2)+Phonics

Phonics is one of the first key steps involving literacy in early learning. It helps in word identification because the phonemes (sounds) become a strategy for children to use when sounding out words and spelling. Strickland (1998, p.12) states phonics is an ‘Integrated, literature-based approach to reading instruction in which phonics is taught in conjunction with other word identification strategies’. Having an understanding of phonics leads to greater understanding of how words are structures and what sounds certain singular or grouped letters sound like. Through phonics, teachers can provide an effective instruction to children who can then in turn begin to solve problems of unfamiliar words (Hill, 2006). It is a vital part in helping children to read and write.

Firstly the children must comprehend that each letter in the alphabet has a specific sound. All the sounds (except for the vowels) are made by using the mouth, lips, tongue, and teeth in a variety of positions to block air (Hill, 2006). When learning sounds of different letters they then advance to understanding that letter sounds can have different pronunciations when combined with other letters. For example the letter ‘c’; pronounced as /k/ in the word ‘cat’, however pronounced /ch/ in the word ‘chain’ media type="custom" key="703163".

The Following YouTube (2006) provides phonemes of the alphabet. media type="youtube" key="LAy3KxJaKd0&hl=en" height="355" width="425" The ‘alphabetic principle’ is the crucial principal of understanding the specific sounds to specific letters and a combination of letters. By working on this principal in the early years children will have a basis of phonological knowledge. The content of learning phonics upon this basis includes fives stages (Hill, 2006 p.212): Stage 1: Learning the letters and sounds of the alphabet in lower and upper case format. Stage 2: Dividing small words into syllables (onset) and acknowledging familiarity in words such a rime. ‘Onsets and rimes can be used in games and activities for children to build their familiarity with word families’ (Hill, 2006 p.214). Stage 3: Combining two or more letters together to form a blend. Stage 4: Combing two certain letters together that will form a single sound. For example ‘ch’, ‘wh’ and ‘th’. Stage 5: Changing the structures of words to form a different tense. For example the ‘jump’ can be structured as past tense ‘jump-ed’ or present ‘jump-ing’.