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Why Traditional Phonics Approaches Fail:
We frequently get asked how Magic Penny Reading is different from other Phonics programs. The following are features of most phonics program. Each of these will reduce effectiveness.
Many Phonics programs have a letter orientation instead of a sound orientation. Letters are what we use to represent sounds.
Most Phonics programs fail to control the proper pronunciation of the phonemes.
Most Phonics programs do not have a well-designed phonemic awareness program.
Most Phonics programs do not integrate their phonemic training segment with sound/letter association instruction. Phonemic training should start with an auditory-only approach and then should quickly and seamlessly transition to sound/letter associations.
Many Phonics program teach letter names at the same time they are teaching sound/letter relationships. Most children come to pre-K or Kindergarten already knowing letter names. That’s fine. However, when children do not know letter names, we need to concentrate on what’s important…phoneme awareness and sound/letter correspondences. Teaching letter names at the same time will only confuse our most at risk children.
Most Phonics programs do not connect decoding and encoding (spelling). Spelling words should always be based on the sound/letter associations that the child has learned. Connecting decoding to encoding reveals the fundamental logic of the written code…reversibility.
Many Phonics programs do not move into writing and reading comprehension at this level. This integration is pedagogically important. However, it also provides connection between reading, spelling, and writing at the earliest possible opportunity. They are connected parts of this process and are not separate curriculum items.
Most Phonics programs rely too heavily on “sight” words. Spelling word lists usually reflect this. Most “sight” words (irregularly spelled words) are actually decodable. It is better to teach the “advanced code” logic that permits the decoding of these irregular words as opposed to teaching the child that there is another way to read words…adults who know how to read are not confused by this…many children are.
Most Phonics programs teach alternatives to the phoneme in decoding…word families, rimes, syllable fragments, etc. English was written with an alphabetic code because the syllable structure of the English language will only permit a phonemic/alphabetic representation. There are pronunciation variations for most syllable spellings in English. Multiple unit approaches do not work well. This method may be appealing to adults who already know how to read but it is confusing to many children learning to read. (There are approximately 55,000 syllable spellings in English…there are 43 phonemes).
Most Phonics programs are eclectic. They mix in other strategies. We have already mentioned sight words. Often, Whole Language techniques are also mixed in. Whole Language methods have failed dramatically. These methods are not appropriate in early reading instruction.
Most phonics programs do not teach all of the 40 basic phonemes in English.
Most Phonics programs teach rules to help understand irregular spellings. The best rules only work about 50% of the time. Rules that don’t work consistently are confusing.
Most Phonics programs do not use a simple probability-based system to explain “irregular” spellings. This is a one-rule system that is easy for the young child to understand. The sounds of English can be spelled in different ways. This needs to be taught systematically.
Less effective and complex rule-based systems are also developmentally inappropriate at the pre-K and Kindergarten levels (and frequently in first grade). Therefore, when a pre-K or Kindergarten child completes the basic code portion of a rule-based phonics program, the teacher has a dilemma: Let the child continue in an ineffective rule-based system that is developmentally inappropriate, or, wait for first grade.
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Make literacy fun. Encourage your students to write their own short story books and you will be amazed at the results.