Phonics
Phonics overview and guiding principles (video)
The ability to understand that there is a predictable relationship between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (the letters that represent those sounds in written language) in order to associate written letters with the sounds of spoken language. Phonics teaches students about the relationship between phonemes and printed letters and explains how to use this knowledge to read and spell.
Phonics Lessons include explicit lessons on letter-sound relationships along with application activities. Lessons are ordered along a continuum of difficulty across the year.
What Teachers Should Know
- Components and definition of alphabetic principle.
- The relation of phonemic awareness & decoding.
- The critical stages in learning to decode words.
- Features that influence the difficulty of word recognition.
- Critical differences between regular and irregular words.
- Terminology (alphabetic principle, orthography, grapheme, phonological recoding)
What Teachers Should Be Able to Do
- Sequence letter-sound correspondences to enhance word recognition.
- Assess & diagnose decoding skills.
- Select examples according to complexity of word type and letter sounds.
- Explicitly teach letter sounds, blending, sight words, and connected text reading.
- Give corrective feedback.
- Evaluate design of materials.
EXAMPLE OF PHONICS LESSON
Objective: The students will use their knowledge of letter-sound correspondence and awareness of phonological sound placement to write and change words.
Intervention Principle Use-precise, simple language to introduce key concepts or procedures. Break tasks into smaller steps, compared with less intensive levels of instruction or intervention. Start by modeling, and then provide opportunities for guided practice with feedback.
Sample Script and Procedures Today, we are going to write words and then change them into new words by changing just one letter. Write the word “man” on the board. Let’s read this word together slowly. Put your finger under each letter of “man.” (mmmaaannn) Now let’s read it quickly (man). Watch while I change one letter so that it says “map.” Say the word map. (map) I can tell the sound at the end of the word is different, so I know I need to change the “n” to “p.” Change the “n” to a “p” on the whiteboard. You may need to repeat the words.
Tons of interactive phonics lessons
http://www.theschoolhouse.us/index.html
Reading & Literacy: Designing and Implementing a Successful Program
Keys to Literacy. Systematic Phonics Scope and Sequence