Homophones Anyone?

Today I had a training meeting. During the meeting, one of the staff developers--which means she's most likely a former teacher with a Master's Degree in education, and just happens to be from someplace in the South--was discussing teaching the blend "wh" (why, what, when). She suggested we use the word "whistle" as a key, or anchor, word to help the kids learn the sound. This was different from the printed information we had been previously given, when it was suggested that we use the word "wheel."

"I don't know what I was thinking," she said. "Wheel is just like 'will.' They're homophones."

Yes, that's pretty much the way I learned it in third grade: to, too, two; hear, here; there, their; bare, bear; wheel, will. Yup.