Teaching Phonics
Phonics involves a body of information that needs to be mastered and applied in acquiring literacy. It is an instructional strategy for helping children learn the sounds of a language (such as English), how they correspond to letters, and how to use this knowledge in decoding words (Sally and David, 2007, p. 1). “Phonics is a study unto itself, valued by linguists, philologists, dictionary writers and cryptologist, as well as reading teachers” (Chall and Popp 1996, p 4). The relationship between letters and sounds is at the core of phonics. Phonics is based on the alphabetic principle that requires a knowledge of letter-sound correspondences in pronouncing and producing written language. It is a tool for helping young learner become literate (Eldredge,J.Lloyd, 1995, p35).The ultimate end of phonics is reading and writing – to help children read accurately and fluently and to spell correctly and confidently (Savage, 2010,p 7).
As English writing system is alphabetic in which letter or letter cluster maps onto a phoneme, learning to read English using phonics approach is considered more natural and effective instructional approach for new readers (Chall, 1967). In 1967, updated in 1983 and 1996, Learning to Read; The Great Debate by Jeanne S. Chall, its findings confirmed that approaches to early reading instruction that emphasized decoding were more effective in helping children achieve in reading than those that did not provide this strong phonics emphasis. Additional research that support for phonics was contained in the final Report of the National Reading Panel, United States (2000a, 2000b), which summarized that systematic and explicit phonics instruction is more effective than nonsystematic or no phonics instruction and is particularly beneficial for children who are having difficulties in learning to read (Savage, 2010,p 12)
Phonics instruction involves the teaching of letter-sound relationships, segmentation of letter sounds, and blending of letter sounds. It more represents explicit than implicit phonics programs. Phonics instruction takes about ten minutes classroom time per day, it is process oriented and it teaches children how to determine vowel sounds in words based upon each word’s written syllable pattern to literacy development. Children must master segmentation and blending before they can transfer the results of phonics instruction to the reading of unfamiliar words (Bausell, & Jenkins, 1972; Muller, 1973; Fox & Routh, 1976). Phonics knowledge can be assessed by asking students to read different pseudowords containing all of the phonics elements, organized in patterns identical to those used in real words. (Eldredge,J.Lloyd, 1995, p36)
In explicit programs children are taught the sounds represented by letters, how to isolate those sounds and how to blend them for word identification. Phonics is taught through a “synthesizing’ process (parts to whole) rather than by analysis. The letter-sound relationships are taught first, follow by letter sounds combined in various ways to form words. (Eldredge,J.Lloyd, 1995, p76)
Limitation to Phonics
There are three drawbacks to the use of phonics as an instructional strategy. There are (a) unpredictability, (b) speed (Jones, S.A & Deterding, D. 2007 p. 3-5). The pronunciation of not all English words can easily be predicted. The pronunciation has evolved from time to time, but not to the spelling of the words. Words like knight, for example, comprise of three silent letters, <k>, <g> and <h>. In knight, all the letters were once pronounced as /naIt/. English words come from a wide range of different sources. For example, ballet comes from French where a final <t> is silent.
Part of the reading skills is developing the ability to recognize words accurately and automatically, while using the context to infer meaning. Should phonics creates barrier to smooth reading, it has failed. Sometimes phonics will help children decoding the sounds of words; at the other times, a whole-word approach is appropriate. The exact balance of these two approached, decoding words using phonics and learning words visually will depend on the individual learner.
Although there are limitations on Phonics, phonics do help in students' reading development. We should cultivate phoneme awareness in students.
As English writing system is alphabetic in which letter or letter cluster maps onto a phoneme, learning to read English using phonics approach is considered more natural and effective instructional approach for new readers (Chall, 1967). In 1967, updated in 1983 and 1996, Learning to Read; The Great Debate by Jeanne S. Chall, its findings confirmed that approaches to early reading instruction that emphasized decoding were more effective in helping children achieve in reading than those that did not provide this strong phonics emphasis. Additional research that support for phonics was contained in the final Report of the National Reading Panel, United States (2000a, 2000b), which summarized that systematic and explicit phonics instruction is more effective than nonsystematic or no phonics instruction and is particularly beneficial for children who are having difficulties in learning to read (Savage, 2010,p 12)
Phonics instruction involves the teaching of letter-sound relationships, segmentation of letter sounds, and blending of letter sounds. It more represents explicit than implicit phonics programs. Phonics instruction takes about ten minutes classroom time per day, it is process oriented and it teaches children how to determine vowel sounds in words based upon each word’s written syllable pattern to literacy development. Children must master segmentation and blending before they can transfer the results of phonics instruction to the reading of unfamiliar words (Bausell, & Jenkins, 1972; Muller, 1973; Fox & Routh, 1976). Phonics knowledge can be assessed by asking students to read different pseudowords containing all of the phonics elements, organized in patterns identical to those used in real words. (Eldredge,J.Lloyd, 1995, p36)
In explicit programs children are taught the sounds represented by letters, how to isolate those sounds and how to blend them for word identification. Phonics is taught through a “synthesizing’ process (parts to whole) rather than by analysis. The letter-sound relationships are taught first, follow by letter sounds combined in various ways to form words. (Eldredge,J.Lloyd, 1995, p76)
Limitation to Phonics
There are three drawbacks to the use of phonics as an instructional strategy. There are (a) unpredictability, (b) speed (Jones, S.A & Deterding, D. 2007 p. 3-5). The pronunciation of not all English words can easily be predicted. The pronunciation has evolved from time to time, but not to the spelling of the words. Words like knight, for example, comprise of three silent letters, <k>, <g> and <h>. In knight, all the letters were once pronounced as /naIt/. English words come from a wide range of different sources. For example, ballet comes from French where a final <t> is silent.
Part of the reading skills is developing the ability to recognize words accurately and automatically, while using the context to infer meaning. Should phonics creates barrier to smooth reading, it has failed. Sometimes phonics will help children decoding the sounds of words; at the other times, a whole-word approach is appropriate. The exact balance of these two approached, decoding words using phonics and learning words visually will depend on the individual learner.
Although there are limitations on Phonics, phonics do help in students' reading development. We should cultivate phoneme awareness in students.