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How to Help Kids Start Reading Multisyllabic Words

phonicsorg on June 20, 2024

Learning how to read multisyllabic words is a big milestone during a child’s phonics instruction. It’s a beginner’s bridge between basic phonics and more challenging skills that lead to reading fluency. As an educator, you must understand how to teach these concepts effectively so that your students benefit from new literacy skills. In this article, we offer some insights on how you can help your students begin reading multisyllabic words with confidence.

Why You Need to Teach Decoding of Multisyllabic Words

As an educator, the instruction method you use to teach multisyllabic word decoding holds weight. Many words have more than one syllable and knowing how to read these words is the key to fluent reading!

Reading Fluency: Texts will become increasingly complex as students move through their academic lives. They need to be able to quickly, accurately, and confidently decode longer words to navigate classes.
Comprehension: Decoding multiple syllables brings a new level of meaning to text as children read. They begin to string longer words and sentences together, strengthening their comprehension.
Vocabulary: Words with two or more syllables introduce children to a larger vocabulary, influencing them to develop better communication skills and consider big ideas.
Confidence: When students learn how to master bigger and harder words, their confidence grows. They develop more curiosity about reading.
Diagnostics: Teaching and assessing children’s word-reading abilities sheds light on a student’s reading difficulties. The most critical time to identify and address reading disorders is before third grade. You play a significant role in noticing any signs of concern during this phase of literacy development.

When to Introduce Multisyllabic Words to Kids

After learning how to decode single-syllable words, children progress in their reading journeys to decode more complex words.

Before teaching children to decode multisyllabic words, they must first have a strong foundation in understanding basic phonics skills. These skills include phonemic awareness skills such as blending, automatic letter-sound correspondences, and basic decoding of single-syllable words.

Multisyllabic phonics instruction often starts near the end of first grade after students have mastered reading single-syllable words.

How to Teach Multisyllabic Word Reading

There are a few approaches that can be used to teach students to accurately decode words with more than one syllable.

1. Syllable Types

One method of teaching multisyllabic word-reading is becoming familiar with different syllable types. Generally, there are six types of syllables:

Closed syllables – words that end with a consonant sound and have a short vowel sound (ex. hat, dish)
Open syllables – words that end with a vowel sound (ex. pay, me)
Vowel team syllables – words where multiple vowels represent the vowel sound (ex. team, boil)
R-controlled syllables – words where an /r/ is after a vowel (ex. star, burger)
Vowel-consonant-e syllables – words that end in silent e with a long vowel (ex. name, pike)
Consonant-le syllables – words that end in ‘-le’ (ex. puzzle, little)

In reading research studies there is some debate on the effectiveness of teaching syllable types. It does seem helpful for learners to have some idea about what different types of syllables are and what the patterns look like. Flexibility in applying these syllable types to overall reading should be encouraged and practiced.

2. Flexible Approach

Not all words follow the rules in the syllable types. Another approach to multisyllabic word reading is described by Michael Hunter and Linda Farrell. This approach does not teach specific syllable types but does show learners how to break up larger words flexibly.

This approach follows a step-by-step process for all words:

Step 1: How many vowel letters are in the word?
Step 2: Are the vowels together or apart?
Step 3: Is there a silent e at the end?
Step 4: How many syllables are there? Draw a line to break up the word into its parts.
Step 5: Say each syllable and then combine them to read the whole word. If you do not recognize the word, flex the vowel sound (if you read the word with a short sound, try a long vowel sound instead).

In this approach, reading the word ‘pumpkin’ would involve identifying the vowels (pumpkin), noting that the vowels are apart from each other and there is no silent e at the end. This would break up the word so that the vowels are separated (pump / kin). Finally, each part of the word would be decoded and then blended to read the whole word, ‘pumpkin’.

Additional Tips for Decoding Multisyllabic Words

Teaching children how to read multisyllabic words requires a systematic and explicit framework. They need to learn how to syllabicate (divide words into syllables), identify prefixes and suffixes, and follow new phonics rules.

1. Introduce Multisyllabic Words Strategically

Start with two-syllable words that follow a closed-syllable pattern. Because closed syllables contain only one vowel followed by a consonant ending, kids who are familiar with CVC or VC words typically grasp these multisyllabic words first. Example words include ‘rabbit,’ ‘kitten,’ ‘napkin,’ and ‘puppet.’ Each syllable contains a closed vowel (‘rab-bit’).

Later, you can introduce the schwa sound as students move on to more advanced words. Schwa sounds often appear in unstressed syllables and need to be identified when reading multisyllabic words. Understanding the schwa sound helps students decode “lazy vowel” words like ‘carrot,’ ‘wagon,’ ‘bagel,’ and ‘away.’

2. Teach Syllabication

Syllabication practice is necessary so that children can grasp word structures. Students learn how to divide words into syllables by identifying their different parts—prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns, and so on.

Common syllable division patterns are:

VC/CV (vowel-consonant/consonant-vowel)
V/CV or VC/V (vowel/consonant-vowel or vowel-consonant/vowel)
VC/CCV or VCC/CV (vowel-consonant/consonant-consonant-vowel or vowel-consonant-consonant/consonant-vowel)
Consonant-le

These rules help students break down longer words into manageable parts. Syllable division is often taught using visual indicators like dots above vowels, circles around prefixes, slashes between syllables, and boxes around suffixes. Different visual aids such as syllable cards and word ladders also help make these abstract phonics concepts more approachable for kids.

3. Highlight Morphological Awareness

Morphology refers to the meaningful units of language and how they’re combined in words. It’s helpful to teach students basic morphological awareness concepts early as they learn to decode multisyllabic words. Teach common prefixes and suffixes, their meanings, and how they affect word pronunciation.

For example, the prefix ‘re’ means “again.” When children learn that words with ‘re’ imply something is done again, they can approach new words with that understanding, such as: ‘replay,’ ‘react,’ ‘rewind,’ etc.

Root words are also important morphemes for students to be aware of. Help your students identify root words and prompt them to consider how prefixes and suffixes change the meaning. For example, ‘untouchable’ has the root word ‘touch’ but has a different meaning due to its prefix and suffix.

4. Facilitate Practice and Repetition

Practice is key for teaching multisyllabic words! Facilitate opportunities for your students to repeat the concepts they learn. Include targeted words in classroom activities and games. Systematically introduce words into connected text such as decodable books and other reading materials. While students need to practice isolated decoding activities in class, they also need to practice in real-life reading experiences.

5. Monitor Progress and Provide Support

Consistently monitor students’ progress through learning assessments such as a phonics screener. Look at where students need extra support or further practice. Provide multiple different instruction approaches to meet the needs of different learners. You can also work with other teachers, parents, and reading specialists to learn about additional strategies to help struggling students understand multisyllabic words.

More Phonics Teacher Tips and Resources at Phonics.org

Teaching kids how to read multisyllabic words is an important process. Through explicit instruction of syllable types, division patterns, decoding strategies, and lots of practice, you help your students strengthen the skills they need to grow into strong, confident readers.

Don’t forget to make the learning process fun and engaging for kids. For more tips on proven phonics instruction methods, check out the resources at Phonics.org.

Basic Concepts in Language Development

phonicsorg on June 14, 2024

In language development, basic concepts are words that set the foundation for children’s learning. These words are essential for understanding instructions, completing daily tasks, and describing experiences. Basic concepts include opposites (like hot/cold and big/little), locations (like up/down and in/out), descriptions (like colors, shapes, and textures), and more.

While these words may seem simple to adults, mastering basic vocabulary words is crucial for children in early education. Having a strong grasp of basic concepts lays the groundwork for following directions, communicating effectively, and developing more advanced literacy skills over time.

Let’s look at some of the basic concepts children should learn and then introduce a few helpful ways you can guide this aspect of language development.

Examples of Basic Concepts for Kids

Broadly, basic concepts are the simple word relationships that children must learn in order to listen, learn, and describe things. They equip children to understand and convey basic information about objects, actions, people, and experiences.

There are several main categories of basic concepts. Most of them involve opposites. These include:

Comparative: includes comparative and superlative adjectives such as hot/cold, big/little, fast/slow, hard/soft, old/new
Quantitative: includes words related to quantity and measurement such as one/many, more/less, full/empty
Spatial: includes words related to location, directions, and prepositions like up/down, in/out, over/under, front/back, right/left, stop/start, here/there
Temporal: includes words related to concepts of time such as now/later, today/tomorrow, morning/night, first/last

These basic words are some of the first vocabulary terms children must learn to begin matching words to real life. When kids have a strong understanding of these, they start building the skills they need to grow and learn.

The Role of Basic Concepts in Daily Life

Consider how often basic concepts affect children’s daily lives. To follow simple directions and commands, there must be an understanding in place.

For example:

“Put the green cup on the small table.”
“Go get the big yellow book.”
“Stop and look both ways before you walk to the neighbor’s house.”

Basic concepts inform children exactly what is expected of them at home and in educational settings.

Plus, when kids have the vocabulary necessary to describe opposites, locations, and attributes, they can better express their own observations. This supports language development and social interaction.

Research shows that children’s knowledge of basic concepts in prekindergarten and kindergarten can be a predictor of future reading comprehension. Delays in basic concept vocabulary can limit children during further language development.

These basic skills are closely related to phonics education. As young students learn to connect basic concept words to written forms, it reinforces the alphabetic principle and decoding. Overall, when kids have a strong grasp of these simple words, it sets them up for long-term success.

How Children Learn Basic Concepts

Every child learns basic concept words at a different pace. Some may learn quickly while others might take time to grasp them fully. Let’s look at how children develop basic concepts.

Learning Through Experiences

Kids learn basic concepts early on through everyday experiences. Verbal language development is a natural process as children pick up on sounds, speech patterns, and word meanings from their family and environment. Their interactions with people, places, and things begin to show them connections between spoken words they hear and real world references.

However, experience isn’t always enough for any child to fully master basic concept knowledge.

Receiving Explicit Instruction

Children also need explicit (direct) instruction to grasp certain vocabulary concepts. Repetition is important to reinforce their understanding.

Instruction typically involves:

Teaching one or two concepts at a time to avoid information overload
Relating new concepts to the child’s world so they make personal connections
Creating a daily routine to give examples and practice basic concepts
Using concept words in regular conversation with your child

It also helps to start with the simplest concepts and then gradually move onto more challenging ones. An explicit instruction approach to basic concepts can look like:

Starting with opposites (hot/cold, big/little)

Moving onto locations (in/out, up/down)
Then teaching descriptions (colors, shapes, textures)
Then teaching time/quantity concepts
Moving on to more challenging concepts

Even with implicit and explicit exposure to basic concepts, a few things can affect how children pick up on them.

Influencing Kids’ Acquisition of Basic Concept Vocabulary

There are a few signs that a child might be delayed in language development or struggling to grasp basic concepts.

A child who’s 2-3 years old might describe what they observe using generalized words like “that one,” “there,” or “this thing” instead of using more specific descriptions with colors, locations, or sizes.

Some kids might seem confused when given verbal instructions—as if they have to guess what they were just told to do. If storytelling, problem solving, or expressing their thoughts verbally continue to be a challenge beyond expected milestones, they may still be developing basic concepts.

If you are concerned about the vocabulary development of your child or student, it may be wise to use the Basic Concepts Skill Screener to check and see how their skills measure up to the average performance of other children their same age. This screener can also let you know which specific basic concept skills have been consolidated or still need direct instruction and practice.

Several factors impact how quickly and thoroughly children pick up basic concepts:

Amount of repetition and modeling of words in context
Some concepts are harder to grasp, especially the more abstract ones
The child’s quality and quantity of language exposure
The child’s learning environment
Socioeconomic background
Presence of a disability or language delay

The more interactive and systematic the instruction is, the more likely the child will acquire the full scope of basic concepts.

Tips for Teaching Basic Concepts

To help young children learn basic concepts, here are some practices to implement at home and in the classroom.

Use Concrete Examples

Use familiar objects and pictures to make basic concepts as concrete and tangible as possible. Physically demonstrate opposites like big and small. Point out locations like over vs. under. Show examples of different colors, shapes, and textures.

Read Concept Books Together

Read books with your child and emphasize basic concept words during read-alouds. Many children’s books intentionally focus on particular categories of concepts through the text and illustrations.

Define Words Explicitly

In daily interactions with your child, take opportunities to explicitly define and explain basic concept words you use. “That car is big. Can you find a little car?”

Ask Comprehension Questions

Check your child’s understanding by asking them to identify or demonstrate the meanings of basic concept words. “Can you show me which toy is soft?”

Play Concept Games

Word games, songs, and early reading activities that reinforce basic concepts make the learning process more engaging and interactive for kids. Play Basic Concepts Chipper Chat for a ready-made game that focuses on applying these words and learning their meanings.

Give Corrective Feedback

When children use a basic concept word incorrectly, provide corrective feedback in the moment and model the proper usage. Praise your child when they grasp a new concept or get a question right.

Integrate Into Other Lessons

Include basic concept words into other learning activities like phonics, math, and following multi-step directions to reinforce their meanings.

Use Repetition

Basic concepts take repetition and time for kids to fully get. Be consistent and use the vocabulary frequently across many contexts.

Adjust Based on Ability

Be flexible and adjust the level of instruction complexity based on each child’s current grasp of basic concepts. It helps to meet them where they’re at. Refer to results in a basic concepts screener to know which specific words a child needs support with learning.

Connecting Basic Concepts to Phonics Instruction

As kids develop an understanding of basic concept vocabulary words, eventually they’ll use these concepts in phonics education. Comprehension is an integral part of reading and writing. Basic concepts set a foundation for reading comprehension as children interpret meaning and associate descriptions with the words they begin to read.

Want to know more about basic concepts? Explore similar topics that are crucial to early phonics instruction on the Phonics.org website today.

How to Compare Phonics Reviews and Choose the Best Program

phonicsorg on June 7, 2024

If you’re a teacher or parent of young readers, you’ve likely faced the overwhelming number of educational programs and apps on the market today. How do you choose the best phonics program when teaching children how to read and write?

Because phonics instruction plays such a critical role in children’s literacy development, choosing which programs and apps to use with your students is not a decision to take lightly. There are several core aspects to consider when comparing your options. In this article, we explain the top criteria to review and how to compare them so you can make informed decisions.

Continue reading to learn from the literacy experts at Phonics.org! Plus, discover some helpful phonics apps and programs that we’ve thoroughly reviewed for you already.

Criteria to Follow When Reviewing Phonics Programs

Whether you’re reading reviews for your own online research or writing a phonics review to share educational feedback, a few criteria can help you gain a full picture of the program. These include effectiveness, user engagement, overall usability, and other factors that determine whether or not a program is proven to support children’s reading success.

Knowing what to look for can mitigate confusion. Here are some of the criteria we suggest.

Quality of Phonics Instruction

There are different types of phonics programs that use different instructional approaches. Mainly:

Synthetic phonics teaches children to correspond letters with individual sounds, and how to blend them in print to form words.
Analytic phonics focuses on analyzing whole words to identify phonetic patterns.
Embedded phonics uses context clues and implicit reading to teach concepts “as needed.”
Analogy phonics focuses on using word patterns and word families to create “analogies” for new concepts.

Synthetic phonics instruction is widely recognized for its efficacy in reading instruction. Synthetic phonics uses single speech sounds to teach word-reading and spelling. Studies that have compared the different types of phonics, over time, have found synthetic phonics to be the most effective method. When looking for a phonics program, a focus on synthetic instruction is key.

Similarly, when comparing phonics reviews, it’s helpful to look at the program’s scope and sequence—how concepts are introduced and built upon. Research shows that systematic phonics instruction significantly improves reading skills, especially for young learners and struggling readers.

Bottom line: check if the program is explicit, systematic, and involves teacher guidance. It should involve regular assessments to monitor student progress. Feedback from educators and parents who have used the program can also help you learn about the program’s scope and sequence.

Alignment With Evidence-Based Practices

Evidence-based literacy instruction includes methods that have been proven effective through the science of reading. To determine if a phonics program aligns with these practices, consider whether or not it’s based on instruction that is supported by research and shows measurable success in reading development.

Check if it follows a structured, systematic approach and includes regular learning assessments. Read program reviews from literacy specialists on websites like Phonics.org to see which ones follow these principles, providing structured, research-backed instruction to support children’s literacy development.

By choosing programs that align with evidence-based instruction, you prevent your students from learning faulty reading methods that could stunt their reading development or cause them to fall behind.

Level of User Engagement

Content engagement is crucial for young learners as it keeps them motivated and interested in the learning process. For a good level of engagement in a phonics program, it should include interactive activities, multimedia elements, fun lessons, structured pace, and digital apps that balance entertainment with educational challenges. Programs that incorporate games, songs, and hands-on exercises tend to be more engaging.

To experience the engagement level for yourself, see if the program offers free trials or demos. Observe how children interact with the content and whether they remain focused and enthusiastic. Feedback from other parents and educators can also provide insights into the program’s ability to captivate and maintain children’s interest.

Overall Usability of the Program

Usability in the context of phonics programs refers to how easy and intuitive the program is for children and adults to navigate. Features of usability include ease of use, clarity of instructions, accessibility options, troubleshooting, and customer support.

When reading phonics program reviews, pay attention to what people say about the overall experience. If it’s a phonics app, does it have a user-friendly interface, clear and concise instructions, and accessible features for learners? Is the app’s customer support helpful, difficult, or non-existent? Gather more feedback on usability by reading reviews from independent education sites, talking with educators, or by trying the program yourself to see how smoothly it operates in practice.

Feedback from Existing Phonics Program Reviews

Reading user reviews lets you consider people’s subjective experiences with the program and notice patterns of these experiences. To find authentic reviews, explore different reading organizations, parent forums, and teacher blogs. Look for detailed feedback that discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each program.

Assess these reviews to identify common themes, such as functionality, bugginess, quality of literacy instruction, affordability, and engagement. This will help you make an informed decision about whether the program is suitable for your child’s or students’ needs.

Opportunities for Instructional Guidance

Effective phonics instruction requires ongoing support and professional development for teachers. Whether you’re a parent or educator, consider the level of adult guidance, program facilitator resources, and ongoing support provided by the app or program developer. This can help you deliver the educational activities effectively while engaging in your student’s literacy development.

Observations of Program Implementation

One of the best ways to evaluate a phonics program is to observe it in action. Look for opportunities to visit classrooms or schools where the program is being implemented. Download phonics apps and sign up for free trials of online programs so you can view the lessons for yourself.

Pay attention to how the lessons are structured, the level of engagement they provide from a child’s perspective, and the educator’s ability to effectively support the program’s instruction methods.

View the Latest Phonics Reviews at Phonics.org

Taking the time to read through different types of phonics program reviews is a necessary step in finding the right educational content to help students learn to read.

If you’re a parent, we hope these tips help you understand what to look for and what to stay away from so you can encourage your child to develop strong reading skills.

If you’re a teacher, we hope you not only benefit from reading phonics reviews but also feel encouraged to stay updated on the latest phonics programs and apps in development.

To stay up to date, join the community dedicated to improving literacy education at Phonics.org. Explore our latest phonics reviews, leave your own feedback, and send any phonics program recommendations you’d like to see reviewed! Together, we can support the development of strong readers through evidence-based phonics instruction.

Phonetic Sounds in the English Language

phonicsorg on May 17, 2024

Have you ever wondered why the English language can be so complex? While there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, there are 44 variations of sounds these letters can produce when spoken. These different individual speech sounds are called phonemes.

Understanding these fundamental sounds and having phonemic awareness (the ability to recognize and manipulate individual sounds of speech) is crucial for language learning, communication, reading fluency, and overall literacy development. Let’s take a look at these 44 sounds in the English language and how they play an important role in language and literacy.

What are Phonemes?

Phonemes are the smallest individual units of sound in language. Each word contains a different combination of phonemes. To understand words, we must be aware of their individual units and how they work together.

Since phonemes are sounds (not letters), a single letter of the alphabet can represent multiple phonemes depending on the word. For example, the letter <a> can make the /a/ sound in “cat” and the /ei/ sound in “cake.” While English spelling can get a bit challenging in this regard, understanding phonemes provides a clear foundation for language learning.

It’s also worth mentioning that phonemes have slight variations depending on context. These variations are called allophones. For example, in the well-known variation of the word tomato (“toe-may-toe” / “toe-mah-toe”), the /a/ sound is the same phoneme, just spoken differently. Therefore, phonemes can vary based on factors like dialect, accent, and the way a person speaks the word.

How Many Sounds Are in the English Language?

There are 44 sounds (phonemes) in the English language. They can be classified into two main groups: consonants and vowels.

There are 24 consonant phonemes and 20 vowel phonemes, each containing slightly more complex sound categories.

Consonant Sounds

Consonants are typically created by partially or completely blocking airflow somewhere in the vocal tract during speech. Think about the sound /p/ — your lips come together to momentarily stop airflow and then push a small amount of air between the lips. Examples of other consonants include /b/, /t/, /f/, /m/, and /s/.

There are further classifications within consonants based on how they’re produced (called manner of articulation), including:

Plosives (stops): complete blockage and then release of air like /p/
Fricatives: airflow creates friction like /f/
Nasals: air escapes through the nose like /m/
Affricates: stops followed by fricatives, such as /ch/

Consider some examples of the consonant phonemes.

/b/: bad, big, bubble
/d/: dog, dad, had
/f/: fig, stiff, calf
/g/: got, egg, girl
/h/: has, him, who
/j/: job, giraffe, joke
/k/: cat, kit, queens
/l/: love, well, melon
/m/: mop, summer, math
/n/: nice, know, gnat
/p/: play, pine, snip
/r/: ran, wrist, carrot
/s/: smile, miss, since
/t/: time, right, tripped
/v/: vine, five
/w/: wet, why, word
/y/: yellow, yes, you
/z/: zip, zen, his

There are also consonant digraph sounds. A consonant digraph is two consonants put together that form one individual sound (for example, /sh/).

/ch/: chip, watch
/sh/: ship, fish
/ng/: ring, long
/th/ (voiced): leather, whether, this
/th/ (unvoiced): thought, that
/wh/: what, wham
/zh/: vision, treasure

Vowel Sounds

Vowels are spoken using an open vocal tract, allowing air to flow freely during speech. This openness is what gives vowels their characteristic sustained sounds. The five main vowel phonemes in English are /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/. However, there are nearly 20 different vowel phonemes in the English language: singular phonemes (monophthongs) and two vowel sounds joined together (diphthongs).

Because vowel sounds can be complex and are limited to only six alphabetical letters, their phonemes are represented by different combinations of letters. You can find a full list of English phonemes on the International Phonetic Association website.

Monophthongs:

/ɪ/ as in “sit”
/iː/ as in “see”
/ɛ/ as in “bed”
/æ/ as in “cat”
/ɑː/ as in “father”
/ɒ/ as in “hot”
/ɔː/ as in “saw”
/ʊ/ as in “book”
/uː/ as in “boot”
/ʌ/ as in “cup”
/ɜː/ as in “bird”
/ə/ as in “banana”

Diphthongs:

Diphthongs are a special category of sounds created by combining two vowel sounds within a single syllable. For example, the /oi/ sound in “boil” or the /ow/ sound in “house” are both diphthongs.

/eɪ/ as in “day”
/aɪ/ as in “time”
/ɔɪ/ as in “boy”
/aʊ/ as in “now”
/əʊ/ as in “go”
/ɪə/ as in “near”
/eə/ as in “hair”
/ʊə/ as in “tour”

Understanding these phoneme categories and how they interact can help you master the intricacies of spoken English. It can also help you teach children phonics. By recognizing the different roles of consonants and vowels, and how diphthongs add another layer of complexity, we gain a deeper awareness of how words are spoken, read, spelled, and learned.

How Phonemes Shape Our Language

Phonemes, the individual sounds of language, combine to form the building blocks of words—and ultimately, our spoken language. They don’t exist in isolation. Instead, they join to create syllables, the building blocks of words. Phonemes also play a crucial role in how we recognize and understand words. Think about the minimal pairs “bat” and “pat.” Just by switching the first phoneme (/b/ to /p/), we create entirely different words with distinct meanings.

Phonemic awareness, the ability to identify and manipulate these sounds, becomes essential for fluent reading and clear communication. Furthermore, phonemes contribute to morphemes, the smallest units of sound that carry meaning. For instance, the word “unhappy” consists of two morphemes: “un-” (a prefix meaning “not”), and “happy” (the root word).

Understanding how phonemes combine to form morphemes allows us to decipher the meaning of complex words and ultimately, unlock the full potential of language. But none of this would be possible without phonemes.

English, Phonemes, and Phonics Instruction

The basic units of sound in the English language are fundamental for building strong reading and spelling skills. By using a systematic phonics program that explicitly teaches phonemes and their connection to letters, children gain the tools they need to decode unfamiliar words, sound them out effectively, and ultimately become confident readers and spellers.

To learn more about literacy development and phonics instruction, follow Phonics.org for more information.

How to Teach Spelling: Beginner Phonics Instruction

phonicsorg on May 10, 2024

Spelling is a primary skill in phonics instruction and literacy development. It equips children to communicate effectively through the written word, express themselves creatively, and succeed academically.

Explicit phonics instruction empowers children with the knowledge and skills they need to decode unfamiliar words, spell words accurately, and become confident readers and writers. But how should beginner spelling be taught? This article explains a few practical principles for teaching spelling using an effective approach.

The Importance of Spelling in Phonics Education

Spelling, also known as encoding, is crucial for a child’s education as well as the development of necessary life skills. The ability to spell and write well is how people communicate through print, preserve stories, and complete important tasks in society.

It also plays a dual role in a child’s literacy journey. A child’s spelling can be a window into their understanding of written language. Their attempts at spelling can reveal their grasp of letter sounds, phonics concepts, and basic spelling patterns.

Conversely, the act of spelling itself reinforces reading skills. As children sound out words to write them down, they solidify the connection between letters and sounds. Interestingly, spelling difficulties can highlight underlying reading challenges, as well. By observing a child’s spelling patterns, we can gain real insights into their reading development.

Foundational Phonics Concepts for Beginner Spelling Instruction

Spelling instruction involves several key phonics concepts. Children must systematically learn these concepts to build their first spelling skills.

Phonemic Awareness: This foundational skill involves understanding the sounds within spoken words. Children learn to identify, isolate, blend, and manipulate sounds, all of which are necessary for connecting sounds to alphabetical letters. The most important phonemic awareness skill for learning to spell is ‘segmenting’. This means breaking up a word into its individual sound (phonemes).
Letter-Sound Relationships: This core concept involves recognizing the connection between individual sounds of language (phonemes) and the letters that represent them (graphemes). For example, learning that the letter <a> can represent the /a/ sound (as in “cat”) is one letter-sound relationship.
Phonics Patterns: As children progress in early reading and writing, they encounter recurring patterns in the way letters are used to represent sounds. Examples include short vowel patterns (CVC words like “ran”), consonant blends (/bl/, /cr/, /tr/, etc.), and digraphs (/sh/, /ch/, etc.). Learning these patterns empowers children to decode and spell more complex words.
Syllable Structure: Understanding how syllables are built—using combinations of consonants and vowels—helps children syllabicate or break words into smaller units for spelling. They learn that some syllables are closed (ending in a consonant) while others are open (ending in a vowel).

These concepts are best taught systematically and explicitly, building upon each other as children develop their abilities to write and spell.

Systematic Spelling Instruction

People spell using several types of information involved in language. It begins with the simplest and moves up to the most complex.

Consonants and Short Vowel Sounds are the foundation of spelling. Children learn to spell basic CVC words when they have an understanding of these beginner concepts and rules.
Digraphs and Blends are combinations of multiple letters that represent singular sounds (for example, /sh/, /ch/, /th/). Digraphs and blends are essential for learning to spell more complex words.
Long Vowels inform readers of the different sounds represented by vowels. This knowledge unlocks a wider range of spelling (and reading) possibilities.
Syllable Patterns can be helpful for students to learn as they read more advanced texts. Identifying different syllable structures (open, closed, vowel teams) helps children break down words for spelling.
Base Words, Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes become a major focus in later stages of phonics instruction. Children learn about morphemes—the building blocks of words. This includes identifying base words (the core meaning), roots (word origins that carry meaning, like “graph” in “telegraph”), prefixes (added at the beginning, like “re-” in “rewrite”), and suffixes (added at the end, like “-ing” in “walking”). Understanding these morphemes empowers children to tackle more complex vocabulary and spelling.

Developmental Sequence for Teaching Spelling

Students must learn patterns and rules of phonics in order to grasp spelling knowledge. A structured approach is key to effective spelling instruction. Here’s an example of a developmental sequence for early literacy learners.

1. Phonemic Awareness Activities

Lay the foundation with phonemic awareness activities. It can be highly effective for children to practice phonemic awareness while learning alphabetical letters. Play rhyming games, isolate sounds in words (“cat” has /c/ /a/ /t/ sounds), and practice blending sounds together to form words (c-a-t = “caaaaat”), while continuing to teach letter-sound correspondences.

2. Short Vowels and CVC Words

Start with introducing short vowel sounds (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/) in isolation using clear pronunciation and visual aids. Additionally, ensure students have learned some consonant letters so they can begin creating whole words. Connect each sound to its letter symbol and practice blending sounds to form simple CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant). Then, move on to segmenting individually-identified sounds in spoken words. Finally, children practice writing these CVC words using the learned sound-symbol connection.

3. Consonant Blends and Digraphs

Once short vowels are learned, introduce consonant blends and digraphs following the same approach: sound introduction, connecting sound to letters, blending and segmenting sounds, and writing practice.

4. Long Vowels and Other Vowel Patterns

As children gain spelling confidence, they become more familiar with long vowel sounds—or various spellings for the same letter, such as “ai” in “rain” and “a_e” in “cake”. They then learn other vowel patterns (/ou/, /ow/, /oi/). The same systematic approach of sound introduction, blending, segmenting, and writing practice is applied.

Spelling Activities to Help Beginners Learn

Learning to spell should be an engaging and interactive experience! Here are some fun and effective activities for beginner spellers.

Printing and Letter Formation

Fast and accurate printing is a foundational skill for spelling. If a child cannot print a letter quickly and easily, it will be even more difficult to spell an entire word. The more automatic letter formation is, the more cognitive space remains to think about spelling a word.

Phonics Manipulatives

Provide hands-on learning with letter tiles or magnetic letters. Children can use them to build CVC words, sound out words you dictate, or create their own simple spellings.

Another common phonics manipulative for spelling instruction is called an “Elkonin Box”. Each Elkonin box represents one sound in a word. A child can first slide a chip into a box for each sound and then write the letters associated with the sounds. The word ‘fish’ would have 3 Elkonin boxes, one for each sound (not letter): /f/ /i/ /sh/.

Dictation Activities

Dictation activities are a classic way to strengthen phonemic awareness and early spelling skills. Start by saying individual sounds contained in a simple word (such as /s/… /i/… /t/), then progress to blending sounds and dictating CVC words. As children develop, you can introduce more challenging consonant blends and digraphs.

Interactive Spelling Games and Apps

Try using educational spelling games and apps that align with systematic phonics principles. These can provide a fun and engaging way for children to practice letter-sound relationships, blending sounds, and spelling CVC words, setting a solid foundation for further instruction.

Remember, the key is to make learning fun and engaging. Celebrate your learner’s progress and encourage them to practice what they learn in the world of written language.

Get More Phonics and Spelling Resources for Kids

Building strong spelling skills is a journey. By incorporating systematic phonics instruction with engaging activities, you equip your child with the tools to become confident spellers and successful readers.

Explore additional resources at Phonics.org and stay tuned as we share more tips on how you can support your child’s spelling development.

Sight Words vs. High-Frequency Words

phonicsorg on May 6, 2024

During phonics instruction, children learn to sound out or “decode” words. With enough practice, decoding turns into sight word recognition. Sight words are defined as any word that can be recognized instantaneously at first sight, without the need to decode it.

High-frequency words are defined as the most commonly occurring words found in texts and books. Some high-frequency words are regular, meaning they follow common phonics patterns.

Irregular words, however, do not follow common phonics patterns. An example of an irregular high-frequency word is ‘of,’ in which the <f> makes a /v/ sound—which is not a regular phonics pattern.

The two terms “sight words” and “high-frequency words” are often used incorrectly or interchangeably, which can lead to confusion. It can also lead to ineffective phonics instruction methods.

What is the real difference between sight words and high-frequency words? Let’s clarify each term so you can master your approach to proper instruction. Keep reading to learn the difference and the relationship between sight words and high-frequency words in children’s literacy development.

How Does a Word Become a Sight Word?

As children develop sight word recognition, their reading fluency and comprehension improve. Students learn to recognize sight words through the process of orthographic mapping.

Children learn letter-sound correspondences.
Readers use their knowledge of letter-sound correspondences to decode new words.
Each time a student decodes the same word, their brain “maps” the written word to the spoken word and its meaning.
Repeated orthographic mapping of the same word reinforces that word in the child’s memory.
After so many repetitions, the brain instantly maps words when reading texts.

Once new words are committed to a child’s memory, they can focus their cognitive efforts on comprehending the words rather than stumbling over frequently encountered ones.

What are High-Frequency Words?

As the name implies, high-frequency words are words that appear frequently in written texts. Students encounter them repeatedly as their reading abilities progress. In fact, 100 high-frequency words make up 50% of the words we read and write in English!

As students encounter frequently-appearing words in their reading materials, their familiarity with the words’ phonetic patterns supports their fluency and accurate reading. Eventually, high-frequency words will become sight words that students can recognize automatically. This is an important goal and milestone in phonics instruction.

How Do Kids Learn to Read Irregular High-Frequency Words

Some irregularly-spelled words appear frequently in texts. These words can be tricky for children to “sound out” using basic phonics rules on their own. Teachers must take a different approach.

While there is some debate in reading research about how children learn to read irregular words, there are generally two approaches used in instruction.

The “Heart Word Magic” approach focuses on decoding letter sounds, while explicitly pointing out the irregular sound parts that should be memorized “by heart.”
The Paired Associate Learning approach emphasizes word memorization. It pairs the visual word with the pronunciation of that word. However, this is not useful for all words as rote memorization can become a challenge or even a disadvantage for learners.

Are Sight Words and High-Frequency Words the Same Thing?

By knowing the difference and the relationship between sight words and high-frequency words, teachers ensure well-rounded phonics instruction. The importance of explicit, systematic phonics instruction cannot be overstated in the context of reading development, no matter which type of words students are learning to decode. Extensive research demonstrates that a strong foundation in systematic phonics is crucial to long-term reading success.

Phonics Activities to Master High-Frequency Words as Sight Words

What are some effective ways teachers and parents can introduce (and practice) high-frequency words when their child is learning to read? Take a few of these pointers.

Irregular High-Frequency Words

Teaching irregular words that occur frequently should not be the primary focus of reading instruction. Knowing these words well does play a role in developing fluency and efficiency. Word-reading instruction blends explicit phonics practice with repeated exposure to build automatic word recognition over time.

Effective strategies for explaining irregular high-frequency words include:

Word Builders: Use movable letter tiles or Elkonin boxes to let students sound out new words and explain the irregular portion of the word.
Decodable Books: Having students read decodable texts that contain targeted high-frequency words helps with repetition, encouraging them to apply their phonics knowledge while decoding new words.
Break Down Irregular Words: Introduce an irregular word to students (such as “said”). Have them underline the sounds they know, and circle the sounds they don’t know. In this case, /ai/ is likely unfamiliar as the word ‘said’ sounds like it has an /e/ in the middle. Students underline /s/ and /d/ but circle /ai/, and the teacher explains this irregular word in full.

Regular High-Frequency Words

High-frequency words should be taught primarily through explicit, systematic phonics instruction. As students encounter these common words in their reading materials, they should be encouraged to apply their phonics knowledge to decode and analyze the words’ patterns.

Incorporate high-frequency word study into phonics lessons by having students blend the sounds and practice reading and spelling the words in context. Provide decodable texts that contain the high-frequency words being studied, allowing students to reinforce their phonics skills while gaining repeated exposure to these words.

Help Kids Learn to Read Through Phonics

Providing a strong foundation in phonics is crucial for raising skilled and confident readers. This evidence-based approach aligns with the science of reading and sets children on the path to long-term learning and success.

To learn more about implementing accurate, research-based phonics methods in your classroom or home, explore the wealth of resources available at Phonics.org.

How the Brain Learns to Read

phonicsorg on April 26, 2024

Reading is an advanced skill and a relatively new phenomenon among humans. While literacy is a crucial ability a child must develop to obtain knowledge and navigate society, it doesn’t come easily to many children. The process of how the brain learns to read is complex and often misunderstood.

To many people’s surprise, the ability to read is not primarily about visual processing. Rather, it’s a phonological (sound)-based process that requires the brain to make connections between speech and orthography (printed letters).

An understanding of reading and the brain impacts how educators teach phonics. Today, specific evidence-based strategies equip children to learn how to read more effectively. In this article, we explore some of the fascinating science behind reading acquisition and present several practical ways you can nurture strong readers.

The Science of Reading and How It Works in the Brain

Reading is not innate or hardwired in humans like spoken language is. While people can acquire spoken language naturally, they generally need explicit instruction in learning to read.

Why Phonics is Vital to Reading Development

Phonics plays a leading role in reading education. It teaches children the relationships between alphabetical letters and the sounds in language. This foundational skill allows children to decode unfamiliar words by blending individual sounds together.

Neuroscientists Mark Seidenberg and Stanislas Dehaene have made groundbreaking discoveries about how the brain learns to read. Seidenberg, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, extensively studied the neural mechanisms involved in reading acquisition. Dehaene, a professor at the Collège de France, conducted influential research using brain imaging techniques to understand the brain’s reading circuitry.

Through their work on the cognitive science of reading, they discovered the importance of how phonics is taught—particularly involving the brain’s phonological pathway.

The Phonological Pathway

According to Seidenberg and Dehaene’s research, a large portion of the brain’s ability to read is due to the phonological pathway. Seidenberg (2017) says that the importance of the phonological pathway in beginning reading, “is about as close to conclusive as research on human behavior can get.” This phonological pathway allows the brain to convert letters in print into verbal language by linking the visual symbols (letters) to their associated sounds. Then, the sounds of those letters can be blended into words.

Neuroimaging studies by Dehaene have revealed that a specific region in the brain’s left occipitotemporal cortex (the orthographic processor), dubbed the “visual word form area,” becomes specialized for this mapping process as children learn to read. This area connects visual inputs (alphabetical letters) to the brain’s language systems, enabling the conversion of written words into spoken language.

In contrast, the brain’s visual pathway relies on recognizing words as whole units or shapes. The visual pathway plays a secondary role in reading. While this pathway can be useful for quickly recognizing a limited number of familiar words, it’s inefficient for children learning to read new words. Early readers heavily rely on decoding to make sense of new or unfamiliar words, which requires first breaking them down into their sound components.

The phonological pathway is crucial for developing skilled reading abilities. Children who struggle to map letters to sounds and blend those sounds often experience significant reading difficulties.

Limitations of Visual Cues in Reading

Today, we know that the brain learns to read through the connection between the phonological pathway with the visual pathway. However, many traditional reading instructional methods have relied heavily on visual strategies, such as memorizing whole words or focusing on word patterns.

Since the science of reading has advanced in recent decades, experts now know that these visual approaches are limited. They can hinder the development of proficient reading skills.

One study by Seidenberg observed the effectiveness of different reading instruction methods. They found that children who received explicit, systematic phonics instruction outperformed those who were taught using a whole-word or visual-based approach. Explicit instruction noticeably improved kids’ ability to decode new words accurately—especially for children with specific learning disorders such as dyslexia.

Dehaene (2011) adds to this concept by explaining that the brain can identify words so quickly it creates the illusion of whole-word reading. However, “all the evidence to date suggests that visual words are being analyzed into their elementary components before the whole word can be put back together and recognized,” he stated. “This decomposition is so fast, parallel, and efficient as to seem almost instantaneous.”

Your Role in Children’s Reading Development

Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, you play a significant role in how your child’s brain learns to read. While the science behind reading development can be complex, having a basic understanding can support decisions for your child’s learning. Here are some practices to incorporate.

Explicit, Systematic Phonics

Providing systematic and explicit phonics instruction is important for teaching word-reading. This type of instruction prioritizes letter-sound relationships. It provides opportunities for children to practice blending sounds into words and segment words into individual sounds, rather than trying to memorize whole words visually.

Be Critical of Reading Programs

The idea that reading instruction should limit phonics and rely on visual memorization is still pervasive in education. Teachers and parents must take a critical look at reading programs to see if systematic phonics instruction is a dominant component. It should be suitable for beginner reading instruction.

Reading Aloud

Reading aloud to children and engaging in dialogic reading (where the child is actively involved in discussing the story) can foster language development and phonological awareness. Seidenberg (2017) says that the “most significant reading-related activity for young children is still being read to.” However, reading to children will not guarantee they will become readers. Systematic guidance is still necessary.

Playful Activities

Activities like rhyming games, identifying the initial sounds in words, and clapping out syllables can further enhance children’s sensitivity to the sound structure of language. Phonological awareness activities like this have been shown to help children develop stronger reading skills.

Start Early

Ideally, these strategies should be introduced early and consistently in a child’s life. High-quality phonics instruction is a key predictor of later reading success.

Help Kids Learn to Read: Phonics.org

Neuroscience proves the brain learns to read primarily through a phonological, sound-based process that maps written letters to their corresponding language sounds. This understanding underscores the importance of evidence-based, phonics-focused reading instruction that aligns with the brain’s process of literacy development.

By prioritizing systematic phonics instruction and activities that build phonological awareness, educators and parents can lay a strong foundation for their children to become confident readers.

Explore more resources at Phonics.org to learn about implementing these effective, science-backed strategies in your classroom or home!

Types of Phoneme Blending for Early Readers

phonicsorg on April 18, 2024

One of the most crucial skills for kids learning to read is learning how to blend phonemes. This is a foundational skill that not only relates to spoken language but also the ability to decode and comprehend words in text.

Phonemes are the individual sounds that make up spoken language. In English, there are 44 blendable phoneme units out of the 26 letters of the alphabet. For students to begin blending sounds into words, they first need an understanding of letter-sound correspondences.

When a child knows some letter-sound correspondences, it’s time to introduce blending! To help your new reader make sense of words in print, here are several types of phoneme blending techniques to consider.

Segmented Blending

One well-known form of phoneme blending taught during phonics instruction is called segmented phonation, also known as final blending. This is when children read a word by sounding out each letter sound from left to right. There is typically a pause between each sound. The sounds are blended together at the end of the word.

Here’s what segmented blending would look like in practice.

You’re helping a child blend the word, ‘sit.’

The child sounds out each letter individually and pauses between each sound:

/s/ (pause) /i/ (pause) /t/

Then, the reader brings the letter sounds closer together: /s/ /i/ /t/.

The three sounds are held in the child’s memory and blended or put together at the end of the word.

Continuous Blending

Continuous blending—also known as connected phonation—is the most straightforward type of phoneme blending. It works by blending letter sounds smoothly and continuously without stopping in between sounds, as you would with segmented phonation reviewed above.

Here is how a child can practice continuous blending:

The child is reading the word ‘ran.’

They sound out each letter sound slowly, continuously, and smoothly:

/rrrr/ /aaaa/ /nnnn/

Sometimes the child may need to repeat the process with an increased pace. Typically, immediately after continuous blending, the child can understand the word: ‘ran.’ Continuous blending is known to be an easier form of phoneme blending for kids, as it’s closer to how humans naturally speak. In comparison, segmented blending requires more working memory of phoneme sounds, making it more challenging for some kids.

This type of phoneme blending is typically first introduced with letters that make continuous sounds. These are sounds that can be held longer like /mmmm/ or /ssss/. Some phonemes are ‘stops’ that can’t be elongated like /p/ or /g/. It is difficult to use continuous blending when those sounds appear at the beginning of a word. Phonemes that work best for introductory continuous blending include /m/, /n/, /s/, /l/, /f/, /r/, /v/, and /z/.

Successive Blending (Additive Blending)

Successive or “additive” blending is a slightly different approach to blending. Instead of sounding out a word all the way through, letter by letter and then repeating the whole word, successive blending repeats each blended portion of the word before the following letter is sounded out.

Here’s how it’s practiced:

The child is sounding out the word ‘slip.’

First, start with /s/.

Then, restart from the beginning of the word to sound out /s/ and /l/ together to make ‘sl’.

Next, go back and repeat ‘sl’ while adding /i/ to the end: ‘sli’.

Finally, formulate the whole word by saying ‘sli’ once again and adding /p/. You then say the whole word, ‘slip.’

This method particularly helps struggling readers who have difficulty retaining which sounds they sound out during blending. It helps them remember and integrate all of the sounds in a word, instead of getting lost in the middle or the end of the word and forgetting what they sounded out.

Onset and Rime Blending

Onset and rime (also called onset-rime) blending separates words into its onset (the beginning consonant or consonant blend) and rimes (the vowel plus any other remaining consonants in the word). In this approach, readers sound out the onset and then blend it into the rime.

For example:

To blend the word ‘can,’ the reader first sounds out the onset /c/ and then the rime /an/.

Then, they blend them together: /c/ + /an/… ‘can.’

The onset-rime blending method is ideally used as a supplementary practice to phoneme blending, not the main approach.

Onset-rime blending can be confusing. It might give early readers the impression that words are made up of smaller word sections when really words are made up of individual sounds (phonemes) strung together.

For example, imagine a child is learning to read the word ‘right.’ The onset /r/ plus the rime /ight/ involves more complex phonics rules that some children would struggle to discern with this method. Additionally, there are more than 300 rimes (also known as word families) in the English language. It would take much more cognitive effort to memorize these rimes than to blend individual sounds.

In many cases during onset-rime, the initial consonant spoken by itself sounds distorted or is spoken with an added schwa sound. The phoneme for the letter <d>, for example, should not be pronounced ‘duh’ as it could distort the rime that follows. You wouldn’t say, ‘duh-im’ for the word ‘dim,’ but a child is likely to make this mistake when using the onset-rime method.

Body-Coda Blending

Another type of phoneme blending that involves separating words into segments is called body-coda. First, readers sound out the body (the consonant and vowel) and then the coda (the final consonant or consonant blend). It’s the reverse of onset-rime.

For example:

When blending the word ‘cat,’ the reader sounds out the body of the word ‘ca’ and then the coda /t/.

Then, they blend them: /ca/ + /t/… ‘cat.’

The body-coda method is often easier than the onset-rime method. If children can practice the beginning consonant, they can use continuous blending to finish reading the word—for example: ‘caaaaa-t.’ Because vowels are always continuous sounds, the body-coda method helps kids overcome and automate the difficult part of blending, which is knowing how to put a “stop” sound (consonant) with a vowel sound together.

Just like onset-rime, the body-coda blending method can reinforce the concept of “word chunks” rather than the importance of actual phonemes. Therefore, it should also be a supporting technique and not the initial or primary one.

Best Ways to Teach Phonics to Early Readers

Blending is an essential phonics skill for children learning to read. While there are several types of blending practices to introduce in phonics instruction, several methods have been shown to work better than others.

Continuous blending is the most effective type of phoneme blending as it is most similar to how we naturally speak words. Segmented blending is also a reliable method for many children learning how to read, although it may be difficult for students who struggle with working memory.

For more tips and information on teaching phonics effectively to kids, read more insights from phonics.org.

The Different Types of Phonics Instruction

phonicsorg on April 12, 2024

Teaching children how to read is a crucial and sometimes complicated process. Phonics instruction becomes the foundation of reading, so taking an effective and proven approach is required if kids are to grasp these essential skills.

If proper instruction is so important, why are there different types of phonics in English education? Which method works best for teaching kids to read?

Let’s look at the four main types of phonics instruction, the relationship each one has with reading, and how effective they are. Whether you’re a teacher of a classroom or a parent wanting to help your early reader, knowing these methods can help you make informed decisions about which phonics program to use as your child develops literacy skills.

Synthetic Phonics

Synthetic phonics focuses on alphabetical letters (graphemes) and their correspondence to phonemes (individual sounds of spoken language). It is the ‘synthesis’ or combination of individual letter sounds to decode words.

The most effective method of using synthetic phonics is with an explicit and direct approach to teaching.

Here’s how it works:

Students learn individual letter sounds (/a/ for ‘apple,’ /b/ for ‘bin,’ etc.)
They then learn how to blend letter sounds together (/b/ /i/ /n/ = ‘bin’)
Reading instruction is systematic, meaning children learn the simplest concepts first and then progress toward more complex ones. This motivates the mastery of buildable skills.
Readers learn to rely on decoding to read new, unfamiliar words they encounter in text.

Decades of scientific studies point to the reliability of synthetic phonics instruction. Because reading is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to humans, it must be taught with clear, systematic instruction and lots of practice.

Synthetic phonics has also become the most effective and recommended method of teaching phonics to children diagnosed with or at risk of reading difficulties. Extensive brain research has found that this structured, synthetic method helps kids develop strong reading foundations.

Analytic Phonics

The analytic phonics approach uses the “analysis” of text. It teaches children to associate letter sounds with whole words. Typically, it involves a lot of recognition as well as breaking down familiar words into smaller parts.

For example, students learn whole words such as ‘mat.’ They then learn to identify individual sounds within the word and the alphabetical letters they represent. Instruction also involves pointing out similarities and patterns across words.

Analytic phonics can be useful in some cases but it’s typically not as structured as a systematic teaching method. With the lack of foundation, children might struggle with this method—especially if they have a learning or reading disability.

Analogy Phonics

Analogy phonics is a subtype of analytic phonics. It focuses on identifying patterns and “analogies” of words.

Children learn word families that share letter-sound correspondences, such as ‘cat,’ ‘mat,’ ‘rat,’ ‘hat,’ and ‘sat.’ All of these words contain the ending /-at/. Students are expected to use prior knowledge of a similar word (such as ‘cat’) to make sense of patterns and then interpret new, related words.

While analogy phonics can supplement more systematic methods of phonics instruction, it’s no longer recommended for educational settings.

Embedded Phonics

Embedded phonics is the opposite of explicit phonics, in which case students learn to read words through contextual, implicit reading.

Typically, teachers provide whole texts to students and then use the material to teach specific concepts—whether it be letter-sound correspondences, spelling patterns, or word families.

Through embedded phonics (also known as incidental phonics), phonics instruction occurs on an “as-needed” basis. Instead of preparing children with a strong foundation of explicit, systematic concepts so they can practice decoding new texts, students learn concepts “as they arise” in the text they’re provided. Through this, students often have to rely on contextual letter recognition and memorization of sight words since the provided literature dictates which letter-sound relationships are practiced (often randomly).

Today, embedded phonics is widely known as an ineffective instruction method because it involves a lot of guesswork. Although it can be a useful exercise to expose readers to real-world, connected texts, it cannot replace the instruction needed to develop a reading foundation based on the science of reading.

Taking a Systematic Approach to Phonics Instruction

A systematic approach to phonics instruction has been proven to be the most reliable method because:

Emphasis is on decoding as soon as children begin learning to read, equipping them to figure out new words without relying on context or guesswork.
Reading specialists use synthetic instruction to help students with specific learning disabilities (such as dyslexia) learn to read.
The use of structured, progressive skill-building enables students to master the simplest skills first and gradually work their way up to the most complex.
It is the method that most aligns with how the brain learns to read.

Overall, the other types of phonics—analogy, analytic, and embedded—should not be the primary method of instruction. They often lead to confusion for many children unless there is a synthetic and explicit foundation provided first.

Which Type of Phonics is Best for Teaching Kids to Read?

The goal of phonics instruction is to equip students with the strongest foundation of skills for lifelong reading. Although different types of phonics have been used (and are still used) in specific scenarios, there is an abundance of modern research proving systematic, synthetic phonics works for most children.

Children must learn how to decode words and gradually progress onto more complex skills, eventually building strong reading proficiency. Other types of phonics such as analytic or analogy methods are most useful as a supplemental approach, with synthetic phonics taking the lead.

To learn more about phonics instruction, reading science, and literacy development, explore the resources at Phonics.org. We review synthetic phonics programs and provide educators and parents with honest ratings to see which one works best for young readers.

Orthographic Mapping and Sight Words: Developing Reading Fluency

phonicsorg on April 5, 2024

Skillful readers can read words effortlessly and automatically with full comprehension. This process often seems impossible to kids as they begin to learn basic phonics skills—how do adults read so easily, without trying? The answer is that there’s a crucial process involved that develops this reading fluency over time. This process is called orthographic mapping.

Essentially, orthographic mapping is the necessary bridge students cross from sounding out single words using lots of effort to automatic word recognition. Reading researcher Linnea Ehri coined this term.

In this article, we discuss what orthographic mapping is, how it works, and ways you can improve this process to encourage students to become fluent, confident readers.

What is Orthographic Mapping?

In simple terms, orthographic mapping is a process where words are decoded until automatically recognized. This skill develops over time. It happens when a reader permanently stores a word they’ve already learned and can retrieve it instantly from memory when they come across it.

When a reader decodes (sounds out) an unfamiliar word, they connect the word’s letters to corresponding sounds, blending them to formulate the word. For example, the word ‘bat’ is decoded by blending the sounds /b/ /a/ /t/. Every time the reader successfully maps the same word again, it’s committed to memory. Eventually, the reader no longer has to sound it out completely from scratch. Instead, they retrieve the word mapped during previous readings.

Even though orthographic mapping involves remembering, it’s not the same thing as rote memorization of whole, unfamiliar words. With whole-word memorization, readers associate the visual representation of a word directly with its meaning. This bypasses any mapping of letters to sounds.

While some high-frequency words may initially be visually memorized this way, orthographic mapping through proven phonics instruction is what allows readers to build their sight word vocabularies long-term.

How Orthographic Mapping Works

To turn an unfamiliar, printed word into a remembered word, children must form permanent connections between a word’s letters, its pronunciation, and its meaning in memory. Here’s how it works.

Letter-Sound Correspondences

The foundation of orthographic mapping is decoding. A beginner reader must first learn how individual letters and letter patterns represent the sounds in spoken words. These skills should be mastered for easy recall.

Decoding and Encoding

The practice of blending letter-sound correspondences to identify unfamiliar words in print is called decoding. Encoding is the ability to spell words by breaking up a word (segmenting) into its sounds. Practice with decoding and encoding is part of the process of orthographic mapping. Each time a reader sounds out or spells a word, they are mapping its written form and its spoken form.

Repetitive Mapping

Successful orthographic mapping requires repeated practice. The first few times readers decode a new word, the mapping can be forgotten quickly. But with repeated mapping of a word’s spelling to its pronunciation, the connection gradually builds a strong representation in the reader’s long-term memory. The number of repetitions that will be necessary depends on the individual profile of the child. Some children will need many more repetitions of decoding and encoding than others.

Connect to Meaning

Once a new reader has successfully decoded a word, it is important to connect this word to its meaning. This helps new readers remember words more quickly. Building vocabulary knowledge also improves reading comprehension.

Building Sight Word Vocabulary

Successful repetition of decoding gradually results in sight word knowledge. Sight words develop when a word has been mapped so many times that it can be instantly recalled. The reader recognizes the word as a familiar unit rather than consciously decoding the individual letters.

Skilled readers have robust mappings for between 30,000-90,000 words in their vocabulary, allowing them to read quickly without having to stop and analyze every letter. Additionally, decoding and mapping are lifelong skills. Even highly literate adults learn new words that they haven’t orthographically mapped yet, pausing upon a new, complex word to sound it out and learn its meaning.

Orthographic Mapping vs. Rote Memorization

While orthographic mapping and sight word mastery rely on memory, the process is different from rote visual memorization. Relying on memorization to build a sight vocabulary is problematic for several reasons:

How the brain works: Words and images are processed differently in human brains. Learning to read by sounding out is more efficient and effective than learning to read by visually memorizing words. A great deal of scientific research has demonstrated that we do not remember words based on visual memory.
Reading new words: Rote memorization teaches words as unanalyzed wholes, ultimately discouraging readers from developing the decoding skills they need for lifelong learning. It is impossible to visually memorize all words needed for foundational reading ability and comprehension. Decoding skills help readers figure out new words they haven’t previously memorized.
Difficulty memorizing longer words: Memorizing words by visual shape is difficult to apply to longer, more complex words. Additionally, human memory can only memorize so many entire word shapes, preventing students from advancing their full vocabulary.

Orthographic mapping avoids these pitfalls by accurately linking spellings to pronunciations through phonics practice. Words are mapped, not traced like pictures. This lays the groundwork for an expansive, efficiently-acquired sight vocabulary.

Orthographic Mapping Strategies for Reading Instruction

Understanding orthographic mapping is crucial for educators and parents who are helping kids learn to read. With a knowledge of what it is and how it works, you can implement supportive strategies to help kids become stronger readers.

Systematic Phonics Instruction

Since orthographic mapping stands on solid phonics skills, beginners’ reading instruction typically involves explicit, systematic phonics lessons. Students must learn to proficiently decode words, which explicit instruction provides.

Guided Practice

Building up skillful readers doesn’t stop at teaching. Students must be given many practice opportunities to apply these skills and develop automatic word-reading abilities. Repeated, successful mappings are required for orthographic representations to become firmly set.

Decodable Texts

To facilitate this essential mapping practice, students benefit from reading decodable texts containing a high number of words following the phonics patterns they have learned. Texts should be readable for the child’s skill level, with only a few unknown words to allow for productive challenge.

Assessment and Progress Monitoring

Students’ reading progress and behavior must be monitored so you can discern whether they are actively mapping spellings to pronunciations, rather than guessing words from context. The key to this is using a phonics survey or inventory that breaks down the phonics skills by type and uses nonwords to determine if a child can read a new word they haven’t seen before.

Resources for Orthographic Mapping and Other Phonics Skills

Orthographic mapping is an important bridge that allows beginning readers to turn their hardworking attempts at decoding into automatic sight word recognition. While rote memorization alone provides an inefficient shortcut, orthographic mapping through systematic phonics practice helps children build a solid foundation for long-term reading development.

Equipping students with this mapping ability is key to helping them become fluent, skilled readers. To learn more about similar strategies and evidence-based phonics instruction, visit Phonics.org.