The phonics approach to learning to read books follows certain steps. First, children learn phonemes used in the English language. Second, they learn the graphemes, or the visual representation of phonemes. Once children have learned their phonemes and graphemes, they learn how these two work together. After, children learn how to segment and blend words. This is vital practice. Blending and segmenting is the first true step towards learning to read books. But, before children can get there, they absolutely must understand the relationship between phonemes and graphemes, between sound and letter.
Knowing the sound to letter connection allows children to:
- Recognize letters in print
- Understand different sounds the same letter can make
- Understand different combinations of letters and sounds
- Learn new words and what units of sound make those words
- Practice pronouncing letters and their different sounds
Reading specialists refer to this process as the alphabetic principle, and it is a principle that children must master before they can be successful at learning to read books.
So, what is the connection between sound and letter? How do children learn to read? What can we do as educators to give children a strong foundation for reading books?
Phonemes: Basic Building Blocks I
Graphemes: Basic Building Blocks II
Blending and Segmenting: Basic Building Blocks III
Understanding the Link Between Phonemes and Graphemes
The alphabetic principle is also known as phonics. Phonics is a regimented approach to learning to read through explicit training. Children begin by learning all 44 phonemes in American English. Phonemes are the smallest units of sounds that make up words, which makes learning phonemes pure auditory training. Next, as children become more comfortable with all phonemes, they come to understand what units of sound create different words. For example, the phoneme /b/ is the same phoneme used in bat and ball.
Then, children learn about graphemes. Graphemes are visual representations of these phonemes. Graphemes can be individual letters or sets as large as four letters. Children learning to read books must already be familiar with graphemes, which is why training early on is crucial. Learning how to read requires a type of translation or decoding. Because graphemes represent sound, children learning to read books must be able to recognize graphemes (combinations of letters) and produce the related phoneme through speech. This is how reading happens. If they cannot recognize graphemes or match them to the appropriate phonemes, they mispronounce words and fail to read.
As you can imagine, for a child of only four or five years, learning to read books takes a great deal of preparation and practice!
The Challenge of Learning to Read Books
How does practice with graphemes and phonemes affect a child who is learning to read books? Phonics training is the foundation of reading, and can make or break a child’s success. Take the word cat, for example.
The word cat is composed of three distinct symbols. On the page, we see letters c, a and t. However, there are several variations of how this word might be pronounced depending on what phonemes we choose to apply. As a result, children learning to read books must determine what the correct phonemic expression is for each represented letter.
First, they see the letter c.
How many different ways can we pronounce c? Two: /s/, /k/
Then, they see the letter a.
How many different ways can we pronounce a? Three: /a/, /au/ and /ai/
Finally, they see the letter t.
How many different ways can we pronounce t? One: /t/
Children learning to read books must know all of this in order to succeed. They will need to know the individual phonemes and graphemes that they have practiced. Next, they will need to work this problem and figure out which pronunciation (phoneme) for each letter is correct when reading the word cat.
In many ways, learning to read books is an extended puzzle that they need to solve one word at a time. The more they read, the more frequently they encounter the same words. As they do, they learn to read books more quickly, automatically knowing how certain words are pronounced. This, in turn, builds fluency.
However, the main challenge of learning to read books is that there are thousands of different combinations of graphemes and phonemes. Additionally, one letter can make up to eight different sounds, and those sounds change depending on the context of surrounding letters. Consequently, learning to read books can potentially become tiring.
However, learning to read books does not have to overwhelm anyone. Phonics training begins with the smallest, simplest parts of language. If children learn all about phonics and master phonemes and graphemes, they are well-prepared to succeed at learning to read books.
Join Professor Pup’s Academy and Learn to Read Books
Successfully teaching reading is essential to see a child grow as a learner. Fortunately, learning to read is a huge joy. When children learn to read, they have access to information and stories that they never had before. Ultimately, learning to read is challenging, but well worth the effort. That is why at Professor Pup’s Academy, we have solutions for teachers to use in their classrooms to make teaching reading skills easy, fun and effective.
We are confident that your students will enjoy learning to read books with Professor Pup and his friends. In fact, our programs are quite versatile, so you can use it in many different ways.
Pup’s Quest 2 builds upon basic phoneme and grapheme awareness acquired in Pup’s Quest for Phonics. The program includes 32 lessons that introduce more complex phonemes and build upon practice with graphemes. Children engage in explicit training with a cheerful cast of characters, energizing games and memorable songs. This program is designed to encourage, teach and train children the skills required to begin learning to read books. After completing Pup’s Quest 2, kids have a strong foundation for complete reading success.
If you want to incorporate Professor Pup’s programs into your classroom, please visit our School Edition page and learn how you can get a free trial.