An Outline of the PHONICS KNOWLEDGE that enables easy decoding of words
Reading is the single most important skill everyone MUST learn during the years at school. We think using language and the larger our vocabulary the greater is our ability to think. It is reading that enables us to develop the vocabulary powerful enough for real intellectual development. Reading allows access to the recorded knowledge of humankind.
READING OCCURS WHEN THE SOUND SYMBOL OR ALPHABETIC SYSTEM THAT RECORDS WORDS AND IDEAS IS MASTERED.
It is vital every child consolidates phonics knowledge (letter sound relationships) in the three or four early years of schooling. Often this doesn’t happen and the reader believes he or she is at fault rather than realising there are skills still needing development.
This needs to be done systematically and step by step to avoid confusion. Poorly taught phonics knowledge creates confusion.
CHECK YOUR PHONICS KNOWLEDGE USING THE CHECK LIST BELOW:
THIS WILL MAKE CLEAR TO YOU WHAT NEEDS TO LEARNED:
You are:
- Aware of the individual sounds that are made when speaking. In English around 44. This is called phonemic awareness.
- Know that the alphabet is used to represent these sounds in words that are written down.
- Recognise the 26 letters that are used to spell hundreds of thousands of words in lower and upper case form.
- Realise that there are more sounds than letters to represent them. One, two, three and sometimes four letters are used to spell one sound. Letters c, q and x are superfluous. C has the sound of either k or s, qu stands for kw and x sounds like ks.
- The sounds of the language are divided into 2 categories. Vowel sounds and consonant sounds.
- Know 25 sounds are consonant sounds and 19 are vowel sounds. Six consonants are semi-vowels. (l,m,n,r,y,ng)
- Know 19 vowel sounds and that every word or syllables in a word have to contain a vowel sound
- A number of vowel sounds can be spelled in a variety of ways.
- Recognise the all purpose muttering vowel or schwa sound
- Recognise the 2 difficulties with the English alphabet and spelling. Too many sounds and too few letters to spell them. Some of the single letters are used to spell 2 entirely different sounds (a,e,i,o,u,c, g)
The Natural Sequence for Learning any Phonic Method follows:
Step One: Introduce the five short vowels and consonant sounds that are spelled with a single letter.
Step Two: Present the consonants and consonant combinations spelled with 2 or 3 letters
Step Three: Introduce vowels and vowel combinations spelled with 2 or 3 letters.
Step Four: Present the five long vowels
Step Five: Introduce irregular spellings.
For beginning readers the many skills involved in reading do not come easily. Many struggling readers flounder at steps 4 and 5.
Today, due to technology learning to read can be fun and engaging with a successful outcome and done at the rate determined by the learner.
Outstanding programs are available for home study.
Check out the following programs that are excellent for children. I recommend them all as they are based on the solid reading research that has been undertaken over the past few years. Each program is step by step and not overwhelming for the beginning reader or the child who has not mastered the early stages of reading.
http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=850002
http://www.readingdoctor.com.au/
ClicknRead Phonics is another excellent program. Click the icon on the left to view this program
If you have any questions or concerns please email support@phonicsforkids.net
In future posts I intend explaining phonics for adults so keep tuned!
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