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On this site you will find information and strategies to utilize in the classroom setting.
*This site is continually being managed and updated. There may be times where areas may seem incomplete.*
Summary of Content Knowledge
Phonics helps students to understand the relationship between the letters of the written language and the sounds of spoken language. This area includes: spelling patterns, must be systematic, and embedded and integrated in a balanced literacy program. Patterns that should be introduced to students include: initial consonant sound, "C" generalizations, "G" generalizations, and vowel patterns.Phonics can also include teaching of digraphs, blends, clusters, vowel digraphs, schwa, and diphthongs. Digraphs are words that are two letters that make one sound. Blends is two letters sitting by each other but slide through. Three letters that sit by each other and slide through is clusters. Vowel digraphs are two letters making one sounds. Schwa is unaccented syllable vowel sound, and diphthongs are single, glided vowel sound. For example, children are taught the letter s represents the sound /s/, and that it is the first letter in words such as sit, seat, and sat. It is also important that students understand the concept of the alphabetic principle. The alphabetic principle is the idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language. Learning these predictable relationships helps students to apply these relationships to unfamiliar and familiar words. It also helps students to begin reading with fluency.
Apps
abc PocketPhonics
This app is phoneme-centered to teach students to read. Students see a phoneme, they say it, write it, and then use it in a word. When they complete a packet of phonemes and word constructions they receive a number of stars, from one to three, based on how well they traced the letters and how many mistakes they made in forming words. Teachers are able to set up multiple accounts for students and are able to receive progress reports.
With students, I would use this app as a center after students have great success with phonemic and phonological awareness skills. This would be used a little later in the year after children have been exposed to the basics.
ABC Song Piano
This app uses music to teach the alphabetic principle. It can also tap into children's musical creativity because it is colorful and has piano keys that light up. Furthermore, this app introduces letters A-Z, objects, animal and instrument sounds. This app would be great to touch on the multiple intelligences of learning and even be great to use for students with autism.
In the classroom, I would use this app as a reward for great class listening or other incentive in which the class earns their chance to use it. Since this app is interactive and musically fun, I think it would also be a great one to use on a Friday when students are ready for the weekend. This app is engaging and educational yet very fun and exciting.
ABC Mouse
This app is essentially a virtual world in which students are exposed to many different skills. Students may go straight to the day's featured activity or work through a learning path that features 5 activities for their level, which can be customized by the teacher. The variety of activities this app features is thrilling and engages students.
In the classroom, I would use this app as a center if students were to complete the daily activity or I may use it for a more extended period of time and have students complete the five activities for their level. Students are exposed to letter and number skills with this app.
Strategies
Phonics/Decoding Word Strategy
1. Look at the word from left to right
2.Think about the sounds for the letters and look for word parts you know
3. Blend the sounds to read the word
4. Ask yourself: Is it a word I know? Does it make sense in what I am reading?
5. If not, ask yourself: What else can I try?
Chunky Monkey
Look for a "chunk" that you know (-ing, -and, -old, etc.)
Look for a word part (be-, -er, etc.)
We're Going On A Trip
Students sit in a circle. Toss one student a ball the student says, "we're going on a trip and i'm taking a ______ (hat for example). The ball is then passed to the next student who responds, "we're going on a trip and i'm taking a _____ (bat, hat, mat, etc). Continue to go around the circle and have students come up with different rhyming words.
Sentence Mix Up
Students read a sentence and then write the sentence. After having done so, the student cuts apart the sentence and mixes the words up. Students then put the sentence back together. Example sentence, "The sky is dark."
Click and Clunk
Find words that do not make sense or you do not know in the reading (clunk). Reread the sentence without the "clunk". Reread the sentence with the "clunk". Read the sentences before and after the "clunk" to gain more context clues about what the word could be or mean. All the parts the student rereads are considered the "clicks"
Website
http://www.readingrockets.org/
This website has everything one could want to know about phonics and different strategies to use in the classroom. The research available on this website for teachers and parents is extensive. In the future, I plan to reference back to this website when I am in need of a strategy to use or have to refer a parent to a great resource to use for their children at home.
References
Artifact
This bookmark is a great tool and resource for students to use while reading. It contains 8 different strategies for students to use when they are stuck on a word in their book. This bookmark is perfect for all students to have nearby when reading to self.
