Phonics and Reading
Teaching Phonics
The goal of phonics is to teach the basic sounds (phonemes) in the English language, enable students to recognize their written form, teach the simple rules for decoding words, and help them memorize commonly used words that can then be identified on sight (sight words).
Our approach consists of using American Sign Language (ASL) to create an interactive Phonics Routine in the classroom.
1. Reveal a letter and practice saying it with students.
2. Introduce the ASL sign for the letter.
3. Teach the phoneme (sound) for that letter.
4. Show students the associated word and sign (action).
5. Repeat for each letter being reviewed or taught, and then teach sight words.
All volunteers should dedicate a specific duration of time during each English class to teach and practice ASL Phonics. This is a means of helping students learn the entire scope and sequence. Go at your own speed. Every class, school, and teacher is different. As long as you are following the sequence below, teach as quickly or slowly as your students allow.
A flexible schedule created to teach phonics inside of the classroom with videos, tips, and flashcards to help you and your students.
Sight words are words that should be memorized to help a student with reading fluency and writing. Learning sight words allows a student to recognize these words at a glance without needing to break them down into their individual letters. It is the way strong readers recognize most words. Knowing common, or high frequency, words by sight makes reading easier and faster because the reader does not need to try and sound out each individual letter. - Sight Words
Be directed to a site that teaches you everything you need to know about sight words! It includes an overview, teaching strategies, flashcards, activities, and video tutorials.
Videos and descriptions to teach you how to play some of our favorite activities centered around phonics. Try them out in your classroom and let us know how they go. See one of your favorite activities missing from our list? Send us a video and we'll get it added for other teachers to enjoy.
Access three levels of downloadable books to read with your students. Start with the phonics sequence above and then introduce the first level of decodable books to your new readers.