What It Means
Phonics is the part of reading instruction that teaches how letters and groups of letters stand for the sounds in spoken words. A child who knows that "sh" spells one sound and "a" another can blend the sounds of a new word to read it, and break a spoken word into sounds to spell it. The National Reading Panel's 2000 report describes systematic phonics as teaching these letter-sound links in a planned order, instead of pointing them out only when they happen to come up in a book.
Try It: Three Quick Phonics Questions
Three quick questions. Say the sounds out loud as you go.
Which letters spell the first sound in "ship"?
Right. Two letters, one sound.
Listen again: "sh" together makes the first sound.
Blend these sounds: /m/ /a/ /p/
Right. Blending left to right gives "map."
Say them slowly, then faster: m, a, p.
Which word follows the same spelling pattern as "cake"?
Right. In both, the final e goes with a long "a" sound.
Look for a final e and listen for the long "a."
How Parents Say It
- "Sound it out: c, a, t."
- "They're learning the 'ai' and 'ay' spellings this week."
- "Her school switched to a phonics program this year."
The Breakdown
Phonics as children grow
| Stage | What it looks like | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before kindergarten | Hearing and playing with the sounds in spoken words, which comes before linking sounds to letters | Buhata's page on phonemic awarenessPhonemic awarenessThe ability to hear, pick out and play with the single sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, like hearing that "cat" is made of three sounds. See more |
| Kindergarten and 1st grade | The panel found phonics had its biggest impact when it started here, before children read on their own | National Reading Panel, 2000 |
| Kindergarten to 3rd grade | Blending sounds left to right, learning common sound-spelling patterns and word parts, and reading decodable words alone and in sentences | IES practice guide, 2016 |
| Through 6th grade | The panel found systematic phonics helped students in kindergarten through 6th grade and children having trouble learning to read | National Reading Panel, 2000 |
Try it today. When your child gets stuck on a word, cover all but the first letter or letter pair, say that sound together, then uncover the rest one sound at a time and blend. (Buhata's suggestion.)
When to talk to the teacher. If sounding out simple words stays very hard through first grade, ask how your child is doing on phonics checks and whether extra help is available. Buhata's page on dyslexiaDyslexiaA learning disability that makes reading words accurately and smoothly hard, mostly because linking letters to sounds is hard; schools call it a specific learning disability. See more covers the signs NICHD lists.
Where It Comes From
The National Reading Panel's report, published by NICHD in 2000, named phonics as one of five components of reading instruction, alongside phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Good to Know
The National Reading Panel found systematic phonics was significantly more effective than teaching that gave little or no phonics. In 2016, the IES practice guide put decoding and word recognition among its four recommendations for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Ask your child's teacher which phonics program the class uses and which sounds they're on this week, so practice at home matches.
FAQ
What is systematic phonics?
Teaching letter-sound links in a planned order, so each lesson builds on the last. The National Reading Panel contrasted it with pointing out sounds only when they happen to appear in a text.
At what age should phonics start?
The National Reading Panel found phonics had its biggest effect when it began in kindergarten or 1st grade, before children could read on their own. Hearing and playing with sounds can start earlier.
Is phonics the same as phonemic awareness?
No. Phonemic awareness is hearing the sounds in spoken words, with no letters involved. Phonics links those sounds to letters so a child can read and spell.
Do It in Buhata
Reminders
Set a Reminder in Buhata for the evening book that names this week's phonics sounds, so you can point them out as you read together.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Phonemic awareness
The ability to hear, pick out and play with the single sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, like hearing that "cat" is made of three sounds.
- Decodable books
Simple books for beginning readers written mostly with the letter-sound patterns a child has already been taught, so most words can be sounded out.
- Sight words
Words a reader knows instantly, without sounding them out; schools also use it for common words like "the" and "said" that children practice early.
- Science of reading
The large body of research on how people learn to read and how reading is best taught; it names a field of evidence, not one curriculum or program.
- Balanced literacy
A classroom reading approach that mixes read-alouds, shared, guided and independent reading and word study; phonics is included but usually isn't the focus.
- Dyslexia
A learning disability that makes reading words accurately and smoothly hard, mostly because linking letters to sounds is hard; schools call it a specific learning disability.
Sources
NICHD, "Report of the National Reading Panel" (findings, 2000); NICHD, "National Reading Panel Reports Combination of Teaching Phonics, Word Sounds, Giving Feedback on Oral Reading Most Effective Way to Teach Reading" (press release, 2000); NICHD, National Reading Panel, "Part II: Phonics Instruction"; What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences, "Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade" (practice guide, 2016)
- www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/nrp/findings
- www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/Pages/nrp.aspx
- www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/ch2-II.pdf
- ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/docs/practiceguide/wwc_foundationalreading_070516.pdf
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