Abstract The paper summarizes three articles on the research supporting the effectiveness of phonics and phonemic awareness in teaching kids to read. The articles deal with research on the use of phonemic awareness and phonics in the classroom, and reading instruction.
From the Paper "This paper is an examination of the findings and recommendations in Linnea C Ehri's Teaching Phonemic Awareness and Phonics An Explanation of the National Reading ..."
Abstract This paper examines the commercial learning method for reading from the Saxon Publishing Company, known as Saxon Phonics. It looks at how the Saxon product's easy standardization of methodology and cookie-cutter approach explains its favored status among those who advocate standardized national testing as a kind of quality control of student performance.
From the Paper "The Saxon website also stresses the value of phonics in a heterogeneous learning environment as a source of connection, and provides photographs of multicultural settings without justifying why this is so beneficial. Instead of offering data, Saxon Publishing implicitly connects itself and its learning methods to the recent initiative advanced by President Bush. "In January 2002 President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act-the most sweeping education reform bill in more than 35 years. The Act outlines expectations for Pre-K-12 learning programs that will drive education reform for years to come. It also includes the President's four basic education reform principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on proven teaching methods." (Official Website, 2004)"
Abstract An evaluation of two methods of teaching English to children-- 'phonic instruction' method and 'whole language' method. The author reviews many studies investigating the effectiveness of these methods and discusses incorporating both methods into a lesson plan. The conclusion is to gear one's methods towards each individual child's needs and preferences.
From the Paper "There have been many studies done on the effectiveness of phonetic instruction and those studies have been positive. The National Reading Panel conducted a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of phonetic instruction on reading and spelling. Overall, the impact of phonetic instruction on children had a large result of (.86) within this meta-analysis. Using phonetic instruction, reading and spelling improved moderately at (.53) and (.56) respectively (Ehri, Nunes, Willows, Schuster, Yaghoub-Zadeh, & Shanahan, 2001). However, there are some critics of phonics that find that the NRP study on phonetic instruction is flawed and does not prove that phonetic instruction is the way to teach. One critic claims that the NRP study choice of methodology, research, and subjects provided unreliable results (Garan, 2001)."
Abstract This paper investigates the difference in reading achievement of kindergarten students who receive phonics instruction and those who are instructed using whole language. It examines how, for many years, phonics was the method that most reading teachers and reading experts advocated as the best method to teach children to read and how, in recent years, phonics has come under attack from those who advocate whole language. It looks at how the controversy continues in the educational community and proposes a study to determine to monitor methods of teaching in different communities.
From the Paper "The whole language approach can be tailored toward the students' reading potential. By utilizing students' pre-existing schema, teachers can build on concepts to help students gain additional knowledge. This approach allows students to learn at their own level and pace within whole language classroom instruction. Using this method, a higher level of reading comprehension is believed to be attained by the students (Czubaj, 1997). However, Manning (1995) argues that children who come to school with minimal language skills and inattention to print forms need a structured readiness program in kindergarten that includes phonics activities. This program in no way excludes the reading and enjoyment of children's literature and all related child language development activities."
This paper reviews ten articles that address how pedagogues can best foster strong reading fluency, decoding, holistic, and inferential reading skills in young people.
Abstract Through a review of ten articles, this paper looks at the importance of building up "domain knowledge" and prominently features the findings of a National Reading Panel study conducted some years ago that argues (among other things) that vocabulary building, phonemic awareness exercises, systematic phonics instruction, and in-service upgrades for teachers all positively correlate to student achievement.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Article Summaries
Article Summary One: Teaching children to read
Article Summary Two: The Nature of Effective First-Grade Literacy Instruction
Article Summary Three: The Utility of Phonic Generalizations in the Primary Grades
Article Summary Four: Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge - of Words and the World
Article Summary Five: What Reading Does for the Mind
Summary Six: The Case for Bringing Content into the Language Arts Block and for a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum Core for all Children
Summary Seven: Teaching Decoding
Summary Eight: One Down and 80,000 to Go
Summary Nine: Teaching Vocabulary: Early, Direct, and Sequential
Summary Ten: Findings and Determinations of the National Reading Panel by Topic Areas
From the Paper "Theodore Clymer (1963) reports that five types of generalizations have historically been utilized (at least if teacher's manuals are any indication) in teaching children to pronounce words: vowels, consonants, endings, syllabication, and miscellaneous relationships. Eventually, Clymer came up with a list of 45 generalizations or rules for study. These were arrived at by asking whether or not a candidate generalization was sufficiently specific that it could be said to actually assist (or hinder) in the pronunciation of a particular word. Clymer then made up a composite word list of all the words introduced in the four basic series from which the generalizations were drawn - plus words from the Gates Reading Vocabulary for the Primary Grades. On pages 186 and 187 of the study, Clymer outlines the basic approach undertaken to assess the efficacy of the 45 phonic generalizations; this step-by-step approach is rather complicated and cannot be easily described in the space we are allotted. Nonetheless, the study found that many commonplace phonics generalizations are of limited worth; in particular, vowel generalizations are especially unreliable while consonant generalizations are a little better. One thing that complicates Clymer's study is that his success rate for an effective phonics generalization (75 percent or above) is quite high - as he himself acknowledges.
Abstract This paper examines the work of Dr. Chall and her 1967 book "Learning to Read: the Great Debate". The paper describes the importance of meaning-based versus phonics-based reading instruction. It explores her work on the relationship of poverty and disability to reading difficulties and school achievement.
From the Paper "The greatest hallmark of the work of Jeanne S. Chall has been her consideration for poor children and the necessity to guarantee that they receive the same teaching and access to literary challenges that more rich children have. She spent several years unraveling the link between early reading and later academic achievement. In her 1983 book, "Stages of Reading Development" Chall characterized how readers advance from maturing elementary skills through the most complex reading, arguing that unless students are fluent in decoding they seldom progress academically."
Abstract This paper examines how Patricia Marr Cunningham and Richard L. Allington's 1998 book, "Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write", has significantly altered the author's opinion of what is involved in literacy instruction. It looks at how, in the book, the authors describe several reading approaches, including phonics and literature-based process writing, The Four Blocks, cross-checking, Guided Reading, Basal Reading, and Individualized Reading.
From the Paper "Cunningham and Allington's Four Blocks Literacy Model, has been a crucial help in my classroom experience, and has helped me to finely focus my teaching approach, and has broadened my understanding of literacy. The Four Blocks Literacy Model is described in their book and further outlined in their website at www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/fourblocks. At their website, Cunningham and Hall note six critical understandings that are the "building blocks" of successful reading and writing among children. These building blocks include developing a desire to learn to read and write, learning new concepts and adding words and meanings, learning to print concepts like reading from left to write, developing phonemic awareness, learning to read and write words that they find interesting, and learning letters and sounds that are connected to interesting words they have learned previously."
Tags:phonics, literacy, four, blocks, literacy, model
Abstract This paper explores different types of literary programs with a focus on the strengths and weaknesses of phonics.
From the Paper "Phonics instruction is often considered to be one of the key instructional techniques in reading. With its objective of teaching early readers to establish the relationships between letters and sounds, phonics instruction is considered to be crucial to the development of early literacy skills. In fact, national organizations such as the National Reading Panel argue that successful readers must possess phonic awareness skills and phonic skills. An obvious reason why phonics instruction should be used in the classroom is that early readers will..."
Tags: Literary Development Birth-Grade 6, phonics, balanced literary programs
Abstract The paper discusses the "Bottom Up" theory that places an emphasis on phonics in order to make children independent readers. The paper examines the advantages of this method that include the building of confidence, the enjoyable experience it presents to children and the relief it provides for those who react poorly to standardized, 'mass' assessment exams.
Outline:
Introduction
Examining Ability
Conclusion - Building Confidence
From the Paper "Various methods have been devised to assess reading by North American specialists. Perhaps ironically, early 1970s methods combining reading comprehension, letter and word recognition, and a foundation of phonics, can seem the most promising. (Gough 1972, p.350f) So-called Bottom Up theory focuses on reading as a perceptual process, the location of meaning in a given text, and processing that lets the child learn simpler terms and constructions first, towards an ability to advance to more difficult recognitions, plus the ability to often 'sound out' unfamiliar words by way of a basic knowledge of phonics. Gough's theory originated in comparisons of early computer pattern and graphics applied to models of human perception and learning. (1972, pp. 332-333) He recognized more than one set of skills, at hand, in the advancing reader which often developed at different rates."
Tags:phonics, word, recognition, terms, constructions, comprehension, Gough, Murphy
A research proposal exploring whether the "Word Detectives: Benchmark Extended Word Identification Program for Beginning Readers" (BWIP) strategy enhances a student's reading achievement.
Abstract The paper relates that the purpose of this study is to determine if systematic phonics instruction is effective in teaching inner-city African-American eighth graders how to achieve functional literacy at an age appropriate level. The paper's study focuses on the reading program developed by I.W. Gaskins, "Word Detectives: Benchmark Extended Word Identification Program for Beginning Readers" (BWIP). Using Tyler's objectives-based evaluation methodology, the research effort evaluates the effective use and success of the reading instruction using the BWIP method among a student population within a middle school.
Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Introduction of Project
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Rationale of the Study
Statement of the Hypothesis and Research Questions
Proposed Methodology
Summary
From the Paper "According to the Georgia Public Education Report Card for the academic year 2002-2003, the school targeted in the current research case study ranked below 58% passing for the reading comprehension scores. Teachers and administrators continue to seek ways to improve student learning and increase test scores. In addition to the basal reading series, schools in the district make a variety of reading programs available to their students. The effectiveness of the program titled Word Detectives: Benchmark Extended Word Identification Program for Beginning Readers, that uses systematic phonics in reading comprehension and word analysis was the program selected for use of the 2003-2004 school year, and is the program that will be monitored for its effectiveness in this applied dissertation."
Abstract Reading instruction in America is constantly changing. From the early use of phonics based hornbooks and spellers to the more recent use of "look and say" readers, the materials that teachers use for reading instruction is also changing. This paper outlines different reading philosophies and describes the materials used to teach under those philosophies. It also gives a personal account of first grade reading instruction.
Outline:
Abstract
American Reading Instruction Until the 1950's
The Great Debate
First Grade Reading Instruction
From the Paper "Despite all of this research the whole language method remained the most popular method of reading instruction. In 1982 a study of 1609 professors of reading in 300 graduate schools found that professors of reading still considered proponents of the whole language method to have written the most worthy "classic" studies in reading(Illiteracy: An Incurable Disease). Similarly, San Diego State University Professor Patrick Groff found text used in educating reading teachers advocated the whole language method. Of the 43 texts he used, only nine stated a debate between whole language and phonics instruction even existed(Illiteracy: An Incurable Disease). "
Abstract This paper examines the two general approaches that have evolved to govern reading education, specifically phonics and whole language approaches. The paper discusses the contrasting underlying philosophies that these approaches represent and analyzes the different skills that they stress. The paper then focuses on the balanced approach to reading education.
From the Paper "There are specific activities and application settings by which to integrate the balanced approach while relying heavily on the teacher's professional adaptive ability to adapt the best and most effective goal of research approach that they as instructors are innately entrusted with creating. Instructors must generate the most productive environment for learning.
"In the workshop setting, where students are reading books aloud together, or reading their own work aloud together. The types of work is determined by the specific differentiated learning unit, which can be indeed into learning units over the course of the year, from reading works of literature that may stir inspiration in the student, to reading aloud examples of each of the types of the literature according to learning unit, which the students are then assigned to emulate themselves and then read out loud in the next workshop."
Tags: book, comprehension, language, grammar, text
Abstract Most educators today seem to prefer a phonics-based, rather than a holistic language, approach to teaching literacy in the classroom. This paper examines various studies positing the developments of cognitive and behavioralist approaches to literacy and the improvement of writing skills in students and also examines the phonics program as a realistic method of teaching these skills in a contemporary and dynamic in-class structural environment.
From the Paper "When phonics, on the other hand, is taught with worksheets rather than by teachers articulating the sounds, the sounds of the letters are most often identified using key words, pictures, and even latter names, providing a more broadened base for a variety of different learning styles. This can, however, interfere with and slow down the decoding process when the same letters are needed to spell or read words other
than the one used in these memory keys. "The shape and form of the letters are really the only picture students require" (Phonics, 2003)."
Abstract This paper discusses the teaching of phonics to ESL learners. According to this paper, it's imperative that classes in pronunciation are complemented with lessons in phonics. The method used to teach a small child how to speak, is the same method that should be implemented with ESL learners.
From the Paper "Why a phonics lesson should follow a pronunciation lesson when teaching ESL English The pronunciation lesson teaches the learner how to say the word. This basic ability is a prerequisite for learning the associated phonics. The ability to speak must come first, followed by the ability to recognize or write the associated phoneme/s down. In the same way, we do not teach children to write prior to their learning to speak. Why the teaching of phonics is especially important when working with ESL learners Written English has a high level of complexity, with many different ways to render the same phoneme, many rules pertaining to the rendering of phonemes, and many exceptions to the rules."
Abstract This paper explains that phonemic awareness, which is one of the best predictors of a child's reading success, involves manipulating the sounds of spoken words. The paper also introduces the six skills of phonemic isolation, identity, categorization, blending, segmentation and deletion. In addition, the paper presents a detailed lesson to teach each of these six phonemic awareness skills to a class of pre-kindergarten aged children.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Objectives and Goals
Materials
Anticipatory Set
Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Assessment
Phoneme Identity
Objectives and Goals
Materials
Anticipatory Set
Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Assessment
Phoneme Categorization
Objectives and Goals
Materials
Anticipatory Set
Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Assessment
Phoneme Blending
Objectives and Goals
Materials
Anticipatory Set
Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
Assessment
Phoneme Segmentation
Objectives and Goals
Materials
Anticipatory Set
Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Assessment
Phoneme Deletion
Objectives and Goals
Materials
Anticipatory Set
Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Assessment
Phoneme Identity with Phonics Objectives and Goals
Materials
Anticipatory Set
Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
Assessment
Phoneme Segmentation with Phonics Objectives and Goals
Materials
Anticipatory Set
Direct Instruction
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Assessment
From the Paper "Read "My Name is Alice". Let the children know that there is a special reason why the characters in this book are specific places and sell specific things. Tell them that you want them to listen closely as you read the book and see if they can discover what the special reason is.
"Ask the children why they think the Alice was from Alaska and sold ants? The answer is because Alice, Alaska and ant all start with the /a/ sound. Go through several of the pages and call out three of the alliteration words on each page."
Tags: assessment, anticipatory set, direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice
