugh while doing hard things. And most importantly—they start to feel successful.
If you’re looking to bring more engagement (and a lot more personality) into your phonics block, my Wilson Syllable Type Posters and Tricksters set was designed for exactly this. It gives you the structure you need and the fun your students crave.
Because let’s be real—if Evil Schwa is going to show up anyway, we might as well make her memorable.
Start Talking!
Make up your own creative characters—get creative and have FUN! Your enthusiasm is contagious. But if you’re overworked, overtired, and your creativity is nowhere to be found you can grab my Syllable Type Poster and avatars here and live happily ever after. 😍
