learning

Decodable Readers and Phonics.

Jj is for Jottings 80.  Decodable Readers.

What are Decodable Readers?

As mentioned in the previous article (see here), decodable readers support the teaching of phonics in a cumulative manner.  The rules and patterns of the English language are taught sequentially.  As the student learns the rules, he practices using decodable readers.  In this way there are no nasty surprises involving unknown words, because they know the rules  and every word can be decoded.  This gives the reader both skills and confidence, and makes learning to read much less of a challenge.

Most Children Learn to Read Without Decodable Readers, Don’t They?

Continue reading →

Literacy, Language and Prison.

Jj is for Jottings 79.  Literacy, Language and Prison.

Here are studies from three countries on the relationship between literacy, language and prison or young offender sentences:

1. USA.

Approximately 80% of prison inmates are functionally illiterate, and 47.8% of the inmates were deficient in word attack skills, according to reports.  (Texas, 2000) Continue reading →

Blending Sounds: A Simple Game For Everyday Life.

Jj is for Jottings 77.  Blending Sounds: A Simple Game For Everyday Life.

What is Blending?

Blending is “pushing” individual sounds or syllables together to make a word.  In early stages of reading the child will be blending sounds, but as they progress and begin to recognise chunks of words, they will also be blending syllables. Continue reading →

Communication Milestones.

Jj is for Jottings 68. Communication Milestones.

Here is a chart put together by a group from Queensland and the National Office of Speech Pathology Australia which you may find useful.

Here is the link if you want to print copies.
www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/milestones

Reading Comprehension – Is Your Child Barking at Print?

Jj is for Jottings 67.  Reading Comprehension – Is Your Child Barking at Print?

When your child is reading to you, are you sure they (I’m using “they” to cover both boys and girls) are actually understanding what they are reading, or are they just barking at print? i.e. Reading the words correctly but not actually decoding them, so they really have no idea what they are reading. Continue reading →

What is Synthetic Phonics?

Jj is for Jottings 65.  What Is Synthetic Phonics?

We’re just taking a break from the series on How to Raise a Reader – we’ll finish it next time.

Synthetic phonics means “building words from individual sounds”.  For example, even if you had never seen it before, you could spell the word “step” Continue reading →

Raising A Reader Part 4: Early Readers.

Jj is for Jottings 64.  Raising a Reader Part 4: Early Readers.

Continuing from

https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-1-the-baby/

https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-2-toddlers/ and

https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-3-emerging-readers/, your child has now begun to read Continue reading →

Raising a Reader Part 3: Emerging Readers.

Jj is for Jottings 63.  Raising a Reader Part 3:  Emerging Readers.

Continuing from the two previous articles

https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-1-the-baby/  and https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-2-toddlers/,

this next stage is the magical time when your child starts to take an interest in letters and words and begins to make out words for himself, in books or real life such as street signs. Continue reading →