PHONICS

Effective Phonics instruction teaches students the alphabetic principle relating Reading sounds (phonemes) to letters (graphemes). Learning to read unfamiliar but decodable English words requires the use of phonics. The goal of phonics instruction is to teach students that there are "systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken sounds" (Put Reading First, p.12). Learning the common letter-sound correspondences in English and techniques for blending the sounds to read regularly spelled words contributes to the ease with which beginners automatically recognize isolated written words as well as words within connected text. At the center of the recommendations regarding the teaching of phonics is the importance of systematic and explicit phonics instruction (Put Reading First, pp. 13-15).

PHONICS INSTRUCTION
WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN	HOW TO TEACH IT
Accurate and rapid identification of the letters of the alphabet. The alphabetic principle (an understanding that the sequence of sounds or phonemes in a spoken word are represented by letters in a written word. Phonics elements (e.g., letter-sound correspondences, spelling patterns, syllables and meaningful words parts). How to apply phonics elements as they read and write.	Provide explicit, systematic phonics instruction that teaches sound-symbol relationships in sequence. Provide explicit instruction in blending sounds to read words. Include practice in reading texts that are written for students to use their phonics knowledge to decode words. Provide ample opportunities for students to practice spelling words they can decode and decoding words they can spell. Use screening and progress monitoring assessment to inform phonics instruction. Provide intensive instruction to students who are not making adequate progress in decoding, using diagnostic assessment to target specific sound-syllable associations or decoding skills with which students need additional practice.

PHONICS INSTRUCTION

WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN

HOW TO TEACH IT

Accurate and rapid identification of the letters of the alphabet.
The alphabetic principle (an understanding that the sequence of sounds or phonemes in a spoken word are represented by letters in a written word.
Phonics elements (e.g., letter-sound correspondences, spelling patterns, syllables and meaningful words parts). How to apply phonics elements as they read and write.

Provide explicit, systematic phonics instruction that teaches sound-symbol relationships in sequence.
Provide explicit instruction in blending sounds to read words. Include practice in reading texts that are written for students to use their phonics knowledge to decode words.
Provide ample opportunities for students to practice spelling words they can decode and decoding words they can spell.
Use screening and progress monitoring assessment to inform phonics instruction. Provide intensive instruction to students who are not making adequate progress in decoding, using diagnostic assessment to target specific sound-syllable associations or decoding skills with which students need additional practice.