Teaching Reading: Part 3, Whole Language Vs. Phonics
|
|
There are two methods for teaching children to read; whole language and phonics. Whole language is a "whole - part" method of teaching children to read, while phonics is a "part - whole" reading method. These terms will be explained more fully in the article. The advantages and disadvantages of both of these methods have been debated for decades. School systems have switched from one method to another and back again countless times over the years. The debate continues. In the meantime, we as parents are still left asking the question, "What is the best way to teach my child to read?" My answer is an unequivocal combination of both methods, with a stronger emphasis on the phonics approach.
Phonics: The "part ? whole" reading method
In the phonics method, children are taught how to "sound out" new words. Phonics is a series of rules that children have to learn, memorize and apply when they are sounding out new words. Children are taught a rule, for example, "short a", and then they practice reading words with "short a" (hat, cat, sat, bat, rat, etc.) Then children do skill sheets at their desk highlighting the "short a" rule. Children must learn letter sounds to an automatic level - they must be able to see the letter(s) and say the sound immediately.
Most teachers who rely on the phonics method teach the rules in the following order:
ˇ Teach your child alphabet letter names and sounds. Start with the consonant letter sounds: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z ˇ Blend sounds: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, wr, bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl, scr, str, sm, sn, sp, sc, sk ˇ Short vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, u Always teach short vowel sounds first: a - apple, e - elephant, i- igloo, o - octopus, u - umbrella) ˇ Digraph sounds: sh, ch, th, wh Two letters combine to make a totally different sound. ˇ Double vowel sounds: ai, ea, ee, oa These pairs say the name of the first vowel. ˇ Other double vowel sounds: oi, oo, ou, ow ˇ Silent e: Silent e is bossy, it doesn't say anything but makes the vowel before it say its own name. ˇ R controlled vowel sounds: ar, er, ir, or, ur Notice that er,ir and ur make the same sound.
The problem with relying solely on a phonics approach is that usually the reading/practice materials aren't very interesting, "See Spot run. Run Spot run. Spot runs fast." In addition, children who struggle in reading memorize phonic rules, and then are unable to apply phonic rules to connected print. To remedy this problem, two things must happen: 1. Only the most important phonic rules should be taught in the least complicated manner possible. For example, in teaching vowel sounds, it is distracting to talk about "short versus long" vowels. Instead, a child should be taught the short vowel sounds first. Then when a child encounters a long vowel as in the word find, tell him, "That vowel says its own name."
2. Phonics must be taught in a way that allows children to immediately practice phonic information in real stories. Every time a child is taught new phonic information, he should be given a short reading selection that highlights the phonic rule. Completing a skill sheet is good, but even better is to help the child practice applying the phonic skill to connected print.
Whole Language: The "whole ? part" reading method
In the whole language approach, teachers use connected print to introduce reading to children. Children are encouraged to memorize words as whole units. They do hands-on activities such as writing in journals, and analyzing words in context, by using pictures, for meaning.
Teach your child how to read a couple of sentences or one paragraph until it sounds great. The whole language method helps your child learn to read "sight words." Sight words must be memorized because they don't follow phonic rules. Half of all words in the English language are sight words (the, said, find, etc.)
Whole language has strengths in that children begin to write early. They are involved in connected print, and they are using personal language skills making the process of reading more interesting. The weakness of whole language methods is that some children never get a full phonics foundation. They are unable to decode (sound out) unfamiliar words. Research has shown that good readers always use phonics to decipher new words.
To summarize, reading is best taught using a combination of three methodologies: ˇ Auditory training - training for the ears to prepare the child's brain for reading. Auditory training was discussed in the first article in this series. ˇ Phonics - knowledge of letter(s) sounds. A child cannot learn to read without proper knowledge in phonics. It is the foundation for success in reading.
* Whole Language - immediate application of phonics into connected stories.
Tom & Shelley Cooper
Tom is the Director for a large humanitarian aid program while Shelley left a successful career as a Financial Analyst to devote her talents to education. The parents of two children, they share a concern for today's youth, which was the inspiration for their web site.http://www.educational-toys-4u.com
|
|
|
Keeping The Stress Out Of Single Parenting
Researched through personal experience!Budget Your Money. Even if you are living paycheck to paycheck like most of us, knowing how much money goes to where can be a big help. This gives you the relief that the bills are being paid, with a feel of how much you can spend on allowance, school photos, birthday gifts, entertainment or just You!Keep a Daily Schedule. Time is important, so teach that to the kids by i...(related: Parenting)
Book Review: how To Get Your Child To Love Reading
How to Get Your Child to Love Reading was conceived when author Esmé Raji Codell was staring at a shriveled potato that was sprouting eyes. She wondered, " . . . if I had a potato, nothing but a potato, how could I teach a classroom full of children? Well, I could cut a potato in half. (I can use the paring knife from my own kitchen, right?) We could review fractions. With one half, I could cut a design and do potato prints. We could plant the eyes from the other half of the potato (it can have eyes, right?) and grow more potatoes, charting their growth." The ideas cascade: writing a story about a potato, making a book of potato recipes or potato poems, making potato stamps of all the letters, teaching reading, getting books from the library about potatoes, talking about the Irish potato famine...(related: Parenting)
Its A Sick World
It's no joy to be sick. It's even less joy when your child is sick. But the most unjoy is when you AND your child are sick together.That happened to my poor wife a few weeks ago. She and Little Lady, going on three years old, both had a cold -- with all the sneezing and wheezing, hacking and coughing, wailing and whining required for a certificate of authenticity.Little Lady normally bubble-pops with zest and vigor. Actually "bursting at the seems, bouncing off the walls and ka-booming through the roof" would be a more accurate description. So it was quite eerie to see her mope around like the drooping leaves of a Siberian Peonies that's been fed too much ...(related: Parenting)
Raising Boys
The last decade has seen heightened interest in and awareness of the issues surrounding boys in most of the western world. It is common knowledge that boys lead the way in all the wron...(related: Parenting)
We All Wish That Our Children Have Good Virtues, But... Are We Setting A Good Example Ourselves?
We all wish that our children should not smoke or drink, should not speak lies, should not steal, should not have a violent nature, etc... but are we setting a good example ourselves?Just yesterday, I was at a friend's place and his daughter came running up to us with her school calendar and asked him to put a remark for being absent for school. They had been to...(related: Parenting)
Adhd: A Dialogue With A Non-believer, Part Two
Dear Sir,
It was with some interest that I read the article What You Should Know About Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward W. after having it handed to me by a member of our church. There were elements of the article that were insightful, helpful, and needed to be said in a public forum, especially the discussion of the moral and spiritual dimensions of behavior. For this part of the article I applaud Mr. W.
However, Mr. W's discussion on the physiological/biological aspects of ADD ADHD was lacking to the point of being misleading to the readers. I am sure that Mr. Welch had no intention of misleading any readers, as that would hardly reflect the "biblical guidelines with which to understand ADD" that he seeks to communicate. T...(related: Parenting)
The Better Behavior Wheel - A New Kind Of Calm In The Family
There's a new kind of fun and calm out there in the name of the Better Behavior Wheel, invented by Julie Butler and her family in central British Columbia. In an interesting twist on charts and discipline, this versatile wheel can be hung on a wall or toted with you in the car and on vacations.It's a way to get whole family involvement, and a little bit of humor to get us over the discipline bumps. Kayla Fay, publisher of Who Put the K...(related: Parenting)
How To Homeschool Without Making Your Child An Outcast
If you are currently homeschooling or considering homeschooling your child, you probably know all the benefits homeschooling can provide. You'll have more ...(related: Parenting)
Road Trip With Kids
Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of nuisance for a child when in a restaurant - how much more in th...(related: Parenting)
Bird Flu Pandemic
What are the easiest things citizens can do to prevent spreading in an epidemic outbreak in America of a virus. There are many things you can do and warn your kids not to do; for instance tell your children; Do not touch handrails in public places and buses. Whenever possible; do not sit on and stay off park benches. You should wi...(related: Parenting)
From Childrens Stories To Study Skills: Help Your Children Succeed In School
IntroductionAs a parent who wants the best for your children, there are undoubtedly many things that you already do every day to help your children succeed in school. The purpose of this article is to provide some practical ideas for you to try. Some of these suggestions may be new to you, many will be familiar, and some are just plain common sense but, hopefully, they will all serve as reminders of the many simple steps you can take that are too often taken for granted or forgotten about, due to the hectic pace of everyday living.Read to your kids, whatever their agesFirst of all, read to your children. We all know that this is important, but I'd like to point out that reading aloud should begin in infancy. It can contribute to your baby's developing attention span and receptive language s...(related: Parenting)
How To Silence Your Childs Inner Critic
Children do what feels good to them and follow their natural instincts. Well meaning parents teach children that it is not socially acceptable to behave in certain ways, thus going against a child's natural inclinations. Children internalize the voices from their parents, teachers and other adults in their lives and start to criticize themselves. Although parents are being helpful, this often contributes to the birth of the inner critic.Who is the Inner Critic?The inner critic is the voice inside everyone's head who periodically points out our failures, inadequacies, and our shortcomings. Although disguised as a ...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | Baby Care Info | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting