A Linguistic Perspective on Phonics Freeman and Freeman Chapter 6

Phonics basics Key elements Logical, systematic instruction Phonemic awareness Sound-letter correspondence Logical, systematic instruction Target particular letter-sound correspondence Explicitly state rules Provide examples and practice Provide sequenced progression of lessons Improves word recognition, spelling and reading comprehension for all children (NRP)

Linguistic studies Smith (1971) Paulson & Freeman (2003) 211 sound-letter correspondences (166 rules, 45 exceptions) Larger context has to be considered to determine sound (cite, city; read; wind) Paulson & Freeman (2003) Readers do not fixate words 1 letter at a time Readers fixate only 60-80% of words Readers fixate content words more than function words Clymer (1963): How often do commonly taught phonics rules work?

Arguments against phonics: Nasal assimilation – general phonological rule “ng”  [ŋg] “finger” “ng”  [ŋ] “singer” Plural formation – morphophonemic rule plural  [s] “cat + s” plural  [z] “dog + s” plural  [Iz] “bush + es” Reduced vowel [ə] and word stress “anemone” Syllable structure more identifiable than phonemes

Importance of PA in developing literacy Inconsistency of oral/written language correspondence What is the role of oral language in reading? (common strategy) Miscue study (p. 151)* reveals struggling readers rely heavily on graphophonic cues Kucer & Tuten (2003): proficient readers rely more heavily on syntax and semantics than graphophonic cues

PA: learned or acquired? Word recognition view: learn phonics rules first, then apply that knowledge to reading Decodable books: “Dan can fan Nan” Sociopsycholinguistic view: graphophonics is subconscious knowledge that is acquired during reading Books that support reading (p. 155) Alphabet books

Assessment Phonics worksheet: assess conscious knowledge of phonics in isolation Instructions may be confusing Relies on knowing the word “Determining lesson”: assess subconscious knowledge of graphophonics in context of reading Modified phonics worksheet