Phonics -- the key to reading
Luz Shosie and Ned Vare
Reading is knowing that letters are connected to sounds. That's what phonics
means -- the sounds of letters.
Beginning readers need to learn the letters' names and the sounds they stand
for. "A" has more than one sound -- "A" as is hat, and "a" as in age or
baby.
E sounds like the "e" in bed, or the "e" in meet. I has two sounds. One is
in words like HIT, the other is in words like BITE.
I bought plastic letters with magnets on the back and made short words on
the refrigerator, such as AT. Next day, I changed it to CAT, then RAT, then
RAM. Same with HOT, POT, LOT, LOG...
UP changed to CUP, then ZUP (just for fun) -- Dr. Seuss stuff.
IT, SIT, SIP, RIP, DIP, DRIP, SKIP, STIK. spelling doesn't need to be
correct so long as the child understands that letters mean sounds. Make up
nonsense words just to make the point -- ZARK. BAM. WUG... They get it
very quickly usually. It becomes a game...maybe.
Ned Vare
PS As much as I like Sam Blumenfeld, 100 "easy lessons" doesn't sound easy
to me. It sounds like school. Try to do this with NO lessons, just fun. I
always remember that one child, when asked how he learned to read, he said,
"I don't know. I just learned "up" and "down" and I could read."
It's only schools that want us to believe that it takes a long time to teach
a child to read, and that it's difficult. It doesn't, and it isn't. Contrary
to what they say, English is incredibly regular and simple...26 letters and
only 44 sounds.
Next is to divide longer words into short ones called syllables. The
syllables can be read separately...that's "sounding out".
Once a child understands the connection between letters and sounds, s/he's
got it. If he/she can read short words and very short sentences, such as,
Jim sat on a red box, they are reading.
In my experience with our son during his early years, walking around town
and reading signs was, I believe, a good start. Not only did it make the
connection between words and real activities ( BANK means money changing,
and BOOK STORE is a place that keeps books) but it made learning reading
incidental to living, instead of a separate, disconnected experience.
Something else we did was make signs (3x5" or so) taped to household items
-- pan, window, rug, wall, door, refrigerator, table. It doesn't take long.
Pretty soon, the child might make a sign for something. At that point, s/he
is reading AND writing. You're home free.
The trick is knowing when to stop this type of teaching. Keep it minimal.
Once a child gets it, it's time to stop "teaching."
means -- the sounds of letters.
Beginning readers need to learn the letters' names and the sounds they stand
for. "A" has more than one sound -- "A" as is hat, and "a" as in age or
baby.
E sounds like the "e" in bed, or the "e" in meet. I has two sounds. One is
in words like HIT, the other is in words like BITE.
I bought plastic letters with magnets on the back and made short words on
the refrigerator, such as AT. Next day, I changed it to CAT, then RAT, then
RAM. Same with HOT, POT, LOT, LOG...
UP changed to CUP, then ZUP (just for fun) -- Dr. Seuss stuff.
IT, SIT, SIP, RIP, DIP, DRIP, SKIP, STIK. spelling doesn't need to be
correct so long as the child understands that letters mean sounds. Make up
nonsense words just to make the point -- ZARK. BAM. WUG... They get it
very quickly usually. It becomes a game...maybe.
Ned Vare
PS As much as I like Sam Blumenfeld, 100 "easy lessons" doesn't sound easy
to me. It sounds like school. Try to do this with NO lessons, just fun. I
always remember that one child, when asked how he learned to read, he said,
"I don't know. I just learned "up" and "down" and I could read."
It's only schools that want us to believe that it takes a long time to teach
a child to read, and that it's difficult. It doesn't, and it isn't. Contrary
to what they say, English is incredibly regular and simple...26 letters and
only 44 sounds.
Next is to divide longer words into short ones called syllables. The
syllables can be read separately...that's "sounding out".
Once a child understands the connection between letters and sounds, s/he's
got it. If he/she can read short words and very short sentences, such as,
Jim sat on a red box, they are reading.
In my experience with our son during his early years, walking around town
and reading signs was, I believe, a good start. Not only did it make the
connection between words and real activities ( BANK means money changing,
and BOOK STORE is a place that keeps books) but it made learning reading
incidental to living, instead of a separate, disconnected experience.
Something else we did was make signs (3x5" or so) taped to household items
-- pan, window, rug, wall, door, refrigerator, table. It doesn't take long.
Pretty soon, the child might make a sign for something. At that point, s/he
is reading AND writing. You're home free.
The trick is knowing when to stop this type of teaching. Keep it minimal.
Once a child gets it, it's time to stop "teaching."
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/25/2002 7:29:34 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
nedvare@... writes:
different than our own experience, but it sounds like it comes from a
different place - like the kids won't learn unless the parent acts as a
phonics teacher.
We stopped before we started.
Kids have a natural interest in doing what adults do. Books and other reading
materials are naturally attractive. Being responsive is enough - all three of
my kids learned to read without anybody being conscious of "learning phonics"
or syllables or any of that. We surrounded them with a print-rich
environment, we LOVED to read to them, to ourselves, to each other, etc. We
played with words for the fun of it - not to "teach" them to read.
All three (at 11, 14, and 17) read extremely voraciously - are seldom found
without a book at hand, if not two or three. They all write extensively as
well.
No conscious attempt to teach them to read was ever required unless you call
creating an environment conducive to them WANTING to learn to read
"teaching."
(OH NO -- did I REALLY make that distinction between teaching and learning
again? Sorry - but it does seem to pop up here.)
--pamS
National Home Education Network
http://www.NHEN.org
Changing the Way the World Sees Homeschooling!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
nedvare@... writes:
> The trick is knowing when to stop this type of teaching. Keep it minimal.I'm not sure that, in practice, what Ned is talking about is all that
> Once a child gets it, it's time to stop "teaching."
different than our own experience, but it sounds like it comes from a
different place - like the kids won't learn unless the parent acts as a
phonics teacher.
We stopped before we started.
Kids have a natural interest in doing what adults do. Books and other reading
materials are naturally attractive. Being responsive is enough - all three of
my kids learned to read without anybody being conscious of "learning phonics"
or syllables or any of that. We surrounded them with a print-rich
environment, we LOVED to read to them, to ourselves, to each other, etc. We
played with words for the fun of it - not to "teach" them to read.
All three (at 11, 14, and 17) read extremely voraciously - are seldom found
without a book at hand, if not two or three. They all write extensively as
well.
No conscious attempt to teach them to read was ever required unless you call
creating an environment conducive to them WANTING to learn to read
"teaching."
(OH NO -- did I REALLY make that distinction between teaching and learning
again? Sorry - but it does seem to pop up here.)
--pamS
National Home Education Network
http://www.NHEN.org
Changing the Way the World Sees Homeschooling!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/25/02 8:49:34 PM, PSoroosh@... writes:
<< > The trick is knowing when to stop this type of teaching. Keep it minimal.
If it was really teaching, then it wasn't just for fun.
And just because a child knows there is a code and a pattern doesn't mean he
knows how to read. There's quite a bit of practice required for reading to
really work fluently.
Holly was at a Harry Potter card tournament today. She had an irritating
opponent and came home and cried. Two of the things he did: Read his cards
aloud to himself, holding them under the edge of the table, and wouldn't read
them aloud for her to hear (but couldn't read silently), and when she would
ask to see what his card could do, he would hold it up but not let her touch
it.
Those are reading related things BIGTIME. She was pretty frustrated, but she
did have the option not to participate.
Marty's learning to read was very phonetic. Kirby's wasn't. Holly's is a
combination. There's more than one way to learn to read because people learn
to read in more than one way, and in various combinations, and different
people's minds are organized different ways.
When I was in first grade we were doing "look say." We learned some phonics
rules, but not tons. We outlined letters for our reading practice, so we
would see the shapes of common words.
I changed schools, districts, STATES for second grade and they taught all
phonics. I thought phonics was fun, but I already knew how to read at that
point, so it was just busy work and amusement, and something to argue about
(whether that drawing was a cup or a mug, etc.).
Once a child is reading, it doesn't matter how he learned it.
Sandra
<< > The trick is knowing when to stop this type of teaching. Keep it minimal.
> Once a child gets it, it's time to stop "teaching."If it was really just for fun, why would you stop?
>>
If it was really teaching, then it wasn't just for fun.
And just because a child knows there is a code and a pattern doesn't mean he
knows how to read. There's quite a bit of practice required for reading to
really work fluently.
Holly was at a Harry Potter card tournament today. She had an irritating
opponent and came home and cried. Two of the things he did: Read his cards
aloud to himself, holding them under the edge of the table, and wouldn't read
them aloud for her to hear (but couldn't read silently), and when she would
ask to see what his card could do, he would hold it up but not let her touch
it.
Those are reading related things BIGTIME. She was pretty frustrated, but she
did have the option not to participate.
Marty's learning to read was very phonetic. Kirby's wasn't. Holly's is a
combination. There's more than one way to learn to read because people learn
to read in more than one way, and in various combinations, and different
people's minds are organized different ways.
When I was in first grade we were doing "look say." We learned some phonics
rules, but not tons. We outlined letters for our reading practice, so we
would see the shapes of common words.
I changed schools, districts, STATES for second grade and they taught all
phonics. I thought phonics was fun, but I already knew how to read at that
point, so it was just busy work and amusement, and something to argue about
(whether that drawing was a cup or a mug, etc.).
Once a child is reading, it doesn't matter how he learned it.
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/25/02 10:53:53 PM Central Daylight Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:
a blast with her Harry Potter trading cards. (Unfortunately *I* don't get it
at all.) She packs her cards and that map thing in her back pack, and takes
them everywhere. She would hand Holly the whole stack and say "Lets Play!!!"
~Nancy
PS There are tournaments?!!?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
SandraDodd@... writes:
> Holly was at a Harry Potter card tournament today. She had an irritatingPoor Holly. :o( I wish we lived close to you, Moly loves Harry Potter and has
> opponent and came home and cried. Two of the things he did: Read his
> cards
> aloud to himself, holding them under the edge of the table, and wouldn't
> read
> them aloud for her to hear (but couldn't read silently), and when she would
> ask to see what his card could do, he would hold it up but not let her
> touch
> it.
>
a blast with her Harry Potter trading cards. (Unfortunately *I* don't get it
at all.) She packs her cards and that map thing in her back pack, and takes
them everywhere. She would hand Holly the whole stack and say "Lets Play!!!"
~Nancy
PS There are tournaments?!!?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
On Thu, 25 Jul 2002 22:31:03 -0400 Luz Shosie and Ned Vare
<nedvare@...> writes:
to read, but not the only way. Deaf people can read, having no idea what
"sounds" the letters symbolize. Letter are symbols, and different
combinations of letters symbolize different words. I know lots of
children who read fluently - i.e, pick up pretty much any book and go -
without knowing which sounds connected to which letters. My own daughter
knew basic letter sounds and played with them when she was younger, but
real reading for her when she started reading fleuntly, was purely
visual.
My experience has been that some children learn to read through phonics,
but others learn visually, and knowing the sounds of the letters is at
best useless and at worst frustrating for them. And, of course, some kids
learn by combining both...
Dar, about 300 messages behind - Rain has tech week for one show opening
tomorrow, and did auditions and callbacks for another show in another
town that starts rehersals Monday... arggh!
<nedvare@...> writes:
> Reading is knowing that letters are connected to sounds.I disagree with this basic premise. Or rather, I think that's *one* way
to read, but not the only way. Deaf people can read, having no idea what
"sounds" the letters symbolize. Letter are symbols, and different
combinations of letters symbolize different words. I know lots of
children who read fluently - i.e, pick up pretty much any book and go -
without knowing which sounds connected to which letters. My own daughter
knew basic letter sounds and played with them when she was younger, but
real reading for her when she started reading fleuntly, was purely
visual.
My experience has been that some children learn to read through phonics,
but others learn visually, and knowing the sounds of the letters is at
best useless and at worst frustrating for them. And, of course, some kids
learn by combining both...
Dar, about 300 messages behind - Rain has tech week for one show opening
tomorrow, and did auditions and callbacks for another show in another
town that starts rehersals Monday... arggh!
Fetteroll
on 7/25/02 10:31 PM, Luz Shosie and Ned Vare at nedvare@... wrote:
falling over. But that doesn't mean they need taught. They figure out what
muscles to use as a side effect of trying to walk.
Kids, as far as I can tell from the stories people relate, figure out
phonics as a side effect of trying to read. Some of the things that my
daughter has done is read along silently as I'm reading to her, ask how to
spell words, recognize signs and isolated words (like recognizing Pokemon
names). From all the information going in (for reasons other than "learning
to read") she picks up (mostly unconsciously) patterns in English.
I asked Kathryn if she knew what sounds "i" can make in words and she did
come up with the long and short sounds -- and threw in "ee" as it does in
Japanese ;-). She read "bit" and "bite" correctly -- as isolated words out
of context which is tough. I guess that's phonics, but no phonics lessons
involved.
Joyce
> Beginning readers need to learn the letters' names and the sounds they standBeginning walkers need to know what muscles to use to keep themselves from
> for. "A" has more than one sound -- "A" as is hat, and "a" as in age or
> baby.
falling over. But that doesn't mean they need taught. They figure out what
muscles to use as a side effect of trying to walk.
Kids, as far as I can tell from the stories people relate, figure out
phonics as a side effect of trying to read. Some of the things that my
daughter has done is read along silently as I'm reading to her, ask how to
spell words, recognize signs and isolated words (like recognizing Pokemon
names). From all the information going in (for reasons other than "learning
to read") she picks up (mostly unconsciously) patterns in English.
I asked Kathryn if she knew what sounds "i" can make in words and she did
come up with the long and short sounds -- and threw in "ee" as it does in
Japanese ;-). She read "bit" and "bite" correctly -- as isolated words out
of context which is tough. I guess that's phonics, but no phonics lessons
involved.
Joyce
[email protected]
In a message dated 7/25/02 10:55:51 PM, Dnowens@... writes:
<< PS There are tournaments?!!? >>
A league.
There is a full-page ad in Nintendo Power, and it's also a really nice poster
AND a picture-search game. If she's into the game it might be worth the
purchase price of that magazine, and then laminate that page. It's the new
issue, with Mickey Mouse on the front.
Sandra
<< PS There are tournaments?!!? >>
A league.
There is a full-page ad in Nintendo Power, and it's also a really nice poster
AND a picture-search game. If she's into the game it might be worth the
purchase price of that magazine, and then laminate that page. It's the new
issue, with Mickey Mouse on the front.
Sandra
Tia Leschke
>Lars couldn't "get" phonics at all when he was younger. He couldn't tell
>
>My experience has been that some children learn to read through phonics,
>but others learn visually, and knowing the sounds of the letters is at
>best useless and at worst frustrating for them. And, of course, some kids
>learn by combining both...
the difference between the sounds of the short vowels. When I pushed
reading on him when he was 12 (new folks - absolutely not recommended) he
sort of got it. He still isn't a very good reader.
Tia
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island
zenmomma *
>>Marty's learning to read was very phonetic. Kirby's wasn't. Holly's is aCasey learned to read with a combination too. She knew letter sounds really
>>combination. There's more than one way to learn to read because people
>>learn to read in more than one way, and in various combinations, and
>>different people's minds are organized different ways.>>
early, but when she actually started reading she preferred whole words and
lots of meaning in her stories. No "The dog ran. The cat sat." She wanted
stories. But lately I've noticed her doing a lot more sounding out. I think
the level of books she's reading are almost requiring her to do it. The
difference now is that she's enjoying the sounding out part of it.
Phonics actually got in Conor's way big time. In fact, the key to him
finally figuring it all out was for me to remove the phonics idea for him.
It was hard for me to understand, because my brain works soooo differently
from his on this. He sees pictures in his head when he reads. Much more
vivid than any image I get. When he reads a story there's an actual movie
running in his brain. It's a movie he can rewind, pause or fast forward too.
That's a HUGE strength. But it didn't work well with phonics for him.
What did help him to become a fluent reader, was to have me read far enough
into a story that he had the movie going. He would then be able to read the
rest himself. If he reads fast enough to keep the movie going he's fine. His
comprehension is amazing. If he doesn't know a word, but can keep the movie
going, he just skips it. (He's skipping less and less words anymore BTW.) If
he really needs the word to understand the story he just asks me. (This
hardly ever happens anymore either.) The trick for him was to keep the movie
going and not stop to try to sound things out. It was pretty amazing to
watch actually.
Life is good.
~Mary
_________________________________________________________________
Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
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[email protected]
In a message dated 7/26/2002 9:06:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
leschke@... writes:
either -- AND she couldn't really clearly distinguish well between "n" and
"m" and "d" and "th" and some other sounds. She doesn't have any speech
delays - it was only a problem in written language. She's 11 and reads
extremely well and voraciously now, but still doesn't spell well.
She's away (for the FIRST time) at Girl Scout camp for 5 nights. She's
written us 2 notes a day. We have to struggle a little to read some of the
words, but her spelling problems don't slow down her writing, thank goodness.
They did for a while - she used to cry because she wanted to write so much -
but knew that people had trouble reading what she'd written. She got a lot of
support for just writing anyway and getting someone else to correct her
spelling, if it was important. She writes fan fiction and letters and keeps
journals and she and a couple of friends did a few issues of their own
newspaper recently. Her spelling is improving - but very very slowly and
she'll still spell the same word 3 different ways on one page <G>. I'm sure,
in school, they'd either think she wasn't really trying (because her other
abilities would be so advanced) or she'd have a learning disabilities label
of some sort. At home it is just not one of her natural talents and something
she's figured out is going to come along slowly.
--pamS
National Home Education Network
http://www.NHEN.org
Changing the Way the World Sees Homeschooling!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
leschke@... writes:
> Lars couldn't "get" phonics at all when he was younger. He couldn't tellRosie couldn't hear the differences between the short vowel sounds very well
> the difference between the sounds of the short vowels.
either -- AND she couldn't really clearly distinguish well between "n" and
"m" and "d" and "th" and some other sounds. She doesn't have any speech
delays - it was only a problem in written language. She's 11 and reads
extremely well and voraciously now, but still doesn't spell well.
She's away (for the FIRST time) at Girl Scout camp for 5 nights. She's
written us 2 notes a day. We have to struggle a little to read some of the
words, but her spelling problems don't slow down her writing, thank goodness.
They did for a while - she used to cry because she wanted to write so much -
but knew that people had trouble reading what she'd written. She got a lot of
support for just writing anyway and getting someone else to correct her
spelling, if it was important. She writes fan fiction and letters and keeps
journals and she and a couple of friends did a few issues of their own
newspaper recently. Her spelling is improving - but very very slowly and
she'll still spell the same word 3 different ways on one page <G>. I'm sure,
in school, they'd either think she wasn't really trying (because her other
abilities would be so advanced) or she'd have a learning disabilities label
of some sort. At home it is just not one of her natural talents and something
she's figured out is going to come along slowly.
--pamS
National Home Education Network
http://www.NHEN.org
Changing the Way the World Sees Homeschooling!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]