Phonics instruction focuses on the letter-sound correspondences so that children learn that the three sounds of "cat" correspond to the three letters, c, a, and t. Knowing the relationships between written letters and spoken sounds helps children recognize familiar written words and decode new written words so they can apply their knowledge of the spoken words. While the English language contains many irregularly spelled words that don't follow the standard letter-sound correspondences, most of these words contain some regular letter-sound relationships, and knowledge of phonics supports children's memory for specific words.
Technology
Potential uses of technology to enhance phonics instruction include the ability to:
- provide tasks that involve students matching sounds and letters, and spoken and written words. In some cases, this simply involves adding letters and a written word component to phonemic awareness activities;
- provide immediate feedback to let students know whether their answers were correct, give them hints or additional chances, and provide correct answers;
- individualize problem sets and present stories to focus on the letter-sound correspondences and words that the student has not yet mastered;
- provide as many repetitions as necessary and alter the speed of speech to meet individual needs;
- provide game contexts, attractive visual presentations, and motivating speech, to engage and hold children's interest;
- provide reports for teachers' and children's progress and areas in which individual children need additional work;
- provide texts for children to read with scaffolds to support phonic skills---for example, software can enable a child to click on any word and hear the individual sounds of the word or the whole spoken word; and
- engage children in productive self-directed work on phonics while the teacher works directly with other children, thereby helping the teacher meet the individual needs of each student.
Whole language? Phonics? A combination of the two? Which is the best approach?
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the ability to read is vital! Children who don't succeed at reading are at risk of doing poorly in school. That's why teachers and administrators are under increasing pressure to raise students' reading ability.
Simply stated, supporters of the whole language approach think children's literature, writing activities, and communication activities can be used across the curriculum to teach reading; backers of phonics instruction insist that a direct, sequential mode of teaching enables students to master reading in an organized way.
Emerging from the conflict over whole language and phonics is the increasingly widespread view that each approach has a different but potentially complementary role to play in the effective teaching of reading. Many educators now look for ways to use phonics as part of whole language instruction, striving to teach meaningful phonics in the context of literature.
In "The Role of Phonics in Reading Instruction," the IRA maintains that:
"The teaching of phonics is an important aspect of beginning reading instruction.
Classroom teachers in the primary grades do value and do teach phonics as a part of their reading programs.
Phonics instruction, to be effective in promoting independence in reading, must be embedded in the context of a total reading/language arts program."
"Early, systematic, explicit phonics instruction is an essential part, but only part, of a balanced, comprehensive reading program. No one approach to teaching reading and writing is best for every child but the best approach maight be toupport phonics within a whole-language program.
Phonics does indeed have a role to play in early reading development as part of a balanced reading programme.However, when choosing software to help students in phonics we have to be mindful of the cultural differences that would impact on pronounciation as this language barrier can impede learning as well.
ReplyDeleteWe may need to collaborate on producing our own cultural and interest specific software.
I am a teacher in the infant department of a government school and phonics as the basis for reading is emphasized. The MOE has supplied most if not all such primary schools with the Jolly Phonic program as a tool in helping to develop students' reading skills. Though the teacher in his or her capacity must decide how and when to adopt the program into the burdensome syllabus,I can testify about the its benefits as well as some challenges. The teacher has to make the decision as to the best practices to implement to meet the needs of all learners including those who may be not be sensitive to phonics. So basically varied approaches will be needed to attend to our diverse learners.
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