| Teaching children to read accurately and fluently | | | | sound but cannot be separated into smaller phonemes |
| seems like such a straightforward and simple task but | | | | eg. igh as in light, ear as in heard and tch as in watch. |
| the reality is that many children suffer from some form | | | | SEGMENTATION - hearing individual phonemes |
| of learning disability and really require a little more then | | | | (sounds) within one word, such as: crash consists of |
| what is offered in most schools. The "Whole | | | | c-r-a-sh. The child needs to learn how to segment |
| Language" approach should be supplemented with a | | | | each word in its component phonemes and then to |
| carefully planned Phonics program and although this is | | | | choose a grapheme to represent each phoneme. |
| by now common knowledge, many teachers are not | | | | I know, that sounds very hard and it is, particularly |
| properly trained in this method. | | | | when you are learning disabled. |
| Even children with mild forms of learning disabilities, | | | | BLENDING - Means merging the individual sounds |
| such as dyslexia and/or hyperactivity/attention deficit | | | | together to pronounce the word. A child must learn to |
| disorder, will have a hard time learning to read. These | | | | "sound out" each grapheme, not each letter eg. th-i-n |
| children face more difficulties than others in creating | | | | not t-h-i-n. |
| relationship between sounds that they hear in words | | | | MNEMONICS - a device for memorizing and recalling |
| and letters that make that sound on paper. The | | | | something, such as a hand action of a drum (beat fist |
| National Institute of Child Health and Human | | | | on table) to remember the phoneme /d/ and the |
| Development has concluded in its survey that 95 | | | | instruction "think of your Mammy", to remember the /m |
| percent of the children suffering from this problem can | | | | . |
| reach their goal of reading accurately if they are | | | | There are approximately 44 phonemes in the English |
| attended to at a very early age, preferably, before | | | | language, representing 26 letters, used in some 140 |
| they enter 3rd grade. This institute recommended that | | | | combinations. |
| 'phonics' should be included as the part of the | | | | The "whole word" or "sight-word" approach to reading |
| curriculum and should be taught along with the whole | | | | instruction works fine for the majority of learners. |
| language combination. | | | | However, some 20 percent (some estimate go as |
| This message has by now penetrated into most | | | | high as 40%) of present day children suffer from more |
| schools and teachers will assure you with a "But we | | | | or less disabling forms of learning difficulties and will |
| DO teach phonics!" The question is, "Do they believe | | | | end up as illiterates, or at best, poor readers, unless |
| and understand it well enough to teach it | | | | taught by teachers that are trained in and fully |
| competently?" What phonics a child may be taught | | | | understand how to integrate phonics into their reading |
| can be nullified by teacher policies that still emphasize | | | | instruction. |
| the Whole Word approach. And there still are some | | | | Good teachers know that we should be aware of the |
| whole-language schools in various parts of the country, | | | | pieces of sounds that comprise words. This |
| where they proclaim, "But we DO teach phonics". It is | | | | awareness is called phonologic awareness. The |
| not that many years ago (1995), that a student was | | | | people teaching phonics should first check this |
| penalized for sounding out words by having his desk | | | | awareness in students then teach them with |
| put out into the parking lot! | | | | instructions in letter, sounds and building them to words. |
| This space will not suffice to provide you with a full | | | | Not only the teachers but also the parents play a very |
| description of the Phonics. However the following | | | | important role in helping their children to learn how to |
| definitions will arm you with some terminology and | | | | read accurately. There are many resources available |
| relevant vocabulary. | | | | on the internet that place emphasis on phonics. Most |
| PHONEME - Smallest unit of sound. | | | | of these programs recognize and apply the latest |
| GRAPHEME - Letter or group of letters representing | | | | up-to-date techniques and offer playful, entertaining |
| a one sound, such as: sh, igh, t. | | | | lessons in game form. Most children love to play these |
| DIGRAPH - Two letters which make one sound, such | | | | games and will learn to become good readers while |
| as: sh, ch, ee, ph, oa. | | | | they are having fun. It is also recommended that you |
| SPLIT DIGRAGHS - Two letters that work as a split | | | | speak often with the child's teacher and if possible, |
| pair: a-e as in cake and i-e as in kite. | | | | coordinate the home activities in order to ensure that |
| TRIGRAPH - Three letters which together make one | | | | they supplements what is done at school. |