The Science behind Phonics: How it Builds Strong Readers

As a teacher, it’s clear that reading is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Reading skills impact every aspect of a child’s life, from academic success to developing interpersonal relationships and understanding the world around them. Phonics is one of the most effective ways to teach a child to read and build strong readers for life.

Phonics is the systematic understanding of how language works, specifically how letters and sounds correspond. When children learn phonics, they understand how to decode written words and can read fluently and confidently. Research shows that phonics has long-lasting benefits for children and is one of the most effective reading instruction methods.

Phonics helps young learners break down words into small parts called phonemes. These phonemes are the building blocks of language and when students can identify them, they begin to understand how sounds correspond with symbols. This leads to greater reading fluency, better comprehension, and stronger reading skills overall.

Additionally, phonics helps children learn spelling and writing skills. When children understand the connection between letters and sounds, they can use this knowledge to write words more accurately. This strengthens spelling skills and leads to a greater understanding of the English language.

There are several different methods of teaching phonics, each with its own unique approach. However, one of the most effective ways to teach phonics is through multisensory learning. This is where multiple senses are used to learn a new concept, in this case, learning phonics. This method uses visual, auditory and kinesthetic activities that are designed to appeal to different learning styles, so more children can benefit.

One of the best examples of a multisensory program for learning phonics is Senseable.com. This system uses different games and activities to help children learn phonics in a fun and engaging way. The system is designed to appeal to children of all ages and abilities and is designed to be self-paced so that children can work at their own level.

The Senseable.com system is especially effective because it uses a variety of different exercises to teach phonics. These exercises include matching pictures with the correct beginning, middle, or end sounds, building words with movable letters and playing games that help children identify rhyming words.

The Senseable.com system is also effective because it uses a unique approach to teaching phonics. It starts by teaching children the most common letter sounds and gradually builds on this knowledge so that children can learn more complex letter combinations, such as digraphs, trigraphs, and vowel teams.

In conclusion, phonics is critical for building strong readers and has long-lasting benefits for children. Multisensory learning is an excellent way to teach phonics and is especially effective when used with a program like Senseable.com. With patience, practice and the right tools, all children can learn to read and enjoy the benefits of a lifelong love of books.