All About Teaching and Learning Phonics

[tamarind]

sean wife:

Hi Tamarind,


My gals are able to read out 90% of the 3 letter words...I just printed out each word family on A4 size paper and ask them to read out one by one...instead of I say one word and ask them to find the correct one as somehow I find that when I try to play games, they can get so carried away that it becomes really just a game between themselves... :x

Will try with the 4-letter words next week...However I think that's still a big gap between knowing how to read all these words and being able to tell me the sounds/letters that made up these words. I did try to guide them along with the spelling of 3-letters words before, as in I breakup the first, middle and last sound and they paste the corresponding letters to from the word....but if I dun prompt them, they seem lost leh... :?

Hi sean wife,
When I read each 3 letter word, I break them out into the individual sounds, for example : c - a - t, I say the \"c\" sound, \"a\" sound, then \"t\" sound.

When you ask them to spell, you can also break the words up into the letter sounds first. If your kids know the letter sounds very well, they should be able to tell you the letters that made up the word. Otherwise, you may want to reinforce the letter sounds again. That is, if you say the \"a\" sound (as in apple), can they point to the letter \"a\" ?

You can also let them play the games at :
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f

[sean wife]

Hi Tamarind,


After I say the word ‘cat’, I will ask them what’s the beginning sound…they are usually able to tell me the beginning sound and choose the correct letter, then i move on to the middle sound and I will tell them the sound and they can also choose the correct letter. After spelling out the first 2 letters, I will read out the word again, emphasizing on the ending sound and they can usually choose the correct letter also. Do you think I am doing the right thing?

As for starfall blending game, somehow they don’t like. Don’t know why…they did enjoy the sightwords matching game in the past though…

[sean wife]

Hi Tamarind,


I search for the Winnie the Pooh book that you recommend and found several similar ones in Amazon...can you advise which is the one you recommend?

http://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Pooh-Pooh-Original-Milne/dp/0140361219/ref=pd_cp_b_3_img

http://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Pooh-Milne/dp/B00375LM0W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282441627&sr=1-1

Thanks!

[mrswongtuition]

Hey Tamarind! It's been a long time since I visited this thread


Just want to keep you updated on my 3.5yo boy
My boy can read on his own already!
He is now reading those Ladybird phonics readers on his own without help.
He can read P&J up to Level 5 (I think). Plus he loves his Clifford phonic readers! He is also reading Pelangi's readers (those small squarish books).
And the best part: He can read and spell many many words (without us teaching him)!

One morning, when I woke him up, he opened his eyes and burst out saying,\"W-H-A-L-E! Whale! A whale has a big mouth and it can eat many fishes! Mummy's mouth is small so Mummy can eat small fishes. Auntie's (my maid) mouth is big so Auntie can eat big fishes! Fish is F-I-S-H! I love fish! Oh yes! I want to eat fish! Eat is E-A-T!\"

I think he was dreaming about words

I was shocked (and it was hilarious) cos we've not taught him how to spell. He learnt it on his own. & during 'moments of inspiration', he will take my marker, stand on the chair and write words on my whiteboard.

It really pays to spend some time with him everyday to read!
Ok, I'm a lazy mummy, sometimes I just throw him some flashcards and ask him to try reading them to me. & when I'm really busy, I will pass him my iPhone (I downloaded some flashcards apps which will read the words to him with accurate pronunciation).

I think it's also good if parents can do their own reading with their kids. I love reading and my boy often sees me with a book. He loves to crawl into my lap and attempt to 'read' my book. He will point and read the words he knows, then look at me for 'answers' for those that he does not know.

[sunset_dae]

Hi Tamarind


I bought my son a phonics reader book and he could read out a complete sentence by pointing out the word and picture. however, when i cover up the picture, he took a long time to read out the sentence… is he on the correct track?
He could read out 3 alphabets sounds and join them together even though he might not understand the meaning, does that mean he has sucessfully acquired the basic phonics skills?

[tamarind]

sean wife:

Hi Tamarind,


I search for the Winnie the Pooh book that you recommend and found several similar ones in Amazon...can you advise which is the one you recommend?

http://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Pooh-Pooh-Original-Milne/dp/0140361219/ref=pd_cp_b_3_img

http://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Pooh-Milne/dp/B00375LM0W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282441627&sr=1-1

Thanks!

Yes these are the original. I advise you to get the book in the second link. The printing of the first book is quite bad. I know this because I bought both books amazon.

You can try to look for the original versions of Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh corner at Popular bookshops.

Kinokuniya is also selling the book :
https://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=0525477683&AREA=04&LANG=E

But quite expensive compared to amazon.

[tamarind]

mrswongtuition:

Hey Tamarind! It's been a long time since I visited this thread


Just want to keep you updated on my 3.5yo boy
My boy can read on his own already!
He is now reading those Ladybird phonics readers on his own without help.
He can read P&J up to Level 5 (I think). Plus he loves his Clifford phonic readers! He is also reading Pelangi's readers (those small squarish books).
And the best part: He can read and spell many many words (without us teaching him)!

One morning, when I woke him up, he opened his eyes and burst out saying,\"W-H-A-L-E! Whale! A whale has a big mouth and it can eat many fishes! Mummy's mouth is small so Mummy can eat small fishes. Auntie's (my maid) mouth is big so Auntie can eat big fishes! Fish is F-I-S-H! I love fish! Oh yes! I want to eat fish! Eat is E-A-T!\"

I think he was dreaming about words

I was shocked (and it was hilarious) cos we've not taught him how to spell. He learnt it on his own. & during 'moments of inspiration', he will take my marker, stand on the chair and write words on my whiteboard.

It really pays to spend some time with him everyday to read!
Ok, I'm a lazy mummy, sometimes I just throw him some flashcards and ask him to try reading them to me. & when I'm really busy, I will pass him my iPhone (I downloaded some flashcards apps which will read the words to him with accurate pronunciation).

I think it's also good if parents can do their own reading with their kids. I love reading and my boy often sees me with a book. He loves to crawl into my lap and attempt to 'read' my book. He will point and read the words he knows, then look at me for 'answers' for those that he does not know.

mrswongtuition,
Your boy is doing very well ! Yes if we use the correct methods (phonics and reading regularly) to teach a child, he will be able to spell many words without the need for us to teach him, or to make him practice writing the same words many times.

You are absolutely right that reading everyday is essential, not only for spelling, later you will find that your boy will also learn grammar and vocabulary effortlessly.

[tamarind]

sunset_dae:

Hi Tamarind


I bought my son a phonics reader book and he could read out a complete sentence by pointing out the word and picture. however, when i cover up the picture, he took a long time to read out the sentence.. is he on the correct track?
He could read out 3 alphabets sounds and join them together even though he might not understand the meaning, does that mean he has sucessfully acquired the basic phonics skills?

Hi sunset_dae,
I am not sure what phonics reader you are using, so I cannot comment on whether he is on the correct track.

For the Peter and Jane books, so long as we point to every word, and the child is able to read the words out loud without any help from us, then he is doing fine. It does not matter whether he looks at the picture or not, because the words are repeated throughout the book in different sentences.

For phonics, it is also important that you say a 3 letter word, for example, \"log\", and make sure that he can pick out the correct letters. A child who has a good foundation in phonics is able to spell any 3 letter word just by listening to the sounds.

After the 3 letter words, he also need to practice the 4 letter words :
http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2008/08/bl-cl-gl-fl-pl.html

[mrswongtuition]

tamarind:

mrswongtuition,
Your boy is doing very well ! Yes if we use the correct methods (phonics and reading regularly) to teach a child, he will be able to spell many words without the need for us to teach him, or to make him practice writing the same words many times.

You are absolutely right that reading everyday is essential, not only for spelling, later you will find that your boy will also learn grammar and vocabulary effortlessly.

I have been correcting his grammar as we go along (as in when he speaks).
Vocab wise I'm not that worried. I'm keen in building strong foundation for the grammar first.

[genice]

Hi Tamarind,


Thanks for taking time to reply me. Couldnt log in cause both kids are sick.

Ok… maybe i should still work on her letter names and sounds first, probably it will just take a while for her to differentiate between them.

I have been playing letter gamees with her always pointing out the the difference btween letter sounds and their names till i am so tired at times… haha… another question, do u teach lettersounds with capital or small letters, i also dunno how to teach her to differentiate between small and capital letters, just play matching game with her and hopefully she realise B and b are all the same. Is that how u do?

I am really impressed that so many mummies can teach their kids so well… feeling so stressed. Tamarind, i noe u only spend time after work reading and perhaps on weekends, is that right? actually how much is enuff?

Sean’s mummy, ur kids haven turn 3 and they can read book 11, its very amazing, how much time do u spend with ur kids on reading?twins? Ur kids started with P &J book 1? So they ‘read’ by remembering the words? Sight reading? I got no idea what is book 11 like but are the words difficult, do they read as in read aloud?

Re: letter sounds
Tamarind, i dunno why but i watched letter factory at least 30 times already but still i cant differntiate between these sounds.

is "a" pronounced as AHH?
"o" pronounced as "orh"
"l" , i noe its proniunced as "ul" in ur blog but i cant associate "ul" the starting sound to lion or lollipop

because of this problem, i dunno how to teach /correct my ger, by right kids are supposed to be better than adults when it comes to language learning, i am scared i will "corrupt" her with the wrong pronunciation instead.