If you would like to help your child learn to read, but are overwhelmed by all the educational terminology, this may help.
Most parents understand the concept of phonics - the correlation of one sound to one or more letters.
For example: the letters 'c' 'k' and 'ck' all make the [k] sound.
However, there are two types of phonics: Synthetic Phonics and Analytical Phonics.
Synthetic Phonics is the concept of teaching reading by first teaching one letter corresponding to one sound, without teaching all the exceptions and complications, then blending those sounds together in words.
Analytical Phonics (aka Implicit Phonics or Whole Word) does the opposite.
It moves from the whole word to the parts.
This approach was widely embraced and then abandoned by the educational communities in both the U.
K.
and the U.
S.
within the last twenty years.
Synthetic Phonics Now, when people refer to 'phonics,' they are almost always referring to Synthetic Phonics.
In Synthetic Phonics, a child does not have to know the name of a letter in order to start learning the phoneme (sound) that corresponds to that letter.
As soon as the child knows enough letter sounds, they start blending those letters into three-letter words, usually with one consonant on each end and a vowel in the middle.
For example: The child learns the sounds for 'a' 'b' 'c' 'd' 'p' and 't.
' The child is presented with the words 'at' 'bat' 'pat' 'cat.
' The child makes the sound for each letter, and then blends the sounds together to say the word.
Two-letter sounds and two-letter vowels are not taught until the child has a firm grasp of single-letter phonemes.
Teaching Synthetic Phonics As a parent, you are perfectly capable of teaching your child to read through Synthetic Phonics.
Choose five or six letters, being sure to include one vowel, and introduce them one at a time to your child, making the sound and showing them the letter.
Then write out two and three-letter words (one at a time) and ask your child say the sound for each word.
For extra help, there are websites you can find by using the search words 'free phonics worksheets' that you can download and use.
The best sites also have good, educationally sound tips and advice for activities and games.
You have taught your child everything up to this point.
You can teach reading, too.