Montessori Phonics - Introduction To Single Letter Sounds

[buds]

SAHM_TAN:

Thanks buds :hugs:

You're welcome, babe.

SAHM_TAN:

I asked DD1 to sound out all the phonic sounds to me as I point to each letter, and to my ear, they sound correct.

CSI Part 1 - Check! :idea:

SAHM_TAN:

Now going through the 3 letters blending with DD1, I'm planning to go through from simple to more advance. I say out the words and she takes out the letters. Hope this is the right way to go.

Yes simple to advance is the Montessori way mah.
Simple to complex so that children are evenly paced.

If i read you right, you are going to start with blending all the 3 letter words with the vowel /a/ and get her to form every word in the list one by one as you say them to her. ie.

\"Can you make the word - fan?\"
And she proceeds to take out the LMAs.

My suggestion isn't so much blending first. But instead word building.


Try this.

This is where many teachers have overlooked, even Montessorian ones. Blending of words should not begin prior to word-building. Word building is frankly the key to reading all phonetic words. Children who have done word building do not need to have letters grouped together to be able to
read efficiently especially if they have been exposed to reading a lot.

Word building is the pre-reading stage where children are guided to listen
to sounds in words. In my classes, we have word building games to help
children use their listening skills and put them to good use. For example,

Teacher : What's this i have here?

Children : A bag!

Teacher : Now... what sounds can you hear in the word b....a.....g.... (drag the sounds)

From the many years i've done this, children always give the first and
last consonant letter before the middle vowel sound.

Children : We can hear the sound /b/.

Teacher : Good. Now what other sounds are there in the word b....a....g....

Children : We can hear the sound /g/.

Teacher : Good. Now we only have the sounds /b/ and /g/... and that is
not enough to form a proper word. I think we need a vowel. Now what
vowel can you hear in the word.... b.....aaaaa....g.... (this time drag the
/a/ sound) to make it seem more obvious.

Children : /a/!!!

Teacher : Good. Now, let's sort the sounds out. What is the first sound in
the word bag?

Children : (saying to themselves) b... a... g. /b/ should be the first sound
in the word bag.

Teacher : Good, what do you think comes next?

Children : (repeating the word to themselves again) b... aaaa... g.

(From the teacher's obvious sounding hint, the children will repeat the
same sounds to themselves, hence providing indirect reinforcement for
the children to grasp it all on their own. It's fine if you sound like a broken
record, just make it a happy though broken one)

If the children are stuck here, you may guide the process by offering...
\"I think it's a vowel sound next... what do you think...?\"

Most times, children with an already concrete foundation in single letter
sounds will get it almost automatically. Cos through the lessons during
foundation, children have been reinforced with the sounds regularly. Many
fun repetitive activities would have been carried out as well to ensure that
while having fun the children retain the essence of the lesson objective,
the sounds.

Children : /a/....?

Teacher : Yes, an /a/... now what would the last letter be then?

Children : (repeating the sounds to themselves one last time) b... a... g.

Children : /g/ is the last sound!

Teacher : Well done everyone, now let's build this word and see if we
get the word bag. Slowly now... /b/.... /a/... (buh.... aaaaaa.....) then...
put those two together.... it wud make /ba/ = baaaahh.... and lastly fit
in the /g/ in a brief sounding second. Hence making it sound /ba/.... /g/.
Bag. Let's try that again.. (repeat)

Note : This word building process goes through 3 steps.

1. Say first letter sound. (/b/)

2. Say second letter sound. (/a/)

3. Combine sounds (/b/ and /a/) and roll in the /g/ sound at the end.

Lastly, read the word as a whole. Don't break it up.
So, just say... bag to sum up that built up word.

Gosh. Do hope this helps give an idea.

I'm trying my best to provide the sounds and techniques
just typing words out here.. not an easy task when you can't
hear me sounding them out. Sweating now..

Most teachers just like to go right into the 3-letter stage.
So children miss out on word building opportunities which
is really really really helpful moving on from the single letter
sounds stage. The reason why some children may get stuck
at 3-letters can be due to that reason. Other kids who grasp
the concept of blending word families faster do eventually get
it anyhow. Word family blending is simply giving them the combi
(conbination) of sounds for example : /an/... and then get children
to read words that comes under that family like...

ban can fan man pan ran tan van

Though that method works, i just prefer to better layer my children's
foundation skills with word building. I prefer to make it concrete.

Plus you can do word building with 4 or 5 or 6 letter words like a game if you want... just to see if they can indeed hear the sounds in words. Phonetic ones of course.

For children who are confident learners, you don't have to emphasize the sounds at all. You can just say the word and ask for what sounds they can hear.

When my kiddies we younger, (during outings or travels) we also played word games like \"I Spy\" (things in the train beginning with... : for single letter sounds) and \"What sounds can i hear in the word...? Like pram or shop.. as and when we are looking out from where we are traveling in. ie. bus or train.

SAHM_TAN:

She will confuse k and c but to me that's ok because both sound the same.

It's fine. If you really need to make an emphasis... i usually just go like this.

For example for the word spank.
At the end of the word if you sense her hesitation, you can just say...
\"This word ends with the \"k-uh\" as in king.\"

For children to grow vocab and to be able to distinguish between which of the /c/ or /k/ to use during spelling is via more reading / exposure to words in books. Maturity too of course. Each time you come across a word used she doesn't know what it means, show her how you check for the meanings.

In the home, explore vocabulary by having a word of the day on the fridge with magnets. This was exciting to my girls as they explore more difficult words and really try to fit or incorporate the words in daily conversation. Eventually we worked with creative phrases/sentences and used it within the week when an opportunity arises.

For example, when you lay the table for dinner and invite them to sit at the table to eat, instead of saying \"I have cooked your favourite delicious dishes for dinner.\" .... you can alternate it to... \"Today's dishes that i've prepared are scrumptious!\" So they get the word \"prepared\" and \"scrumptious\". You can add that scrumptious is another word for delicious. (if they don't ask)

My girls will ask each time i use a new word. They get a kick in getting to use the same word the next time an opportunity arises. Like when DD2 asked, \"Wow, mummy... you are cooking three dishes at a time, ironing the clothes and also just left the clothes in the machine to run a wash. How do you do so many things at a time?\" I reply, \"We can multi-task so work gets done faster. This means i would have more time to spend with my children. :hugs:\"

So when hubs called and asked to speak to me + what was i doing... DD2 replied nonchalantly, \"Mummy is multi-tasking.\" She was 6yrs old then.

SAHM_TAN:

Recently, she's starting to spell words to me which I've never taught.

This is a good sign. This is where word building has served its intended purpose and honestly makes decoding and reading way easier and not to mention, more fluent.

SAHM_TAN:

I have a suspicion that she might not want to work out the blending and not so much don't know how to......need to work through the blend before I'm sure.

You have the object boxes or picture boxes?

If not, you can ask her to rummage for stuff in her toys trove or around the house to name, so she doesn't have only the LMA to work with on its own.

There are also phonics games you can play with her as reward for job well done thereafter. With motivation to work the words, you will have an easier time to carry out your investigation.

SAHM_TAN:

As for DS, he seemed ok leh when I asked him to take out the letters. Today I worked with DD1 while DS was in the living room fliping through books, so he did not see the words that I working with DD1. He could take out all the correct letters. Or maybe he remembered the words that he worked with his teacher before. Or I did something wrong when I read out the words? I stretched out the words when I say them to DS so that he can hear the letters, is this correct?

If the child has difficulty hearing to sounds in words, yes, you may drag the sounds for blending purposes. Perhaps DS was listening when you were teaching DD on certain occasions.

[SAHM_TAN]

Hi buds,


Thanks for the detailed write-up about word building.

To clear my mind between word building and blending.

word building is when I will sound out each letter in the word first and go through the steps that you typed. While word blending is more like stretch out the words or with the word family?

Thanks for the link to enrighten.

[buds]

Word Building


1. Just ask for the sounds in the word you want spelt.
Eg.. What sounds can you hear in the word... pram?
Request that DD take the letters from the LMA & form
them on her own on the work mat or use pencil/pen to
spell on paper as well. She can draw the pram too if she
likes.

2. If she hesitates or seemingly having some challenges
hearing the sounds in words or sound combinations that
she has already learnt in school, THEN you sound out the
sounds or drag the sounds for her. Ask her to repeat the
sounds you drag. The idea is to get her to listen and also
to be able to know what letters represent those sounds tt
form words.

Eg. /p/... rrrr... aaa... m. Can you say that with me... (repeat)
Now what sounds can you hear in that word?

*It doesn't matter which sounds children hear first in any word
we ask for. The objective is to try to focus on distinguishing the
different sounds which form the words. It also doesn't matter if
the words are placed in error of sequence. Just go thru again
together and ensure the way you repeat each time is the same &
positive.*

For eg. if the child places the word in this order... p...a...r...m.
Shall we check together if we made the word correctly. \"pram\"
/p/.... rrrr... aaa... m.. Hmm.. something doesn't look right here.
What do you think? I hear a /p/ at the beginning so that letter p
in front is correct. Next in the word /p/... rrr... aaaa.. m.. is rrrr..
but we seem to have placed an /a/ instead, shall we change that?\"
Continue until all letter sounds have been checked and spelt
correctly. Use the word cards (if you have) from the pink object/
picture box/word list as a self-correction tool (for self checking).

3. Finally, if she really doesn't know mebbe she really doesn't
know and you can proceed to do it with her... together. For e.g.
\"I believe i can hear a /p/ sound in the word pram... it's the 1st
sound i hear in the word pram... Can you hear the /p/ sound too.
Say it. /p/... rrrr... aaaa... mmm.. Shall we find the letter that makes
that sound to start off the word pram? Each time you say/repeat the
word pram, you make emphasis on the sounds you want her to here.
Only do this if she has trouble with Points 1 & 2. Else, allow her to make
it on her own... or at least try to...

The objective is to teach her how to fish.

Word Family Blending

1. According to word list or picture/object box and LMA, children are
asked to read or form words. For eg. Say you are doing words from the
/at/ family... \"Let's go through the words with the sounds /at/. /a/ and
/t/... makes the sound /at/.

>/b/... /at/... bat. (b-uh... at... \"bat\")
>/f/... /at/... fat. (f-uh... at... \"fat\")
>/h/... /at/... hat. (h-uh... at... \"hat\")
> /m/... /at/... mat. (mmm...at... \"mat\")

bat... fat... hat... mat.

Errrmmm.. clearer?

[sohahlien]

Anyone has any experience with the Montessori school in the Sindhi Association building on Mountbatten road? How’s the teachers there?

[SAHM_TAN]

Thanks buds :hugs:


Thank you for the clear explanation. So I mixed up the concept and was working with them on word building , instead of blending As I will say out the word and they will take out the letters based on the letters that they hear.

Very busy since P1 started.

[buds]

sohahlien:

Anyone has any experience with the Montessori school in the Sindhi Association building on Mountbatten road? How's the teachers there?

Think you should post this at the All About Montessori thread instead dear..
Perhaps someone may have had experience with the centre and can share more.

[buds]

SAHM_TAN:

Thanks buds :hugs:

:hugs: back!
You're welcome!

SAHM_TAN:

Thank you for the clear explanation. So I mixed up the concept and was working with them on word building , instead of blending As I will say out the word and they will take out the letters based on the letters that they hear.

Well, as long as you geddit in the end yah?
Did you manage to work on those gaps?
Lemme noe if you have obstacles...

SAHM_TAN:

Very busy since P1 started.

P1 belly relax wan leh.. busy with what arh?
You drill her with assessments issit? :evil:

[SAHM_TAN]

Hi buds,


No lah, I did not drill her with assessment bks. Though I have them and I visit the assessment threads :evil:

For term 1, I just let her get use to the routine. I'm trying to get use to the routine as well.

Morning it's sending her to school, then preparing lunch for DS, preparing him for kindy, then off to pick up DD1. In between bb is clambering for my attention. :faint:

When DD1 is home, I will need to warm up her lunch and revise with her spelling, tingxie, reading and what not..........

Then DS will be on his way home from kindy and all will want my attention when all I want is to hide :rotflmao:

Sometimes I will skip lunch becos every sec of my time is taken up :faint:

How I wish I'm as organised as you.

This post is kind of :offtopic: Sorry

Thanks for the offer to help :hugs:

You are one of my helplines keeping me afloat. :hugs:

[SAHM_TAN]

Hi buds,


Missed out on your Qn.

DD1"s reading is improving and I’m seeing the gaps more clearly. I think she might be unclear about some of the word families.

But I’m not going to rush it. I will still go through each group. Since she enjoys it. So those that she knows will give her the confidence to work through those that she does not know.

[mamii]

Hi Buds, how are you? have not been to the forum for a couple of months and so glad i manage to see your thread again. Hope you can help me with DS .


before DS started his phonics enrichment he was very good with all the 26 basic sounds (leapfrog dvd). but after started learning word building and blending i think he got confused.

he can blend the words individually but often have difficulty reading them in a sentence. But if i let him read the words individually FIRST then let him read the short sentences containing all the words he is able to do it. WHY ???

he knows the letters sounds well but when it is put into words he could not read it eg.

"in" he may read as "it"
" fog" he may read as "frog"
"pan" he may read as "plan"

basically he is a reluctant reader, though he loves me to read him stories.

he may not be focusing as well as he does not like to go through the phonics revision, he will say he is tired. you know when he looks at the words but his mind is somewhere else !

by the way how many "word families" are there ? is there any website where i can get the complete list of the blends ?

i am considering to stop his enrichment and teach him myself at home till he is better and continue when he is in K2.

anyone with similar experience ? thanks !