Reading With Phonics for Children

Phonics is an important part of the reading process. However, learning phonics in isolation does not make a reader. When teaching a child to read it is important to remember that reading is not just sounding out letters; it is taking meaning from the text. Always provide texts for the child that allow him to practice the phonics skills in context. Readers become more proficient by reading. Think about learning to ride a bike. You may have learned about the different parts on the bike, but you learned to ride by getting on the bike and riding.

Consonants

Teach the names and sounds of the consonant letters. Insist on fast recall of the letter sounds.

Short Vowels and Blends

Teach the short vowel sounds first. Then move on to blends such as "tr," "br," "st," and so on. Teach the blends as the child encounters them in text.

Digraphs

Digraphs are two letters that make one sound such as "sh," "ch," "th" and wh. These digraphs generally begin to appear in books that have more text than the simple beginner books.

Long Vowels

Long vowels are more difficult to learn than short vowels because the rules are not always consistent. Do not rush this skill; it will take time. Simple explanations are better than complicated phonics rules. When encountering a long vowel, tell the child, "This letter says its name."

Tricky Double Vowels and Bossy R

Introduce the tricky double vowel words as the child encounters them in text. Combinations such as "oo," "ou," "ow" and "oi" will need special attention. The Bossy R combinations are "ir", "ar", "or", "er" and "ur."