Module 5: Reading Reflection

Where does phonics instruction fit within a comprehensive literacy program? When and how would you teach phonics?
 

Phonics should not be taught in isolation, but rather integrated into other parts of the instructional day. I believe phonics could be integrated into the different components of a comprehensive literacy programs. Phonics instructions can be taught during read-alouds, shared reading, guided reading, sustained reading, individual reading conferences, and through literature groups. Since reading and writing go hand in hand, I think it would be beneficial for phonics to be taught or reinforced during writing workshop. Phonics skills could be focused on during write-alouds, shared writing, guided writing, and conference time.

Since I teach the younger grades, I do feel it’s important to expose the students to phonics by integrating the skills within mini-lessons and guided reading. Within guided reading, I am able to provide differentiation to my students and give them the phonics instruction they need. When working on phonics during guided reading, my students review the phonics deck cards, and works with letter tiles to build words with the weekly phonics pattern or the phonics skill the students are having difficulty with. My struggling students also have a dictation journal they use during their guided reading time when working on phonics. The students are given the phonics rule, usually with a visual to explain in more detail. As a group, we brainstorm words with the phonics pattern and write the words under the rule in the journal. After the “mini-lesson”, my guided reading group would read a story which follows the phonics rule. Students are quick to inform me of all the words they found in the story, and are able to add them to their dictation journal. The students see it as a scavenger hunt with phonics. At the end of the guided reading time I assess my students through a quick listen-respond-record activity. This is where I provide my students with about 10 letter sounds or letter combination sounds. They would respond with the letter, the picture associated with the sound, and the sound itself. For example, if I said, “/b/” the students in my group would respond b-bat-/b/. This type of activity only occurs in my classroom about twice a week with my struggling students. It allows me to see if the students fully understand the phonics skill.