Phonics – what parents need to know

This is an overview for MyIT Parents. (Let me know if you want the best Phonics Practice app available (don't worry, we have paid for it for you) and we will send it to you.

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essentials of Reading

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• The most important fundamental in reading is rapid recognition of letter combinations that make words.

• Rapid recognition means that children are ahead in reading skills.

 

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Components of Reading

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• Vocabulary – you ‘know’ word meaning and sound

• Phonological awareness – you recognize different sounds

• Phonics skills & sight words – you know that letters represent sounds

• Fluency – you process quickly

• Comprehension – you make meaning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The path to reading

 

1. Word recognition: encoding (sound to spelling) decoding (spelling to sound).

Through word recognition, you can read fluently and automatically because you know letters match sounds and sounds match letters

You can achieve this because you

• build up a store of words that are instantly recognised and understood on sight

• segment sounded words into phonemes so you can see the sound

• use the phonemes to spell words

• blend phonemes you see so you can read

 

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2. Word structure and spelling

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You achieve this because you

• learn segmenting (breaking) words into phonemes for spelling

• learn the reverse of blending (putting together) phonemes into words for reading

• spell words accurately by knowledge of letters and sounds, and also form and origin

• use a range of approaches to learn and spell irregular words

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Understanding and interpreting texts

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You achieve this because you can

• find information, events or ideas

• work out and understand information, events or ideas

• use word order, context, word structures and origins to develop understanding of word meanings

• explain and comment on text

 

 4. Engaging with and responding to texts

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You achieve this because you can

• read independently for purpose, pleasure and learning

• engage with, and respond to, texts

• comment on writer purpose and viewpoints, and the overall effect of the text