How to teach phonics

Wang Baoyin

【Abstract】In some of the western countries，students learn phonics when they start to study English，but we Chinese young learners study letters and spelling.They are different.There are so many relations between the pronunciation and the form of the words.We think that phonics teaching is important to the elementary students.So I want to share some of my ideas about phonics teaching with our teachers.

【key words】Phonics； Teaching； Tactics

Phonics is the system of letters and sounds of the English language.It includes the sounds of English called phonemes and the letters and letter groupings called graphemes.Phonemes is what we hear.Graphemes is what we see.Phonics combine these two parts together.

For example，letter O.We say it /??/.But /??/ is his name.We usually say it /?/，so /?/is his sound.We say the letter P /p/，not /pi：/.We have /p/，we have /?/，we can say PO /p?/.Another one that the letter D.D sounds /d/，so we can say POD /p?d/.We dont use the letters name but the letters sounds.In western countries they dont teach letterA/e?/，letter B/bi：/，letter C/si：/ and letter D /di：/first.They teach letter A/Λ/，letterB /b/，letterC/k/ and letterD/d/ first，then they study the name of the letters.This is difficult for the young learners in China.But in China we study both of them together.At the beginning of we study A，we should study his sound / ? /，but not /e?/.It is very important.Phonic is teaching how but not what.The purpose of phonic teaching is an ability that we can read when we see the words and we can write when we hear the sounds of the words.

Foreign children can hear clearly before they go to school.But they dont know how to write the words.For example “tree”，they know tree，when they see the picture.They would say thats a tree.But they dont know how to write tree.So they go to school，they join the two together.In China its a little different.When they come to us，they need to learn the word tree，and what it looks like in the same time.And children in English speaking countries they say /tr/--/?：/tree，but we say t-r-e-e tree.So our Chinese students feel painful in remembering words.

Phonics is a skill.Skill is not knowledge but is something we can use.Just like learning riding a bicycle.You follow him.Then let them study by themselves.Phonics teaching is not only for the students but also for ourselves.The better your students learn the more relax you will be.When they go home they can read by themselves.Whatever old words or new words.They can try to spell，write.It can also improve their listening，reading，saying，spelling，writing abilities.

Phonics is good.But how should phonics be taught？

At first it must be taught as early as possible.The best time of phonics teaching is at the age from 6 to 12 years old.Its hard to you to change the students pronunciation when they are after 12 years old.At school students study pinyin in Chinese class.You dont worry about it.Students can divide them in different kinds of classes.And Pinyin is their mother language.It can help the students learn phonics.

Secondly，it must be explicitly taught.We should have phonics teaching time.You should say now we are learning phonics.Its phonic time.Just like our free talk，or daily talk show.New PEP English Teaching books give us a part of pronunciation in each unit.

The third one，it must be taught systematically.In the beginning just teach the 26 letters 26 sounds.Students can say the 26 letters 26 sounds.They can sing the phonic songs.There are different phonic songs.You can choose one that you like.

Teach the students the letters have sounds clearly.Letter A for example，/e?/is his name./ ? /is his sound.Every time we teach the words.We should use a sentence.“Its an angry apple.” We can use songs，chant，（an，apple，an，ant alligator apple ant.）tongue twisters to teach phonics.

Apply the alphabets to spell similar words.How to apply he alphabet？ For example we use Rr.We know how and we should know two skills，often ask your students “Whats rug，rest…？”You can let the students look at your mouth and guess.Consonant clusters is easy to your students.You know c—l--cl，c—r--cr.How about these words？ “clock class clamp clab and cross craft cry crab”，Students can spell them out.We can do some exercise to practice phonics like spelling.

Special letter combinations，special teaching.Students will ask why or why not you can give them a reason that is not a real reason.In fact，there is no reason，for example sh.Phonics and grammar is for Grade 5 or Grade Verb ending –ed nouns ending s adj.ending -er and so on.We should give the rules and practice much.

A skill of teaching letters sound his name.You can say E is a special letter.He is at the end of the word.He has no sound.He only asks “Whats your name？” I answers “My name is …”Not only in phonic teaching class but also in learn class，vocabulary teaching ，recycle class. Now we talk about new vocabulary teaching.Traditional teaching like this：The teacher how a picture.This is a desk.Desk d-e-s-k desk.Repeat after me.Its terrible.We must change it.We can give the word first.Can you say the word？ How do you say it.Oh，good its desk.Whats desk？ Oh，thats right.I sit on my desk.The student do the work not the teacher.You give the chance to your students.Improve their ability not yours.

Phonic is easy ！Its effective.Its fun ！Its useful.We teach how not what.We should give the students the best start to learning English with phonics.