Phooray for Phonics!

Merriam Webster defines phonics as:

: the science of sound : ACOUSTICS

: a method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic value of letters, letter groups, and especially syllables

There have been back and forth trends in education regarding the use of phonics to teach reading in the early years. Most of my years as a teacher took place in middle school, but there were about seven years in elementary school where phonics was the foundation for teaching reading. I had a “word wall” in the classroom with groups of words in the same phonetic family. The result?- it worked.

Of course, there are many exceptions in english that contradict logical phonetic sounds. We have to teach those as well, but that can occur later, over time. For children to make the connection that letters make sounds and these sounds create words, phonics is essential.

This realization is exciting for a young learner. When kids realize that they can read word families like hat, cat, sat and mat, lightbulbs ignite in their minds. Making connections like this helps create good readers. Getting a good phonetic foundation during the first couple years of school is essential.

COVID shutdowns in 2020 and 2021 really did a number on academics and created learning gaps across all grades. Many children in K, 1st, and 2nd grades missed foundational principals required for reading. Children simply cannot find main ideas, make comparisons, or “make inferences” if they are having trouble reading simple words. The foundation must be there in order for higher level skills to be mastered.

There is nothing wrong with taking a step BACK and teaching your student basic phonics. It’s never too late to focus on phonics. As a matter of fact, it’s ESSENTIAL. If they missed out on some basic reading strategies, you’d be giving them a life-long gift. Here are some resources that may help, if you find as a parent that your little love needs a phonetic boost. Let’s BOOK SOME TIME with our kiddoes, preparing them for academic success in the years ahead. “Phooray” for phonics! (You get this- if you get phonics!)

Foundations Phonics, Easy Lessons for Early Learners

A Parent’s Guide to Phonics

20 Best Phonics Books of all Time (Book Authority)

Bob Books, Beginning Reader’s Box Set

Berenstain Bears 12 Books Phonics Fun!

Phonics, First Little Readers (24)

Learn to Read, Phonics Storybook