ABSTRACT

A truly phonic method is the teaching of letter sounds individually, later digraphs such as 'ph ch th cr st sh', and building these into words and finally sentences. There are valuable sources of advice for classroom procedures in the teacher's manuals of graded reading schemes using a Phonic approach, and in those supporting Look and Say followed by Phonics. Lists of phonic sounds are given in teacher's manuals, though there is not usually absolute agreement as to sequence. Many teachers keep the necessary phonic instruction and drill entirely separate from reading as an activity; though they refer to such practice when hearing the children read. The sequence of phonic training should stress the left to right eye movement and accentuate what is dependable rather than what is not. Time was when the alphabet was taught as an introduction to reading—and many parents are critical and uneasy if their children are not taught this in their early days at school.