First, we’re going to teach phonics for fluency and as the foundation for high literacy. To reinforce our systematic phonetic instruction, we are going to add cursive writing and decodable readings that are grade specific. Cursive writing helps students to reinforce the blending of sounds in words because they are blending those letters on paper. It also helps them to read from left to right and to achieve directional discipline both in writing and reading. Students that have learned to print or to use what is called the ball and stick method will often have difficulties reading because they confuse letters such as “b” and “d” since they have learned to print them both basically the same way. But when students write cursively, they see that the “b” begins like an “a” and “d” begins quite differently, so it helps them to differentiate those letters and thus those sounds when they see and read them. Decodable books are important because they give students an opportunity to exercise their phonetic muscles by constantly reviewing and practicing the phonetic sounds they are learning by reading passages that are interesting and suited to their ability levels. This builds confidence and skill which are necessary for self-esteem. It also encourages them to read more and to practice more as they begin to sense that they are achieving a goal. These readers are available for free downloads in vivid color as a real books onto an iPad or Kindle device. They can also be printed by parents. We will supply the links to each book.
To summarize: Phonics is the foundation for spelling, fluency, and literacy. Without a strong phonetic foundation, students cannot approach sentences with confidence or understanding.
But we must also prepare her for reading comprehension, and to demonstrate that comprehension through intelligent verbal and written responses.
It’s important that we recognize then, that although phonics is first and foremost, it is not the only element required for effective reading and writing. Students must also have a wide and deep base of vocabulary, grammatical, cultural, historical, and literary knowledge. This content-rich foundation for success in school and in life should be taught explicitly but must be gained primarily from reading. And students cannot wait until they achieve fluency to start building the background knowledge they need to understand everything they read
This type of rich knowledge can and should be gained while the student is learning to master the phonetic foundation of English. But how? If the student is still learning to read, how is she going to gain the knowledge she needs to gain from reading advanced material? The answer is simple: we must make use of the student’s natural intelligence and receptive language ability by reading aloud to them (and discussing with them) the knowledge-rich passages that they are not yet able to read by themselves. Receptive language simply means the ability of learners to understand more of what they hear than what they read. Students’ abilities to understand oral reading are far greater than their abilities to decode the written word. And this is normally the case until grades six through eight. So they lose time and valuable information when we don’t read complex passages aloud to them consistently. This is what you have already been doing in your home on a nightly basis. And this is why her intelligence and oral comprehension are so strong. Keep up the good work.
So we are going to partner with you to build her vocabulary, knowledge, and critical thinking skills through a coherent set of content specific read-alouds and interactive discussions. These readings and assignments are all aligned with New York State’s requirements for her grade level.
To conclude, Hannah must practice, review, and reinforce her knowledge of the English writing system’s letter-sound relationships. This is going to be done through our systematic phonetic instruction and your consistent reviewing of phonics through her phonics textbook, her phonics decodable readers, and her daily practice of cursive writing.
But while we are doing this we will also be building together a coherent content-rich foundation of knowledge along with systematic vocabulary and grammatical skills by reading and discussing the types of books and stories that build a wide base of cultural, historical, and literary knowledge to prepare her for the highest levels of achievement and literacy. You have already been doing this good work with us—and before us. You have already been reading aloud to her. We deeply appreciate your commitment which makes our task a privilege and a pleasure. Keep up the good work in this mutual request for Hannah’s best. As always, if you have any questions, we look forward to speaking with you. You will find below a brief outline of the phonics plan. We will be sending you a list shortly of the decodable readers and the knowledge rich readings that you can find in the curriculum that we are using.
How to become a skillful reader:
An intensive training program in phonics is the first step that students must take to become skillful readers. Phonics consists of learning the sounds that letters and groups of letters make. Students need to recognize and say words according to the sounds that their letters make so that they can learn to decode and pronounce new words quickly, accurately, and independently. Speed and accuracy is the first step towards fluency and comprehension.
Obtaining a rich vocabulary is the second step towards becoming a skillful reader. Students need to know many words and the many meanings of those words.
A thorough understanding of the grammatical structure of sentences is the third step towards becoming a skillful reader. Students need to know how writers organize words to create meaningful units of thought called sentences and paragraphs, and how they can be combined to create every type of literature.
When students are sentence-smart, they are able to identify the parts of words, and the parts that words play in sentences, and they know how to recognize the logical relationships that create meaning within and between sentences.
In summary, students can become skillful readers by learning the sounds that letters make in words, the meanings of words, and the way words can be arranged to create meaning.
To become skillful readers, students should be:
Phonics Smart
Word-Smart &
Syntax-Smart
Phonics
Grammar
Vocabulary
Complex documents
EASY TO READ AMERICAN HISTORY
WRITING CHART MADE ONLINE
WRITER'S GUIDE
To summarize: Phonics is the foundation for spelling, fluency, and literacy. Without a strong phonetic foundation, students cannot approach sentences with confidence or understanding.
But we must also prepare her for reading comprehension, and to demonstrate that comprehension through intelligent verbal and written responses.
It’s important that we recognize then, that although phonics is first and foremost, it is not the only element required for effective reading and writing. Students must also have a wide and deep base of vocabulary, grammatical, cultural, historical, and literary knowledge. This content-rich foundation for success in school and in life should be taught explicitly but must be gained primarily from reading. And students cannot wait until they achieve fluency to start building the background knowledge they need to understand everything they read
This type of rich knowledge can and should be gained while the student is learning to master the phonetic foundation of English. But how? If the student is still learning to read, how is she going to gain the knowledge she needs to gain from reading advanced material? The answer is simple: we must make use of the student’s natural intelligence and receptive language ability by reading aloud to them (and discussing with them) the knowledge-rich passages that they are not yet able to read by themselves. Receptive language simply means the ability of learners to understand more of what they hear than what they read. Students’ abilities to understand oral reading are far greater than their abilities to decode the written word. And this is normally the case until grades six through eight. So they lose time and valuable information when we don’t read complex passages aloud to them consistently. This is what you have already been doing in your home on a nightly basis. And this is why her intelligence and oral comprehension are so strong. Keep up the good work.
So we are going to partner with you to build her vocabulary, knowledge, and critical thinking skills through a coherent set of content specific read-alouds and interactive discussions. These readings and assignments are all aligned with New York State’s requirements for her grade level.
To conclude, Hannah must practice, review, and reinforce her knowledge of the English writing system’s letter-sound relationships. This is going to be done through our systematic phonetic instruction and your consistent reviewing of phonics through her phonics textbook, her phonics decodable readers, and her daily practice of cursive writing.
But while we are doing this we will also be building together a coherent content-rich foundation of knowledge along with systematic vocabulary and grammatical skills by reading and discussing the types of books and stories that build a wide base of cultural, historical, and literary knowledge to prepare her for the highest levels of achievement and literacy. You have already been doing this good work with us—and before us. You have already been reading aloud to her. We deeply appreciate your commitment which makes our task a privilege and a pleasure. Keep up the good work in this mutual request for Hannah’s best. As always, if you have any questions, we look forward to speaking with you. You will find below a brief outline of the phonics plan. We will be sending you a list shortly of the decodable readers and the knowledge rich readings that you can find in the curriculum that we are using.
How to become a skillful reader:
An intensive training program in phonics is the first step that students must take to become skillful readers. Phonics consists of learning the sounds that letters and groups of letters make. Students need to recognize and say words according to the sounds that their letters make so that they can learn to decode and pronounce new words quickly, accurately, and independently. Speed and accuracy is the first step towards fluency and comprehension.
Obtaining a rich vocabulary is the second step towards becoming a skillful reader. Students need to know many words and the many meanings of those words.
A thorough understanding of the grammatical structure of sentences is the third step towards becoming a skillful reader. Students need to know how writers organize words to create meaningful units of thought called sentences and paragraphs, and how they can be combined to create every type of literature.
When students are sentence-smart, they are able to identify the parts of words, and the parts that words play in sentences, and they know how to recognize the logical relationships that create meaning within and between sentences.
In summary, students can become skillful readers by learning the sounds that letters make in words, the meanings of words, and the way words can be arranged to create meaning.
To become skillful readers, students should be:
Phonics Smart
Word-Smart &
Syntax-Smart
Phonics
Grammar
Vocabulary
Complex documents
EASY TO READ AMERICAN HISTORY
WRITING CHART MADE ONLINE
WRITER'S GUIDE