7 Steps to help you implement the Science of Reading
1. Read, listen and learn
Read articles, listen to podcasts, watch webinars, and participate in professional development pertaining to the Science of Reading and how best to implement a systematic, synthetic phonics approach in your classroom.
Join a Sunshine Phonics Workshop and you will very soon be Cracking the Alphabetic Code!
2. Teach phonemic awareness
“Tune in” your students with phonemic awareness activities and warm-ups to start their learning every day. It is critically important that children are able to hear the speech sounds and be able to differentiate them. This is a pre-requisite for learning to read.
3. Build vocabulary and language comprehension
Create a language-rich environment by reading mentor texts to expand vocabulary and language comprehension. Mentor texts are for reading to children and expose them to a rich and wide vocabulary beyond their own reading ability.
4. Follow an explicit, structured, sequential and cumulative teaching approach
Move through a Scope and Sequence of teaching grapheme-phoneme correspondences with a precise synthetic phonics approach. Students learn to segment, blend, and manipulate sounds.
5. Include repetition and daily review
Include daily practice and review of previous content to consolidate and master grapheme-phoneme correspondences and provide opportunities to apply this knowledge in reading, writing, and spelling.
6. Use decodable texts
Provide phonetically-controlled texts that students can decode, which are aligned to the daily phonics instruction and follow the Scope and Sequence of the alphabetic code.
7. Assess!
Observe, listen, and check for understanding through daily review and formative assessment. Assessment will determine the level of mastery achieved and any gaps that may need support and early intervention.
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