Where does phonics instruction fit within a comprehensive literacy program? When and how would you teach phonics?
Phonics is an important component of reading, students must be able to sound
out and make the sounds of letters and words within a text. The goal of phonics instruction is to help
readers quickly determine the sounds in unfamiliar written words. According to Weaver (2002), “parts are intertwined in a indivisible
whole that must be studied and relate to other parts and to the whole.” Phonics in a comprehensive literacy
program is taught the same way, with all of the parts relating to one another and
the whole concept. Comprehensive literacy programs are designed to have phonics imbedded into the everyday
reading and writing activities, not taught separately. Teachers can teach phonics through read alouds, guided reading, shared reading, and individual conferences.
Reference:
Weaver, C. (2002). Reading process and practice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI agree that phonics instruction is important. There is a level of awareness that students must have in order to read new words. I also believe that phonics instruction is best when embedded into reading and writing performance tasks. Explicit instruction may be necessary for some students, but I believe all students will better apply phonics skills if they acquire them through text exposure. The more print materials to which students are exposed, the more phonics patterns and connections they will acquire. You suggested read alouds, guided reading, shared readings, and conferences as being ways in which teachers can teach phonics related concepts. I agree that these are effective ways to teach a variety of reading skills. The comprehensive literacy program lends itself to meeting the needs of a diverse group of learners. As a result, as needed phonics instruction can be provided too.
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI agree that teaching literacy in a whole-to-part manner seems to be more beneficial, especially when embedded in reading and writing workshops. Weaver discussed that even adults have an issue pronouncing words letter by letter, so it doesn't make sense that we would teach students in that type of way. As you stated, we need to teach phonics through activities such as guided reading, read-alouds and conferences in order for the students to see the letter-patterns in its appropriate context. These activities will also allow the students to experience more and more literature which in turn will allow for the students to see more of the letter-patterns found throughout the text. The more they see the more they will be able to familiarize themselves with various forms of the words.
I also believe that literacy is more effective when teaching from a whole-to-part perspective. It is through exposure where children are able to make new connections and be involved in active discussions. I think that the reading and writing workshops do just this! They allow for real world application, instead of teaching skills in isolation, the workshops guide teachers to teach with the student's individual needs in mind. I think it is more effective to teach phonics through integration of other subjects. This is also why I am a fan of the reading and writing workshops.
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