A is for apple. B is for banana. C is for carrot…
Children generally learn phonics in kindergarten through second grade. In
Kindergarten, children usually learn the sounds of the consonant letters. First- and second-graders typically learn all the sounds of letters, letter combinations, and word parts (such as “ing” and “ed”). They practice reading and spelling words containing those letters and patterns. Second-graders typically review and practice the phonics skills they have learned to make spelling and reading smooth and automatic.
If students do not master the different phonemes, they will be unable to attain fluency, comprehension, higher vocabulary, or appropriate spelling (four essential skills developed in later levels of reading). When the rest of the class moves on to these later skills, your child might be lost if he has not mastered the phonemes appropriate for each grade level.
While it’s true that children in the younger grades benefit from phonics instruction, what happens to kids who are in fourth grade and older who still can’t read at grade-level? Do you start with phonics again?
The answer is a resounding NO. Phonics is great for young children learning to read, but it can be boring and frustrating for children who have sat through the instruction for years. Janet Allen, the author of Yellow Brick Roads: Shared and Guided Path to Independent Reading Grades 4-12, discusses the research she did to encourage literacy in older children.
First, Allen explains that while there is a lot of research on literacy education based on test scores, reading standards, and teacher evaluations, there is almost none that has addressed students concerns and opinions. Therefore, Allen set out to investigate what struggling students say inspires them to read and become lifelong readers. The results of her study are not surprising, but are important pieces in the puzzle of literacy education. After all, who better to tell us what works than the people we are trying to help?
Kid-Tested Literacy Strategies
“Good” books. Of course, saying that teachers should choose “good” books is a no-brainer. Which teacher intentionally chooses bad books? However, there are some types of books that children generally appreciate more than others. In fourth-eighth grade, students prefer to read books with a mystery like Louis Sachar’s Holes, books that are about real kids like Beatrice Sparks’s It Happened to Nancy, or books about weird or interesting things like Sylvia Branzei’s Grossology: The Science of Really Gross Things. Once students recognize that reading can be fun and interesting, they are more willing to put in the effort to learn how to perfect their skills.
Read-alouds. It’s hard to believe that ten-year-olds want to sit in a classroom and be read to – but they do! All students, but particularly struggling readers, enjoy having a fluent reader read to them. Not only do they enjoy listening to the story, but they get an idea of what good reading sounds like. In addition, when teachers choose “good” books to read from, students can then get ideas for what they can read at home by themselves. As children gain confidence, they can also participate in the read-alouds. There are great books that allow for multiple voices and students can engage in collaborative reading as well.
Word study. Students like to learn new words. They like learning how to improve the way they speak and the way they write. Vocabulary can make students feel more confident in their lives outside of school too. What research has shown is that they just don’t like it when those new words and their definitions interrupt reading time. Therefore, using learning strategies such as the WOD (word of the day) and language collection journals can allow student to make personal and literary connections, discover meaningful examples, and develop ways to remember the words. All without interrupting their read-alouds or reading instruction.