How to Teach Phonics

How to Teach Phonics

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Title: How to Teach Phonics
Author: Lida M. Williams
Release Date: April 4, 2006 [EBook #18119]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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=How to Teach Phonics=
By
LIDA M. WILLIAMS
Primary Supervisor and Instructor of Methods, Northern Normal and Industrial School,
ABERDEEN, SOUTH DAKOTA
HALL & MCCREARY COMPANY CHICAGO
Copyright 1916, Hall & McCreary Company P 2143 Printed in the U.S.A.

FOREWORD

Phonics is not a method of teaching reading, but it is _a necessary part_ of every good,
modern method. It is the key to word mastery, and word mastery is one of the first
essentials in learning to read. A knowledge of the sounds of letters, and of the effect of
the position of the letter upon its sound, is an essential means of mastering the mechanics
of reading, and of enabling children to become independent readers.
A knowledge of phonics not only gives power to pronounce new words, but it trains the
ear, develops clear articulation and correct enunciation, and aids in spelling. Later, when
diacritical marks are introduced, it aids in the use of the dictionary. The habit of attacking
and pronouncing words of entirely new form, develops self-confidence in the child, and
the pleasure he experiences in mastering difficulties without help, constantly leads to new
effort.
The little foreigner, greatly handicapped where reading is taught by the word and
sentence methods only, begins on an equal basis with his American neighbor, when the
"Alphabet by sound" is taught.
In recent years only has the subject of phonics found a place on the daily school program;
and there is perhaps, no other subject on the primary program so vaguely outlined in the
average teacher's mind and therefore taught with so little system and definite purpose.
The present need is a systematic and comprehensive but simple method of phonics
teaching thruout the primary grades, that will enable any teacher, using any good text in
reading, to successfully teach the phonetic facts, carefully grading the difficulties by easy
and consecutive steps thus preparing the pupils for independent effort in thot getting, and
opening for him the door to the literary treasures of the ages.
It is with the hope of aiding the earnest teacher in the accomplishment of this purpose that
"How To Teach Phonics" is published.
L.M.W.

LEARNING TO READ
Every sound and pedagogical method of teaching reading must include two basic
principles.
1. Reading must begin in the life of the child, with real thought content. Whether the
thought unit be a word, a sentence, or a story, it must represent some idea or image that
appeals to the child's interests and adjusts itself to his experience.
2. It must proceed with a mastery of not only words, but of the sound symbols of which
words are composed.
The child's love for the story, his desire to satisfy a conscious need, gives him an
immediate and compelling motive for mastering the symbols, which in themselves are of

incidental and subordinate interest. While he is learning to read, he feels that he is
reading to learn and "symbols are turned into habit."
If the child is to understand from the beginning that reading is thot getting, we must begin
with the sentence, rhyme or other language unit. If a story is the initial step, a few well
chosen sentences that tell the heart of the story will constitute the first black board
reading lesson.
The next step is the analysis of the sentence, or the study and recognition of the
individual words therein.
Finally the word is separated into its elementary sounds, the study of the sound symbols
growing out of the stock of words learned first as purely sight words.
Following this phonic analysis comes the final step, the blending of these phonic
elements to produce new words. Thus gradually increasing prominence is given to the
discovery of new words by this analytic-synthetic process, and less time to sight word
drills, until they are entirely omitted, except for the teaching of unphonetic words.
There should be at least two ten-minute lessons in phonics each day. These lessons are
not reading lessons and should not trespass on the regular reading period, when thot
getting and thot giving