The Parent Post
A NOTE FROM THE CANON-MCMILLAN READING SPECIALISTS
JANUARY, 2023
Reading Department Co-Chairs
A LITTLE CHAT ABOUT PHONICS AND DECODING
Tiffany P. Hogan
Director of the Speech and Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Decoding is a Foundational Reading Skill!
What program do we use to teach decoding at Canon-Mcmillan?
Fundations!
Fundations is a multisensory structed language literacy program for students in grades K-2. Students receive direct, systematic, cumulative, and explicit instruction in foundational reading and writing skills including; phonemic awareness, phonics and word study, fluency, handwriting and spelling.
Explicit instruction involves direct explanation. The teaching language is concise and specific. Explicit instruction means that the actions of the teachers are clear, direct, and visible. This makes it clear what the students are to do and learn. Nothing is left to guess work.
How Phonics Contributes to Reading Development
Word Recognition is Composed of: Phonological Awareness, Decoding & Sight Recognition
Phonological Awareness is: about being able to hear and manipulate sounds in spoken words. Phonological awareness is an important and reliable predictor of later reading abilities.
Phonics is: the relationship between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language.
Decoding is: the act of sounding out words using phonics.
What is all the Buzz About "Decodable Books" ?
The purpose of decodable readers is to develop phonological decoding skills through application. As children master more of the alphabetic code and progress through a series of decodable books, the vocabulary and story structure become more sophisticated. Independent and shared experiences with decodable readers that align with phonics instruction is a great opportunity to practice what has been learned.
Heard of Geodes?
As we discuss decodable books ( 90-100% decodable text features)...Students also read Geodes "readable" books ( 85% decodable text features) in K-2 to practice their independent reading skills. These books build knowledge of topics in science, history, and the arts. Geodes directly align with the Fundations letter and sound sequence! To develop their knowledge around these topics, students also study content vocabulary!
To learn more about Fundations® , please visit the Wilson Language Training website: http://wilsonlanguage.com/fundations.
Did You Know?
The English Language is comprised of SIX different syllable types!
Check this out!
These six syllable types are useful to teach because they guide the spelling rules of the English language and guide how to pronounce the vowels in new words. The spelling rules also help teachers organize decoding and spelling instruction. Without a strategy for chunking longer words into manageable parts, students may look at a longer word and simply resort to guessing what it is — or altogether skipping it. Familiarity with syllable-spelling conventions helps readers know whether a vowel is long, short, a diphthong, r-controlled, or whether endings have been added. Familiarity with syllable patterns helps students to read longer words accurately and fluently and to solve spelling problems — although knowledge of syllables alone is not sufficient for being a good speller. Moats, L, & Tolman, C (2009). Excerpted from Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS): Spellography for Teachers: How English Spelling Works (Module 3). Boston: Sopris West.
Tap It! Map It!
Visit Reading Rockets website to learn more about the six different syllable types HERE!
You Can Help Your Child at Home Too!
When your child comes to an unknown word, encourage your child to pay attention to all the letters and the sounds they represent in the entire word, or “sound it out” and then tap or blend the sounds together! By doing so you will be supporting your child in establishing the skills and processes that lead to skilled reading.
Be sure to read the Fundations Parent Letters that are sent home from your child's elementary school for more helpful tips on how to support your child in the reading and learning process. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.
We are partners in your child’s journey to literacy!
Visit the National Center for Improving Literacy for a Holiday Break Activity Round-Up!
Questions? Contact Us!
Makenzie Buhman, M.Ed
Co-Chair Reading Department
Muse Elementary School
Co-Chair Reading Department
Wylandville Elementary School
Bethany West, M. Ed
Reading Specialist
LETRS Trainer
Borland Elementary School