Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds. In fact, you’re using phonics as you’re reading this blog post. But let’s break it down for you.
Think of the word “big.” How do you know what that word sounds like just by looking at it? Because at some point in your life, you were taught that “big” means large, but you probably didn’t yet know how to spell it. When you went to school, though, you learned that individual sounds are represented by individual letters. As such, you realized that the individual letters /b/ /i/ and /g/, when put together, create a series of sounds that equate to the word “big.”
If you’re the parent of a young child just starting school, then this is exactly what they’re learning when their teacher talks about phonics. But how is it taught?
How is phonics taught?
There is more than one way to teach phonics, and your child’s teacher will likely be using a variety of techniques. Some of the most common are as follows:
- Analytical phonics: With this method, children analyze letter-sound relations to avoid pronouncing sounds in isolation.
- Analogy phonics: This technique has children analyze unknown words and see how they compare to known words in order to figure out their pronunciation.
- Synthetic phonics: This approach teaches students to convert letters into sounds, and then blend those sounds to form words.
- Embedded phonics: With this method, phonics instruction is given while reading a text instead of as a separate lesson.
Here at The Zoo Factory, we know that children need a partner when they’re learning how to read and write. Stuffed animals can be the perfect partner. Look through our shop today to find your child’s new best friend today!
