KSSR ENG YEAR 1 TEACHING PHONICS 3

UNIT 4 LISTEN TO ME
New Phonemes: /m, n/
Graphemes: m n
Words: man, map, nap, an, ant, pan, Nat, am, Pam, , tan, ap, apt
(Bold- words taught in the textbook. The rest are other words including 'nonsense words'.)

Lesson 1
Phonemes: /m, n/
Graphemes: m, n
Content
Standard: 2.1
Learning
Standard: 2.1.1, 2.1.2(b), 3.1.2(a), (b)
Teaching Aids: Sound card 'm'(3), 'n'(3); pocket chart; Picture cards of words beginning with 'm' and 'n' - man, map, mop, net,nest, nap.

Time: 30 minutes

Activity:
1. Revise phonemes /s æ t p/. Flash sound cards and sing Association Action Song.

2. Teacher introduces /m/. Follow Basic Teaching Steps to introduce a sound(Refer Teaching Phonics 1)

3. Sing Association Action Song(from Cory cat Phonics Song), Mickey Mouse m m m(Rub your tummy ).

4. Repeat Steps 1-3 for phoneme /n/; Action Song - Nelly Nightingale n n n(driving a sports car).

5. Play 'Throw Me In'. Introduce picture names for words beginning with /m/ and /n/ as pupils play the game.

6. Do writing activities(model the correct way of writing the grapheme):

• touch sandpaper letter
• form 'm' with modelling clay
  
• copy, write 'm' (AB pg 16; intergrate ICT, use Microsoftword. Let pupils choose font, colour it and print.)

(Ask 'What are you doing?' as pupils do the writing activity. Train them to say the sound not the letter name. Use the term 'sound' when teaching phonics NOT 'letter'.)

REFLECTION:

LESSON 2
Phonemes: /m, n/
Graphemes: m, n
Content
Standard: 2.1
Learning
Standard: 2.1.1, 2.1.2(b)
Teaching Aids: Sound card 'm'(3), 'n'(3); Picture cards of words beginning with 'm' and 'n' - man, map, mop, net,nest, nap.
Time: 30 minutes

Activity:
1. Teacher revises the phonemes /m n/.

2. Play 'Put It Right', Textbook pg 15.

3. Do writing activity AB pg 17.

REFLECTION:

LESSON 3
Phonemes: /m/, /n/
Graphemes: m, n
Content
Standard: 2.1
Learning
Standard: 1.1.1(g), 2.1.1, 2.1.2(b),2.1.3, 2.1.4
Teaching Aids: Sound cards 'm', 'n', 'p', 't' and 'a'; pocket chart;
Time: 30 minutes

Activity:
1. Teacher revises the phonemes /s æ t p m n/.

2. Do Oral Blending for words in the word list 'Sound It Right', Textbook pg
16.

3. Play 'Sound It Right', Textbook pg 16. Divide pupils into 2 groups. Teacher says /m-æ-n/(sound-by-sound) and pupils compete to put the corresponding sound cards together. Then they read and segment the word, for eg 'man', /m-æ-n/.
Don't forget to ask the whole class to read and segment the word too.

4. Do writing activity AB pg 18. Encourage the pupils to say the sounds as they write each word. For instance for the word 'sat', encourage them to say /s- æ -t/ as they write.

REFLECTION:

LESSON 4
Phonemes: /m/, /n/
Graphemes: m, n
Content
Standard: 2.1
Learning
Standard: 2.1.1, 2.1.2(b),2.1.3
Teaching Aids: Sound cards 'm', 'n', 'p', 't' and 'a'; pocket chart; Reading Text, textbook pg 16; Sight word cards - 'on', 'the' (written in blue)
Time: 30 minutes

Activity:
1. Revise blending words quickly.

2. Read the text on page 16 together. Teach pupils to read the blue words(sight words) using look & say method(use flash cards).

3. Next let the pupils take turns to read in groups. Then pair them up and let them read the text to each other.

4. Do dictation ( For abled students - sentence level. Show sight word cards if they have problem writing the sight words; for the less abled - word level )

5. Do manipulaton. The suggested manipulation sequence for sounds represented by /s æ t p m n/ is:

a - an - am - pam - map - man - pan - tan - tap - nap - map - ap - apt - ant

This manipultaion exercise is very powerful because you are training your pupils to read any possible sound combinations.

REFLECTION:

ORAL BLENDING

Oral blending is a basic phonemic awareness task. Phonemic awareness is the understanding about spoken language. It is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate individual sounds(phonemes). If children cannot distinguish individual sounds within words, they will have difficulty to read and write.

Oral blending exercises help children hear how sounds are put together to make words so that they can begin sounding out words independently as they read.
You can begin oral blending with children as early as three years of age.

GUESS THE WORD:
1. Simply tell your child "I'm going to say some sounds and I want you to guess the word. /s- a-t/"
Train your child to say "sat".
2. You can also say "I'm thinking of an animal. It's a /c-a-t/.
3. You can play 'I Spy.' Say 'I spy something square, /b-oo-k/.'
Note: Say the sounds not letter names.

Learning To Read = Learning To Drive

I can still remember waiting for my driving instructor everyday, eagerly, during the school hols after my SPM.(1980). I can still remember I had to learn from A to Z about driving - from holding (& also turning) the steering; to putting the car into first gear and letting the clutch pedal go slowly while pressing down the gas pedal(Ayo don't ask me how many times my car mati at roundabouts :p). I practised all these small steps everyday. And when I got my license, I told my passengers NOT to talk to me while I'm driving. It took me many many years to become an expert driver. Now I can talk nonstop while driving. I can also eat kuaci while driving. BUT I don't talk on the phone while driving(ehem).

It's the same thing with reading. Like driving, reading is a complex skill. It has to be taught from the bottom up, from the simple parts to the complex whole. In order for a person to become an expert reader, a good speller and writer, s/he has to be 'good' at it. In order to be 'good', s/he has to be competent. Competency stems from practice(repetition). Children have to practice reading, spelling, writing everyday to obtain mastery.

So my advice to Year 1 English teachers to teach phonics everyday. Please DON'T teach reading once a week. If you do so, then your pupils will be facing READING FAILURE!
Bear in mind, whether a child becomes an expert reader depends upon:

• the teaching method(synthetic phonics , please)
  
• the teacher's skill in teaching(hope BPK has trained you well)
  
• parental support(definitely not in rural areas)
  
• the child's motivation and talent
• the number of lessons & hours of practice

Readeasy Phonics has been successful at preschool level, especially, for the past 10 years because we

• use synthetic phonics.
• train our teachers thoroughly in reading instruction.
  
• teach reading(blending, segmenting) everyday for half an hour.

Never forget that the teacher of a young child is the custodian of that child's destiny...

First Steps

When I teach my child to read and write, I make sure that:

• he is able to say the speech sounds(phonemes).
• he is aware that words are made up of speech sounds.
• he recognizes the letters(graphemes) that represent the sounds.
• he uses the correct hand movement for writing letters. For preschool children you can use Readeasy Activity Book 1 to practice letter formation.
  
• he understands what he reads & writes. The first step to comprehension is to show him real objects or pictures of what he is reading.
  
• he is able to use symbols(letters) to write his thoughts.

Keep these points in mind when teaching your child to read.

What's The Best Age To Teach Reading?

The issue of when to teach children to read is always hotly debated.
Many parents are beginning to teach reading early, and many children are learning to read at preschools. But there are also many parents & educators who believe that early reading harms children.

Regardless of which option we choose, learning to read is not an option. Children MUST learn to read. Reading is the very foundation of academic success.

Dr Glen Doman, founder of the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, says the best age is between 3 - 5. Dr Robert Titzer, founder of Your Baby Can Read, says from birth to 4.

As for me, a mother of 6 children & also a Reading Specialist, I started 'teaching' as early as when the baby is in the womb. I divide my 'teaching' into 2 parts. The first part(birth - 3yrs old) is for early literacy & the second part(above 3 years) is the formal reading lessons. For Malaysians, go to www.cepatmembaca.blogspot to get tips on what you can do to stimulate your baby during pregnancy.

Bear in mind to enjoy what you are doing. Never force lessons into your tiny baby and make sure your baby is fed and not sleepy during your stimulation sessions.
Have fun!

Speech Sounds In English

In order to teach reading effectively, teachers or parents must have adequate knowledge on the English Alphabet Code.

Let's begin by understanding there are 44 speech sounds(phonemes) in English. 24 are consonant sounds and the rest are vowel sounds.

However the English Alphabetic Code is one of the most complex writing systems in the world. If it was simple, each sound would only have one spelling. But it is not so. In English, some sounds can be represented by more than one spelling(i.e. spelling alternatives). For example the sound /k/ can be represented by 'c', 'k', 'ck' and 'ch' to name a few.

Also a spelling pattern can represent more than one sound(i.e.code overlaps). For example, the letter 'i' has different sounds in words 'bit' and 'find'.

The first step that we can take is to learn to say the speech sounds in English. Speech sounds are not letter names. Learn to say the sounds by watching Readeasy Phonics VCD. The VCD is given free if you buy Readeasy Phonics Reading Series which is only RM39.90. The VCD contains speech sounds taught in Beginner Level, teaching tips and also the correct pronunciation of picture names used in the series (all for only under RM40... oh and free flash cards too!)

But if you are free on weekends, do come and join me in my workshops. Call READNETWORK 03-41435440 for upcoming workshops.

Ayo Why Phonics??

"Ayo why phonics?"
"Don't teach a b c first? Cannot laa, Year 1 must teach abc. If not how to write?"
"Teach sounds only? How children going to spell?"
" Funnyla, /s-ɪ-t/, (ss-ih-tuh), sit; /p-e-t/, (puh-eh-tuh), pet."

These are common comments from parents, teachers, Guru Besars, education officers, & others who are not FAMILIAR with phonics.

Let's open up our horizons. If you surf the net on synthetic phonics you will realise that it is a proven method. For the last few years, phonics practitioners(me too) are celebrating their success in teaching reading to kids. Those who are still doubtful, give yourselves 2 weeks to follow step-by-step Readeasy Phonics Early Reading Series. Are you game? Find yourself a 5-7 year old to teach.

Tips for parents:
1. Do NOT teach the names of the alphabet. STRICTLY NO a(ay), b(bee), c(cee)!
Why? Simply because the brain reads by breaking the words into sounds(speech sounds), not letters names. For example, when you see the word 'book', you don't read it as 'bee-o-o-kay' but as /bʊk/.

2. *Keep the reading session short, 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times a day. Teach reading everyday.

3. Find a suitable spot for your reading session.

4. Be cool(because I know our patience is easily stretched when teaching kids) & make your lessons fun.

5. Praise/Reward your child for any achievements, however small it is.

NOTE:* If you are a preschool teacher, you can have 15-20 students in a group. Reading lesson should be at least 30minutes per day.
In primary school classrooms, you will have more students. Lessons should be 1 hour everyday. I would suggest students are grouped according to their reading abilities & slow learners be given 1-1 help.