PHONICS FOR KIDS

Have you ever come across a statement, saying or part of a book  that sums up exactly what you want to say?

I have just finished studying a book entitled “Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.”

In it I found a summary of my view of the initial stage of learning to read.

My experience working with scores of children who struggled with reading and writing backs this summary up.

The book was published in 1983 and is still available probably because parents are looking for a program that will help their child with reading.

I have been very fortunate to have had a long and varied teaching career and seen many of the changes in teaching and learning in Victorian (Australia) schools.

Changes for good I must say.

Teaching and learning research findings have filtered down to the teachers in schools particularly here in Australia. We are learning and implementing them all the time.

Modern education here in Victoria is fantastic particulary since the introduction of the integrated curriculum and technology.

Now reading is the fundamental skill we all need to participate in modern society.

Learning to read is like learning to play a piano. The sophisticated reading an adult does comes from years of practice. It can be likened to the playing of a concerto on a piano.

As the authors of ‘Teach Your Child to read……..’ point out  ’the ultimate goal of reading instruction is to prepare children for the concerto of reading. It involves  reading complicated material silently, at a reasonably fast rate, and understanding the details of the message the author presents.”

Now for the information from this book that says what I believe based on years of teaching experience.

“Decoding-is the central skill in initial reading. Most of the other skills are nothing more than language skills. Once a sentence has been decoded, it is like a spoken sentence that may have been presented slowly. If the child has the language skills necessary to understand the spoken sentence, the child has the skills necessary to understand the decoded sentence. The central issue is not that of teaching the child to understand, but of teaching the child how to decode the sentences that are to be understood. We should not require the child to read sentences that are beyond the child’s understanding,…”

As a former colleague of mine said, “Thirteen years of formal education before studying for a career occur because it is necessary.”

My wish is for every child to receive the benefit of what modern education has to offer by ensuring the fundamental reading and writing skills are developed in the early years of schooling.

Many researchers, teachers and scholars have contributed to the education debate and will continue to do so.

I would like to pay tribute to the authors of

“Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons”

Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox and Elaine Bruner  

1983 Fireside Books, Simon and Schuster

for their contribution to my professional understanding.

Learning to read begins very early in life, alongside learning to talk.

Learning to talk is the fundamental skill that a young child needs to master and reading is an aspect of language.

Babies love bright colors and need large colorfully illustrated books.

When a trusted parent or adult talks about the pictures and words a child begins to realize that the information in a book never changes.

A child who is used to being read to will begin to mimic the adult reading behavior and begin to hold the book the right way up, turn pages correctly, ‘read’ and chant from known parts of the book. All aspects of learning to read.

Young children who have their own books ‘read’ their favorites or ask to have them read to them again and again.

I still have a vivid memory of my young son protesting when his father took a short cut and left out parts of his favorite story. He knew this story by heart!

During the early phases of learning to read your child is remembering word patterns and learning about the language of books.

This is a very important part and often underestimated aspect of learning to read.

There is no need for formally teaching a child at this stage. Incidental teaching when the need arises is of course valuable. The aim at this stage should be to develop an interest in written language through sharing and discussing books and other written material.

Once this foundation has been set the next stage is recognizing and noticing letters in their own names and in books. The first letter my sons discovered was the letter K. This was the letter on the K Mart store. They called the letter kmarto and searched for it in every piece of print they could find.

Much fun and laughter ensured as they did this.

Before starting school, some children take the next step and begin to notice letters from their name or recognize a word or two as books are read together.

Many children don’t, though. This is normal, because children all develop at very different rates.

I have noticed that many young children begin school knowing their letters and sounds and words that begin with them thanks to television and computer programs and of course interested parents.

Phonics or letter sound relationships are firmly established.

There should be no stress placed on the child to learn letter names and the sounds they represent.

In years past a strategy for teaching children to read was by using words on cards. When you knew enough words, you were given a book to practice.

Teaching methods have certainly changed for the better since those days.

As close as forty years ago, books for young children often had poor illustrations and very simple language. The illustrations were regarded as secondary to the reading of text.

Things have improved due to the change in teaching and learning.

Today quality texts, where the language sounds good and the illustrations often stunning, play an important part in developing children’s reading skills. Often a whole class is taught to read together through the use of a big book so everyone can see and join in as the teacher points out letters, words and sentences. Reading and writing are linked.

The modern classroom and technology provide a wide range of activities that encourage every child to succeed at developing their literacy skills.

A website that offers great information and activities is

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/index.shtml

I found this poem in a 1899 copy of “The School Paper” published by the Education Department of Victoria, Australia. It caught my eye after I had watched a television program on how parents in an African country did everything in their power to get their daughter enrolled in school.

I wonder what poem there was for girls?

What the School-Bell Says

It is wonderful what unlike things

The school-bell says to the boys when it rings.

For instance, the laggard who drags along

On his way to school hears this sort of song:

Study till four -

Books are a bore!

Oh, how I wish

I could rush off and fish

See, there’s the brook,

Here’s line and hook

Suppose I must go

Whether or no,

Study till four -

Books are a bore.

 Then the boy who loves to be faithful and true,

Who does what his parents think he should do,

Comes bravely along with satchel and books,

The breeze in his whistle the sun in his looks;

And these are the thoughts that well up like a song,

And he hears the old bell with it’s faithful ding-dong

Cling, clang, cling -

I’m so glad I can sing!

Even a boy

Finds study a joy.

When my work’s done,

I’m ready for fun;

Keener my play for the tasks of the day.

These are the songs that the two boys heard

When the school bell was ringing, word for word.

Don’t be a laggard I far better, say

To work when you work, and play when you play

                                              From The Children’s Friend

Any comments?  Have times changed?