Choosing the Right Phonics Curriculum
Teaching Your Child to Read using a Phonetics Program
Jul 19, 2008
While the goal is the same, to teach children to read using phonics, you need to take the time to look at what each program offers and ask yourself if it will work for you and your child. One very basic rule to keep in mind when browsing your options is that a curriculum that relies heavily on sight words is not a phonics curriculum at all. Here are a few other points to consider when choosing a phonics curriculum.
Teaching Letters is the First Thing To Do
One of the most basic parts of a phonics curriculum, according to developmental pediatrician Michael Levin, M.D., in How to Teach Your Child to Read [Mountcastle Company, 1998 ] is its concentration on teaching letters and the sounds that they make before any words are introduced to the child. For instance, the short vowel sounds of "a, e, i, o, and u" are the very beginning foundation for reading. Once the vowel sounds are mastered, a child generally moves on to consonant sounds. This gives the child a basis for building the blended sounds that words make.
Look at the phonics program you are considering and see what it starts with. For example, the Bob Book series starts with the short vowel sounds and then progresses as the child learns more and more. Curricula that abound with activities and fun projects also help to keep a young child interested in learning to read while engaging the crucial steps to reading properly.
A Look Into the Phonic Sounds
When you look at phonics program, you will also want to see how the curriculum addresses the 44 phonic sounds along with the 70 common ways of spelling these words. Learning these sounds helps children learn to pronounce words and spell them correctly, which they will adapt to doing throughout their whole life as they encounter new and unfamiliar words.
In addition, you want to make sure that the program teaches one short vowel sound with multiple consonants, often called "word families," before introducing blends and harder combinations of words. An example of a "word family" using the short a (/a/) sound is:
- C/a/t
- B/a/t
- P/a/t
Blending Words Comes Next
Another mark of a good phonics program is one that addresses blending. This is taking two letters and making a new sound, such as "bl" in the word "black." This is an important element in all phonics curriculum programs. The English language can be quite confusing to anyone learning to read and write, and sounds such as "ch," "th," and "sh" are all the foundations of successful reading.
Learning to Read in Steps
Next, take a look at how the program works as a whole. For example, does the program introduce the phonics in steps or a series? A good program will teach children the basics and then add on to their knowledge for successful learning. Hooked on Phonics is one such example. When children learn phonics in steps, they should be able to apply their knowledge of phonics sounds and sight read new words as they progress through the program.
Consider How Your Child Learns Best
Of course, when choosing the right phonics program for your child, you will also want to think about how your child learns best. There are many different programs out there, and each one has a different style. Is your child a visual or a hands-on learner?
If your child learns best by "doing," then perhaps a computer program that teaches phonics will be best. Time4Learning is an award-winning online program that offers phonics curriculum for preschool through 3rd grade. Phonics games are also fun and make learning easy, such as Pharaoh's Phonics and the Lip Sync Phonics Game.
Teaching your child to read is exciting when you latch on to something that works really well. Just remember that if something is not working the first time, you can always try something else until you find the right curriculum for your child. Being comfortable with the curriculum you use makes all the difference in the world.
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