Actually, I agree with you Jackie. There are too many exceptions to the phonics rules to teach phonics alone. I teach my children sight words and phonics. I do lean heavily on phonics since most reading (in the beginning) is done by sounding out words.
EXACTLY. There ARE rules, and it helps to know them. Phillip will come across a word like PLEASE and pause. All I have to do is ask him, "What's the rule?", and he can tell me what the word says. Of course, we DO come across the words that DON'T follow the rules, and he'll try to apply the rule to them. So I have to explain that, yes, it DOES look like it should be that, but this word breaks the rule. We just have to remember that one!
I just learned by sight-reading.. Sight words only. Word shape memorization with context and repetition. Think Dick and Jane readers plus a few flash cards and a dictionary. Whole language has more focus on literature, right? Also I wasn't allowed to use 'inventive spelling' because it would interfere with word shape recognition.
Phonics mostly but I throw in sight as well. I use the Dolch sight word lists as spelling words as well just for the extra practice. Personally if you can write it you can read it. And I do have to say that I didn't learn that "w" was a vowel. I have heard of it and question what are the rules for having "w" as a vowel?
Whole language does include a lot of literature. And the professor that I took a two-week workshop from doesn't use "inventive" spelling. She calls it "temporary" spelling. She agrees that, if kids had to take the time to look up every single word during their initial writing, they would quite trying to use they couldn't spell. But at the same time, she didn't want to give the impression that we could just make up our spelling. By calling it "temporary" spelling, the implication was that there was an expectation to correct it later. So much of Charlotte Mason really reminded me of what I learned in that workshop!
I may have missed this, in the thread somewhere, so if it has been mentioned, forgive me... (Natural blonde..) I know it is good to let a kid write freely, even though they are miss-spelling words, and such. The important thing is to get the writing SOMETHING.. the correct later.. But HOW much later? And how much correction without leading to discouragement?
What I do is I tell Sami to write me a paragraph and then I have her read it back to me. When she has trouble knowing what she just wrote we talk about making ourselves understood even to other people and that is why there are right and wrong spellings. Sometimes I show her the correct way to spell a word (particularly if it is so off that she can't read her own words.) But we don't actually go back and fix it. I see regular improvement in her spelling just from doing that each day.
Sight-reading only like I learned... that is anti-phonics, whole language seems to use phonics rules as tools. I'm not really that familiar with the ideas of Whole Language. With Sami, I was using "100EZ lessons" Which is alot of phonics for me (Yes, I know the rest of the world seems to think it's not enough phonics) but I strongly encouraged her not to sound out words she had already sounded out a couple times before. I said alot, "Now look at it closely so you will recognize it next time you see it." :angel: You and I are on dangerous ground...LOL I just read this in an article on the subject: I guess I balk at phonics because from sight words only I could read faster and with better comprehension than classmates who learned by phonics. As a kid I had NO patience listening to the slower readers decipher their words: and th -e -n then the d-o-g dog ran a-w-a-y aw away! It almost hurt. Not only that, now I see the kids I babysit that go to public school seem to have forgotten what the beginning of the sentance was by the time they reach the end of it. I watched one day as Season sounded out the same word four times on the same page. I stopped her.. Why do you need to sound it out again? you just did that?! She obvously was focused so intently on letters she had no clue what she was reading about. That's not even going into how many of them around here tell me they HATE to read. As adults we don't sound out every word.. even the adults that learned using phonics.. They just had eventually sounded it out so many times that they memorized the word. I just was presented the same word so many times I memorized it. I do wish that some one had explained a couple basic phonics rules to me earlier.. Like "Each letter stands for a sound." When I finally got that one in 3rd grade I felt a burden lift from me.. NOW I could read without having to ask questions every time I encountered a new word! I think Phonics is a great tool for helping with new words (One dosn't always have a dictionary or someone around to ask!) I'm just not sold on having kids sit and decode every letter on a page.
Most genius answers are the most simple! Thanks, I thought that this was correct, but I guess I needed ot hear it from someone else. jen
Oh, Syele, I sure do hear you!!! I love it! Now Whole Language people are abusive !!! Principles of Whole Language have been used in the schools for generations. It's the kind of thing good teachers did instinctively, a kind of "natural" way of learning to read. It does NOT throw Phonics out the door (like many people seem to think!), but incorporates it into a TOTAL reading program. Does a kid still need some systematic phonics? That depends on the kid. Some do, some don't. I taught Rachael short vowel sounds when she was four, and she took off. And when I taught handicapped kids about 9-11 years old, they were THRILLED at the idea of using "real" books, as opposed to the BORING Basal Readers. Plus, these kids would probably never be big readers. My number one goal would was to instill a LOVE of reading in them. That way, they would push themselves because they would WANT to learn to read. We talked about PLOT with "I Can Read" mystery books. We learned about the authors. And when we went to the library, I tell the kids, "Oh look! Here's a book by Arnold Lobel! Remember he's the guy who wrote the stories about Frog and Toad! Who would be interested in getting out this book?" The connection was made between what was done in READING CLASS and "real" books. I've found that often these kids would think reading was for reading class only, and I wanted them to realize those skills could be used OUTSIDE the classroom for their own personal enjoyment. (OK! Stepping off my soapbox now, lol!)
Tell me if I am off the mark, here. Or, if I am right on the money.... The local thrift shop has comic books. Several kinds, but in particular, they have, Looney tunes, Rugrats and so on. The boys found them, the other day and were engrossed in them. They are like a dime a dozen, so we could afford to get several. Should I just let them go? LEt them read voraciously, or do comic books retard any form of reading? Basically, I see nothign wrong with it. The comics, themselves are clean. I mean, it is casper the friendly ghost, for goodness sakes. But you know I am going to come here and ask you guys what you think. (No, I do not follow you blindly, but it helps to listen to others before doing things) Sorry if I high-jacked.. this seemed to be a reading thread. jen
This is MY OPINION ONLY! It is NOT, by any stretch of the imagination, authority in any way, shape, or form!!! I do NOT like my kids reading comic book type stuff. Our library now has what they call a "graphic" section. These are more comic book type books. I HATE it!!! But they kids like them, so I bite my tongue. I DO limit the number they can check out at a time to two. I figure it's no big deal as long as they're reading plenty of "real" books, too! But I wouldn't want them to be reading them exclusively.
I agree with Jackie. It's hard for "real" books to compete with comic books! If you want them to get to reading chapter books, it may be harder if they read comic books too much. Just my opinion also, toss it if you wish!
I think comics in samll doses are ok. I still have fond memories of rushing to read the "Funnies" in our newspaper every sunday! Sami loves to get them now and then at the bookstore, I'd only have a problem if it became her main form of reading. I don' tsee them as that much different than picture books.
I think there is a difference between the comics or "funnies" which I still read regular, and books written in comic form. I wanted to read "Ben Hur" to my kids (it ties in with History!), but was hoping to get an abridged version. I had one sent in from a different library, only to find it was in comic book form! I gave it right back to them!
Don't know ya'll but this might be a boy thing... (Mom jumping in here with 3 boys:lol: ). But my boys LOVE LOVE LOVE comics, funnies or any type of book with a comedy style format. I was concerned early on when my oldest was reading prior to Kindergarten because he loved comic books so much. He love any books but really thoroughly enjoyed his comic books. So when he went to public school in K, I remember being real concerned and specifically asking the reading specialist in our school that had him evaluated and she told me, her exact words, *a comic book reader is a life long reader*.. Of course, she went on to say how to vary his diet in reading, and limit any of the books like that because we want them to have whole books, classics,etc. Just to stay balanced,kwim? I mean she was right, all 3 love to read and the comic books are still part of our diet, but in limited doses. When we drive, they load up on comic books for the drive.....:roll: :lol:
My husband has a "Good, better, best" theory: You give up the good to get the better, and give up the better to get the best. So, and again this is just my dh's and my opinion, though some of the comics may not be bad, some are. They can (doesn't mean they DO) instill unreal thoughts and since they can't be superheroes, etc., it can instill dissatisfaction. Comic books are fun and exciting, which can bring up the "need" of things to be exciting to be enjoyed. We try not to read fiction either, for the same reasons. There are some really good true story books out there that can be enjoyed. SOOOOO, we felt that we'd give up something good to get something better. And as we go and learn, and work toward positive goals in life, then we may take something we now think is good, and give it up for something better or best. That's our reasoning of where we're coming from. I know many people won't agree with me, and that's fine. That's just where we're at right now.
I appreciate fiction, but you will find me in the non-fiction section. I have nothing against fiction, of course! But I get bored with the knowledge that "This never happened". I am a nerd. Even as a kid (Who admitedly watched 20/20 in the 80's as a child) I have always been a current events, non-fiction, news junkie, kind of reader. So, I am biased. But, I appreciate fiction, so the kids read all of it they can muster, like Dr. Suess and Looney tunes Comic Books, and Casper the friendly Ghost comic books and so on! Whooo Hoooo!
Yep! A nerd!!! I'm the opposite. I have a difficult time reading most non-fiction. But put it in story form....
