Phonics: Teaching the Alphabetic

Principle

Dr. DeeneyEDC424

2

What is Phonics?• A way of teaching reading that stresses

the acquisition of letter-sound correspondences and their use to read and spell words (Harris & Hodges, 1995)

• A system of instruction designed for the beginning reader (i.e. primary grade children or older students who are having difficulty learning to read)

3

Phonemic Awareness vs. Phonics

Phonemic Awareness– Ability to segment

oral language– Thinking about

sounds in language (metalinguistic awareness)

– Not paper/pencil– Not letter/sound

Phonics– Instruction in the

alphabetic principle—the written representation of speech

– Sound/symbol knowledge

– Letter patterns– Rules/

generalizations

4

The Marriage of PA and Phonics• Phonemic awareness and reading are

mutually supportive (Perfetti, Beck, & Hughes, 1987)

• Instruction in PA may be enhanced when the connections between the sound segments in words and the corresponding symbols are made explicit (Blachman, 1989; Bryant, 1983, 1985)

• Instruction in PA combined w/letter sounds shows significant gain over just letter sounds or typical instruction (Ball & Blachman, 1991)

5

Why is Phonics Important?

• English is an alphabetic language

• English reading and spelling is based on predictable sound/symbol correspondences and predictable patterns

6

Teaching Phonics

• Systematic phonics instruction shows greater effects on reading achievement than non-systematic or no phonics instruction (Chall, 1967; Bond & Dykstra, 1967/68; Stahl & Miller, 1989; Adams, 1991; Snow, Barnes, Chandler, & Miller, 1999??)

• Systematic phonics programs do not differ significantly from one another in terms of effect (National Reading Panel, 2000)

7

“Systematic” Phonics Instruction:

• Planned, sequential introduction of phonic elements

• Explicit, systematic teaching of the planned sequence of sound/symbol correspondences

• Opportunities for practice taught skills in isolation and transfer to connected text containing those elements

8

NON-Systematic• Incidental teaching (“teachable

moments”)• Morning message (unless tied to

systematic instruction)• Mismatch of instruction and

development• Random choice of letters/sounds to

teach• Lack of practice in the elements

taught

9

Teaching Letter Sounds• Show letter• Tell letter name and how to write the letter (model and

provide practice)• Teach sound and how it is made (what the mouth looks

like)• Give way for students to remember (e.g. the letter S

looks like a snake and it sounds like a snake, too: /sssssss/!)

• Have students make sound sky-writing letter• Tell students some words that begin with the letter sound• Ask students for other words that begin with the letter

sound• Write a group sentence using the letter sounds (e.g.

“Sally saw sailboats on the sea.”)• Have students practice writing the letter and drawing

pictures of words that begin with the letter sound

10

Buy a Vowel• Every word has a vowel• Rather than teaching all

consonants first, teach a consonant (or two) then a vowel

• Teach students right away how these sounds/letters make words

11

A Recommended Sequence of Sound/Symbol Introduction

a, d, m, s, t, n, i, h, o, g, p, f, c, b, e, sh, k, ck, l, u, th,

r, w, j, x, ch, v, qu, z  

Example of Systematic Phonics

Word BuildingBeck (1999)

13

id m s ta h

14

Words Their Way: Word Sorting

• Picture sorts for phonemic awareness

• Picture/word sorts for phonemic awareness/phonics

• Word sorts for phonics/spelling

15

M D

16

-at -an

fat

sat bat

mat

man

ban

ran

tan

17

sh th ch

she

chip sheet

shopshinship

chop

chin

chat

check thin

thick that

think