What is Phonics?
Phonics is a method of teaching people to read and write by correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters in an alphabetic writing system. Phonics instruction helps children learn the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language. Children are taught, for example, that the letter n represents the sound /n/, and that it is the first letter in words such as nose, nice and new.
Good Phonics Instruction Should Develop Phonological Awarness:
The key to the development of the alphabetic principle, word recognition, and invented spelling is phonological awarness. Children ordinarily concentrate on the meaning and do not think of the sounds in the word. Since, letters represent sounds children must learn to think of words as haveing both meaning and sound in order to understand the alphabetic principle.
Good Phonics Instruction Should Provide a Thorough Grounding in the Letters
The other part of learning letter- sound relationships is learning the forms of letters. Efficient word recognition is dependent on children's thorough familiarity with letters. They should not have to think, for example that the letter t is the one with the up and down line and the cross thingy. Children should recognize t immediately. They need to be able to recognize the forms of the letters automatically, without conscious effort to be able to recognize words fluently.
Good Phonics Instruction Should Develop Phonological Awarness:
The key to the development of the alphabetic principle, word recognition, and invented spelling is phonological awarness. Children ordinarily concentrate on the meaning and do not think of the sounds in the word. Since, letters represent sounds children must learn to think of words as haveing both meaning and sound in order to understand the alphabetic principle.
Good Phonics Instruction Should Provide a Thorough Grounding in the Letters
The other part of learning letter- sound relationships is learning the forms of letters. Efficient word recognition is dependent on children's thorough familiarity with letters. They should not have to think, for example that the letter t is the one with the up and down line and the cross thingy. Children should recognize t immediately. They need to be able to recognize the forms of the letters automatically, without conscious effort to be able to recognize words fluently.
Alphabetic Principle
The alphabetic principle is the notion that letters in words may stand for specific sounds. One can observe children's growth in their understanding of the alphabetic principle through reading and invented spelling.
Word Recognition
The need to be able to recognize the forms of the letters automatically, without conscious effort to be able to recognize words fluently.
TRY THIS!
Label Mania
Create cards with clearly printed words and used them to label items at centers, favorite toys, places in the classroom (restroom, closet,library), items of furniture (table,desk, chair, trash can), etc. Students probably know these everyday items, but now you are helping them see the items in print and how they are spelled.
TRY THIS!
Label Mania
Create cards with clearly printed words and used them to label items at centers, favorite toys, places in the classroom (restroom, closet,library), items of furniture (table,desk, chair, trash can), etc. Students probably know these everyday items, but now you are helping them see the items in print and how they are spelled.
Invented Spelling
To better understand phonics, think about how you read a made-up word like "blit" or "fratchet". Even though you don't know the made-up word or what it means, you can read and pronounce it by figuring out what sounds the letters make, and then you can sound it out and pronounce it.
ACTIVITIES for Phonics Instruction
Make A Word
This is a video I made with my cousin using the Make A Word Folder
This is a video I made with my cousin using the Make A Word Folder
Paint Chips
Paint Chips for Phonics
You can use this with word families, blends, or digraphs
You can use this with word families, blends, or digraphs
Word Families Flip Chart
Our new flip chart focuses on blending words.
Click HERE!!!
Syllable Types
Phonics Generalizations (Common Rules)
Long A- stay, bake, bait
ay---stay, play, may,day
ai--- bait, wait
a_e--- make, bake, date
ow- bowl, cow, owl, bow
oi- boil
oy- boy, toy
Y- yolk (Y), funny (e), fry (i)
ight (trigraph)- night, fight, fright, knight
When "c" or "g" is following by "i" or "e" they are usually soft--- cent, engine
In a two syllable word the first syllable or the root word is usually accented or stressed--- toothbrush, untie
Schwa--- the vowel in the unstressed syllable--- taken, about, pencil
ay---stay, play, may,day
ai--- bait, wait
a_e--- make, bake, date
ow- bowl, cow, owl, bow
oi- boil
oy- boy, toy
Y- yolk (Y), funny (e), fry (i)
ight (trigraph)- night, fight, fright, knight
When "c" or "g" is following by "i" or "e" they are usually soft--- cent, engine
In a two syllable word the first syllable or the root word is usually accented or stressed--- toothbrush, untie
Schwa--- the vowel in the unstressed syllable--- taken, about, pencil
Assessing Phonics
TPRI- Texas Primary Reading Inventory
The Screening Section of the TPRI is a brief assessment for identification of students who may be at risk for reading difficulties. Its primary purpose is to predict for teachers which of their students may need additional or intensive reading instruction in order to meet their grade level goals. The skills tested are for different grade levels and for different times of the school year.
The Screening Section of the TPRI is a brief assessment for identification of students who may be at risk for reading difficulties. Its primary purpose is to predict for teachers which of their students may need additional or intensive reading instruction in order to meet their grade level goals. The skills tested are for different grade levels and for different times of the school year.
DIBELS-Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills
Benchmark testing with DIBELS can help determine which students are at risk for later reading difficulties. Students who receive supplemental instructional support should be progress monitored. The assessment used to monitor progress should align with the instructional priorities of the supplemental reading instruction. DIBELS has the material to test students in grades K-6.
Benchmark testing with DIBELS can help determine which students are at risk for later reading difficulties. Students who receive supplemental instructional support should be progress monitored. The assessment used to monitor progress should align with the instructional priorities of the supplemental reading instruction. DIBELS has the material to test students in grades K-6.
What Does Research Tells us About Phonics?
The meta-analysis revealed that systematic phonics instruction produces significant benefits for students in kindergarten through 6th grade and for children having difficulty learning to read. The ability to read and spell words was enhanced in kindergartners who received systematic beginning phonics instruction. First graders who were taught phonics systematically were better able to decode and spell, and they showed significant improvement in their ability to comprehend text. Older children receiving phonics instruction were better able to decode and spell words and to read text orally, but their comprehension of text was not significantly improved. This had a positive and significant effect on disabled readers’ reading skills. These children improved substantially in their ability to read words and showed significant, albeit small, gains in their ability to process text as a result of systematic synthetic phonics instruction. This type of phonics instruction benefits both students with learning disabilities and low-achieving students who are not disabled. Moreover, systematic synthetic phonics instruction was significantly more effective in improving low socioeconomic status (SES) children’s alphabetic knowledge and word reading skills than instructional approaches that were less focused on these initial reading skills. (Report from the National Reading Panel)