“Unlock the Power of Phonics: Transforming Students into Confident Readers”
Teaching Kids to Read: Nurturing Individual Learning Paths
Foundations of Phonics: Developing Sound Awareness in Kindergarten
Teaching phonics includes:
- Ear Training
- Eye Training
- Tongue Training
- Word Building
Building Sound Awareness: Ear Training Activities for Kindergarten
On the first day of kindergarten, you can begin ear training. Start with a simple game of “monkey see, monkey do,” but without speaking. Inform the class that they need to follow your instructions without verbalizing the words. For instance, you could say, “Bring me a ‘b-o-x’,” pronouncing the last word slowly and phonetically. Similarly, instruct them to “show me something ‘r-e-d’,” “tap on your ‘d-e-s-k’,” “touch something made of ‘t-i-n’,” “clap your ‘h-a-n-d-s’,” “r-u-n to the ‘d-o-o-r’,” or “H-o-p on the ‘w-i-n-d-o-w’,” and so on. This playful approach will pique their interest, allowing you to transition to saying words phonetically one after the other, and have students identify each word.
In a matter of days, your students will start recognizing nearly any sounded word. Occasionally, incorporate these phonetic words into a short story, encouraging students to pronounce them. This form of training can be effectively continued throughout the first half of the school year. However, it’s essential to note that formal training for young children should ideally commence in second grade.
Tongue Training: Developing Articulation Skills
Around the third or fourth day, it’s time to start training your students’ tongues. Begin by sounding out a word and asking a student to identify the first and last sounds they hear. Make sure the student accurately identifies these sounds.
It’s worth noting that there is a natural tendency to voice a breath or voiceless sound, such as ‘h.’
Phonics Play: Developing Sound Recognition
Hold a picture card in front of the student, displaying the image without revealing the word. Ask the student to slowly pronounce the name phonetically, as in h-a-t, c-a-p, v-a-s-e, p-e-n, b-o-o-k, f-a-n, and so on.
You can also present an object to the student and have them pronounce its name slowly.
After a few days of practice, introduce a sound for exploration. This could be a simple phonogram like ‘l’ or a compound phonogram like ‘sl.’ Challenge the student to brainstorm as many words as they can think of that start with that particular sound.
Continue this training for several months, dedicating 8 to 10 days to ear and tongue training before moving on to eye training.
Mastering Sound-Symbol Associations: Beginning Eye Training
Associating Sounds with Symbols
Eye training begins in second grade. Before this age, children should engage in nursery rhymes, songs, and plenty of playtime. Eye training’s goal is to teach students to associate sounds with symbols.
Picture Naming and Sound Recognition
Start by presenting picture cards and asking students to name the pictures. For instance, show a card with a picture of a man or a moon. Then, inquire about the first sound they hear, and they will respond with ‘m.’ The prior ear and tongue training paves the way for quick recognition.
Now, explain to the students that the letters on the back of the card represent pictures of the first sound and will help them identify words.
Learning New Sounds
Next, students learn the sounds of ‘a’ and ‘n’ using the same approach. They then practice saying the sounds of the three letters ‘m-a-n,’ revealing the word ‘man.’ Initially, students may enunciate the sounds with gaps that make it hard to discern the word. Encourage them to say the sounds rapidly until they can hear and identify the word.
Sequencing Phonograms
The order in which you introduce phonograms should be based on how easily they blend together. In early lessons, only teach students the sound of the letter illustrated. It can be confusing to introduce the letter’s name simultaneously with its sound. Names of the letters can be introduced after 3 to 4 months once the sounds are thoroughly understood.
Interestingly, students don’t need to learn the ABCs in order. The number of pages completed in a given lesson should align with the class’s ability. Take on only as much as students can comfortably manage.
A Multitude of Words, One New Sound at a Time
The phonics course comprises over 3500 different words, each introducing a single new phonogram at the start of its series. Present one new sound at a time during lessons.
Individualized Learning
The majority of phonics work should be done individually. While concert recitation can be useful for shy students and save time, it should generally be avoided unless all students can correctly articulate the sounds of all consonants.
Whispering to Success
Encourage students to whisper the sounds to themselves when studying phonics or reading lessons. This whispering is a vital part of the word-getting process. Hearing the sounds is essential for mentally blending them, a skill that takes several months to develop. Avoid checking progress too soon, as it can hinder word acquisition.
Diacritical Marks: Timing and Utilization
Avoid introducing diacritical marks until students are advanced enough to utilize a dictionary effectively. This typically begins in the second half of the second grade or third grade.
Reader Limitation in Diacritical Mark Learning
When teaching reading with diacritical marks, students should primarily focus on the reader from which they are being taught for the first year or longer.
Vowel Utilization for Sound Determination
Emphasize teaching students to use vowels to determine the sound of a vowel based on its position in the word and its related words.
The methods employed in this teaching approach grant students immediate mastery of the word being taught and the words within its family, regardless of where they may encounter them.
Minimize Rule Overload
Avoid overloading students with an excess of rules. Instead, focus on the simplest and most essential rules necessary for word recognition.
Principles Over Memorization
Do not demand that students memorize these rules. Instead, encourage frequent application of these principles, which will lead to a solid understanding.
The Power of Blending Sounds
The ability to blend sounds is crucial for students to discover new words, emphasizing its importance in daily lessons.
Self-Reliance in Reading
Constantly encourage students to apply their phonics knowledge to their reading lessons, promoting self-reliance in word recognition.
Developing Fluency
With time, students will become more fluent, and their comprehensive knowledge of phonics will enable them to recognize words with sounds beyond their initial phonics training.
If you’d like a PDF version that includes word mastery or further tips on teaching exceptions, please feel free to send me an email. I’d be happy to assist further.
In conclusion, a well-structured phonics approach can lay a strong foundation for your students’ reading journey. By focusing on essential rules, fostering the blending of sounds, and encouraging self-reliance in word recognition, you can empower your students to become confident and proficient readers. Remember, the path to literacy may take time, but with dedication and effective teaching methods, the reward of seeing your students master the art of reading is truly priceless. If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can help young learners unlock the magical world of words.