Learning Phonics Is Fun

Phonics refers to a method for teaching speakers of English  to read and write that language. Phonics involves teaching how to connect the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters (e.g., that the sound /k/ can be represented by c, k, ck, ch, or q spellings) and teaching them to blend the sounds of letters together to produce approximate pronunciations of unknown words.

Phonics is a widely used method of teaching to read and decode words, although it is not without controversy Children begin learning to read using phonics usually around the age of 5. Teaching English reading  using phonics requires students to learn the connections between letter patterns and the sounds they represent. Phonics instruction requires the teacher to provide students with a core body of information about phonics rules, or patterns.

Children are taught how to "sound out" new words by learning the following items:

• Consonant letters sounds: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z
• Blend sounds: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, wr, bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl, scr, str, sm, sn, sp, sc, sk,
• Short vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, u
  Always teach short vowel sounds first: a - apple, e - elephant, i- igloo, o - octopus, u - umbrella)
• Digraph sounds: sh, ch, th, wh
  Two letters combine to make a totally different sound.
• Double vowel sounds: ai, ea, ee, oa
  These pairs say the name of the first vowel.
• Other double vowel sounds: oi, oo, ou, ow
• Silent e: Silent e is bossy, it doesn't say anything but makes the vowel before it say its own name.
• R controlled vowel sounds: ar, er, ir, or, ur
  Notice that er,ir and ur make the same sound.

Phonics is a series of rules that children have to memorize and apply when they are sounding out new words. Children are taught a rule, i.e. Silent e, and then they practice reading words with Silent e. Then children do skill sheets at their desk highlighting the Silent e rule. Children must learn letter sounds to an automatic level - they must be able to see the letter(s) and say the sound immediately.

Critics point out that the reading/practice materials aren't very interesting, "See Spot run. Run Spot run. Spot runs fast." It is a contrived atmosphere of reading practice using the phonic rules.

Here's the bigger problem: children who struggle in reading memorize phonic rules, and then are unable to apply phonic rules to connected print. To remedy this problem, two things must happen:

1. Only the most important phonic rules should be taught in the least complicated manner possible. For example, in teaching vowel sounds, it is distracting to talk about "short versus long" vowels. Instead, a child should be taught the short vowel sounds first. Then when a child encounters a long vowel as in the word find, tell him, "That vowel says its own name."
2. Phonics must be taught in a way that allows these children to immediately practice phonic information in real stories. Every time a child is taught new phonic information, he should be given a short reading selection that highlights the phonic rule. Completing a skill sheet is good, but even better is to help the child practice applying the phonic skill to connected print.

A child cannot learn to read without proper knowledge in phonics. It is the foundation for success in reading. She will succeed to read if she knows phonics. 

Phonics Rules

The vowels are “a,e,i,o, and u”; also sometimes ”y” & “w”. This also includes the diphthongs “oi,oy,ou,ow,au,aw, oo” and many others. The consonants are all the other letters which stop or limit the flow of air from the throat in speech. They are:
“b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p,qu,r,s,t,v,w,x,y,z,ch,sh,th,ph,wh, ng, and gh”.

1. Sometimes the rules don’t work.
There are many exceptions in English because of the vastness of the language and the many languages from which it has borrowed. The rules do work however, in the majority of the words.

2. Every syllable in every word must have a vowel.
English is a “vocal” language; Every word must have a vowel.

3. “C” followed by “e, i or y” usually has the soft sound of “s”.
Examples: “cyst”, “central”, and”city”.

4. “G” followed by “e, i or y” usually has the soft sound of “j”.
Example: “gem”, “gym”, and “gist”.

5. When 2 consonants a joined together and form one new sound, they are a consonant digraph. They count as one sound and one letter and are never separated.
Examples: “ch,sh,th,ph and wh”
.
6. When a syllable ends in a consonant and has only one vowel, that vowel is short.
Examples: “fat, bed, fish, spot, luck”.

7. When a syllable ends in a silent “e”, the silent “e” is a signal that the vowel in front of it is long.
Examples: “make, fete, kite, rope, and use”.
8. When a syllable has 2 vowels together, the first vowel is usually long and the second is silent.
Examples: “pain, eat, boat, res/cue, say, grow”.
NOTE: Diphthongs don’t follow this rule; In a diphthong, the vowels blend together to create a single new sound. The diphthongs are: “oi,oy,ou,ow,au,aw, oo” and many others.

9. When a syllable ends in any vowel and is the only vowel, that vowel is usually long.
Examples: “pa/per, me, I, o/pen, u/nit, and my”.

10. When a vowel is followed by an “r” in the same syllable, that vowel is “r-controlled”. It is not long nor short. “R-controlled ”er, ir, and ur” often sound the same (like “er”).
Examples: “term, sir, fir, fur, far, for, su/gar, or/der”.

Activities / Games for Phonics  
http://genkienglish.net/phonics.htm
http://www.softschools.com/language_arts/phonics/

http://www.mes-english.com/phonics.php