It is important for children to decode letters in order to read and write correctly. One of the methods of teaching reading is through phonics where sound-letter relationships are used for word recognition.

It is recommended to teach children phonics systematically at about five years of age. This approximation works for most children although some children will be ready much earlier and others would still need additional time prior to engaging with phonics.

“Phonics” teaching should be:
• Enjoyable.
• Systematic.
• Included in daily activities.
• Monitored.
• Taught in context.

Children will remember the letters better when they are included in a story and where words have meanings relevant to the main text.

Examples of approaches to teaching phonics include:

1- Focusing on common phonograms such as “ack”, “ight”, “out”, “ine”, “ing” and then adding a letter to them in order to highlight word families. The educator introduces the letters and sounds them in an intentional manner.

2- Analysing words during shared reading. This is a whole-to-part approach where children learn the word first and then decode the letters that form that word. Children who have a wide exposure to books and texts are able to analyse the letters better than children with little exposure to readings.

3- Asking the children to make the sound of each letter as they are forming words.
Combining the above approaches and monitoring what works best for each child help educators develop a sequence for learning where all children can succeed.

Reference:
Fellowes, J. & Oakley, G. (2014). Language, literacy and early childhood education (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

 

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