Contrast is one of the great principles of any art--two things that are different are put side-by-side so that both can be seen for comparison. This paper considers initially two kinds of contrast in phonics: the sounds of the five short vowels (a e i o u); and the sequence from left-to-right in sounding out the letters. The paper states that…

At a literacy conference in December 1998, British Prime Minister Tony Blair defined phonics as "the skilled process of teaching children how the 44 sounds in the English language are represented by a letter or group of letters." But 4 years down the track, several recent reports from both national and international bodies continue to…

One approach in the teaching of reading that is criticized a lot is the round robin procedure in which the teacher, generally in a heterogeneously grouped classroom, forms three reading subgroups for instruction purposes. Each of the groups is as homogenous as possible. The teacher teaches one subgroup, while the other two are profitably engaged…

Learning content and ideas while learning to read should be integrated, not separate, elements. Individualized reading emphasizes that students engage in holistic reading instruction. First, a student selects a library book from among several genres. After completing the reading of the book, the student has a conference with the classroom teacher.…

Discusses how and when the written word should be introduced in second language teaching and how interference between spelling and pronunciation can be avoided. Describes a technique for presenting the printed text simultaneously with the oral utterance. Notes that students are aware that the text is a source of interference. (SED)

Methods used for teaching children to read could be the whole language approach, or the phonics approach, or maybe a balance of both. This paper is a discussion of appropriate and effective teaching practices through interesting methods such as music, the use of culturally diverse materials, and the role of toys and television as they relate to…

This paper explores what a reading teacher might do to guide students to achieve and be successful in reading. The paper first points out that there are selected programs of reading instruction which are individualized for optimal student success, and then discusses some of these programs, such as: individualized reading; the experience chart;…

There is continuous debate about which word recognition techniques should be taught, especially to early primary grade pupils. All learning activities provided in reading instruction should: (1) be meaningful; (2) have perceived purpose; (3) be interesting; (4) stress understandings, skills, and affective goals; (5) provide for individual…

There are continuing debates about the best approach to teaching reading--phonics or whole language. The most valuable link to learning to read is phonological or phonemic awareness, as soon as the alphabetic system is mastered. After phonemic awareness has been established, students enter the orthographic stage where they can process longer…

In recent years, the focus on reading instruction has turned to the primary grade levels. Debates over phonics, whole language, and balanced literacy approaches occur among researchers, educators, and parents. Using a balanced approach in the classroom has received the most support from teachers and researchers, according to five related articles…

Pupils need to experience a variety of reading activities in mathematics. For all pupils, the mathematics teacher should identify unknown words from their texts and print these words on the chalkboard clearly for learners to see. Phonics should not generally be emphasized in the mathematics curriculum, but brief "teachable moments" may…

Learning phonics can be enjoyable or it can be tedious. This paper presents several teaching approaches that can guide pupils to like phonics instruction and to become better readers. Guidelines to remember in teaching phonics are to: (1) make it a relaxed and informal learning activity; (2) decrease competition among learners while developing…

Because students too often leave the public school system with weak or non-existent reading skills, the subject of how to teach reading is debated. Most children bring a considerable level of oral language ability to their first day of school. Development of spoken language skills seems to come without conscious, formal effort for most children.…

After a brief introduction to the development of New Phonics, an innovative course designed for Japanese English-as-a-foreign-language learners, this article describes the contents of the course for beginners, i.e., the techniques, exercises, and teaching materials for grade 7.(Author/VWL)

Offered as a policy statement rather than as a how-to manual, this program advisory provides the policy direction and instructional guidance needed to support the improvement of reading achievement in California through the development and implementation of a balanced, comprehensive reading program in prekindergarten through grade 3. The first…