Phonics Exposed

What are the implications of teaching phonics via a systematic direct intense program that mandates all children to experience the same scripted lesson at the same time? This book addresses the question through an in-depth play-by-play description of a phonics lesson as it occurred in a real classroom, followed by chapters that look at it from different angles by "zooming in" on one facet to analyze it closely: *Reading. What is reading? What definition of reading is presented (implicitly) in the phonics lesson? What do competing definitions from the reading research literature say about how important phonics rules are and how they are used by readers and teachers of reading? *Teacher knowledge. What is the role and the place of teacher knowledge as it relates to the lesson? What are the skills a teacher has and needs to use in a lesson that is completely scripted ? *The children. What are their roles and positions during the lesson? What are they learning? *Curriculum. Where does the phonics curriculum come from? Curriculum in general? Who does it serve and how? What is its purpose? * Culture. What is the role of culture in the lesson? How do cultural differences and culturally relevant pedagogy relate to the scripted phonics lesson? *Politics and ideology. Why and how is everything that happens in schools political? How are scripted lessons and resistance to them, forms of political action? *Teacher professionalism. How can teachers act in order to maintain academic freedom expressed as professional decision making in classrooms? The author of this book is not neutral. He presents the difficulties a teacher encounters in implementing mandated systematic, direct, intense phonics instruction and children who are confused and frustrated by it. But at the same time he constantly presents hope in the form of smart teachers, curious children, and possibilities for taking action that can lead to change. His direct, accessible writing style stimulates thought and discussion.

What are the implications of teaching phonics via a systematic direct intense program that mandates all children to experience the same scripted lesson at the same time? This book addresses the question through an in-depth play-by-play description of a phonics lesson as it occurred in a real classroom, followed by chapters that look at it from different angles by "zooming in" on one facet to analyze it closely: *Reading. What is reading? What definition of reading is presented (implicitly) in the phonics lesson? What do competing definitions from the reading research literature say about how important phonics rules are and how they are used by readers and teachers of reading? *Teacher knowledge. What is the role and the place of teacher knowledge as it relates to the lesson? What are the skills a teacher has and needs to use in a lesson that is completely scripted ? *The children. What are their roles and positions during the lesson? What are they learning? *Curriculum. Where does the phonics curriculum come from? Curriculum in general? Who does it serve and how? What is its purpose? * Culture. What is the role of culture in the lesson? How do cultural differences and culturally relevant pedagogy relate to the scripted phonics lesson? *Politics and ideology. Why and how is everything that happens in schools political? How are scripted lessons and resistance to them, forms of political action? *Teacher professionalism. How can teachers act in order to maintain academic freedom expressed as professional decision making in classrooms? The author of this book is not neutral. He presents the difficulties a teacher encounters in implementing mandated systematic, direct, intense phonics instruction and children who are confused and frustrated by it. But at the same time he constantly presents hope in the form of smart teachers, curious children, and possibilities for taking action that can lead to change. His direct, accessible writing style stimulates thought and discussion.

This book explores the driving forces behind the current government-sponsored resurrection of phonics, and the arguments used to justify it. It examines the roles played by three key actors--corporate America, politicians, and state-supported reading researchers--in the formulation of what Strauss terms the neophonics political program. Essential for researchers, students, and teachers of literacy and reading, and for anyone seeking to understand what is happening in U.S. public schools today, The Linguistics, Neurology, and Politics of Phonics: Silent "E" Speaks Out: *analyzes the political nature of the alleged literacy crisis in the United States, through an investigation of the political and corporate motives behind the renewed focus on phonics, and media complicity in promoting the neophonics political program as the solution to the so-called crisis; *examines the scientific claims of neophonics, including methodology, linguistics, and neuroscience, and exposes the flaws in its reasoning and the weakness of its arguments; *addresses the scientific, empirical investigation of letter-sound relationships in English (of phonics itself), and demonstrates the complexity of the system and its associated benefits and limitations in the theory and practice of reading; *proposes actions to help make a return to politically undistorted science and to democratic classrooms a reality; and *introduces, in a postscript, a formal analysis of the letter-sound system, using empirically based rules to convert one finite set of elements, the alphabet, into another, the phonemes of the spoken language. Offering up-to-date information and an original critique, this book makes two important contributions. One is the policy analysis linking government agencies, policymakers, and corporate interests. The second is the neurological and linguistic treatment of why traditional phonics programs are not the solution and why the rhetoric developed to support their resurgence is so far off the mark.

Everyone agrees that an understanding of phonics is essential to cracking the code for reading. Getting Ready for Phonics discusses early language development. It focuses on the phonics debate; and provides activities to support multi-sensory learning environments for the teaching of phonological development in the Foundation Stage and early Key Stage 1.

The synthetic phonics approach is used in all primary schools in England. If you are a trainee or beginning primary school teacher, you need to demonstrate a confidence in the teaching of phonics to meet the Teachers' Standards and gain QTS. This is a practical, up-to-date guide to teaching children to read using synthetic phonics. It helps you to understand the theory behind phonics and how children's learning of reading can develop. It gives you practical teaching strategies and outlines how you can assess and diagnose reading problems. This second edition has been updated to include new chapters on the new Phonics Check in year 1 and overviews of popular phonics schemes used in England and Scotland.

"Parenting with a purpose" is the process designed by God during which each child is led to establish a foundation on which he can build a responsible, productive adult life. There are many situational variations of this process, but each variation includes a commitment to three fundamental building blocks. These building blocks are: - A Sound Moral Base - The Best Available Education - The Inner Motivation To Succeed Walter E. McDonald currently teaches a young adult Sunday school class for parents with children in elementary school and middle school. He was ordained a deacon in 1978, and he has been teaching Sunday school since 1965. He has taught children, youth, high school students, college students; young married couples, single adults, and senior adults. He has also worked with youth mission groups such as Royal Ambassadors and Shepherd Boys. His approach to teaching, no matter what age group he teaches, has always been that of the Apostle Paul written in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (KJV)

A readable discussion of the key ideas of child development and theory, including how children acquire language, the meaning of intelligence and creativity, as well as how best to teach children to read and write.

This is an essential guide to teaching primary English, with a focus on systematic synthetic phonics. The new edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect the structure, content and requirements of the national curriculum, and to include the latest policy context. Throughout, the range of underpinning literature has been expanded and there are completely new chapters on evidence based teaching in relation to phonics, reading for pleasure, and teaching English through texts. All the existing features have been retained, and each chapter now also includes: a section on integrating ICT extension questions to challenge M level readers sections on evidence-based practice to encourage critical reflection and debate