During childhood development, every parent and teacher must focus on those four skills of a child: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Having those skills is critical for a child, not only for educational and cultural factors but also for the child’s mental health.
One of the best ways of developing these four skills is through phonics. In recent years, both parents and schools have focused on making children learn phonics. This is because, with the help of phonics, children can acquire language and learn other things faster.
Hence, to learn about the benefits of phonics and some resources to learn, read on to the end of the article.
A General Overview of Phonics
By learning phonics, children can words and sounds faster. It is an effective method with the help of which children and even adults can learn alphabetic languages. Basically, with the help of phonics, early learners can make a connection between letters, groups of letters (words), and the sounds of a language.
It is important to understand that even though an early reader can pronounce certain words, they might not recognize and understand the text. This is where the role of phonics comes to the fore. By understanding basic phonics, children find it easier to grasp unfamiliar words faster.
How Does Phonics Help Children Learn Faster?
The following are the ways through which phonics can help children learn to read, write, speak, and listen faster:
1. Learn Complex Words
Being an alphabetical language, English is complex. There are many words with same spelling and different meanings (homographs), while there are words with different spelling and the same pronunciation (homophones). Hence, learning the English language is a complex process.
What phonics does is break down complex words into individual parts. It teaches children this ability to deal with complex words. Hence, with this ability, children can decode letters and sounds faster. This is actually an essential skill when a child is learning new vocabulary while reading.
2. Raises the Standard of Literacy
Children between 4 to 7 years of age need to learn phonics. Apart from that, even adults can learn phonics to increase their knowledge and learn the meanings of sounds and words.
As a result, it will help in raising the standard of reading and literacy. Hence, in the last few years, there has been a big surge in children achieving this standard of literacy. However, to bring this into effect, you need to find a quality phonics class singapore.
3. Accuracy of Reading and Comprehension
One of the best things about phonics is that it is backed by science. In fact, much research suggests that teaching phonics first has a big impact on a child. As a result, it gets easier for the child to read aloud and comprehend faster as compared to other children. Hence, the child finds it easier to learn new words.
4. Better Focus
An interesting aspect of teaching phonics to children is that their focus increases. For instance, children can identify words, letters, and sounds faster. Furthermore, they also learn how to change the order of letters, which affects the meaning of words.
Simply put, with the help of phonics, children can decode words with the help of sounds. Otherwise, they also learn how to use phonemes to pronounce correct names.
Essential Resources to Teach Phonics
Here are some of the best resources that are helpful for teachers to teach phonics to children:
1. Electronic Phonics: This uses gamification in phonics lessons. Hence, it is useful for individuals or small groups. Basically, teachers can use this tool to teach phonics at all levels.
2. Manipulatives: With the help of phonics manipulatives, children can learn phonics sounds faster. Also, it is easy for them to understand word formation and enhance theory vocabulary.
3. Flash Cards: As a teacher, you can tailor your lesson to suit the needs and demands of your classroom. With the help of flash cards you can play phonics-based games with child students. For instance, you can challenge your pupils to read as many phonics as possible.
4. Thinking Phonics: You cannot teach all phonics in the classroom. In fact, you need to teach your pupils how to think phonics and use them in real-life situations. For instance, there are many websites where you can allow your pupils to solve interactive problems and games. This way, they can learn phonics faster.
Wrapping Up
Learning phonics is crucial for children. This helps them with reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Apart from that, children can also learn words faster and acquire a language with ease if they learn phonics.
If you have more suggestions to add on how to teach phonics to children, please share them in the comments section below.