Teaching & Learning Page

Teaching and Learning Spotlight

As discussed in the last newsletter, research has shown that there are six key components that contribute to successful reading. Because of the importance of these components, they have become known as ‘The Big Six’: oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. This week, we are going to focus on the next of the big six, an important component of word recognition, phonics.

“Phonics has several related meanings – the relationship between speech sounds and their letter symbols, the methods used to teach that relationship and the process of using letter-sound relationships to read and spell words” (2023, p. 128). Phonics is the relationship between the 26 letters of the English alphabet, and the approximate 44 speech sounds.

Letter-sound correspondences are represented by approximately 250 different spellings (Moats, 2010).

How does phonics contribute to reading success?

In the first few years of schooling children are acquiring the essential skill of learning to read. There is research that demonstrates early reading progress is most likely to occur when the early reading instruction includes systematic and explicit teaching of phonics, especially for those children who are at greatest risk of reading difficulties. Phonics builds on phonological awareness. During phonics lessons at school, children learn to connect the phoneme (sound) to the letter or group of letters that is used to represent it. \

Systematic phonics instruction includes an explicit scope and sequence of phonics concepts that are taught in a logical order. Explicit instruction can allow for students who are at different points in their learning by differentiating at the point of need.

How we teach phonics at Surfside?

Phonics lessons begin with the sound pack, where students say the sound/s for the letter/s on each card. The cards are combined for students to decode (read) real or nonsense words. Next, the children write the ways to spell sounds they have learnt. For example, the sound /k/ can be written as -ck, c, k or ch. Then the students read and spell spelling concepts before being taught a new skill. For example, "-dge says the sound /j/ at the end of a word after a short vowel" before dictation and reading a book.

7 Phonics Activities for Parents to Do at Home:

Phonics Scavenger Hunts of letter/s in books.
Modified Phonics Board Games - At each turn, pick a card and say the sound of the letter/s.
Fun Phonics Writing - Practice writing letters or words in shaving cream, sand or salt.
"What's the Sound?" Phonics Game - Grab a few toys or objects and ask for the first or last sound (and perhaps letter)
At-Home Phonics Treasure Hunt - Hide index cards with alphabet letters or words written on them and have them say the letter sound OR read the word aloud.
Word Building with Magnetic Letters on the fridge or oven tray to build letter combinations or words.
Go To The Library to find decodable readers. (The Magic Belt Series is wonderful!)