Where
does phonics instruction fit within a comprehensive literacy program? When and
how would you teach phonics?
Phonics
instruction integrates into several places in a comprehensive literacy
program. Weaver makes it clear that independent
and focused phonics instruction is not effective or beneficial for the
students. Instead, phonics is something
that can and should be implemented in the classroom through various other
approaches such as guided or shared reading, read alouds, reading and writing
conferences, write-alouds, and guided or shared writing. In this way, students are learning phonics as
it relates to reading or writing. They
are continuing to see words and how they make up a text as opposed to isolated
sounds that letters make.
Phonics
can be taught through guided or shared reading, read alouds, and reading
conferences through attention to how things are spelled. Teachers can help students to chunk words as
they read and to recognize similar spelling patterns in multiple words. In writing conferences, write alouds, and
guided or shared writing, phonics can also be taught in regards to
spelling. It is not uncommon for
students to incorrectly spell words, so the teacher can help the student think
of ways to work through different spellings.
I think that phonics works really well in a comprehensive literacy
program when its instruction is integrated with other areas. Although I will be teaching fifth grade, I
feel sure that there will be some students in my classroom that could benefit
from phonics instruction to help them become stronger readers and writers.
Mackenzie,
ReplyDeleteI love that you listed all of the different ways phonics instruction can be weaved into your lessons. I think that phonics is important for spelling patterns (and that's it!). One obstacle I ran into my first year of teaching was that a lot of the students could spell the words but they did not know what they meant so they were unable to properly use them in their reading and writing. When I found a word that the whole class had accomplished we would talk about the meaning and put it up on the wall. Just an idea:)
What kind of phonics program does your school have?
I definitely agree with you that phonics instruction is important for teaching spelling patterns! I really noticed how much better my students did in spelling when a correspondence was taught and reinforced throughout literacy instruction. I also agree with you that it is important to work phonics into multiple areas of a comprehensive literacy program. It should not be taught in isolation, but rather it should be incorporated into a variety of areas. I see it working well in spelling instruction, writing conferences, and guided reading just to name a few.
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