Mrs. Spillman - Reading

Language Arts Methods of Instruction Our language arts program includes the integration of reading and writing. Each child begins at his/her own level and builds upon it. Our District curriculum is based on a balanced literacy framework both in content and process. Content areas of phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension are addressed through the processes of read alouds, shared reading, guided reading, and independent practice. A rich variety of children’s literature expands students’ vocabulary and understanding and hopefully builds a love of reading. I instruct small groups for reading intervention. Researched Based Programs • My Sidewalks Intensive Reading Intervention by Pearson (Phonemic Awareness, Letter Names, Consonants, Vowels, Blending Words and fluent word reading, High-Frequency Words, Oral vocabulary and concept development, Building Fluency, and Passage Reading and retelling) • Michael Heggerty (Phonemic Awareness) • Phonics Dance (Phonics instruction) What is phonics? Is it not sounding out words? How does this differ from phonological awareness? I get this question frequently. First, let me define phonics: Phonics is the method of teaching beginning readers to connect the sounds of spoken language with letters or a group of letters and yes, part of phonics instruction involves the teaching of children to blend the sounds of letters together to form words (technically referred to as decoding skills). Phonics instruction typically starts with letters first and children are taught the sounds that those letters "stand for" or "make". It is NOT the same thing as phonological awareness. The terms are not interchangeable. Phonological Awareness is the awareness of sounds only! It is void of print. No letters are introduced, no sound to symbol correspondence is taught. I like to use the following example. Phonics involves the eyes AND ears. Phonological awareness involves just the ears. You can have phonological awareness without phonics but you cannot have phonics without phonological awareness. Phonological awareness skills are prerequisite skills for phonics!