WHY PHONICS?

Some teachers of English argue that there is no point in teaching the English alphapetic code, that children learn to read by seeing the words many times. However, through Phonics Instruction children are able to decode most of the English words they learn. A written language is basically a kind of a code. Teaching phonics is just teaching children to crack that code. Children learn the simple bits first and then easily progress to get the hang of the trickier bits.

Besides, children develop good listening skills and a better pronunciation, which will lead to a better communication as they will feel more confident and motivated.

Phonics for ALL THE STUDENTS

A Phonics Programme should be included within any English Language Programme, not just for those which are involved in Bilingual Sections. 

It is a tool for LEARNING TO LEARN

It can be said that Phonics lays the foundation for reading success and therefore it is also considered a great tool for SEN and diverse students.

How is phonics taught?

Some people worry that phonics is taught to children when they are too young.

However, those people might be surprised if they stepped into a phonics lesson. Phonics sessions are integrated into any English lesson. They are not taught in isolation but in context and the focus on phonics lasts for about 15-20 min. They are entirely made up from:  

• games
• songs 
• actions 
• hands-on activities

The use of ICTs is very important as a resource to develop Digital Competence.

In my experience, (when phonics is taught well) children generally enjoy phonics so much that they beg their teachers to play phonics games with them at other times of the day.