Tuesday, May 13, 2014

What's Wrong with Phonics Instruction?

PROBLEM: "One of the most fundamental flaws found in almost all phonics programs, including traditional ones, is that they teach the code backwards. That is, they go from letter to sound instead of from sound to letter. Such programs disregard the fact that speech evolved at least 30,000 years before writing. Alphabetic writing was invented to represent speech; speech was not learned from reading. Following the logic of history, we should teach awareness of the sound system (phonology) and anchor letters to it"
Louisa Cook Moats from Teaching Decoding

SOLUTION:
Prepare students for kindergarten by giving them opportunities for speech/ letter sound awareness. Watch this video and do with your child every day to give them a boost before kindergarten. Prepare your preschool child for the common core.