Basic Transcription Skills in Spelling and Writing

phonicsorg on September 20, 2024

Transcription skills are a big part of a child’s journey into literacy, playing a crucial role in both reading and writing development. As parents and educators, understanding these skills can significantly impact how we support young learners. Let’s explore what transcription skills are, how they develop, and why they’re essential for literacy.

What Are Transcription Skills?

Transcription skills describe the ability to convert spoken language into written form. In early literacy, these skills mainly involve spelling and handwriting. They are the basic tools that allow children to put their thoughts onto paper, forming the bridge between ideas and written expression.

1. Handwriting

Handwriting is important in transcription as it connects a child’s knowledge of letters and language to their writing abilities. The ability to print letters quickly and accurately frees up mental energy to focus on spelling. 

Proficiency in handwriting involves:

  • Correct pencil grasp
  • Proper letter formation using writing strokes
  • Developing legibility
  • Building writing fluency and speed

Note: For older students, keyboard typing is another (more advanced) form of transcription.

2. Spelling

Once handwriting skills become automatic, more cognitive energy can be spent on developing spelling skills. Spelling involves encoding spoken language into written form. 

Spelling requires:

  • Knowledge of how the English language and writing system works 
  • Understanding of the alphabetic principle—that letters and letter patterns represent language sounds
  • Phonemic awareness (the ability to segment words into individual sounds)
  • Phonics knowledge (how sounds are represented by letters)
  • Morphological awareness (understanding the smallest units of meaning in language)

The Importance of Transcription Skills in Literacy Development

Joan Sedita’s (2019) Writing Rope visually represents how five core writing skills or “strands” combine to produce skilled writing. These strands are:

  • Critical Thinking
  • Syntax
  • Text Structure
  • Writing Craft
  • Transcription 

The transcription strand is composed of handwriting and spelling. For young children who are just beginning to write, transcription often takes up a lot of their working memory. This leaves little room for generating ideas or organizing thoughts. As transcription skills become easier and more automatic, children can dedicate more mental energy to the content and structure of their writing, leading to more complex and accurate outcomes.

How Children Develop Transcription Skills

Transcription skills develop gradually through direct instruction and practice as children progress through their early years of phonics education. Initially, children focus on mastering the mechanics of writing, such as holding a pencil correctly and forming letters on paper. As they become more proficient, their attention shifts to spelling and the more complex aspects of writing.

Supporting the Development of Transcription Skills in Kids

To help children develop strong transcription skills, focus on the main aspects involved in learning.

1. Explicit Instruction

Provide direct, systematic instruction in phonics and spelling patterns. This approach helps children understand the logic behind English spelling.

2. Regular Practice

Consistent practice is key to developing fluency in transcription skills. Incorporate daily writing activities that focus on both handwriting and spelling.

3. Apply to Phonics Instruction 

Teach spelling and handwriting alongside phonics lessons. Encoding (spelling) reinforces decoding (reading) skills and vice versa. 

4. Multisensory Activities 

For beginners, introduce activities that use multiple senses in spelling instruction. For example, have children trace letters while saying their sounds, form letters in sand, or use manipulatives to build words.

5. Word Study

Use word sorting activities to help children recognize spelling patterns and word structures. This encourages better transcription skills and spelling proficiency. 

6. Leverage Technology 

While handwriting is important, you might want to consider introducing keyboarding skills as children progress. This prepares them for digital writing tasks and can support those who struggle with handwriting. More importantly, many standardized tests in school today require basic keyboard skills, even in early elementary classrooms. 

7. Expect Differentiation

Recognize that students may have varying abilities in spelling and handwriting, even within the same grade level. Some kids might pick up transcription early whereas others may require repetition and support, especially if they’re struggling with fine motor skills or phonics concepts. 

The Role of Handwriting and Composition in Transcription Skills

It’s important to note the significant role handwriting plays in transcription skills. Fluent handwriting allows children to focus more on the content of their writing rather than the mechanics. Moreover, the act of forming letters by hand has been linked to improved letter recognition and reading development.

As children develop their transcription skills, it’s crucial to balance this with composition instruction. Research suggests that a combined approach, teaching both transcription and high-level composing skills, is most effective in improving overall writing ability.

The Impact of Transcription Skills on Writing Development

Because transcription skills are not automatic, they must be mastered first before a child can eloquently write. Fluent transcription skills free up a child’s mental resources, allowing them to concentrate on expressing their ideas effectively. 

The long-term implications of handwriting and spelling instruction are huge. If students don’t develop fluency in transcription skills by grade 3, it can significantly limit their writing development in later grades. This underscores the importance of early intervention and consistent practice to ensure that transcription skills become second nature, setting the foundation for more advanced writing tasks as children progress through their academic careers.

Grade-Level Expectations

It’s important to understand grade-level expectations for transcription skills. While every child develops at their own pace, these standard writing milestones can help parents and teachers identify if a child is struggling and needs extra support. 

  • Early Grades (K-2): Emphasize basic handwriting development and phonetic spelling to build foundational skills.
  • Middle Grades (3-5): Focus on refining handwriting, enhancing spelling accuracy, and introducing keyboarding to prepare for digital writing.
  • Upper Grades (6+): Continue supporting handwriting and spelling while placing greater emphasis on keyboarding skills to facilitate efficient writing in various contexts.

These expectations help ensure that children develop the necessary transcription skills at each stage of their literacy journey.

Helping Kids Learn Handwriting and Spelling During Phonics Instruction 

Transcription skills form the basis of writing development. By focusing on these skills early, we can help children become more confident and proficient writers. As educators and parents, it’s crucial to provide explicit instruction and ample practice opportunities in both spelling and handwriting.

To learn more about supporting your child’s writing journey and for additional tips on developing transcription skills, visit Phonics.org! Our resources can help you nurture the essential building blocks for literacy in young learners.

Top 5 Reading Apps for Kids

Jaymi Thiessen on September 13, 2024

With so many educational apps available, it can be tricky to figure out which ones are high quality and which apps are merely entertaining. In this article, we explore the top 5 educational apps for literacy that have been highly rated by reading specialists.

All of the apps mentioned have been reviewed and rated based on the following general criteria:

  • Usability: Ease of use, adaptive learning options, accessibility for diverse learners, and customer support.
  • Engagement: Interactive, quality of visual graphics, level of entertainment, and player motivation.
  • Quality of Literacy Instruction: Research-based teaching methods, type of instruction, plan for phonics instruction, and efficacy.

Are you curious how other literacy apps measure up against this top 5 list? Check out the detailed reviews on other apps at phonics.org! 

1. Reading.com 

Reading.com is an educational app designed to teach early literacy skills through a research-based approach. It uses the efficient synthetic phonics method to teach children to blend individual letter sounds to read words. 

The Reading.com app also excels in providing a structured, sequential learning path for kids with the 99 lessons moving from easiest to most difficult. The app emphasizes interactive and engaging methods, including games, songs, and visual aids to maintain motivation. It features unique tools such as a sliding bar for blending sounds and delayed picture reveals in books to encourage word reading over guessing. 

Reading.com scores highly on all review criteria including usability, engagement, and quality of literacy instruction. It’s also highly rated by parents of early readers. Overall, it’s an effective and fun learning tool to use with your child as they learn how to read!

2. Jolly Phonics App

The Jolly Phonics app focuses on teaching letter names, letter sounds, letter formation, phonemic awareness, decoding, and encoding. It features well-organized lessons and games that emphasize phonics skills through a sequential, structured approach.

The app offers customizable settings, although some features may not always function consistently. Jolly Phonics provides engaging content through positive reinforcement, stories, actions, and songs. 

Watch out, though. While Jolly Phonics is initially engaging, the games can become a little repetitive. The app also doesn’t include practice with reading phrases or sentences for fluency and comprehension.

3. HOMER Learn & Grow App

HOMER is an educational app designed for children ages 2 to 8, offering a wide range of activities aimed at developing reading, math, social-emotional skills, creativity, and critical thinking. 

The app provides a personalized learning path, starting with an introductory quiz to tailor the content to each child’s developmental level. It features systematic instruction, progressing from simpler to more complex skills, although it could improve in transparency with parents and educators about the plan for phonics instruction.

The HOMER app excels in phonemic awareness instruction, introducing letter sounds accurately and providing practice with short vowels and sound articulation exercises. However, the letter formation instruction could be improved. While in-app texts are available to practice reading fluency some of the texts could be more easily read by early readers. 

Overall, HOMER Learn & Grow is a valuable tool for early literacy development. However, it could benefit from improvements in letter formation accuracy and early reading material.

4. Readiculous App

Readiculous is a literacy app that focuses on foundational literacy skills through a research-based approach.The app is user-friendly, featuring intuitive navigation and gameplay, though it has limitations such as a lack of repeatable instructions and customizable sound effects, which could be problematic for some users. 

The Readiculous app excels in visual appeal with delightful animations and engaging rewards. It effectively uses direct instruction for teaching letter names and sounds, uses a systematic approach to phonics, and incorporates phonemic awareness through blending activities. 

Overall, Readiculous provides a strong foundation in literacy skills but may benefit from enhancements in active engagement and instructional clarity.

5. Duolingo ABC App

Duolingo ABC is a cost-free and ad-free app designed for children aged 3-8. It’s aimed to build language and literacy skills in American English. 

It offers ten themed levels with clear lesson goals and a digital library of books that can be accessed anytime. The app is exceptionally user-friendly and engages young learners through charming graphics, interactive stories, and motivating rewards. 

The app employs systematic and sequential instruction, focusing on letter sounds, letter formation, and word reading. It uses various methods for spelling and enhances language comprehension with interactive features. 

However, this app could improve—especially in areas such as voice recognition accuracy, continuous blending practice, and the alignment of word-building activities with a child’s current skills. Additionally, incorporating more decodable books for early readers could enhance the app’s effectiveness. Overall, Learn to Read: Duolingo ABC offers a solid foundation for literacy development with room for refinement.

Final Thoughts: The Top 5 Reading Apps Rated by Phonics.org

Every child’s literacy education will set them up for life. Early reading education has an ongoing impact on their future social, emotional, and physical health! This is why choosing a quality literacy app for supplemental practice at home is so important.

Choosing an effective literacy app can be challenging, though. There’s an overwhelming variety of reading apps on the market today. Look for apps that are easy to play and developmentally appropriate for your child. You also want to look for apps with a high level of quality instruction that is backed by research.

Reading.com, Jolly Phonics, HOMER, Readiculous, and Duolingo ABC are all great apps to start with. Each app is engaging, easy to use, and implements high-quality literacy strategies with various degrees of success. 

If you’re looking for an app for your child, begin your search with these apps and start your child off on the right foot. See how other literacy apps compare with the other reviews at phonics.org. 

When Can Kids Write Their Name?

phonicsorg on September 6, 2024

If you’re a parent, you likely anticipate your child’s developmental milestones with awe and excitement. One of the most memorable milestones in a child’s life is when they begin to express themselves through pen and paper—and especially when they learn to write their own name! This early literacy skill marks the beginning of your child’s writing experiences that will carry them through school and life.

So, when can kids write their names? And what can you do to encourage their learning? Let’s look at this fascinating developmental process and consider some of the ways you can support your child as they become rooted in language and self-identity.

Childhood Developmental Stages of Name Writing

Children go through several learning stages as they begin to learn how to write. Since a child’s name is one of the first words they ever learn how to write, recognizing these different stages can help you recognize their progress and provide the necessary support.

While the following stages are typical of many children, remember that every child develops at their own pace. Some kids might learn letter-writing quickly and easily with basic guidance, whereas others may develop slowly and require extra support. There’s no “perfect” timeline to aim for here—it varies from child to child. 

Scribbling Stage (1-2 years)

By 12-18 months old, many toddlers have the dexterity and curiosity to scribble. They can sit up on their own, hold objects in a fist, and create loose movements with a writing utensil, making random marks on paper.

While these scribbles don’t yet resemble anything legible, they represent your little one’s first attempt at communication through writing. It’s helping them build the essential motor skills they’ll need to one day write words and sentences.

Making Shapes Stage (3-4 years)

By age three, kids can typically produce markings on paper that resemble common shapes. These include circles, triangles, lines, dots, and curves. Early-developing children might make “controlled scribbles” that result in sloppy shapes, whereas kids with more practice might begin drawing whole circles and straight lines.

Writing Random Letters Stage (3.5-4.5 years)

When kids begin recognizing their first alphabetical letters and copying them onto paper (around 3-5 years old), they go through phases of writing random letters. They’re at the point where they understand that writing involves alphabetical symbols, but they might not be able to replicate individual symbols from memory with any set purpose yet. 

It’s common for children at this stage to write letters backward or upside down, confuse certain shapes in letters, or write random letters for fun. 

Semiphonetic Stage (4.5-5 years)

Writing whole words and sentences requires confidence in letter-sound correspondences—in other words, being able to connect alphabetical letters and the sounds they represent. This is a crucial phonetic skill, making up a big part of early phonics education. 

When children enter the phonetic stage of writing (typically by age 4 or 5), they’ll start writing the first letter of their name correctly. Then, they may include other letters they hear when their name is pronounced, even if those letters aren’t in the proper spelling of their name. Other kids, however, are explicitly taught their name from the beginning, and learn to practice spelling their whole name from memory. 

Name Writing Mastery (5-6 years)

The most common age at which children can write their whole names legibly is around 5-6 years old. At this point, they ideally know letter formations and can produce their name with proper capitalization and spelling. Name-writing is especially focused on during kindergarten. In school, it’s often expected that students know how to write their names by the end of this grade.

Things That Impact Children’s Name-Writing Milestones

A few things impact a child’s writing development early on. Whether your child is struggling to write their first letters or you notice them behind the rest of the kids in their class, consider these factors.

  • Fine motor skills are the physical ability to control small muscles and joints such as hands, fingers, and wrists. Writing involves these fine motor skills. Children who are susceptible to fine motor difficulties might struggle with writing.
  • Letter recognition is a required skill for learning to write. Your child must know (or currently be learning) the alphabet to determine what certain letters look like and be able to reproduce them. 
  • Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the individual sounds of speech. This is involved in “sounding out” words to transcribe them into writing. It’s been proven that children who struggle with phonological awareness are likely to have reading and writing difficulties. 
  • The amount of exposure and practice your child receives to letters, reading, and writing can heavily influence their development. This is one reason why parents are encouraged to create a literacy-rich environment and facilitate practice with their children during early literacy. 

Signs Your Child is Ready to Write Their Name

Some signs that indicate your child is ready to practice writing their name include:

  • They show interest in drawing and writing
  • They’re learning to hold a writing utensil correctly (tripod grip)
  • They’re learning the alphabet
  • They recognize or point out some letters in print 
  • They try to copy shapes and letters on paper

If you notice your child taking an interest in writing, it’s likely time to help them learn to write their name!

How to Encourage Your Child to Begin Writing

Fostering your child’s interest in writing needs to be fun and educational. Here are some tips to encourage them and nurture their budding literacy skills.

  • Make Writing Approachable: Set up your child’s space with plenty of writing materials so they can easily grab a crayon and paper to draw or write when they want to. You can also provide alphabet cards, letter tracing worksheets, and books to encourage a literacy-rich environment. 
  • Model Fluent Writing: Let your child watch you as you write on a piece of paper. Explain what you’re doing as you write your name (or theirs), making it interesting and educational for them. 
  • Practice—and Make it Fun: Provide plenty of practice activities and get creative with it. Pencils and paper are necessary, however, feel free to include alternative writing exercises using finger paint, clay, dry-erase boards, sand, and fun utensils (such as glitter pens or scented markers).
  • Celebrate Small Victories: Acknowledge your child’s attempts at writing, even if it isn’t legible or accurate yet. Offer kindness and patience as you help them practice, correcting mistakes as they go.

Children’s Name Writing as Part of Phonics Education 

Kids learn to write their names as part of early phonics education. They must first learn how to connect sounds with letters, understand basic decoding and encoding concepts, and practice literacy skills in a supportive, systematic instructional environment.

While classroom instruction is foundational to your child’s reading and writing, a lot of their earlier phonics exposure begins at home. Learning to talk, building a vocabulary, strengthening their phonemic awareness, and observing literate adults in their lives are all beneficial before entering formal literacy instruction. 
To prepare your child to become a strong reader and writer, make phonics instruction fun and effective early on. At Phonics.org, we provide a library of resources to help families understand phonics education for kids. Check out our phonics tips for parents to help your child at every phase of literacy development.

How Does Oral Language Support Children’s Writing? 

phonicsorg on August 30, 2024

How Does Oral Language Support Children’s Writing? 

KW: how does oral language support children’s writing

Oral language is an amazing human ability that young children develop naturally over time through listening and mimicking the people around them. Children typically learn to speak their native language with hardly any formal instruction. However, when it comes to literacy, formal instruction is crucial to children’s development—even for writing skills! 

One thing that is sometimes overlooked in early literacy development is how oral language skills connect to reading and writing abilities. The ability to speak, manipulate verbal sounds, and understand spoken language plays a significant role in a child’s writing progress. So, how does oral language support children’s writing? More importantly, what do parents and teachers need to know about the link between these two skills in order to support their students’ academic success? 

Speech as the Foundations of Language and Literacy

Oral language encompasses the ability to speak and comprehend spoken words. It involves skills like phonemic awareness, vocabulary, grammar, expression/inflection, sentence structure, and the relevant application of language in social settings. 

Children often begin to develop oral language from infancy, far sooner than when they begin to receive formal education. They go through several noticeable milestones.

  1. Babies start making simple sounds (or “cooing”) around 2 months old. Then, they often start babbling various consonant-vowel sounds (“babababa” or “mimimi”) around 4-6 months old.
  2. A baby may start saying their first words at 10-14 months old (such as “mama,” “dada,” “ball,” or “hot”).
  3. Toddlers around 2 years old begin putting together simple phrases or sentences (for example, “I want that,” “Doggy sit,” or “Mommy bye-bye”).
  4. As kids develop, their verbal language skills gradually become more sophisticated. Before the age of five, many English-speaking children can say most speech sounds except for more complex ones like /r/, /ch/, and /th/. 

All of these subtle yet powerful language milestones help lay the foundation for a child’s literacy development. Strong oral language abilities can contribute to strong reading and writing skills. 

How Speaking Translates to Early Writing Skills

Transitioning from speaking to early writing and reading is a major milestone in a child’s life. Language is the bridge that connects spoken words to words in print, whether in books or written on paper. This connection is crucial for developing writing skills. 

Vocabulary and Expression 

A rich vocabulary is important if children are to become effective writers. Kids who are exposed to a wide variety of words in everyday conversations are often better prepared to use words in writing. Storytelling and verbal dialogue can enhance children’s ability to express ideas coherently and creatively. 

Encourage your child’s vocabulary development by talking about a wide variety of topics. Use new words with them in context and answer their questions about unfamiliar words. You can also follow the common phrase, “Talk, Read, Sing!” that is a recommended motto for early language and vocabulary development. Make sure you engage in each of these things every day with your child for meaningful (and fun) vocab support.

Sentence Structure and Grammar

The grammar and syntax children use when speaking form the basis for how they write words and sentences. When kids hear and speak correct grammar verbally, they’re more likely to carry over these rules and practices when writing. 

Support children’s grammar for speaking and writing by modeling proper word pronunciations and grammatically correct sentences in conversations. Gently correct your child’s grammatical errors when they reach the age of more sophisticated speech. Additionally, you can play word games that focus on sentence construction.

Printing and Spelling

Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and use the different sounds in spoken language. It plays a foundational role in learning to read and write. Phonological awareness is how people identify rhymes, syllabicate, differentiate specific phonemes, and emphasize spoken words when speaking. 

Segmentation is an important phonological skill related to spelling. It involves breaking a word into its individual sounds. Then children can connect the sounds to their associated letters to learn to spell. 

Help your child strengthen their phonological awareness skills and spelling skills so they can accurately manipulate and connect language sounds with writing. 

Learning and Organizing Information

Writing coherently is a way to organize ideas and stories. Children must have some level of knowledge of how ideas are communicated in speech before implementing them into writing. Help your students learn to sequence events, thoughts, expressions, and connections logically so they can develop strong organization in their writing.

Encourage children to retell stories from beginning to end, using their own words. Talk about the sequence of events in daily activities and see if your child can make meaningful connections between pieces of information.  

How Can Parents and Teachers Support Verbal and Written Language Development? 

There are many ways to equip children to become strong, literate learners. It starts with strong verbal language practice and becomes more robust with explicit phonics instruction. 

To cover the basics, here are some tips:

  • Have meaningful conversations with your child. Make a point to ask open-ended questions, encourage your child to express his or her thoughts, and get inquisitive about what your child means if something is unclear. 
  • Read aloud with your child. When kids are exposed to a literacy-rich environment, they develop positive attitudes toward reading and writing. Make reading time fun, enjoyable, and emotionally positive, letting your child be an active participant in read-alouds.
  • Model good listening skills. Show your child what it looks like to pay attention when others are speaking and how to practice active listening. 
  • Play phonics games together. Make phonics practice fun with some easy and simple at-home games. Phonics instruction supports transcription skills like spelling, which makes writing possible.
  • Practice oral rehearsal. Once your child begins practicing writing, encourage them to read their own writing. This helps kids catch any errors they made and reinforces the connection between reading and writing.

If your child is significantly struggling with oral language or with writing, one of the best ways you can support them is by seeking guidance from a professional. Speech, reading, or writing difficulties can sometimes be a sign of learning disorders that need to be addressed.

Phonics.org: Helping Kids Learn to Read and Write 

The special link between oral language and literacy shouldn’t be underestimated. When children are equipped with effective spoken language skills, they receive a solid foundation for becoming proficient readers, writers, and students for life. 

Helping kids develop their language and literacy skills requires time, patience, engagement, and proven instructional strategies. Whether your child is in school or learning the very first phonics concepts at home, it’s important to be intentional about their literacy development every day. 

Interested in learning how to give your child the best phonics education possible? Follow Phonics.org where we share expert-written program reviews, educational resources, and fun activities for academic success!

How to Help Preschoolers Develop Pre-Writing Skills 

phonicsorg on August 23, 2024

How to Help Preschoolers Develop Pre-Writing Skills 

KW: how can you help preschool children develop pre-writing skills

Along with early reading concepts, one of the most important skills a child learns in preschool is early writing. Pre-writing skills are the set of abilities a child first needs to begin the process of learning how to write. These skills involve fine motor skills, sensorimotor skills, and visual processing, among other important abilities children typically develop in their early years. 

Pre-writing skills are essential for children and can even solidify their reading skills. Because handwriting is so important in school, learning these basic skills early acts as a stepping stone for your child’s future academic success.

As a parent or educator, it’s important to understand how writing develops so that you can identify milestones as well as spot any developmental delays early on. So, how can you help preschool children develop pre-writing skills? Keep reading to learn more.

The Skills That Help Children Learn How to Write 

While learning how to write might seem like a simple and straightforward process, there are actually several developmental skills that go into it. Learning to hold a writing utensil properly is a challenge for many children!

Pre-writing skills are the skills kids need before they begin successfully learning how to write. Examples of these foundational skills include:

  • Hand-eye coordination
  • Motor control
  • Motor planning 
  • Wrist stability
  • Visual perception 
  • Drawing
  • Copying
  • Posture
  • Grip

It’s important to remember that writing—just like reading—is a rather sophisticated skill. It’s nearly impossible for humans to pick up on these skills naturally or with ease. We must be directly taught, beginning with the most basic skills and working our way up. Therefore, forcing a child to transition into writing can crush their drive in literacy development. Every child learns at their own pace, so take it slow and allow them to get familiar with writing. 

Developing Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are a person’s ability to coordinate and use smaller muscles and joints in their fingers, hands, and wrists to perform controlled tasks. These skills begin to develop early in a child’s life and then strengthen gradually over time. During the pre-writing phase, children need fine motor skills to begin holding a pencil correctly and navigating their wrists and hands smoothly. 

By three years old, many kids can use fine motor skills to:

  • Copy basic shapes with fingers or markers
  • Use eating utensils to feed themselves
  • Stack items with precision
  • Put together puzzles on their own
  • Dress themselves with little help
  • Scribble and color in coloring books with ease

To help a child develop fine motor skills for writing, start by identifying their hand preference. Children typically show signs of a dominant hand around age two or three, so pay attention to which hand they use to reach for toys, eat with a spoon or fork, throw a ball, or do other daily activities. Their dominant hand is likely the hand they’ll begin writing with. 

Pencil Grasp Development

Children need to learn how to hold a writing utensil correctly. This is one of the most important parts of tying in fine motor skills with writing development. Therefore, when your child begins practicing pre-writing skills, it’s advisable to start them off with regular-sized utensils so they can play around with gripping and grasping in order to write. 

While some educators used to start young children off with thicker pencils, this can make it more difficult to learn proper pencil grasp. Imagine how hard it would be to write with a large carrot! Focus on showing your child how to use the dynamic tripod grasp, which is ideal for preventing pain and discomfort once they learn how to write. If a child still has difficulty after kindergarten, pencil grips or help from an occupational therapist can help. 

Supporting Visual Processing and Memory

Pre-writing involves sight and memory, as well. Many children develop visual processing skills through play and natural development. Kids need to be able to see, interpret, process, remember, and coordinate the letters and shapes they are presented with. This is true not only for writing and reading but for about 75% of all learning! 

It is important to have your child’s eyes checked regularly to ensure they can see well. You can also support kids’ visual processing and hand-eye coordination by playing games and engaging them in physical activities that require sight. For example, playing a game of “catch” is a common option. You can also play games that “cross the midline,” which means being aware of the invisible line that runs between the two halves and hemispheres of the body—so reaching across the body right and left. 

Encouraging Letter Recognition and Letter Formation

Letter recognition is the ability to identify alphabetical letters by their shape and name. Before being able to write, children need to know how to recognize, copy, and remember the shapes of letters. This is a fundamental skill for not only writing but also reading. 

Hands-on shapes and modeling clay can be used to create or build letters and play with their general shapes. When it comes to printing, explicitly teach children how to form letters properly. Check and make sure that you’re familiar with proper letter formation advised by occupational therapists and commonly used by most educators. Proper letter formation should eventually become automatic so your child can save cognitive room for spelling and later expressing ideas! 

Fostering Creativity and Critical Thinking

Problem-solving and creative thinking are two other skills that contribute to pre-writing. The stronger a child’s problem-solving and curiosity, the more likely they are to digest and solidify new information when it comes time to learn writing. Similarly, when a child is encouraged to pursue their creativity, they’re able to express themselves in new ways when practicing pre-writing and early writing concepts. 

Instead of giving kids exercises that require one-way responses, ask them for their opinions and observations. For example, instead of telling children to write the ABCs, ask them how they would write the alphabet if they invented it. In this way, they can show off their artistic side and learn to make decisions independent of what they’ve been exposed to. It can be a helpful gateway into teaching letters and writing!

The Role of Pre-Writing in Phonics

Phonics breaks down the English language into speech sounds and correlates those sounds with alphabetical letters. When children learn phonics, they’ll eventually write down sounds they hear in order to spell in addition to sounding out what they read. 

A 2022 study shows that when children are introduced to phonics early, it helps them understand the link between letters and phonemes (speech sounds). For example, when a child that understands sees the letter “b” at the beginning of a word, they know it’s a /b/ sound. This is the foundation for learning to spell, which is an important pre-writing skill. 

Phonics education lays the foundation for strong literacy skills in children. Kids’ brains are like sponges that absorb new information. So when you introduce them to phonics early, they’ll learn important literacy skills that’ll make it easier for them to read and write.

More Tips for Reading and Writing Readiness 

There are a lot of important skills that kids learn in the preschool phase. To raise a literate child, you need to provide them with the necessary (and effective) reading and writing readiness skills so they can go into kindergarten ready for explicit phonics instruction. Pre-writing encourages creativity, confidence, and critical thinking, some of the most important skills in cognitive development.

Encourage your children to improve their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, visual perception, and letter recognition early on. For more tips on reading and writing development, follow Phonics.org!

Simple 10-Minute Phonics Lessons for Busy Parents

phonicsorg on August 16, 2024

If your child is learning phonics, you might be wondering how to help them practice at home. Phonics practice sets the foundation for how future reading skills are developed. But when family life is busy and you have multiple kids in school, it can be hard to find the time to sit down and dedicate the time a child needs to strengthen their phonics knowledge.

Thankfully, there are quick and simple ways you can still incorporate phonics lessons at home without spending hours focused on studying. In this article, we share some approachable, 10-minute phonics lessons that busy parents like you can include in their daily routines.

8 Short Phonics Lessons You Can Do Anywhere

Even if it’s just ten minutes per day, consistent phonics practices can help your child along their literacy journey. Consistency is key. At Phonics.org, we share effective activities and phonics apps that young learners love.

You can fit these activities into small, 10-20 minute pockets of downtime at home while also making it fun for your kids. Practice during breakfast, while waiting for dinner to be ready, during car rides, while standing in line at the mall, or even while waiting in a medical office. The goal is to make phonics a meaningful part of your child’s life. 

Lesson 1: Letter Sound Matching

Matching letter sounds is a simple way to reinforce letter-sound correspondences for kids who are early in their phonics education. You can play with alphabet cards, pictures, objects in the room, or even verbal names of family and friends. 

Ask your child to say the word of the picture, letter, object, or name you are presenting to them. Then, see if they can identify the letter sound the first letter makes, such as /d/ for dog. If they pick up on the concept easily, see if they can come up with another word that begins with the same letter sound—in the case of /d/, they could say a word like “dentist” or “duck.” Repeat with as many words as you can in 10-20 minutes.

Lesson 2: Rhyming Words

This word match is a great activity for curious, active kiddos. It helps young children develop their phonemic awareness through rhyming. All you need are household items or objects your child can identify in their surroundings. 

Choose a simple word like “cat” and then ask your child to go and look for words that rhyme with it. They might point out a hat, a mat, or a baseball bat. If there are no items that rhyme in your physical surroundings, ask if they can come up with a rhyming word on their own.

Lesson 3: Blending Sounds 

Blending is when a child combines every letter sound in a word to pronounce the full word. To practice blending, gather a set of alphabet cards, plastic fridge magnets, or letter blocks. Choose letters that will spell simple words such as “sit,” “dad,” or “hot.” Present one letter at a time and have your child sound it out, then place the next letter and have them sound it out, and so on. Once the full word is spelled, ask your child to blend the whole word together. Help them if they get stuck. 

Lesson 4: Sort the Word Families 

Sorting word families helps kids recognize word patterns and sound segments. You can do this mini-phonics lesson by using alphabet cards or a list of written words that are appropriate for your child’s skill level. In random order, write out words from the same “families” (such as words ending in -at, -ig, -an, -in, etc.). Have your child go through and read the words out loud, offering guidance if they need it. After they read the words, help them go through the list again and circle each word family in a different colored pencil. For example, words ending in ‘-in’ would be circled green and words ending in ‘-ar’ would be circled in pink. 

Lesson 5: Identify the Initial Sound

Phonics scavenger hunts help kids identify the initial sounds in everyday objects. This includes household items, items in TV shows, and pictures in children’s books. Give your child a specific phoneme (sound of speech) and have them look for items that start with that sound. This could be sounds like /sh/, /oo/, /l/, /s/, or /p/. 

Lesson 6: Words With Deleted Letters

This short phonics lesson helps kids manipulate sounds in words and can be done anywhere. All it requires is some verbal communication and play. To do this activity, say a word and ask your child to repeat it without a specific sound—such as “cat” without the /c/ sound. They’ll say, “at.” Play around with this game and make it fun! See if they can figure out how to say “pepper” without /p/ or “banana” without /a/. Let them choose words for you to say and then delete one sound, too.

Lesson 7: Phonics Memory Cards

Memory games are another fun activity to play at home with minimal supplies. You can create homemade cards with alphabetical letters on one set and a picture representing each letter sound on another set of cards. Place the cards randomly on a surface and have your child flip over a card, one by one, and then see how many pairs they can correctly match. 

Lesson 8: Read and Draw

To connect phonics skills to reading comprehension, this phonics read-and-draw activity is simple and only requires a pencil and paper. Write out simple sentences using words that follow phonics patterns your child is familiar with. Have them read the sentence and then draw a picture to illustrate what it means. For example, “The dog ran” or “A ball is flat.” This is a great mini-lesson and practice for children who enjoy art and are gaining new reading skills quickly.

More Resources for Parents Helping Their Kids Learn Phonics

To help you and your child get the most out of simple, time-saving phonics lessons like the ones mentioned above, check out the resources recommended by Phonics.org.

  • Phonics learning apps: Many free and affordable learning apps incorporate phonics lessons to give your child a variety of tools to practice with. Digital phonics programs are a great way to supplement classroom and face-to-face learning!
  • Printable worksheets: You can find educational worksheets to print out at home for more phonics practice with your child. 
  • Decodable books: Decodable books help your child reinforce the concepts they learn when beginning to read. Reading.com has many effective decodable books in its app which can make reading practice effective and fun. 
  • Phonics program reviews: Find the best digital phonics lessons that can help your child master their early phonics skills. The Phonics.org reviews page contains honest, expert-vetter program reviews that assess usability, quality of instruction, and engagement. 

Practicing phonics for ten minutes a day is better than no practice at all. So if your household is hectic and you think you can’t prioritize these lessons at home, don’t worry—you can do it! Start small, do a little bit daily, and use the resources available to you and your child. 

To learn more about helping your child with their phonics education, follow us at Phonics.org to stay updated on the latest tips, program reviews, and research. 

Phonics for EAL: Instruction Methods

phonicsorg on August 9, 2024

As one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, English continues to be an additional language learned by many. In 2021, more than 10% of public school children in the U.S. were English Language Learners (ELLs) and it’s predicted that by 2025, 1 in 4 students will speak English as an additional language. If you’re a parent or teacher helping students develop English literacy, how can you ensure your phonics instruction is clear and effective? 

Phonics for EAL (English as an Additional Language) aims to help students recognize, speak, read, write, and enjoy English in all forms, developing a better sense of how it can convey information and form ideas. Here are some of the instructional methods to be aware of when helping EAL learners!

Common Challenges in Phonics for EAL Learning 

First and foremost, phonics instruction helps children understand the English alphabetic principle—that the letters represent sounds and that these letters are combined to form words in print. But when someone has a different native language, switching to English involves a whole new set of complex rules, speech sounds, and pronunciations. Some of the most common challenges to help EAL kids involve practice in articulating new sounds, direct instructional methods, and time.

Interference With First-Language Phonology

A child’s original phonology can influence their ability to learn phonics in the English language. For instance, tonal awareness is a major component of Chinese Mandarin, meaning that specific pitch patterns can distinguish a word’s meaning, even if it uses the same phoneme (speech sound). The phoneme “ma,” for example, can mean “mother” or “horse” in Mandarin, depending on which tone is used. Additionally, there is no /th/ sound in Mandarin, which can make it difficult for native Mandarin speakers to learn English words such as ‘the,’ ‘think,’ or ‘that.’

Every language is different. The relationship between letters and sounds in English is not always predictable—which is why phonics must be explicitly taught. Some kids may be more accustomed to straightforward phonetic systems in their native languages, making English harder or easier to learn, depending on how similar their native phonetic system is. For example, children who are fluent in Spanish or French may have an easier time learning to speak and read English since these languages share similar graphemes (letters) and phonemes (sounds). 

Vocabulary Limitations

English language learners are learning an unfamiliar vocabulary, complicating their phonics instruction even more. Pre-teaching vocabulary and integrating phonics instruction with vocabulary development are essential. 

Inadequate Instruction

Many classroom phonics materials are designed for younger native English speakers and may not be suitable for EAL students. These materials can be perceived as childish and may not engage older learners who require more age-appropriate content. It’s important to have a deep understanding of systematic instruction that’s culturally inclusive, developmentally appropriate, and educationally supportive. You can reach out to a literacy expert or EAL teacher for help in this area if needed.

Limited Time and Resources

Schools often lack the resources and time that are required for age-appropriate phonics instruction particularly developed for EAL students. This can result in insufficient support for students who need more practice and individualized attention.

The Science of Reading for English Language Learners 

Over the years, the evidence for effective reading instruction has become clearer. Traditional teaching methods like whole language and balanced literacy have given way to more efficient methods—specifically, synthetic phonics. Although all of these methods have some merit, balanced literacy instruction—especially the 3-cueing system—has left many children struggling with fundamental reading skills. As a result, more schools have embraced the science of reading, which is a research-backed approach that has shown promising results. 

The science of reading focuses on developing basic skills from the ground up, as shown in the reading pyramid:

  • Phonological awareness
  • Phonics
  • Fluency
  • Vocabulary
  • Comprehension

Systematic phonics instruction adopts a structured approach that gradually increases in difficulty, allowing children to build on what they already know. It also allows teachers to consider the child’s cultural background and language proficiency to deliver personalized instruction, meeting the student wherever they’re at. In this way, systematic phonics is vital for addressing EAL kids’ specific challenges in language and literacy.

Phonics Instruction Methods for EAL Learners

Phonics instruction is a method of teaching reading that stresses the acquisition of letter-sound correspondences and their use in reading and spelling. Keep in mind that English language learners are also learning to translate English vocabulary, so these methods also involve heavy emphasis on vocabulary. That said, systematic, explicit instruction must still carry the scope and sequence of these methods for EAL learners.

Contrastive Analysis 

In linguistics, contrastive analysis compares and contrasts two languages to identify similarities and differences. EAL teachers often use this method to see which elements overlap between English and the child’s native language—that is, to capitalize on the student’s primary language and linguistic resources in supporting their learning and development. This can also be used to spot or predict aspects that would prove problematic in second language acquisition by comparing the two languages. 

Vocabulary Integration 

Can kids learn vocabulary and phonics while having fun? Absolutely! Vocabulary and phonics instruction go together. True mastery occurs between learning words in as many contexts as possible and enjoying the process. 

To connect phonics instruction with vocabulary development, introduce fun visuals. This helps children understand the target letter-sound relationships. Play interactive games that help students identify and manipulate English speech sounds. In addition, incorporate read-alouds that capture students’ attention. Vocabulary words should be reused often, and new sounds should be taught with familiar words. 

The additional benefit of phonics instruction is that once kids ‘crack the code’ and can read words independently, they can teach themselves new vocabulary words! 

Digital Tools for EAL Instruction 

Many of today’s children are digital natives—they know how to use technological gadgets like smartphones and tablets. Some parents and teachers use educational apps to balance digital and traditional instruction methods.

Using language apps and online phonic programs to support EAL reading is a great way to support (not replace) English phonics instruction. Apps are fun, motivating, and immersive for kids. They can also be instrumental in teaching essential phonics, spelling, and vocabulary-building skills.

Assessment and Progress Monitoring 

What is not measured cannot be improved. When you accurately establish a child’s level of proficiency in English with ongoing assessments, you can determine their progress. They can also identify the areas they need to improve and the type of support required. When possible, work with reading experts who specialize in EAL. 

English Literacy Resources for EAL Phonics Instruction 

To become literate in English, proper instruction and encouragement are crucial. Remember that each child is unique and learns at their own pace, coming from a language background and cultural framework that is totally different. Tailored phonics instruction helps your child learn to read and write so that they can become confident, expressive individuals in the world today.
Want more phonics resources for English as an Additional Language? Explore Phonics.org for teacher tips, phonics program reviews, and insights from literacy experts!

When Should Kids Learn Phonics?

phonicsorg on July 26, 2024

Every parent and educator wants the best outcome for their students. At the beginning of their literacy journeys, children learn phonics: the building blocks of reading and writing. However, the instruction methods used must be proven to be effective so that each child is prepared for their academic journey ahead. But where do you start? When should kids learn phonics? 

In this article, we take a look at the science of learning phonics skills and at what stage of development children should learn these skills. 

The Earliest Phonics Concepts for Literacy Development

As a general norm, every child is likely to learn phonics at their own pace. However, there are common neurodevelopmental timelines that point to the best age range for children to begin learning early concepts. 

By definition, phonics is the method of teaching kids how to read by associating alphabetical letters with speech sounds. It’s the most fundamental literacy skill that helps children learn how to decode unfamiliar words in print and eventually become strong, fluent readers. 

Phonics education must be delivered in a systematic, explicit way so that children progress gradually in their literacy development. They need the simplest concepts broken down first—that is, letter recognition and letter-sound correspondences. Phonics connects two essential components of the English language:

Written alphabetical letters: Graphemes

Individual speech sounds: Phonemes

Before beginning to learn phonics, kids must have a basic understanding of verbal language. This includes:

  • Phonemic awareness— The ability to recognize, mimic, and manipulate the sounds of speech
  • A budding vocabulary— The catalog of verbal words a child knows and uses in communication)
  • Concepts of print— The understanding that books and other forms of print materials are used for reading, and that print is made up of symbols and letters that hold meaning

The earliest gateway into phonics instruction is a child’s interactions with books, language, and concepts of print in their social world. A child’s visual and auditory abilities also play an important role, as phonics instruction aims to connect these two processor parts of the brain.

Phonics Instructional Timelines According to the Science of Reading

According to the science of reading—a collective body of evidence that explains how the brain learns to read—phonics is a critical part of a young person’s literacy development. Countless research studies in the realm of neuroscience, child development, language, speech pathology, and education have concluded that phonics instruction is most effective when it’s implemented early, effectively, and consistently. 

Early Literacy Milestones

To answer the question of when kids “should” learn phonics, it’s helpful to consider the most typical early literacy milestones.

  • Ages 0-2: Children begin to recognize and respond to language sounds in their environment. They begin to use verbal cues and words to express themselves and communicate with peers.
  • Ages 2-3: Kids rapidly pick up on new words and continue to mimic the language of their environment. They start to recognize more complex sentences and rhymes as well as play with sounds in words.
  • Ages 3-4: Children begin to recognize some letters (such as the first letter of their name) and may start to connect certain letters with their sounds.
  • Ages 4-5: Children typically start to identify more letter-sound relationships and may begin to read simple words when they have a literate adult to directly teach them.

Phonics instruction aligns with these milestones, particularly from ages 3-5 when children become increasingly aware of the sounds in words and the letters that represent them.

When to Begin Phonics Instruction

Developmental experts and educators typically suggest that explicit phonics instruction should begin around age five. Kids typically begin learning the alphabet, letter sounds, and early CVC words in kindergarten (ages 5-6). As always, the right age can vary depending on the student, based on their cognition, previous experience with literacy activities, and their reading readiness. 

There are a few signs that hint at a child’s readiness for phonics instruction. These include: 

  • Showing interest in books and reading
  • Recognizing some letters and their sounds
  • Demonstrating phonological awareness (ability to hear and play with the sounds in words)
  • Understanding that print carries meaning
  • Asking questions about print materials (books, signs, letters, numbers, etc.)

As a parent or teacher, you’ll have to be flexible. Some kids might be ready to learn phonics as early as preschool, whereas others may need more time to develop their awareness and basic skills first. 

Where to Find Evidence-Based Phonics Materials 

Now that you know the importance of evidence-based phonics instruction, which programs and educational materials should you use? 

There’s no single answer to this question. Fortunately, there are several ways to make informed decisions about which materials you use. For example, effective phonics programs contain:

  • Systematic and explicit instruction
  • A clear scope and sequence
  • Regular assessment and progress monitoring
  • Opportunities for practice and application

When looking for a phonics program, consider the program’s research base and how well it aligns with other aspects of literacy instruction. 

You can also browse the expert reviews and phonics program ratings at Phonics.org, where we vet all the latest apps for usability, quality of instruction, and child engagement. 

Common Challenges to Overcome With Your Early Phonics Learner 

Whatever age your child begins to learn phonics, there are several challenges to be aware of. With an understanding of effective phonics methods and best practices for instruction, you can overcome these hurdles. Additionally, if your student significantly struggles or you notice them lacking basic skills for their phase of development, it’s always safe to talk with a reading specialist or doctor. 

Challenge: Phonics seems boring and mechanical.

Just because phonics instruction has to be systematic doesn’t mean it has to be boring. In fact, a lot of modern phonics programs today contain games, interactive challenges, songs, and engaging activities to keep kids interested and parents involved. 

Challenge: Focusing mainly on phonics will hinder reading comprehension.

The “balanced literacy” view of reading instruction tries to balance explicit instruction with independent, self-led instruction that uses context cues. While this approach has been used for decades, research shows that strong decoding skills are a better precursor to reading comprehension and long-term academic success. 

Challenge: I didn’t know my child’s reading instruction would require so much of my time.

While some children can learn to read without direct, supported instruction, research consistently shows that consistent explicit phonics teaching benefits the majority of children. This is especially true for children who are at risk for reading difficulties. Giving them proper guided instruction can and should take time. It’s a gradual process that doesn’t happen naturally or easily for many kids. However, the more you invest in your child’s learning now, the more you equip them for success.

Help Kids Learn Phonics at the Right Time 

Evidence points to starting formal phonics lessons around age 5-6, typically in kindergarten or first grade. However, every child is unique and the exact timing may vary,

The important thing is to introduce phonics in a systematic, explicit way once children show signs of readiness. Through this, you provide kids with a strong foundation for reading.

As a parent or teacher, your role is to support children’s literacy development. You’re not just helping a child learn to read; you’re opening up a world of learning and imagination that will serve them throughout their lives.
For more tips on phonics instruction and the latest phonics programs, check out our other resources here at Phonics.org. Together, we can help every child become a confident, capable reader!

Most Popular Home Phonics Programs for Kids

phonicsorg on July 12, 2024

Phonics instruction sets the stage for your child to thrive as a reader and learner. In early literacy development, children build the necessary skills they need to decode unfamiliar words and start reading independently. As a parent, your involvement in your child’s phonics instruction at home can significantly impact their progress!

Whether your child is beginning to learn phonics at school, needs some extra help at home, or is homeschooled, choosing an at-home phonics program can be hard. There are certain features you should look for: skills progression, practice, and fun. Let’s look at some of the most popular home phonics programs and see whether or not they’re good options to support your child’s reading journey. 

What is a Good Phonics Program?

Effective phonics programs are rooted in the science of reading which recommends a systematic and explicit instruction method. This means the program will teach phonics rules in a logical sequence, from the easiest to the most complex. It will also include:

  • Ongoing review of previously learned concepts
  • Opportunities to apply new skills to real reading practice
  • Engaging and fun learning activities
  • Resources for parents to help guide the child through the program

A systematic scope and sequence help kids learn the skills progressively without overlooking any essential concepts. Explicit (meaning direct) teaching helps them learn accurate letter-sound correspondences, which is the foundation of reading. 

Well-Known Phonics Programs for Kids at Home

There are several popular at-home phonics programs in the U.S. Let’s look at five of these programs and consider the pros and cons, weighing their different features and specific approaches to phonics instruction. 

1. Hooked on Phonics

Hooked on Phonics is one of the most well-known English phonics programs. A lot of teachers have approved of the program for phonics education because it progressively introduces letter sounds, phonics rules, and blending skills for children ages 3-8. It also contains materials including workbooks, readers, digital games, and interactive lessons. 

Pros:

  • Engaging content 
  • Mix of online and offline activities
  • Well-known program since the 1980s
  • Trusted by teachers and parents 

Cons:

  • Some find the digital elements outdated and distracting
  • Content could be updated to align with the latest reading research
  • Has a reputation for questionable advertising 

There are many stories of Hooked on Phonics improving kids’ early reading skills. Many experts also praise its systematic approach and parent-friendly design.

2. Phonics Hero

Phonics Hero is an engaging literacy program for children ages 4-7. It offers instruction on letter sounds, word reading, sentence reading, spelling, and vocabulary. Phonics Hero uses a synthetic phonics approach with a clear, systematic sequence that is clear to follow. The program features fun cartoon characters and a gamified reward system to keep children engaged. While it provides plenty of practice opportunities for kids to master sound-letter correspondences and read decodable texts, it has some limitations.

Pros:

  • Provides plenty of practice opportunities on letter-sound correspondence
  • Includes decodable texts
  • Uses a synthetic, effective instruction approach 

Cons: 

  • Lacks instruction on alphabetical letter names 
  • Limited phonemic awareness practice 
  • Limited blending practice 

Despite its drawbacks, Phonics Hero can be an effective tool when supplemented with additional instruction from a knowledgeable teacher or adult.

3. All About Reading

All About Reading is a phonics program based on the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading. The program provides explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension for kids 4-5 years old. Primary features of the program include hands-on learning activities, decodable books, and customizable lesson plans. 

Pros:

  • Systematic and structured approach to teaching reading skills
  • Multi-sensory educational techniques 
  • Guided instruction for parents and teachers to deliver lessons

Cons:

  • More expensive than other programs 
  • Time-consuming for parents 
  • Limited online or digital resources

4. Explode the Code

Explode the Code is a workbook-based program for phonics and spelling. It uses a systematic approach to teach sound-symbol relationships, blending, and word structure. It contains engaging illustrations, a variety of exercises, and a cumulative review. Suitable for ages 4-11, lessons are mostly self-paced. It focuses on decoding skills and its structured approach also emphasizes writing skills in addition to reading.

Pros:

  • Strong emphasis on phonics instruction for decoding skills
  • Breaks down skills into specific steps 
  • Affordable option for a phonics program

Cons:

  • Some activities may be repetitive and lack engagement
  • Scope and sequence might not align with standards
  • Limited digital resources since it’s primarily workbook-based

5. Logic of English

Logic of English uses a structured literacy approach, teaching phonics alongside spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. It uses explicit instruction to explain the logic behind English spelling and reading rules. Some of its features include hands-on phonogram cards, workbooks, and readers.

Designed for ages 4 and up, lessons are highly adaptable. Pros include thorough explanations and application to spelling. The main con is its complexity for some learners. Research supports its effectiveness, with experts praising its holistic approach to language instruction and suitability for diverse learners.

Pros: 

  • Emphasizes phonics and spelling for strong literacy skills
  • Covers a large variety of language arts topics 
  • Activities are engaging and interactive for all ages

Cons:

  • Higher cost than other programs 
  • Time-consuming; requires student and instructor dedication 
  • Steep learning curve for parents with no instructional background 

Support Your Child’s Phonics Learning at Home 

To reinforce your child’s phonics skills, consider these practical activities you can do with them at home.

Phonics Games and Activities

Incorporate fun, interactive games into your daily routine to reinforce phonics skills. Letter hunts encourage children to identify letter sounds in their environment while rhyming contests develop phonological awareness. Word-building games using magnetic letters provide hands-on practice in manipulating sounds and forming words, making learning both engaging and memorable.

Environmental Print

Leverage (or create) a text-rich setting around you to support phonics learning. Point out letters and sounds on street signs, food packaging, and household items. This approach helps children understand the real-world application of their phonics skills and reinforces learning in everyday contexts, making the connection between abstract concepts and practical use.

Exemplify Reading for Pleasure

Foster a love for reading by providing a diverse selection of books at your child’s reading level. Initiate read-aloud sessions to model fluent reading and expose your kids to new vocabulary words and interesting stories. This practice reinforces phonics skills while developing comprehension and a positive attitude towards reading.

Collaborate With Teachers

If your child attends a classroom, try to communicate with their teachers. Ask how you can align a home practice with classroom lessons. Stay updated on the current focus areas and ways to support your child’s practice at home. This collaboration encourages consistency and allows you to provide more phonics support.

Explore Phonics Program Ratings from Literacy Professionals 

With so many phonics programs available today, it can be confusing to choose which one to use at home with your kids. Phonics.org recommends programs that deliver evidence-based instruction and that facilitate an interactive experience where parents are actively involved in the learning process.

To stay up to date on the latest (and most helpful) phonics programs for kids, follow our Phonics.org reviews page. Every week, we provide thorough ratings and detailed overviews of all the English phonics apps on the market today.

5 Findings That Prove Words Are Remembered in Phonological Memory

phonicsorg on June 27, 2024

To read fluently, the brain pulls from a large sight word vocabulary that we’ve built over time. Sight words make the reading process easy, automatic, and meaningful as we string together words we’re already familiar with. But how are sight words remembered? Furthermore, how does the brain store, process, and retrieve so many words from memory as we read? 

The fascinating answer has much to do with phonological memory. There have been many discoveries that prove how sight words are stored and what this reveals about reading development. In this article, we look at some of the most interesting findings that prove how our word-reading memory functions—and why it’s not based on visual memorization. 

How is Reading Fluency Developed?

Dr. David Kilpatrick, a renowned researcher in the science of reading, provides compelling evidence that sight words are not memorized as whole visual units as previously thought among educators. Instead, words are stored in our phonological memory, the part of the brain that processes speech sounds.

In his book Equipped for Reading Success, Dr. Kilpatrick explains the process of how words are remembered. In short, for children to become strong readers, they must develop three things.

  1. Alphabetic Principle — The understanding that alphabetical letters (and letter combinations) represent individual sounds in spoken language.
  2. Phonic Decoding Skills — The ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships and effectively sound out (decode) unfamiliar words, letter by letter.
  3. Orthographic Mapping — The process of repeatedly connecting spoken words to the spelling of their written words, resulting in permanent word memory over time. Orthographic mapping relies on two things:
    1. Letter-Sound Proficiency 
    2. Phonemic Proficiency 

As Dr. Kilpatrick explains, “Oral words are made up of sequences of oral sounds. Written words are strings of letters designed to represent those sounds. A word’s pronunciation (phonology) and meaning (semantics) are connected in memory with the word’s spelling (orthography), so when the printed word is seen, the pronunciation and meaning are instantly accessed. There is no guessing or sounding out the word. The word just effortlessly pops into your mind.” (Equipped for Reading Success, p. 38-39).

What is Phonological Memory? 

Phonological memory refers to the part of our brain’s memory system that stores and retrieves speech sounds. 

It plays an important role in reading development because to read words, a reader must know how to match visual letters with the sounds they represent. Then, they must decode multiple speech sounds—each pulled from phonological memory—and blend them together to reveal the whole word. Their knowledge of the whole word is also stored in phonological memory. 

The letter sounds, pronunciation, syntax, and meaning of words all come from this phonological memory system, enabling beginner readers to sound out and comprehend words in print. Then, through orthographic mapping, this memory system stores the now-familiar words. Readers can easily recognize mapped words which then builds reading fluency. This is the “phonological filing system” as Dr. Kilpatrick calls it.

Proof That Words Are Remembered in Phonological Memory

In research on reading development, there’s plenty of evidence that word recognition is not based on visual memory alone. Rather, words are stored in phonological memory—the part of memory that relates to verbal language. In his book, Equipped for Reading Success, Kilpatrick illustrates examples of this evidence. Here is a summary of the key findings. 

1. We Can Read Different Fonts and Typestyles

As literate individuals, we can read texts in various fonts and styles that we’ve never encountered before. This is one of the simplest facts that demonstrate word-reading memorization is not visual.

For example, we can read:

  • Mixed-case words (sPeLLiNg ThAt’s LiKe tHiS)
  • Different fonts (serif, sans-serif, bold, skinny, bubbly, squiggly, etc.)
  • Capital letters (ALL CAPS LIKE THIS) and lowercase letters (all lowercase like this) in various contexts 
  • Different handwritings—from a doctor’s sloppy scribbles to a stranger’s unique print
  • Cursive and formal scripts

There’s no possible way a reader has been previously exposed to every style of text they will ever read. If words within an unfamiliar or hard-to-read piece of print have not been saved to visual memory, how can the reader decode them with ease? We know that most words are not stored in memory as whole visual units. No matter what font we read, our brains pull from phonological memory to decode new (and even barely legible) print styles. 

2. We Know That Visual Memory Differs from Word Memory

The field of cognitive science has discovered that visual memory and word memory operate differently in the brain. The average literate adult can verbally identify words in print faster than they’re able to name visual objects in pictures. For example, if you compare the speed at which adults would say words for everyday objects (“house,” “phone,” “car,” etc.) based on reading the word aloud or identifying the object in a picture, the word recall speed is faster in reading. 

Children with reading disorders have shown similar scores to proficient readers on visual memory tests, despite having significantly lower scores in word memory. If reading was dependent on visual memory for word recall, why would children score the same for visual tests but fail word-reading tests? This rules out a visual-based word memory. 

Even more surprising is the finding that deaf individuals—despite achieving normal visual memory scores and having no visual impairments—typically struggle to obtain expected reading proficiency for their age. It’s estimated that one in three deaf students graduates high school with a reading level at or below third grade (Center on Literacy and Deafness). This hints at the importance of verbal (phonological) language in the development of word-reading memory.

3. We Correlate Sight Words With Phonemic Awareness

Sight words include any word that a reader is familiar with and can recognize by sight, with no need for decoding. There is a lot of correlation shown between phonemic awareness and sight words, whereas there is very little correlation between visual memory and sight words. 

4. We Forget Words in Working Memory, Not Phonological Memory 

Think about a time when you were trying to explain something in a conversation but you forgot the specific word to describe something. You know the meaning of the word and the point you’re trying to make, and yet you can’t remember the actual word for what you’re saying. You might stammer, “What’s the word…? It’s on the tip of my tongue!” but your mind goes blank. 

This brief memory lapse does not happen when reading text that contains words we already know. For example, say you’re trying to remember the word “simmer” when verbally explaining the process of cooking something on the stovetop. You can’t remember the word that means not quite a boil but maintains cooking at a high temperature. Alternatively, if you were to read a recipe that stated, “Simmer on low for 20 minutes,” you’d have no problem recalling the word or what it means. 

Why would we forget words in working memory but not in phonological memory? Word recall is not set in working memory. It has to do with phonology and the process of orthographic mapping. 

5. We Have a Limited Capacity for Visual Memory 

Although it’s been previously assumed that whole-word memorization is a required process for reading, our brains cannot store so many visualizations—at least not accurately. Research on visual memory has found that human memory is incapable of storing more than 30,000 to 60,000 words for retrieval. 

When trying to remember a new address or phone number, what do you do? Most likely, you read the numbers and then repeat the string of digits either out loud or silently in your head. Quick, grab a piece of paper or your cell phone—write it down before you forget! If we could imprint text onto visual memory, this process would be much easier. We wouldn’t need to repeat the digits until we could offload them from our working memory. 

Consider the fact that all of the above examples reveal that we use “visual input” to process text initially. However, we do not use visual storage to “memorize” the visuals we see. Instead, we rely on our knowledge of phonemic awareness, phonological memory, and sight words. 

Understanding Phonological Memory: Help Children Learn to Read

Why does all of this matter? Knowing the role and function of phonological memory in reading development is crucial for effective literacy instruction. By understanding how words are decoded, remembered, processed, and retrieved, you can prioritize the necessary and effective phonics strategies when helping children learn to read. It’s highly advised you avoid whole-word memorization strategies–such as memorizing large lists of high-frequency words or “analyzing” the outer shape of a word–because these are common practices that are ineffective.

Learn more about evidence-based phonics instruction at Phonics.org where we explain reading science with practical applications for families and teachers. 

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