#decoding phonics

[ellearning]

Newcomer Decodables with Photographs

Photographs are a simple yet effective tool to use with newcomer English Language Learners. They illustrate a vocabulary word in a way that a drawing can come close to but not quite achieve. Have you heard about the Science of Reading? Research shows that it is helpful to give beginning readers decodable passages so that they can systematically practice new phonics skills. For newcomers,…

View On WordPress

#ESL phonics #newcomer decodables

[cheekedupwhiteboy]

For decades, reading instruction in American schools has been rooted in a flawed theory about how reading works, a theory that was debunked decades ago by cognitive scientists, yet remains deeply embedded in teaching practices and curriculum materials. As a result, the strategies that struggling readers use to get by — memorizing words, using context to guess words, skipping words they don't know — are the strategies that many beginning readers are taught in school. This makes it harder for many kids to learn how to read, and children who don't get off to a good start in reading find it difficult to ever master the process.

[...]

Phonics is challenging for many kids. The cueing strategies seem quicker and easier at first. And by using context and memorizing a bunch of words, many children can look like good readers — until they get to about third grade, when their books begin to have more words, longer words, and fewer pictures. Then they're stuck. They haven't developed their sounding-out skills. Their bank of known words is limited. Reading is slow and laborious and they don't like it, so they don't do it if they don't have to. While their peers who mastered decoding early are reading and teaching themselves new words every day, the kids who clung to the cueing approach are falling further and further behind.

#thinking about miette pronounced ''mighty''

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

It’s startling to realize that panels of experts had to argue the case that teaching children to read involves careful attention to the relationships between sounds and letters, or enhancing their vocabulary and knowledge of various subjects. It’s stranger still that, in many school systems and for many years, this was the losing argument.

shockingly good article in the new yorker about one of the nightmares plaguing US education - probably one of the best pieces of education reporting i've seen in a mainstream publication. the article closes on a note about how poverty is the biggest problem in schools and, i mean, yeah, but i want to mention that i came to my own interest about this subject (ways the program in which i got my master's degree in elementary education, where btw i spent a whole two hours learning anything at all about phonics, lied to me and my classmates) working in private schools that taught largely very affluent student bodies and selected even from preschool for students with some degree of likely academic aptitude beyond what you would find in the unfiltered general population, where i nonetheless still started getting the sense that something was really not clicking with the way we were teaching reading for some of our kids. phonics (which is at the center of this article) wasn't the only piece of the puzzle, but it was a big one. whole language/balanced literacy advocates talk a big game about getting kids to love reading, but you can't meaningfully love something you can't do.

(to head off an irritating response i already saw on twitter: the fact that the rules of written english are more complicated than the rules of written spanish does not mean english has no rules, and the fact that many words are irregular in pronunciation does not mean that knowing the rules for decoding the vastly more words that are regular is not helpful - especially since many words that are irregular nevertheless contain several regular parts, such that phonics rules are in fact put to use even in reading irregular words.)

if you're interested in more about on the topic of ways schools are bad at teaching reading that have actually nothing to do with funding or other issues of access and inequity but just nearly the entire profession of educators being stubbornly wrong, i strongly recommend emily hanford's reporting on it (i haven't listened to the audio documentary versions but the written articles are fantastic) as well. "at a loss for words" is a particular favorite of mine, and i can vouch that the three-cueing system described there was a part of both my teacher education and my professional life in the classroom.

#this article also provides a glimpse at how ed guru lucy calkins #in addition to being wrong and stubborn and also a straight up liar about many things #is also just an astonishingly unpleasant person with the most pompouns way of expressing herself imaginable #one thing i used to resent even before i really turned on the workshop model was like #the idea that she was presenting herself as an expert on how to create good writers #when her own writing is so incredibly awful

[theladyofbloodshed]

Isn't feyre supposed to still be a functional illiterate? i mean, she was taught the alphabet and riceman taught her some phrases in acomaf, yet she struggled to read some book titles in acowar and during acofas she couldnt even do the paper work, feels like all she got was the alphabet and the phrases rhysand gave her, and later in acofas or even acowar itself, she stopped studying, like if a person learn something but stops using it, they forget, in less than 200 years she will be illiterate again...

Don't even get me started on the whole reading thing.

The majority of 8 year olds who have been to school can read (for context, most of the 8 year olds I teach can read books like Roald Dahl fluently or with some words that they need to decode but know their phonics so can do that). If Feyre could not do that at 8 years old then she wouldn't have been able to learn by herself with just a few sentences from Rhys. She wouldn't know the sounds phonemes make to be able to segment and blend the words. It's just not possible. And if she really couldn't read, she would still need lots and lots of practise because there are so many exception words that do not fit phonetic patterns or many that make that same sound but look different, or look the same but make different sounds.

You're telling me that from a few sentences from Mr. Arrogant, Feyre now knows all of these:

I actually really liked in acotar when Feyre was trying to learn from Tamlin's books and he wrote her that little poem to help her learn them in context:

There once was a lady most beautiful Spirited, if a little unusual Her friends were few But how the men did queue But to all she gave a refusal.

This is also one of the reasons why I don't like the high lady/baby plots. Feyre literally has an eternity to learn - and if it were me, I would be improving my reading, learning all about the politics and histories of Prythian before I shackled myself to lord of darkness forever, but no, got pregnant and will be trophy wife and breeder of little heirs just like she didn't want with Tamlin

#anon asks

[audreycritter]

Hi! Do you think there’s any room for Calkins-style story-based learning/encouraging a love for reading in the classroom, or should curriculums be purely focused on the evidence-based phonics instruction?

I'm gonna be honest, I really don't like Lucy Calkins. Her denial of the actual evidence supporting phonics-based reading programs has been incredibly detrimental to educational programs because her influence was so vast. It's only recently that she's recanted that stance or folded some phonics into her recommendations.

The truth is, with a few exceptions for precocious kids who have a natural bent for story-telling and reading, most kids aren't ready to be creative in this specific way when they're also learning to read. Many, many kids love to tell stories or make up stories or scenarios-- very few of them have any kind of recognizable story structure when they're in the 4-8 year old range. Putting that down on paper in a way that supports reading skills is ... way too much for most kids.

I'm on mobile and trying to collect/organize my thoughts, so I'll go through them with numbers to try to coherently cover the things I want to touch on. Keep in mind that I'm not a trained expert-- I'm just a life-long learner who has taught kids to read and worked with learning disabilities and neurodivergent kids, as well as NT kids.

1. Story is one of the first and earliest "academic" concepts it's beneficial to expose kids to. Kids benefit from being read to when they're very small and that benefit continues when they grow. Kids should be read to at their age level, above their age level, and for their interests. You foster a love for story by engaging with stories and the kid together. Even people who are never strong or comfortable readers can enjoy and love stories.

2. The mechanics of reading (phonics primarily, whole word for some kids depending on LDs) have very little to do with story when a kid is first reading. Pairing them often leads, in my experience, to frustration. Learning to read doesn't have to be BORING, but expecting story to "unlock" reading for a kid still working on sounds is...a bit out of order? Some kids "get" reading at some point, something CLICKS, and they find things they love to read. But for most kids, trying to retain "story" from one page to the next while they ALSO do the work of decoding sounds is a LOT.

3. Kids are SO creative, but being creative and having coherent creative output are two different things. Writing things down and reading and telling a story are all using different functions/pathways in the brain and it takes time to link those things. They need to be strong skills to work together. Asking a beginning reader to make up a new sentence about something and write it down is like telling an adult to sit and write the great american novel-- it's daunting. It's why so many kids who CAN verbally tell stories cry over homework that asks them to "describe" something. Kids in the 5-9 age set should almost always be given the option of dictating creative material to someone who can write it down for them, and even then, they need help. Their creativity at that age is a state of play, not usually a structured output. It's sort of like asking them to "demonstrate" creative playground play. A few kids will love to show off, many of them will act confused or self-conscious or freeze up.

4. I think love of story and love of reading are linked. I think they support each other. But driving reading education by using guess words and context and sight words to "unlock" story, or expecting a child's natural love of story to be part of some creative output that supports reading, are things that fail most kids. Early academic education is laying the foundation for all of these skills that should eventually work together. Reading is a skill. Writing, conceptually, is a skill. Physically writing with a pencil is a skill. Being able to tell back a story is a skill. They're all things that should be working alongside each other, but they use different parts of the brain and you can't help a kid make progress on one skill with an entirely different skill they aren't comfortable with yet.

Kids should be surrounded by story. They should get structured, specific sound education for reading. They should get to be creative. But you also have to know what their brains are doing and where they're growing to support that-- you can't ask them to work with tools they don't have yet. Teaching a kid to read and teaching them to love stories are two different things at that stage, and it leads to frustrated, struggling readers to treat them as the same thing.

#asks

[trollcafe]

How Do Trolls Learn Language?

Here’s the Google Docs Link, I think it’s much easier to read on GD! 

Before I go on a hugeass long winded ramble, I want to clarify my qualifications so you know I’m not just talking out my ass. I have a degree in Middle Childhood Education, specifically in Language Arts! I also have certifications in teaching English as a second language and in reading intervention. Essentially, I am qualified to provide individualized instruction for students K-12 who may have delays in literacy, or have a reading disability of some sort. When I write this, please know I’ve thought about this SO MUCH. Phonics & language development are actually faucets of education that I not only highly value, but adore! 

Enough tooting my own horn. You get the gist. 

Language is developed in children by developing their phonological awareness, going up a ladder and ending with phonemic awareness. Phonological Awareness is the ability and awareness of sounds in a spoken language (ex: /cat/ rhymes with /bat/. If I replace c with r, the word is now /rat/). Phonemic Awareness is the understanding that letters make sounds, and how to manipulate them (I know /cat/ is sounded out by saying /cuh/ /ah/ /tuh/. The first sound of /cat/ is /cuh/. C can make /k/ or /s/ sounds.). Now, I could spend literally hours telling you the steps and processes. If you WANT to know more- you can look up how decoding, blending, and fluency lead up the ladder steps to phonemic awareness. But I don’t want to bore you. And I know you’re probably confused, isn’t this about aliens?? Yes! Hold on!!

Language is developed SOCIALLY! Primarily by PARENTS! And secondarily by SCHOOLS!!!! I know, I know, who woulda thunk schools had a purpose? Children who are read to by their parents have a higher rate of fluency & literacy. And in schools, if anyone can recall, you might’ve done some now silly activities like…”A is for Apple, B is for Ball,” maybe a word wall if you were lucky, sounding out syllables, “I before C except after E”, “When Two vowels go walking the first one does the talking..” so on and so forth. Those were necessary skills for developing your language skills. You didn’t wake up one day and just KNOW how to read. It took literal decades of your life. It took decades of conversations with peers, with friends, with adults in your life, reading books and watching movies, listening to adults converse, reading signs on the streets without realizing it…even now, you’re still learning! Even now, you’re still utilizing the phonemic & phonological awareness skills you learned over decades of being a social creature on Earth!!

When I make you read this word, it might be the first time you’ve seen it, it might not. Humor me. 

PHANTASMAGORIA 

As a human being with some experience in the English Language, you might know how to work your way through it. /PH/ makes an /f/ sound, right? So you know it starts with /f/. You know /ant/ and /mag/, and can blend the word into /phan/-/tas/-/mag/-/or/-/ia/. Those are all skills you learned socially. Somewhere along your life, you picked up the information that /ph/ makes /f/, and that O when paired with an R makes an /or/ sound. These tiny little aspects of your knowledge were developed socially. Via conversations. Listening. Talking to adults as a child. Talking to classmates as a student. Reading books. Watching video game streamers. Listening to music. Singing. Eavesdropping on your mom while she was on the phone. But mostly…Talking, talking, talking! Baby, language is a socially developed construct!  

So how the fuck do trolls learn language?

Trolls don’t officially have schoolfeeding (or so I was told.) On top of that, trolls are primarily raised by lusii, semi-sentient animals that haven’t all been shown as capable of language. Some may speak telepathically! But how can an entire race of aliens learn to speak the same languages if only a tiny fraction of them actually had parents who spoke to them? Trolls might’ve had jades in the caverns speak to them as grubs but, if we use human child development as our baseline, we know that isn’t nearly long enough to develop any true sense of phonological awareness. 

While my qualifications are primarily in teaching English, I know full well that literacy is similar amongst every language, every community. It’s a socially taught concept. And if we turn our gaze to animals, you’ll see it's much the same! Think of a litter of puppies. They don’t speak a literal language- but they have a body language. They learn through play with their littermates and interactions with the dogs around them what is and isn’t acceptable, and how things are said in their own language. A puppy learns from watching its mom play bow. 

Because trolls aren’t inherently social, and because their parental figures often can’t read themselves, I propose the idea that trolls are born knowing language. Or, well, hatched. 

We know, looking at the animal kingdom, that not all things a creature does is language-based or even socially learned. For example, how do puppies know to bite? They don’t learn it from mom or their litter, it’s an instinct. They’re born knowing how to do that. Human babies are born with a lot of instincts they can’t utilize until later in life, but every baby’s first instinct is to cry. The baby has no idea what crying will lead to- and ultimately later will learn- but in the first few moments of life, a baby cries. It doesn’t know why. It just cries. A puppy just bites. A baby bird just opens its mouth. A newborn foal just stands. And I believe that a troll, once it reaches pupation, just speaks. You could argue that humans are also born with the instinct to learn language, but…if left WITHOUT verbal language right from birth, a human being just won’t speak. My theory is, even without verbal language, a troll WOULD. Or at the very least, a troll could pick up verbal language much faster. 

I don’t think a newly pupated toddler troll knows what physics is and could explain what the fourth state of matter is. But I do think they’re made knowing a certain pool of words. It could be that as grubs, their lusii CAN communicate with them- so they’re pupated knowing basic words their lusii spoke to them as grubs. Language here is still a socially developed skill, but not entirely dependent on such. A troll living in a city with advertisements and signs everywhere, with music playing constantly, with the chatter of adults and older trolls all around, might have more developed language skills than a troll who lives in the country. But ultimately they both can still speak, and hold a conversation! I think lowbloods in tight-knit communities would have higher literacy levels, and if we follow the headcanon of Fleet Academies, then highbloods in those settings might as well. Jades typically are raised together, too. 

And, furthermore, my final point here is that trolls are developed to pick up on language much easier than a human might be. This would probably be the absolute best way of explaining it. That language, to trolls, is an instinct, and something that they as an alien race are highly capable of building off of. They are just hatched knowing language, and knowing how to develop it. Trolls never have to DEVELOP the sense of metacognition. They are hatched with it. A troll doesn’t have to develop phonological awareness. They’re hatched with the fully developed ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in a spoken language. They never have a period of having to learn the language they’re being spoken- they are hatched knowing it. 

An unfortunately unsatisfactory answer, right? 

This will still keep me up at night until I can create a more solid concept. However, there truly is no way I can properly explain the intricacies of this without word vomiting phonological concepts on you. Trolls are hatched with a higher capacity for fluency in language. Since societal conversations and norms aren’t heavily relied upon in trollian society, concepts such as prosody aren’t as focused upon. If Alternia has one main universal language, it would mean trolls have less to learn- however, as a human, I struggle to see how trolls can have one language without a plethora of regional dialects, as we have in the United States. 

By never having to develop a sense of metacognition, by starting their language development halfway up the ladder by knowing language from the start, by perhaps not having to go through Piaget’s developmental stages as slowly as humans do, trolls perhaps have a higher capacity for learning in general. This might be a survival skill- they live in such a hostile society that it might be necessary for them to have a higher language level. Perhaps there are colonies or planets run by trolls who DO teach socially, and they have an even higher rate of fluency and literacy. 

That’s the fun part about aliens, right? 

You can kinda do whatever you want with them! :)

#hdcns #chow.txt #ghost.art

[edoro]

finding out that it’s a for real actual thing that’s been going on for YEARS that kids are being taught to read based on like, Vibes And Guessing rather than Learning How To Sound Out Fucking Words always jumpscares me so bad. what do you MEAN you aren’t teaching children phonics. what do you MEAN you aren’t teaching them How To Decode Written Language. what are you doing oh my god how did this EVER get approved or seem like a good idea to anyone.

[fieldsplitting]

After watching the upload of Language Jones' first ever livestream, where he recommended the Sold a Story podcast, I started listening through it and ... this is just insane to me

because it is all about how (essentially) a lineage of iconoclastic educators, dating back to the 1980's, invented nearly from whole cloth and elaborated upon a sort of "cargo cult" theory of how children best learn to read (hence how they should be taught to do it) that, for complicated political and ideological reasons, gradually supplanted traditional phonics instruction

("supplanted" probably doesn't do justice to what exactly happened: in certain highly regarded, rarefied circles of educational theory, this process culminated in the very practice of teaching kids to learn phonic patterns and sound out unfamiliar words becoming anathema, nothing short of pedagogical malpractice)

and, anyway, it turned out that exactly the opposite thing was true, while the no-good very-bad iconoclastic cargo-cult theory of reading instruction not only took hold in American public schools, but got an influential lobby and a bespoke publishing house behind it, with precisely the tragic influence on generations of students' reading ability that you would expect

but what's mind-blowing to me about this is: people stopped doing phonics? in public schools? nearly entirely? that thing I grew up with public broadcasting specifically about? how would you not teach kids to decode words, and then expect them to learn to read? ... what??

and so (dating myself somewhat) I set out to track down videos on YouTube of precisely the broadcast media that I was pretty sure I grew up with (as in, when I was approx. 3-5 y.o.a.) because I remembered how they would teach stuff like e.g. silent e making vowels long, by having the two halves of the words come together in a little animation from opposite sides of the screen

like this: ca -> <- pe ca -> <- pe cape

and anyway, yes: the program did in fact exist, it was called "Learn to Read" and I believe PBS aired it for some time (though I don't think anyone airs it, anymore.) here's just one episode (not the one I was remembering), not much of the series has survived the shift from broadcast TV to YouTube, which is a shame because I would have liked to recover that one memory (about the silent e pattern) in particular.

fortunately I think the blowback to this state of affairs (which btw transpired in a near void of supporting scientific evidence, with the scant studies surrounding the upstart pedagogical theory showing either modest short-term benefits or inconclusive, potentially counterproductive effects on foundational reading skills) has been so strong and sustained that phonics is making a comeback (not sure, I haven't finished the podcast series.) but yeah if you are interested in this sort of stuff then I highly recommend it, and, once again:

what the hell, did we really just up and quit teaching children literal phonics in our actual public school system and expect that to go any way except pathetically bad? how do parents cope with this shit is2g

#phonics #education #linguistics

[abihespgormley]

Readerly Exploration #5 

Due Date: October 23rd 

Titles: 

Mesmer (2019), “Introduction” 

Mesmer (2019), Chapter 1, “Know the Code: Teacher’s Reference on How English Works” 

Big Takeaway: 

A big takeaway from the "Introduction" of "Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations that Work" by Heidi Mesmer is the importance of building a strong foundation in phonics instruction. It emphasizes the significance of teaching letter-sound relationships and decoding skills to support early reading development.

A big takeaway from Chapter 1 of "Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations that Work" by Mesmer is the recognition of the crucial role that explicit and systematic phonics instruction plays in helping children develop strong reading skills. It emphasizes the importance of teaching letter-sound relationships and decoding strategies to support early readers on their literacy journey. 

Nugget:

An interesting aspect from the introduction of "Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations that Work" by Mesmer is the discussion on the connection between phonics instruction and reading fluency. It explains how teaching phonics can help children become more fluent readers, leading to improved comprehension and overall reading success.

A very interesting aspect from Chapter 1 of "Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations that Work" by Mesmer is the exploration of how phonics instruction can positively impact early reading development. It highlights the effectiveness of teaching letter-sound relationships and decoding skills in helping children become proficient readers.

Task: 

I chose “View the reading through a particular lens (faith, socioeconomic, disability studies, feminist, environmental, critical race theory, etc.) to consider the implications of the reading for a specific audience.” I chose this task because I thought it would be interesting to look at how phonics plays a role in different socioeconomic status. First, I read the text to gather the big takeaway and get an understanding. Then, I did a little research to gather a deeper understanding of socioeconomic status and the different social standings so I can view the articles through this eye. Afterwards, I reread the text but through the socioeconomic lens.  When we look at "Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations that Work'' through a socioeconomic lens, it suggests that providing explicit and systematic phonics instruction can have a positive impact on students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. By focusing on teaching letter-sound relationships and decoding skills, this approach aims to bridge the literacy gap and give all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status, a strong foundation in reading. It highlights the importance of equitable access to high-quality phonics instruction to support literacy development for every student. Viewing "Letter Lessons and First Words: Phonics Foundations that Work" through a socioeconomic lens provides a better understanding of the text by highlighting the potential implications for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. It allows us to recognize the importance of equitable access to explicit phonics instruction in bridging the literacy gap and supporting all children in developing strong reading skills. By considering the socioeconomic context, we can gain insights into how this approach can address specific needs and promote literacy success for a diverse range of students.

This part of the article I was reading from the American Psychological Association

[ivansergeyevichturgenev]

another education rant under a readmore so i don't drive you all insane :)

talking about nclb being the sole reason "gen alpha can't read" literally makes zero sense to me. i grew up with the effects of nclb. like i can read. (big caveat there disclaimer!!! i am not every child. i could also go on about older gen z's media literacy & critical thinking skills but i won't.) but now the effects of nclb are so much more concentrated than when i was in school. social studies and science are now a tiny fraction of the k-6 school day which makes me heart sad.

adult illiteracy has been an issue for a really long time. incarcerated children are most likely to be illiterate or be years behind their peers. these are not new problems. the "balanced" literacy shit is a big problem in districts that serve historically marginalized students. for example, iirc, oakland, california has yet to adopt, as a district, explicit phonics instruction, despite pressure. this was a big issue in nyc as well up until recently. the issue compounds if children miss school for whatever reason, which is a problem in some districts for certain populations. lack of transportation, family issues, illness, gang violence, etc.

phonics instruction isn't enough. phonics instruction isn't enough when we don't give students the prior knowledge they need in order to understand wtf it is that they're reading. being able to decode isn't enough. while any phonics curriculum worth its salt will have exercises to help students show they actually understand the text they're reading, it deeply bothers me that we have a wealth of research that shows background knowledge (in science, social studies, cultural understanding, etc.) trumps decoding skills that aid comprehension.

idk what's going on with gen alpha and younger members of gen z. but i think it extends beyond "they didn't get phonics instruction bc of nclb!!!!" 🙄 the level of apathy we're seeing has been building for probably 20 years, which tracks with the passing of nclb. students don't care anymore. parents do not care. teachers do not care. why should they? tbh. Lol. everything sucks.

i will end my dissertation here BUT i think it is complicated. and if i see another tiktok that simplifies the science of reading into a five second clip i'll lose my mind. idk if anything i wrote makes any sense either

[online-learning-e-tuitions]

The Use of Phonics in Bilingual and Multilingual Classrooms

Bilingual and multilingual classrooms are settings where students and teachers use more than one language for communication and learning. Bilingual and multilingual classrooms can have different models and goals, such as dual language, bilingual, or translanguaging programs. In these classrooms, students can benefit from learning phonics in both their home language and English, as well as transferring their phonics knowledge across languages.

Here are some benefits and challenges of using phonics in bilingual and multilingual classrooms, as well as some strategies and resources for teachers.

Benefits of Using Phonics in Bilingual and Multilingual Classrooms

Phonics can help students develop phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words. Phonemic awareness is a crucial skill for reading, as it allows students to apply their knowledge of phonics to decode unfamiliar words. Phonemic awareness can be developed in any language, and it can transfer across languages that share similar sounds.

Phonics can help students learn the alphabetic principle, which is the understanding that letters represent sounds in written words. The alphabetic principle can also be learned in any language, and it can transfer across languages that use the same or similar writing systems. For example, students who learn the letter-sound correspondences in Spanish can use them to read and write English words that have the same or similar spellings, such as cat/gato or sun/sol.

Phonics can help students develop vocabulary and comprehension skills in both languages. Vocabulary is the set of words that a person knows and uses. Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what they read. Vocabulary and comprehension depend on both decoding skills (using phonics) and linguistic skills (using grammar and meaning). By learning phonics in both languages, students can access more words and texts in each language, as well as make connections between languages.

Challenges of Using Phonics in Bilingual and Multilingual Classrooms

Phonics can be challenging for students who speak languages that have different sounds or writing systems from English. For example, students who speak Mandarin Chinese may have difficulty with some English sounds that do not exist in their language, such as /th/ or /r/. Students who speak Arabic may have difficulty with some English letters that do not exist in their writing system, such as p or v. Teachers need to be aware of these differences and provide explicit instruction and practice for students to master them.

Phonics can be challenging for students who speak languages that have different spelling rules or patterns from English. For example, students who speak French may have difficulty with some English spellings that do not follow the same rules or patterns as their language, such as silent letters (e.g., knife) or irregular spellings (e.g., said). Teachers need to be aware of these differences and provide explicit instruction and practice for students to learn them.

Phonics can be challenging for teachers who need to balance the use of two or more languages in their instruction. Teachers need to be strategic in their use of the languages, such as choosing which language to use for which purpose, when to switch languages, and how to scaffold students’ learning in each language. Teachers also need to coordinate their instruction across languages, such as aligning the phonics skills and content that they teach in each language.

Strategies and Resources for Using Phonics in Bilingual and Multilingual Classrooms

Teachers can use a systematic and explicit approach to teach phonics in both languages. A systematic approach means that teachers follow a logical sequence of phonics skills from simple to complex, such as starting with short vowels and consonants and moving on to long vowels and consonant blends. An explicit approach means that teachers teach each phonics skill directly and clearly, such as explaining the sound-spelling relationship, modeling how to read and write words with that skill, and providing guided practice and feedback.

Teachers can use a cross-linguistic approach to teach phonics across languages. A cross-linguistic approach means that teachers make connections between the languages that students speak and learn, such as highlighting the similarities and differences between the sounds and spellings of words in each language, using cognates (words that have the same or similar meaning and form across languages) to build vocabulary and comprehension, and using translanguaging (the flexible use of multiple languages) to support communication and learning.

Teachers can use a variety of activities and materials to teach phonics in both languages. Some examples of activities and materials are:

Sound boxes: a visual tool that helps students segment and blend sounds in words. They consist of a long rectangle divided into squares that represent the number of sounds in a word. For example, the word cat has three sounds and three boxes: /k/ /a/ /t/. To use sound boxes for phonics, write the word on a board or a card and draw the corresponding sound boxes below it. Then, ask students to say each sound in the word as they point to each box. Next, ask them to write each letter or letter combination that makes each sound in each box. Finally, ask them to say the whole word as they slide their finger under the boxes.

Flashcards: a simple and effective way to review phonics skills with students. They can be used for individual or group practice, as well as for games and activities. To make flashcards for phonics, write each word or letter-sound correspondence on a card or use pre-made cards from online sources. To use flashcards for phonics, show each card to a student or a group of students and ask them to read the word or say the sound aloud. If they read it correctly, praise them and move on to the next card. If they read it incorrectly or hesitate for more than three seconds, tell them the correct word or sound and ask them to repeat it. Then put the card aside and review it again later.

Books or texts: a rich and authentic way to expose students to phonics skills in both languages. Teachers can select books or texts that contain words with the phonics skills that they are teaching, such as short vowels, long vowels, consonant blends, etc. Teachers can also select books or texts that are bilingual or multilingual, such as books that have the same story in two languages or texts that mix languages. Teachers can use books or texts for phonics instruction by:

Reading aloud: reading the book or text aloud to students and drawing their attention to the words with the phonics skills that they are learning, such as asking them to identify the sounds or spellings of those words.

Shared reading: reading the book or text together with students and inviting them to join in reading the words with the phonics skills that they are learning, such as asking them to point to those words or read them aloud.

Independent reading: allowing students to read the book or text on their own or with a partner and encouraging them to practice the phonics skills that they are learning, such as asking them to find those words or write them down.

Using phonics in bilingual and multilingual classrooms can help students develop their reading and writing skills in both their home language and English, as well as enhance their bilingualism and multilingualism. Phonics is not only a skill, but also a resource that students can use to access more languages and literacies.

If you want your kids to learn phonics must visit e-Tuitions. e-Tuitions offers the best online phonics classes for kids. Learn from experts and experienced teachers who use fun and interactive methods to teach phonics. Choose from different phonics teaching methods to suit your child’s needs and preferences. Book free demo class today and join e-Tuitions to help your child fly with phonics!

#phonics #learning phonics #phonics classes #phonics for kids

[gingersnap33sposts]

Reading Exploration: Due 10/23/23

Titles: Introduction (Mesmer, 2019); Chapter 1, “Know the Code: Teacher’s Reference on How English Works” (Mesmer, 2019)

Main Takeaways:

Introduction: Teaching phonics is all about organizing information so that kids can store it in their brains in a systematic way and then apply it to their daily interactions with texts.

First Chapter: It is important to teach children the different types of sounds and letter patterns so that they can sort them into different "cognitive categories" which they can apply to their speaking, reading, and writing.

Nuggets:

Introduction: I liked when the author said, "When children are taught to decode words, they become fluent readers; they understand that they can use strategies when they encounter new words, which means they get stuck less often and we decrease the risk of them becoming disengaged readers." I think we often forget the importance of phonics, or we just teach it explicitly in direct instruction, and forget the importance of teaching phonics in a way that is interesting and can be applied in daily reading.

First Chapter: I thought it was a good point when the author reiterated the importance especially in the early grades of breaking words down. This helps kids figure out how words work and make the connection between the visual parts of writing and the spoken parts of English.

Activity: For my activity, I decided to do this one, "After you read, document your initial response to what you’ve read. Consider how the ideas you read about made you feel and what they made you think about." I chose to do this one because this section made me reflect on my past experiences of my own learning experience and of observing in different classrooms.

Multimedia Documentation:

This is a picture of my notes that I took as I read, with some thoughts as to what I was feeling as I read this and what it reminded me of.

[saraherr24]

Readerly Response #3

Due date of assigned reading: October 30, 2023

Title of assigned course reading: Mesmer (2019), Chapter 2, "Assessment that Shows You What to Teach"

Mesmer (2019), Chapter 3, "Phonics Lessons for Real Literacy"

Big Takeaways:

Chapter 2: Administering tests to students to guide phonics instruction, specifically the Letter Lessons and First Words placement test, helps locate students on a developmental continuum which helps the teacher then provide the necessary phonics instruction each individual student needs.

Chapter 3: Incorporating phonics instruction with literacy instruction is effective because it allows children to use the skills and knowledge they are learning in phonics during reading and writing as well as make sense of spellings and unlock words during literacy instruction which helps make phonics exciting for young learners.

Nuggets:

Chapter 2: Something that was a good reminder for me was that sometimes a reader is able to name the individual sounds in a word but they are not able to blend them together yet. I have seen this a lot in my field where students can sound out the words but then are not able to put them together. I think, just like most skills, this is something that teachers need to be aware of and address in their learners. Sometimes teachers assume that because a student knows their letter sounds, they know how to blend, which again, is not always the case.

Chapter 3: This chapter was so fun to read because it highlights a lot of practices and strategies I have seen in the field. Something that stood out to me was when Mesmer mentioned that some teachers are hesitant about phonics instruction or fear that phonics instruction overly mechanizes the reading experience. However, if we truly think about it and essentially what the chapter highlights, is that effectively combining and embedding phonics instruction into literacy instruction allows children to see the connection between the two. Children can't even enjoy the reading experience without the skills learned in phonics instruction so teachers might as well put in the work to make it fun and exciting through different elements (shared readings, read-alouds, etc.).

Readerly Exploration:

For these chapters, I engaged in the reading process to increase the likelihood of text comprehension by learning something about the author before diving into the chapters. I actually just read the excerpt about the author, Heidi Anne Mesmer, that is included in the book. It mentioned that she was a former classroom teacher who now "works extensively with teachers, schools, and young readers, directing numerous school-based initiatives to improve reading instruction." It says that her work has been published in many different journals but the one that stood out to me was Reading Research Quarterly. This is because in Inclusion Practices (EDSP 307), for my literature review about decoding strategies, one of my main sources was from this journal. This highlighted to me that this woman is well-known and knows what she is talking about. A quote on the back of the textbook also stood out to me. " If you're not sure how phonics fits within your daily instruction, or crave a more effective process for teaching phonics, Heidi Anne Mesmer is here to help." This is a big statement about who Mesmer is. She is renowned. I then did a Google search on her and found tons of articles about her and on her. An interesting fact about her that I found is that not only does she have a reading researcher perspective, but she offers a reading professor and former classroom teacher perspective which is unique and makes her more credible.

[rugrats-curious-minds]

The Importance of Teaching Children to Read Through Letters and Sounds

Reading is a fundamental skill that serves as a cornerstone for a child's education and future success. It opens doors to a world of knowledge, imagination, and critical thinking. One of the most effective methods for teaching children to read is through the use of letters and sounds, also known as phonics. In this article, we'll explore the significance of teaching children to read using letters and sounds, highlighting the numerous benefits it offers in their early development.

Building Strong Foundations

Phonics, the method of teaching children to connect letters with their corresponding sounds, helps build strong foundational literacy skills. This approach empowers children to decode words and understand how language works. By mastering the relationship between letters and sounds, children can read unfamiliar words and develop confidence in their reading abilities.

Improved Reading Comprehension

Learning to read through letters and sounds enhances reading comprehension. When children can sound out words, they gain a deeper understanding of the text they are reading. This understanding extends beyond simple word recognition to comprehension, as they can grasp the meaning of the words and the context in which they are used. This comprehension is vital for academic success across all subjects.

Increased Vocabulary

Phonics-based reading instruction contributes significantly to a child's vocabulary development. As children learn to read, they encounter new words regularly. When they can decode these words using phonics skills, they expand their vocabulary effortlessly. A rich vocabulary not only aids in reading but also boosts overall communication skills.

Enhanced Spelling Skills

Teaching children to read through letters and sounds goes hand in hand with improving their spelling abilities. When children understand the relationship between letters and their sounds, they can apply this knowledge to spell words correctly. This skill is invaluable throughout their academic journey and life beyond the classroom.

Encouraging a Love for Reading

Phonics-based reading instruction can help cultivate a lifelong love for reading. When children can read independently and enjoyably, they are more likely to choose books as a source of entertainment and knowledge. This love for reading not only enriches their lives but also supports their ongoing learning and personal development.

Enhanced Confidence

Reading can be a daunting task for children who struggle with it. Phonics instruction provides them with a structured approach that builds confidence. As they successfully decode words and read fluently, they gain a sense of accomplishment that motivates them to continue improving their reading skills.

Individualized Learning

One of the strengths of teaching children to read through letters and sounds is its adaptability to individual learning styles and paces. Each child progresses differently, and phonics instruction can be tailored to their specific needs. This personalized approach ensures that no child is left behind and that struggling readers receive the support they require.

Better Preparedness for Academic Success

The ability to read proficiently is a critical factor in a child's academic success. When children learn to read through letters and sounds, they are better prepared for success in all subject areas. Reading is the gateway to learning, and a strong foundation in reading skills sets the stage for future achievements in school and beyond.

Teaching children to read through letters and sounds, or phonics, is a powerful method that provides them with essential skills for life. It builds strong foundations, enhances comprehension, expands vocabulary, and boosts confidence. Moreover, it instils a lifelong love for reading and prepares children for academic success. As parents and educators, it is crucial to recognize the importance of phonics-based reading instruction and provide children with the tools they need to become confident and proficient readers. In doing so, we empower them to unlock a world of knowledge and imagination through the magic of words.

#learn phonics #phonics sound #phonics #phonics chart #basic phonics #phonics prounciation #study phonics #phonics reading #phonics sheet #Kindergarten Chart #Kindergarten Phonics #alphabetic language #phonics syllables #Pink are vowels #Cream are consonants #Letter cards #Home school #portable set #Fundations letters #Fundations alphabet #Letter names #Letter sounds #ABC cards #Laminated #Cream and ivory #ABC Flashcards

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

reading a letter My Nemesis Curricular Guru Lucy Calkins posted to her facebook group after she announced she would be updating her curriculum to include phonics & remove antiphonetic decoding strategies [which to be clear is NOT the only problem with it just the one that's gotten enough media attention they feel they have to capitulate] when they were like "what? your curriculum includes phonics now? i feel confused and betrayed" and like. god i hate her.

For example, when a child is reading a sentence such as, "It was cold, so I put on my jacket," and the child gets stuck on jacket, we now suggest the teacher nudge by saying, "Look at the letters, have a go with that word," rather than saying, "Think about what's happening. What might the boy put on?" By prompting students to use phonics at that moment of challenge, we encourage them to apply and practice the phonics they know. We also know that when they use phonics to decode a word, they are more apt to add that word to their sight vocabulary.

so far, so ugh, fine, i GUESS - although please note that she does not say "regularly using phonics to decode words is the only way that readers will develop the skills to become proficient readers." also notice, if you will, how unbelievably fucking annoying every sentence this woman ever writes is. have a go with that word - shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but then we get:

Of course, the child may say something like jake-it in which case the teacher will need to follow up the phonics prompt with a prompt for meaning, "Does that make sense?" Then the child will use their understanding of the context to correct the mispronounced word so that they can fully comprehend the passage. This correction, too, adds to their phonics experience. That is, even when phonics is centered, meaning will never not be important, as the goal of reading is to understand and to learn.

AUGH!!!!! (1) i'm not saying no early reader in history has ever pronounced "jacket" as "jake-it" but it would be an unusual error to make given that children are taught the short vowels first and thus they are in my experience much more likely to incorrectly make a long vowel short than the other way around. (2) i hate this shit that the Balanced Literacy Is Fine Camp keeps pulling where they act like they're the only ones who give a shit if kids understand what they're reading. if you have not been watching these debates as something between catharsis and self-harm maybe this does not come across to you as infuriatingly smug and passive aggressive but i promise you it is!!!! (3) BUT THE REALLY FUCKED UP THING IS: yes readers including good readers do use context to confirm their decoding has been correct and/or to sort of tweak the set of sounds they have made to turn it into an actual word, because english is a(n unusually?) mushmouth-prone language and over time pronunciations have done things like blur vowel sounds a lot. maybe you pronounce DOC-TORE and then go back and tweak it to "doctor." maybe you move the stress around. maybe you realize "minute" as in time was actually "minute" as in small. maybe you try the "ow" sound as in "cow" instead of the "ow" sound as in "snow." all normal all good.

HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JACKET IS A PERFECTLY PHONETIC FUCKING WORD!!!!!!!!!!! a kid who mispronounces "jacket" as "jake-it" should not be coached to attend to context!!!! they should be taught or reminded (ideally with additional practice for reinforcement later on) that vowels before a "ck" are just about always fucking short!!!!!!! the fact that lucy thought this would be a reasonable example for a fix that would require context to discern is maybe the most unambiguous proof possible that she doesn't fucking know what she's talking about, and all her bullshit about "i too have been learning and growing [regarding findings that are decades old]" is in fact bullshit because she obviously has not fucking bothered with any of the zillions of dollars her curriculum makes to go get her own ass, or the asses of anyone working on this project, trained in phonics. i hate her!!!!!!!!

#PS please remember the person who wrote those sentences brands herself an expert on teaching kids to write #i find that i say one more time: So Offensive #EVERYTHING she writes sounds exactly that smug and pompous and punchably condescending #ALL OF IT. it's bananas. #anyway. the thing is that objectively i should go get a twitter with username like scienceofreadingluvr28297 #and tweet that shit there with some hashtags so i can find some people who give a shit to commiserate with #but when i think about making a twitter account i can almost physically feel like #ALL of my hard-won psychological stability starting to retreat #so instead. you guys get to hear me complaining about this until i guess the end of time.

[glorious-mysteries]

And the thing is. I was in elementary school in the mid-2000s. I honestly don't remember learning to read, but I would have been taught the cueing system with the fountas and pinnell books. And that was fine for me because my brain picked up letter/sound patterns really easily and I taught myself to decode without explicit phonics instruction. But these kids who can't pick up the patterns and are not being explicitly taught are suffering. It sucks to watch a seven year old cry bc they know they can't read while knowing that it's bc these guided reading programs are based on shoddy research and have the primary purpose of making money

#yes i am currently listening to sold a story and it is making me mad