What is phonics? It is simply the association between the sounds and letters in our language. Phonics is an essential component of reading instruction - an established fact, and documented by Nancy Lewkowicz in the Journal of Educational Psychology 1980. 

5 fast facts...

1. Why is it important? Phonics instruction teaches children how to decode letters into their respective sounds. Having this skill allows them to read unfamiliar words by themselves.

2. Phonics instruction improves spelling ability because it emphasizes spelling patterns that become familiar from reading.

3. Systematic, explicit phonics instruction most benefits children who are having difficulty learning to read.

4. Phonics must be taught and mastered in two directions: visual to auditory (reading) and auditory to visual (spelling).

5. Decoding English words seems more challenging and complex because we have letters that can make multiple sounds, and letter combinations that produce particular sounds.

Two of my favorite activities during phonics word work time:

1. Making Words or Word Ladders: There are several books on the market for making words at a variety of levels, but you can easily create your own. Limit the number of vowels you are working with to match the vowel pattern you are currently working on (no more than 3). Then include enough consonants to allow for many words to be spelled. Each lesson would include 8-10 letters. Provide as many cues as your group requires to assist them in building the words. For example, some children will require a cue like, “Change the first letter to make the word say……” or “Take three letters to make the word…..”  It is also fun to begin your lesson by giving all the letters to the students and having them build as many words as they can without your instruction.

  * Here are links to two of our favorite books on this topic *

1. Nonsense Words: Once your students are comfortable with CVC words and you begin adding in blends and digraphs, use nonsense words as a way to review these phonic chunks. Your words can be silly and fun! It causes the students to look for patterns within the entire word, rather than simply using the beginning consonant and vowel to take an educated guess at the word (or knowing the word as a sight word). Give your students the opportunity to write their own nonsense words following instructions like, “Make a word that has the short /a/ sound, one single consonant, and one consonant blend.” Take turns reading the crazy word creations!