To be able to read and write properly you need to be able to understand phonics rules. Without this knowledge then failure is a certainty.
Phonics rules are probably the trickiest part of reading and writing but they're nothing to be afraid of. If you take them in bite-sizes pieces you will find them perfectly manageable
Here's a true account of someone who had no idea about them. This man made a genuine call to emergency services and this is what happened. He told the operator his wife had been attacked by a warthog and needed an ambulance urgently.
"What address sir?" asked the operator.
"1825 Eucalyptus St," replied the man.
"Could you spell that?" requested the operator.
(There was a long pause.)
"I'll just drag her to Oak St and you can pick her up there," replied the stressed man.
It's hard to believe isn't it, but that really did happen! The man simply couldn't spell Eucalyptus St and was prepared to drag the injured woman to another street rather than admit he couldn't spell.
The man calling emergency services, must have seen his own street sign a million times... yet he couldn't remember it... not even enough to attempt to spell it.
The other problem was he didn't know the different phonics rules which would have helped him to learn and remember his street name.
He needed to know that in some words, like the Greek word Eucalyptus:
· the u sound can sometimes be spelled eu,
· that sometimes the i sound you can hear in a word can be the letter y (as it often behaves like the vowels a e i o and u.)
There are adults with major literacy problems everywhere. The reason we rarely see them is that they are always in hiding. Look at the lengths the man above went to, to disguise his literacy problem.
Sadly, there are plenty of adults out there who are unable to spell their children's names!
They have not learned the rules or patterns which make it all so much easier.
The students I've taught have told me how they've been tortured by feelings of inadequacy and have resorted to lies and deception to stop anyone from finding out.
Their jobs often involve working long hours for very little pay and with no hope of promotion.
And to think that each of these adults started out as a child with endless possibilities.
You probably think that the people I am talking about here are incapable of learning these skills but you'd be wrong. Many, if taught correctly, can learn to read, write, spell and function again in society. Their joy, when they master these skills, is phenomenal.
It is impossible to memorise every word you come across when learning to read and spell. You need to know how to spell about 20,000 words to be able to spell adequately.
Research has shown that you can memorise many words until the age of seven but by then your brain's visual memory is so full it goes into overload.
That's the point at which children who aren't taught phonics rules get into trouble.
Teachers with a classroom full of children, all at different stages of literacy, have a huge job on their hands. They do a sterling job but it is an enormous challenge for them to try and get all children to the same level.
Children can't learn phonics rules automatically. They need to be taught in stages, just as a child needs to learn to swim.
Most wouldn't survive if you threw them in as babies and expected them to stay afloat. The same thing applies here.
You can't expect them to pick up all of these reading patterns by themselves. They need to be taught in a careful and structured way.
Phonics rules help readers to learn these different patterns and reapply them so they don't have to memorise every word they come across.
As the rules are taught children must be closely monitored to ensure they are retaining them. This means the rules should be practised and continue to be reviewed while new rules are learned.
Like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces missing, if this doesn't happen your child can end up with gaping holes in their reading and spelling.
This affects their writing and comprehension then they struggle to learn other subjects.
If you can't learn to read... you can't read to learn.
To master subjects like science and math, for example, your child needs to be a capable reader.
Fluency in reading generally starts to develop as early as first grade using simple books. The skill of reading is then transferred to the learning of other subjects.
Games and other hands-on activities ensure this is fun-filled and at the same time reinforces the learning that is taking place.
You can find some great fun ideas and games for first grade learners of reading, including math and science at Smart First Graders.
These activities advance learning.
The progress of many early readers, however, comes to a grinding halt. In a nutshell they simply can't absorb any additional words visually. This is accompanied by an enormous sense of failure.
Children begin to display signs of stress which can affect their behaviour, both at home and at school. The result is that their learning stops.
This might explain how the man from Eucalyptus St ended up.
By learning phonics rules your child will receive systematic training in how combinations of letters sound and how letters in words affect one another.
Here's an example of one phonics rule..
Take the word mat. In this word the a says a as in apple.
If we add an e to the word mat it becomes mate.
The rule is that the e after the vowel a, forces the a to say its alphabet name.
So the a then says a as in May.
The two words, mat and mate have only one letter that makes them different but they mean completely different things.
Imagine reading a sentence like this.
My mate and I love to play on the swings at the park.
If your child doesn't understand this rule they could easily read it as
My mat and I love to play on the swings at the park.
Can you see how one misplaced letter changes the
It is crucial that your child learns this rule, as well as many others. The great thing is that they can use the same pattern over and over again.
If they know the phonics rule about how to read and spell mat and mate they'll know how to distinguish between words like cut and cute, fat and fate, twin and twine, dam and dame, fin and fine, man and mane, pin and pine, rid and ride,tap and tape, hug and huge...and there are more words with this pattern.
You can see how learning one rule saves huge amounts of energy. time and stress.
By learning one pattern they can learn 20-30 other words with virtually no extra effort. Your child's brain doesn't get overwhelmed.
Reading for your child just gets easier and more
exciting. More importantly it sets them up for life. Unlike the unfortunate adults I have worked with, they have choices.
To Phonic Alphabet
Critical for anyone learning to read. Master this and you've made a promising start to reading.
To Phonics Sounds
Unlock Mystery to Reading Success. As a teacher, I can tell you that once your child understands these sounds they will learn to read.
To Basic Phonics Rules
Experienced literacy teacher guides you through some basic phonics rules and just how they work.
To Phonics Blends
Reading teacher gives you step-by-step instructions on how to get early readers blending words.
To Phonics Word Families
Teacher explains how word families speed up the process of reading and reduce learner stress.
To Consonant Blends
Teacher explains novel way to learn these so that your child can quickly read many more words.
Ili uweze kusoma na kuandika vizuri unahitaji kuwa na uwezo wa kuelewa sheria za foniki. Bila ujuzi huo basi kushindwa ni jambo la hakika. Kanuni za foniki labda ndizo sehemu ngumu zaidi ya kusoma na kuandika lakini si kitu cha kuogopa. Ikiwa utachukua vipande vya ukubwa wa kuumwa, utagundua ni rahisi sana kusimamia, hapa ni akaunti ya kweli ya mtu ambaye hakuwa na wazo lolote juu yao. Mwanamume huyu aliita huduma za dharura na hii ndiyo iliyotokea. Alimwambia operator kwamba mke wake alikuwa ameshambuliwa na warthog na alihitaji gari la wagonjwa haraka. "Ni anwani gani, Mheshimiwa?" operator aliuliza. "1825 Eucalyptus St. "" - Mfano wa mtu wa kwanza." "Je, unaweza kuandika hivyo?" aliomba operator. (Kukuwa na mapumziko marefu.) "Mimi itabidi tu kuvuta yake kwa Oak St na unaweza kuchukua yake huko", alijibu mtu alisisitiza. Ni vigumu kuamini, sivyo, lakini hilo lilitukia kweli! "Mtu huyo hakuweza kuandika ""Eucalyptus St"" na alikuwa tayari kumvuta mwanamke aliyejeruhiwa kwenye barabara nyingine badala ya kukubali kwamba hakuweza kuandika." Mtu kupiga simu huduma za dharura, lazima kuwa na kuona ishara yake mwenyewe barabara mara milioni... bado hakuweza kukumbuka... hata kutosha kujaribu herufi yake. Tatizo jingine lilikuwa kwamba hakujua sheria tofauti za fonetiki ambazo zingemsaidia kujifunza na kukumbuka jina la barabara yake. "Kama ilivyo katika neno la Kigiriki Eucalyptus, ""u"" ni herufi ya herufi ya ""u"" na ""u"" ni herufi ya herufi ya ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u"" na ""u""."""" Kuna watu wazima wenye matatizo makubwa ya kusoma na kuandika kila mahali. Sababu ya kuwa hatuwaoni mara nyingi ni kwamba sikuzote wao hujificha. Angalia jinsi mtu huyo aliye juu alivyotumia wakati mwingi kuficha tatizo lake la kusoma na kuandika. Kwa kusikitisha, kuna watu wazima wengi ambao hawawezi kuandika majina ya watoto wao! Hawakujifunza sheria au mifumo ambayo hufanya yote iwe rahisi sana. Wanafunzi ambao nimewafundisha wameniambia jinsi walivyoteswa na hisia za kutostahili na wametumia uongo na udanganyifu kuzuia mtu yeyote kujua. Kazi zao mara nyingi huhusisha kufanya kazi kwa muda mrefu kwa mshahara mdogo sana na bila matumaini ya kupandishwa cheo. Na kufikiria kwamba kila mmoja wa watu wazima hawa alianza kama mtoto na uwezekano usio na mwisho. "Mimi nafikiri kwamba watu ambao ninazungumzia hapa hawawezi kujifunza ujuzi huu, lakini wewe ni makosa. """ Wengi, wakifundishwa kwa usahihi, wanaweza kujifunza kusoma, kuandika, herufi na kufanya kazi tena katika jamii. Furaha yao, wanapojifunza ustadi huo, ni kubwa sana. Haiwezekani kukumbuka kila neno unalopata unapojifunza kusoma na kuandika. "Kama unajua jinsi ya kuandika maneno 20,000, unaweza kuamua jinsi ya kuandika maneno hayo kwa usahihi.""" Utafiti umeonyesha kwamba unaweza kukumbuka maneno mengi hadi umri wa miaka saba, lakini wakati huo kumbukumbu ya ubongo wako ni kamili sana kwamba inakwenda katika overload. Hiyo ni hatua ambayo watoto ambao hawafundishwi sheria za fonetiki hupata matatizo. Walimu wana darasa la watoto wengi, wote katika hatua tofauti za kusoma na kuandika, wana kazi kubwa mikononi mwao. Wanafanya kazi nzuri lakini ni changamoto kubwa kwao kujaribu kuwafikisha watoto wote katika kiwango kimoja. Watoto hawawezi kujifunza sheria za fonetiki kwa njia ya moja kwa moja. Wanahitaji kufundishwa hatua kwa hatua, kama vile mtoto anahitaji kujifunza kuogelea. Wengi wao hawangekuwa hai ikiwa ungewatupa ndani wakiwa watoto na kutarajia wabaki juu ya maji. Jambo hilohilo linatumika hapa. Huwezi kutarajia wao kuchukua mifumo yote ya kusoma kwa wenyewe. Wanahitaji kufundishwa kwa uangalifu na kwa njia iliyoandaliwa. Sheria za phonics husaidia wasomaji kujifunza mifumo hii tofauti na kuzitumia tena ili wasilazimike kukumbuka kila neno wanalofikia. Kadiri sheria zinavyofundishwa, watoto lazima wafuatwe kwa ukaribu ili kuhakikisha kwamba zinazifuata. Hii inamaanisha sheria zinapaswa kutekelezwa na kuendelea kuchunguzwa wakati sheria mpya zinafundishwa. Kama puzzle na vipande kukosa, kama hii haitatokea mtoto wako inaweza kuishia na mashimo gaping katika kusoma na herufi. Hii huathiri uandishi wao na uelewa kisha wao hujitahidi kujifunza masomo mengine. Ikiwa huwezi kujifunza kusoma... huwezi kusoma ili kujifunza. Ili mtoto wako awe na uwezo wa kusoma, ni muhimu awe na uwezo wa kusoma. Kwa kawaida, mtu huanza kusoma kwa ufasaha akiwa katika darasa la kwanza kwa kutumia vitabu rahisi. Ujuzi wa kusoma kisha huhamishwa kwenye kujifunza masomo mengine. Michezo na shughuli nyingine za mikono kuhakikisha hii ni furaha-kujazwa na wakati huo huo inaimarisha kujifunza kwamba ni kuchukua nafasi. Unaweza kupata baadhi ya mawazo ya ajabu ya furaha na michezo kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wa darasa la kwanza ya kusoma, ikiwa ni pamoja na hisabati na sayansi katika Smart Grads Kwanza. Shughuli hizo huendeleza kujifunza. Hata hivyo, maendeleo ya wasomaji wengi wa mapema yamesimamishwa kabisa. Kwa ufupi hawawezi kuvuta maneno yoyote ya ziada kwa macho. Jambo hilo huambatana na hisia kubwa ya kushindwa. Watoto huanza kuonyesha dalili za mkazo ambazo zinaweza kuathiri tabia zao, nyumbani na shuleni. Matokeo ni kwamba kujifunza kwao kunasimama. Hii inaweza kueleza jinsi mtu kutoka Eucalyptus St kumalizika. Kwa kujifunza sheria za foniki, mtoto wako atapata mafunzo ya utaratibu juu ya jinsi mchanganyiko wa herufi unavyosikika na jinsi herufi katika maneno zinavyohusiana. Hapa ni mfano wa moja ya sheria phonics.. Kuchukua neno mat. Katika neno hili a inasema a kama katika apple. Kama sisi kuongeza e kwa neno mat inakuwa mate. Kanuni ni kwamba e baada ya vokali a, hulazimisha a kusema jina lake la alfabeti. "Kwa hivyo, ""a"" inamaanisha ""a"" kama Mei." Mat na mate ni maneno mawili ya lugha ya Kiingereza, na maneno hayo yana herufi moja tu, na maana yake ni tofauti kabisa. Hebu wazia ukisoma sentensi kama hii. Mimi na mwenzangu hupenda kucheza kwenye miteremko katika bustani. Ikiwa mtoto wako haelewi sheria hii, wanaweza kuisoma kwa urahisi kama: 'Mimi na mama yangu tunapenda kucheza kwenye matanga katika bustani.' Kama unajua, barua moja iliyopotea inaweza kubadilisha maisha ya mtoto wako, na ni muhimu kwamba mtoto wako ajue sheria hii na nyingine nyingi. Jambo la kushangaza ni kwamba wanaweza kutumia muundo huo mara kwa mara. "Kama unajua sheria ya fonetiki kuhusu jinsi ya kusoma na kuandika ""mat"" na ""mat,"" utajua jinsi ya kutofautisha kati ya maneno kama vile ""cut"" na ""cute,"" ""fat"" na ""fate,"" ""twine"" na ""twine,"" ""dam"" na ""dame,"" ""fin"" na ""fine,"" ""man"" na ""mane,"" ""pin"" na ""pine,"" ""rid"" na ""ride,"" ""tap"" na ""tape,"" ""hug"" na ""huge"" na maneno mengine." Unaweza kuona jinsi kujifunza sheria moja huokoa kiasi kikubwa cha nishati. wakati na mkazo. Kwa kujifunza mfano mmoja, wanaweza kujifunza maneno mengine 20 hadi 30 bila jitihada yoyote. Ubongo wa mtoto wako hauwezi kuzidiwa. Kusoma kwa mtoto wako ni rahisi na kufurahisha. Jambo la maana zaidi ni kwamba huwaandaa kwa ajili ya maisha. Tofauti na watu wazima wasio na bahati ambao nimefanya kazi nao, wao wana chaguzi. To Phonic Alphabet Critical kwa mtu yeyote anayejifunza kusoma. Ukifanikiwa kufanya hivyo, utakuwa umeanza kusoma vizuri. Kujifunza Sauti za Sauti Hufungua Siri ya Kufanikiwa Kusoma. Kama mwalimu, ninaweza kukuambia kwamba mara tu mtoto wako anapoelewa sauti hizi atajifunza kusoma. Kwa mfano, kwa mfano, mwalimu wa fonetiki mwenye uzoefu anaweza kukuongoza kupitia sheria za msingi za fonetiki na jinsi zinavyofanya kazi. Phonics Blends: Mwalimu wa kusoma anakupa maagizo hatua kwa hatua juu ya jinsi ya kupata wasomaji wa mapema kuchanganya maneno. To Phonics Word Families Mwalimu anaeleza jinsi familia za maneno zinavyoharakisha mchakato wa kusoma na kupunguza mkazo wa mwanafunzi. To Consonant Blends Mwalimu anaelezea njia mpya ya kujifunza haya ili mtoto wako anaweza haraka kusoma maneno mengi zaidi.