3 Ways to Improve Phonics
1. Don't confuse phonics and letter names.
What do you think of when you first see this below?
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
At first you may have said, "That's simple. That's the alphabet...a, b, c..." Don't worry, it's not your fault for thinking like that. In such a case you would be half-correct at best. The alphabet is nothing more than a way for us to understand how to form the shape of our mouth to make out the words we say. It would be more accurate to say that the alphabet above is ah(a), (b)buh,(c)cuh, etc. as it IS what the letters were made to do: represent the sounds ( phonics ).
What do you think of when you first see this below?
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
At first you may have said, "That's simple. That's the alphabet...a, b, c..." Don't worry, it's not your fault for thinking like that. In such a case you would be half-correct at best. The alphabet is nothing more than a way for us to understand how to form the shape of our mouth to make out the words we say. It would be more accurate to say that the alphabet above is ah(a), (b)buh,(c)cuh, etc. as it IS what the letters were made to do: represent the sounds ( phonics ).
2. Practice phonics at home.
This one is simple: practice more! It's understandable if you don't know how to teach them but materials for helping your children are plentiful online and often free! How much is enough practice? Well, as little as 10 minutes a day will be enough. It's about consistency, so try to do it before bedtime just before their bedtime story. If you would like, we can mail some great materials to your home (free of charge) so you don't have to worry about finding a printer!
This one is simple: practice more! It's understandable if you don't know how to teach them but materials for helping your children are plentiful online and often free! How much is enough practice? Well, as little as 10 minutes a day will be enough. It's about consistency, so try to do it before bedtime just before their bedtime story. If you would like, we can mail some great materials to your home (free of charge) so you don't have to worry about finding a printer!
3. Phonology and phonics need to be learned.
Most people don't even know how to pronounce the word "phonology" (fo naw lo gee) let alone understand what it means. It simply means "the study of sounds". In learning how to read this is a fundamental principle to decoding. If a child cannot understand that when they hear "cat" they are actually hearing three sounds blended together: "cuh-ah-t". That means they don't understand what they are hearing and words are simply name tags; a deeper understanding of how they make those sounds is needed. Still confused? Many people are but fortunately there are assessments or courses you can take to see if this is one of the challenges your child is facing.
Most people don't even know how to pronounce the word "phonology" (fo naw lo gee) let alone understand what it means. It simply means "the study of sounds". In learning how to read this is a fundamental principle to decoding. If a child cannot understand that when they hear "cat" they are actually hearing three sounds blended together: "cuh-ah-t". That means they don't understand what they are hearing and words are simply name tags; a deeper understanding of how they make those sounds is needed. Still confused? Many people are but fortunately there are assessments or courses you can take to see if this is one of the challenges your child is facing.
#iknowenglishsg #iknowphonics
