Definition: Sound/symbol relationship
Hotly debated and at the center of research, reform, and fist-fights, phonics instruction continues to be key to any discussion of reading instruction. While highly politically charged, most reading researchers DO agree that phonics - the skill of matching sounds and symbols of the English language - should be taught. The controversy is over HOW it should be taught, WHEN it should be taught, WHERE it should be taught, WHO should teach it, WHAT exactly should be taught, and even WHY it is being taught. Other than that, everyone is in agreement!
You need to know where YOU are in the mix, but do NOT expect to find a definitive stance that you will always have. Your answers to all the "W" questions will change with every class, every level, every context in which you teach phonics. The GREATEST pitfall is that many teachers found a stance somewhere in their teaching careers and decided to die on that hill - regardless of new research, regardless of political climates, regardless (and this is the scariest part) of the changing populations of children in our schools. Have SCHWA will travel!
Below are 9 websites that contain information about Phonemic Awareness. Work with your group or a partner to do the following:
1) MATERIALS MANAGER should print one graphic organizer for the group and one handout for each person in the group. These forms will be used to synthesize the following articles.
2) READER should read the article aloud to the group - skimming and scanning is allowed to move quickly through the information.
3) ALL group members should take notes on the provided handout.
4) SCRIBE should then compile ONE graphic organizer that represents consensus from the group.
5) PRESENTER will share the graphic organizer with the whole group as a comprehensive representation of the readings is compiled.
Readings/Research on Phonemic Awareness
GROUP 1: Some Issues in Phonics Instruction - Implicit and explicit phonics instruction: http://www.educationnews.org/some_issues_in_phonics_instructi.htm
GROUP 2: Beyond Phonemic Awareness: The Role of Other Phonological Abilities: http://www.educationnews.org/beyond_phonemic_awareness.htm
GROUP 3: Research Regarding Phonics: http://www.projectpro.com/ICR/Research/Phonics/Summary.htm
GROUP 4: What to do when you're told "We Teach Phonics": http://www.losttech.com/article-whattodo.php
GROUP 5: Phonics Information: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/phonics.shtml
GROUP 6: 10 Years of Brain Imaging Research Shows the Brain Reads Sound by Sound: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/brain.shtml
GROUP 7: The Phonics Revival: http://www.research.fsu.edu/researchr/summer2002/phonics.html
GROUP 8: Facts on Research on the Teaching of
Phonics:
http://falcon.tamucc.edu/~gblalock/courses/3360/readings/facts/photeach-research.htm
GROUP 9: Ten Important Research Findings: http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/resfound2.htm
Related Readings and Resources:
IRA Position Statement:
The Role of Phonics in Reading Instruction:
http://www.reading.org/resources/issues/positions_phonics.html
National Reading Panel Reports Combination of Teaching Phonics, Word Sounds, Giving Feedback on Oral Reading Most Effective Way to Teach Reading: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/new/releases/nrp.cfm
Teaching Phonics: http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/phonics.htm
Watson's Word Wall
PBS Kids
30
books for you to download, print and assemble
Stories
PBS Kids
Dolch Words
Pre-K - 3rd grade
Poetry: (You are going to LOVE this site! Be sure and click on the "Funny Forty.")
Judy and
David's On-Line Songbook
(also their fairytale/folktale tapes are fantastic ... another of Pam's MUST
HAVE'S!)
06/01/2005 10:54:33 PM -0500