After my last blog on the crazy language, I felt a need to address the “why” of the misunderstandings of our crazy language. Our language is not quite as crazy as I made it out to be. Sure, it has many irregularities and exceptions; but, our words are made up of 44 sounds which follow predictable patterns, for the most part.
Phonics, quite simply, is a method of teaching reading and spelling based on these predictable symbol-sound relationships. Using phonics to teach reading means the student will learn the sounds of language (phonemes) and the letters (graphic representations of the phonemes) which would most likely represent those sounds based on location of the sound in the word. Confused yet?
What role should phonics play in the overall reading instruction?
In other words, how much phonics and what type of phonics (yes, there are multiple types) instruction is best? There is no simple answer to this question. Since some kids “get it” quick and others don’t; individualizing instruction to meet the needs of all students is the key. Phonics is only part of teaching a student to read (actually only decoding unknown words) and should be included to assist in the reading of unknown words. However, reading is much more than simply calling words on a page. Reading encompasses the ability to attach meaning to those words and put all of the meanings of words together to make some sort of sense.
Is spelling really important to learn?
There are many schools of thought on the importance of spelling and whether it should be a focus of instruction. I am not talking about weekly spelling lists and tests. Really learning to spell means to understand the elements of sound-symbol relationships and applying them to create a written word. Just like in reading, spelling words uses the predictable patterns in words to create a relationship between the sounds and the symbols (letters). When students learn these patterns, they are more apt to apply them in writing unfamiliar words. Learning the patterns can be much easier than memorizing thousands of words each year.
How did you learn to read?
It may have been a long time ago, but try to remember the method used to teach you or your children how to read. Some of the more popular methods over the years have been see and say (Dick and Jane), whole language or phonics. Many times the method we feel is best is one that worked for us. But, what if it didn’t work well? Do you think one method is preferable to another? This can be a heated topic; but learning to read, especially if it is a struggle, should be a heated topic and remain one, shouldn’t it?
