Photypes And Phonics

“Children learn to read when they are affectively engaged, when they want to read and when it matters to them to do so” (Goouch and Lambirth, 2011:39). This must stem from positive experiences and attitudes towards reading. This can be from a love of reading from parents, teachers modelling enthusiasm in reading or bedtime stories. With this comes strong early lessons about the worth of books, the knowledge of books and the pleasure that comes from them to show children how essential it is to be a reader (Smith, 1985; Goouch and Lambirth,2011). Phonics, however, produce books which are ‘simply decodable’ with text for the ‘simple’ means of ‘decoding’ and for applying phonic knowledge confidently (Rose,2006). It could be argued that these

Thus, it makes it harder for them to store these phonological representations of words (Jolliffe et al.,2012) with nothing to go by. Thus, we should be extending children’s vocabulary as much as we can so they can read words easier as they will have that familiarity and in support, be able to comprehend and retain information. This also provides an opportunity for word-recognition strategies (Adams, 1994) as children will have more knowledge and word meaning which can also confirm accuracy in attempts of word recognition in word order (syntax) (Osborn and Chard, 1999). Teachers could also incorporate strategies for words with more than one syllable to help children read irregular and new words. This would ensure children can read both regular and irregular words with ease; without relying on phonics as one method to realise it doesn’t work

Its purpose is to confirm that children have learnt phonic decoding to an age-appropriate standard and to help those who have not reached this level by providing them with extra support to ensure they can improve their decoding skills (STA,2011). However, the phonics check dismisses comprehension and the skill to read ably using other strategies. What these tests reveal is that; the most fluent readers are failing due to reading without decoding (UKLA, 2012). Thus, these successful readers are being delayed as they are being made to move backwards from reading for meaning to a mechanical exercise of blending and decoding (Richardson, 2014). This is failing these children, delaying them and dubbing them low in terms of phonological awareness; undermining their abilities and assurance as readers (Rosen, 2013;UKLA,2012). When really, we should use our professional judgment and move these children on if they are able to read confidently without hindering them and dismiss getting them to start from scratch through phonics. Since, the end result we are looking for is, children being able to read fluently and that too, with