Phonics

What is phonics?

Phonics is about the sound of a language.

“Phone” means “sound.” Think about telePHONE, homoPHONE, microPHONE, PHONOgraph.

Many American children learn to read with the help of phonics. They learn about the “sh” sound and the “ch” sound and the vowel sounds – long “a” and long “e” and short “a” and short “e.” They learn to put together these sounds – “sh” with the long “o” sound – “show” or the “f” sound of “ph” with long “o” – and then the “n” sound. “Phone.”

English is very confusing. They are many different ways to spell the same sounds. When you look at a word, it is difficult to know how to pronounce it. Phonics can help you. You can learn about the sounds of English and how to put them together to pronounce the words the right way.

If you want to try this method, try these things:

1. Watch “Between the Lions” on your PBS channel. You can also find it at www.pbskids.org

2. Buy a phonics book from www.amazon.com or www.powell.com or Morrison’s School Supply in San Carlos or any large bookstore like Barnes and Noble.

3. Go to www.youtube.com and search for “phonics for kids.” You will find many videos. Try looking for “phonics songs consonant blends,” also.

Here's a fun video to give you an idea of what you can find: