How to Teach Phonics Reading
Phonics is the most acceptable way to teach reading because it is research-based and proven to work for the vast majority of students. Phonics emphasizes the individual sound(s) that represent letters which, in turn, become words. Phonics is a process that begins with a letter and ends with a sentence.
Instructions
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Introduce letters. Do this with an alphabet chart on the wall and with flash cards for frequent review. Teach the alphabet with rhyming chants or songs. The reading program that the school uses will have a song or poem that is used to teach the letters.
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Teach sounds. This can be done while teaching letter names. Teach that letters correspond with sounds. Always associate a picture with a letter, like an apple for "A" or a mouse for "M."
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Blend sounds into words. A student can begin blending sounds before he has mastered the entire alphabet. For example, after teaching the letters and sounds for "a," "m" and "n," you can teach blending by saying that you are going to stretch the sounds to make the word "man." Use simple, three-letter words in the beginning until students are comfortable with this process. Then you can introduce longer words with blends (ch, sh, wh) and letter chunks (ai, ae, ar). Teach a new sound and use it to blend with those already mastered. This way, you are constantly building the students' vocabulary.
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Combine words to make sentences. When the students can blend several words comfortably, have them put the words together to make a sentence. Explain that a sentence is a group of words that is expressing a thought. Teach spacing of words and simple punctuation such as periods and question marks.
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