Phonics: stop guessing, start reading
You may have seen it: you are reading a picture book with your child, and you notice they skip a word, mumble something and continue, or say an incorrect word, maybe they label a picture instead. Some old-fashioned reading “strategies” have encouraged compensation - like guessing a word based on a picture - instead of an effective, phonics-based reading program.
Let’s talk about the importance of phonics and how it plays an important role in helping children become proficient readers.
What can speech-language pathologists do about phonics, literacy, and reading in general?
Some balanced literacy programs place a heavy emphasis on guessing words from context, which can lead to inaccurate word recognition and hinder reading comprehension.
Remember: Students will not be able to rely on pictures as they grow older… picture books will soon be put aside; picture-less text will become the norm in class. Teach them to read using a systematic, phonics-based program so that they have powerful reading strategies to use in the future.
Each student has a unique set of strengths and challenges - speak with your child’s school team and/or care team about how to provide them with a structured & effective phonics-based reading program. Use their favourite characters and themes for motivation!
References:
Ehri, L.C. (2020). The Science of Learning to Read Words: A Case for Systematic Phonics Instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 55(S1), S45– S60.