Which is the best letter sound order? Is there one correct phonics scope and sequence that follows the science of reading? What does the research say about the sequence in which we teach our students phonics? You probably know that structured literacy requires just that: a structure. However, it can feel overwhelming to determine which order to teach sounds. Let’s…
Encoding and decoding are two connected but different skills. While both of these skills are important, understanding the difference between the two is crucial to good literacy instruction. If you can pinpoint whether a struggling student need to work on their encoding or decoding skills, you can better target your phonics, reading, and writing instruction. Let’s examine what encoding and…
If you’re wondering, “How do I actually teach the 6 syllable types?”, you’re in the right place. So far we’ve learned why you need to teach syllables and the basics of each type of syllable. Now it’s time to learn how the heck to teach ’em. This is post 6 in my series Phonics Rules for Teachers (and How the…
Understanding the basics of the 6 syllable types is a great place to start with if you already know what a syllable is and why you should teach it to your students. The What and Why were covered in the last post of Phonics Rules for Teachers (and how the heck to teach ’em) . Now we’ll explore each of…
Syllables are a key building block of the English language and are an important part of strong phonics instruction. There’s a whole lot more to syllables than just clapping out how many a word has and moving on. Understanding the 6 syllable types and using them to help read and write helps the English language make sense. This post will…