"Sound and Say":
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What is Phonics?
English consists of an alphabetic system that is used for reading, speaking, and writing.
Phonics is a system for teaching children how to read by helping them to say the sounds that letters (or combinations of letters) represent in the English alphabet. That's why our phonics program is named "Sound and Say": Kids learn to say words by sounding them out.
Here's how:
First kids learn the alphabet; then they learn that letters are simply written symbols that stand for sounds. Next, they learn how to match letters (or combinations of letters) with their corresponding sounds. Kids learn that words are simply combinations of sounds, and that the letters in words represent the sounds that make up those words. They begin to recognize that letters are the cues for sounding and saying words. Finally, they learn that writing is simply the process of recording sounds on paper by drawing the letters those sounds represent.
Summary:
Phonics is the most effective method for teaching kids how to read, spell, and write because it aligns with the three fundamental facts of our alphabet system:
1. Words are made up of sounds.
2. When we write, we are simply using letters to show the sounds in words.
3. When we read, we are simply sounding out the letters in words.
Phonics is a system for teaching children how to read by helping them to say the sounds that letters (or combinations of letters) represent in the English alphabet. That's why our phonics program is named "Sound and Say": Kids learn to say words by sounding them out.
Here's how:
First kids learn the alphabet; then they learn that letters are simply written symbols that stand for sounds. Next, they learn how to match letters (or combinations of letters) with their corresponding sounds. Kids learn that words are simply combinations of sounds, and that the letters in words represent the sounds that make up those words. They begin to recognize that letters are the cues for sounding and saying words. Finally, they learn that writing is simply the process of recording sounds on paper by drawing the letters those sounds represent.
Summary:
Phonics is the most effective method for teaching kids how to read, spell, and write because it aligns with the three fundamental facts of our alphabet system:
1. Words are made up of sounds.
2. When we write, we are simply using letters to show the sounds in words.
3. When we read, we are simply sounding out the letters in words.
Why is it important to begin with phonics?
Why is phonics so important?
Kids who do not learn to identify letters with sounds will be forced to read by sight, which creates enormous difficulty because our language is much too large for kids to remember sight words. Failure to remember or "sight" words can also lead to lack of confidence and a self-fulfilling prophecy that "I'm not good at reading." This is tragic. Reading is the key to every opportunity and realm in our culture. Kids who do not learn to read phonetically will usually be at a great disadvantage. Don't let this happen to your children. Our writing system is alphabetic. This means that words are simply transcriptions of sounds that the letters stand for. When we teach kids letter-sound relationships, we are teaching them to read the right way because words are simply letters representing sounds. If they know what letters represent which sounds, it makes it much easier to read, spell, and write.
Kids who do not learn to identify letters with sounds will be forced to read by sight, which creates enormous difficulty because our language is much too large for kids to remember sight words. Failure to remember or "sight" words can also lead to lack of confidence and a self-fulfilling prophecy that "I'm not good at reading." This is tragic. Reading is the key to every opportunity and realm in our culture. Kids who do not learn to read phonetically will usually be at a great disadvantage. Don't let this happen to your children. Our writing system is alphabetic. This means that words are simply transcriptions of sounds that the letters stand for. When we teach kids letter-sound relationships, we are teaching them to read the right way because words are simply letters representing sounds. If they know what letters represent which sounds, it makes it much easier to read, spell, and write.
