How to Learn to Read Using Phonics
Learning to read English is difficult because of the different ways that groups of letters sound. For instance, the word "air" has the same sound as "where" and "wear" but these words are spelled differently. Phonics teaching concentrates on the various sounds of vowels and consonants. State schools favor phonics teaching because most learners respond to it and readers who are aware of phonics tend to make rapid progress. It is also a good system for older learners, or for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners who are trying to master the rules and exceptions to English spelling.
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Instructions
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Select a phonics course or program to follow. There are programs available both online and offline. Well-known offline phonics programs include Hooked on Phonics and Frontline Phonics. Phonics programs for PCs, which come with digital CD-Roms, include the software program Ultimate Phonics.
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Use activities such as flash cards and games to consolidate and reinforce learning. For instance, you could play Phonic I-Spy in a group. Instead of sounding the first letter of the word you select the first blended letter sound, such as "ch" or "th".
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Practice breaking down words into sounds when you are traveling around. For example, read supermarket signs and roadside signs.
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Read "real" books to practice phonics as soon as possible. Young children learn to break down individual words into sounds, such as "cat" with its three sounds. Older learners can do the same, reading for the phonics practice rather than the story.
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Make lists of words with the same sound in a journal. One list could be the "ate" sound and include fate, date, hate, late, state. Another could be the "ch" sound and include cheese, charity, chicken, children.
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Watch DVDs in English with English subtitles (young learners can do this with suitable children's DVDs) and match the spoken sound with the written word.
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Tips & Warnings
"Little and often" is the best way to learn to read using phonics. A few minutes each day with flash cards is better than a full day's session working through books and tapes.
The phonics reading system does not suit every learner. If someone is struggling to read with phonics it could put him off books and literature. If this is the case it is a good idea to try other reading methods such as the whole language method where the reader remembers words in units, rather than breaking down the word.
References
- Photo Credit little girl reading book image by Nikolay Okhitin from Fotolia.com
