Topic 2.2: Efffective Phonics Instruction and Integration
The primary focus of phonics instruction is to help beginning readers understand how letters are linked to sounds (phonemes) to form letter-sound correspondences and spelling patterns and to help them learn how to apply this knowledge in their reading.
Phonics instruction may be provided systematically or incidentally. The hallmark of a systematic phonics approach or program is that a sequential set of phonics elements is delineated and these elements are taught along a dimension of explicitness depending on the type of phonics method employed. Conversely, with incidental phonics instruction, the teacher does not follow a planned sequence of phonics elements to guide instruction but highlights particular elements opportunistically when they appear in text.
Types of Phonics Instructional Methods and Approaches
This list depicts several different types of phonics instructional approaches that vary according to the unit of analysis or how letter-sound combinations are represented to the
student. For example, in synthetic phonics approaches, students are taught to link an individual letter or letter combination with its appropriate sound and then blend the sounds to form words. In analytic phonics, students are first taught whole word units followed by systematic instruction linking the specific letters in the word with their respective sounds.
Phonics instruction can also vary with respect to the explicitness by which the phonic elements are taught and practiced in the reading of text. For example, many synthetic phonics approaches use direct instruction in teaching phonics components and provide opportunities for applying these skills in decodable text formats characterized by a
controlled vocabulary. On the other hand, embedded phonics approaches are
typically less explicit and use decodable text for practice less frequently, although the phonics concepts to be learned can still be presented systematically.
Analogy Phonics
Teaching students unfamiliar words by analogy to known words (e.g., recognizing that the rime segment of an unfamiliar word is identical to that of a familiar word, and then blending the known rime with the new word onset, such as reading brick by recognizing that -ick is contained in the known word kick, or reading stump by analogy to jump).
This is a type of analytical phonics. It might also be called 'chunks' or 'word families' as it looks at a 'chunk' of a word/s. For example a teacher might be looking at a group of words that end with 'at', 'an' or 'ip'. The first sound may be added or changed to make different words: c-an, f-an, m-an or r-an like the example given below.
Phonics instruction may be provided systematically or incidentally. The hallmark of a systematic phonics approach or program is that a sequential set of phonics elements is delineated and these elements are taught along a dimension of explicitness depending on the type of phonics method employed. Conversely, with incidental phonics instruction, the teacher does not follow a planned sequence of phonics elements to guide instruction but highlights particular elements opportunistically when they appear in text.
Types of Phonics Instructional Methods and Approaches
This list depicts several different types of phonics instructional approaches that vary according to the unit of analysis or how letter-sound combinations are represented to the
student. For example, in synthetic phonics approaches, students are taught to link an individual letter or letter combination with its appropriate sound and then blend the sounds to form words. In analytic phonics, students are first taught whole word units followed by systematic instruction linking the specific letters in the word with their respective sounds.
Phonics instruction can also vary with respect to the explicitness by which the phonic elements are taught and practiced in the reading of text. For example, many synthetic phonics approaches use direct instruction in teaching phonics components and provide opportunities for applying these skills in decodable text formats characterized by a
controlled vocabulary. On the other hand, embedded phonics approaches are
typically less explicit and use decodable text for practice less frequently, although the phonics concepts to be learned can still be presented systematically.
Analogy Phonics
Teaching students unfamiliar words by analogy to known words (e.g., recognizing that the rime segment of an unfamiliar word is identical to that of a familiar word, and then blending the known rime with the new word onset, such as reading brick by recognizing that -ick is contained in the known word kick, or reading stump by analogy to jump).
This is a type of analytical phonics. It might also be called 'chunks' or 'word families' as it looks at a 'chunk' of a word/s. For example a teacher might be looking at a group of words that end with 'at', 'an' or 'ip'. The first sound may be added or changed to make different words: c-an, f-an, m-an or r-an like the example given below.
Analytic Phonics
With analytical phonics children are likely to be asked to analyze a particular sound within a word or words. So for example a teacher may place up on the board a list of words such as: 'cloud', 'house', 'loud' and 'mouse'. The teacher will then draw the children's attention
to the common sound that she wishes them to note, in this case the 'ou' sound.
Children will not be asked to blend the sounds together to form words like they are in synthetic phonics. Instead they will start with the whole word and then analyze a part of it (the complete opposite of synthetic phonics). In analytical phonics children will also be taught many consonant blends, for example: 'br', 'st' and 'bl'. This approach, like embedded phonics, is commonly used alongside whole language teaching.
Embedded Phonics
This type of phonics approach is not used systematically but simply in those 'teachable moments' that arise. It is used in conjunction with whole language teaching. Embedded phonics is commonly used when it has been noticed that a particular child (or a group of
children) are having a problem with a certain word/sound in their book. The teacher may stop the reading to teach the child/ren that particular sound.
With analytical phonics children are likely to be asked to analyze a particular sound within a word or words. So for example a teacher may place up on the board a list of words such as: 'cloud', 'house', 'loud' and 'mouse'. The teacher will then draw the children's attention
to the common sound that she wishes them to note, in this case the 'ou' sound.
Children will not be asked to blend the sounds together to form words like they are in synthetic phonics. Instead they will start with the whole word and then analyze a part of it (the complete opposite of synthetic phonics). In analytical phonics children will also be taught many consonant blends, for example: 'br', 'st' and 'bl'. This approach, like embedded phonics, is commonly used alongside whole language teaching.
Embedded Phonics
This type of phonics approach is not used systematically but simply in those 'teachable moments' that arise. It is used in conjunction with whole language teaching. Embedded phonics is commonly used when it has been noticed that a particular child (or a group of
children) are having a problem with a certain word/sound in their book. The teacher may stop the reading to teach the child/ren that particular sound.
Synthetic Phonics
With synthetic phonics children are taught to read and spell at the same time. They are taught to convert letters into sounds and then blend the sounds to form words. For example c-a-t = cat, or sh-oo-k = shook. It also teaches children to segment (pull apart) those sounds in order to spell. For example dot = d-o-t, or cheek = ch-ee-k.
Children are taught the sounds of the English language and other common 'rules'. They are taught to understand the alphabet code so that when they come across an unknown word they do not guess from context, picture, initial letters or word shape. They are explicitly taught to use their knowledge to independently and confidently work out new
words.
Please view the video to understand synthetic phonics
With synthetic phonics children are taught to read and spell at the same time. They are taught to convert letters into sounds and then blend the sounds to form words. For example c-a-t = cat, or sh-oo-k = shook. It also teaches children to segment (pull apart) those sounds in order to spell. For example dot = d-o-t, or cheek = ch-ee-k.
Children are taught the sounds of the English language and other common 'rules'. They are taught to understand the alphabet code so that when they come across an unknown word they do not guess from context, picture, initial letters or word shape. They are explicitly taught to use their knowledge to independently and confidently work out new
words.
Please view the video to understand synthetic phonics
National Reading Panel. "Phonics Instruction." Reading Rockets. WETA, 2013. Web. 21 June
2013.
Rowlingson, Kelly. "The Different Types of Phonics." A Step At A Time. Kelly Rowlingson, 2006. Web. 21 June 2013.
2013.
Rowlingson, Kelly. "The Different Types of Phonics." A Step At A Time. Kelly Rowlingson, 2006. Web. 21 June 2013.