PHONICS INTERVENTIONS

Teaching the Alphabetic Principle:
Critical Alphabetic Principle skills

Teaching Sounding Out Words

Strategies

Prior to reading the words, review the letter-sound correspondences that have been recently introduced or are problematic for learners.
As you progress to each new phase of word reading (sounding out > saying whole word > sounding out the word in your head), students may need a reminder of the procedure.
Once students learn a number of word types (e.g., CVC with continuous, CVCC with continuous, CVC with stop), include examples of all taught word types in the list.
Keep the word lists to a manageable length (6-8 words per list).

Simple Regular Words - Listed According to Difficulty
Word Type	Reason for Relative Ease/Difficulty	Examples
VC and CVC words that begin with continuous sounds	Words begin with a continuous sound	it, fan
VCC and CVCC words that begin with a continuous sound	Words are longer and end with a consonant blend	lamp, ask
CVC words that begin with a stop sound	Words begin with a stop sound	cup, tin
CVCC words that begin with a stop sound	Words begin with a stop sound and end with a consonant blend	dust, hand
CCVC	Words begin with a consonant blend	crib, blend, snap, flat
CCVCC, CCCVC, and CCCVCC	Words are longer	clamp, spent, scrap, scrimp

Example: (Teacher points to the word map on the board, touches under each sound as the students sound it out, and slashes finger under the word as students say it fast.) "Sound it out." (/mmmmmmmmaaaaaaap/) "Say it fast." (map)

Instructional Design Considerations

Instructional Strategies

Use the following systematic progression to teach word reading so as to make public the important steps involved in reading a word:

Students orally produce each sound in a word and sustain that sound as they progress to the next.
Students must be taught to put those sounds together to make a whole word.
Students sound out the letter-sound correspondences "in their head" or silently and then produce the whole word.

Each step must be modeled and practiced!!

Mediated Scaffolding/Support

For students to learn and apply knowledge of letter-sound correspondences and use that knowledge to reliably decode words, words must be carefully selected for both (a) the letters in the words, and (b) the complexity of the words.

Letters in words for initial sounding-out instruction should:

consist of continuous sounds as these sounds can be prolonged in the voice stream.
be ones students know.

Words in sounding-out practice and instruction should:

progress from short vowel-consonant and consonant-vowel-consonant (2- or 3-letter) words in which letters represent their most common sounds to longer words (4- or 5-phoneme words) in which letters represent their most common sound.
not contain consonant blends (e.g., /st/, /tr/, /pl/) until students are proficient with consonant-vowel-consonant configurations.
begin with continuous sounds in early exercises to facilitate blending. Stop sounds may be used in final positions of words.
represent vocabulary and concepts with which students are familiar.

Teaching Letter-Sound Correspondences

Example:
(Teacher points to letter m on board). "The sound of this letter is /mmmmm/. Tell me the sound of this letter."

Instructional Design Considerations

Instructional Strategies

Teacher actions should make the task explicit. Use consistent and brief wording.

Mediated Scaffolding/Support

Separate auditorily and visually similar letters.
Introduce some continuous sounds early.
Introduce letters that can be used to build many words.
Introduce lower case letters first unless upper case letters are similar in configuration.

Strategic Integration - Simple Before Complex

Once students can identify the sound of the letter on two successive trials, include the new letter-sound correspondence with 6-8 other letter sounds.
When students can identify 4-6 letter-sound correspondences in 2 seconds each, include these letters in single-syllable, CVC, decodable words.

Review Cumulatively
Use a distributed review cycle to build retention:

NKNKKNNKKKKN

N = new sound; K = known sound

Example (r = new sound; m, s, t, i, f, a = known sounds): r m r s t r r i f a m r

Teaching Reading Connected Text

Instructional Design Considerations

A primary goal of beginning reading instruction is to prepare learners to read passages in order to communicate that print has purpose and meaning.
Once students can accurately decode CVC and VC word types, these words should be introduced in short, highly controlled passages.
Do not assume that learners will automatically transfer from reading words correctly in lists to reading words in passages. When introducing passage reading, they will need prompts and procedures for transferring word recognition skills to passages.

Instructional Strategies

The explicit teaching procedure consists of two components:

In the first component, teachers provide direct wording for students to "figure out the word, say the sounds in the word to yourself." This component generally lasts 1-2 weeks.
The second component of transitioning to passage reading involves a modified prompt where teachers give a direction at the beginning of the passage. For example, the teacher says, "Figure out the first word" and then asks students to read the word. Note the prompting to say the sounds is eliminated.
A final technique is to increase the pace of word reading. In initial passage reading exercises, allow 3 seconds of "think time" per word. As students become proficient (i.e., reading the passage with no errors), reduce the think time to 2 seconds and later to 1.5 seconds.

Mediated Scaffolding/Support

When introducing passage reading, it is important to:

Ensure students can read the words in lists at a rate of one word per 3 seconds.
Include only words students can decode in passages.
Include repeated opportunities to read passages to develop accuracy and fluency.
Make clear the connections between sounding out the words in lists and reading those words in passages.
Progress from the highly prompted sight reading strategy to the less-prompted strategy.
Reduce the time for sight reading words from 3 seconds to 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds.

Strategic Integration

Teach words first in word lists before integrating into passages.
Use both the sounding out strategy and sight reading strategy for a few weeks to communicate their connection.

References:

Juel, C. (1991). Beginning reading. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (pp. 759-788). New York: Longman.

Kame'enui, E. J., Simmons, D. C., Baker, S., Chard, D. J., Dickson, S. V., Gunn, B., Smith, S. B., Sprick, M., & Lin, S. J. (1997). Effective strategies for teaching beginning reading. In E. J. Kame'enui, & D. W. Carnine (Eds.), Effective Teaching Strategies That Accommodate Diverse Learners. Columbus, OH: Merrill.

Website:

http://reading.uoregon.edu/index.php

Another resource:

Virginia Department of Education (1998). Ideas and activities for developing phonological awareness skills: A teacher resource supplement to the Virginia Early Intervention Reading Initiative. Retrieved April 27, 2006 from http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/Reading/findings.pdf

Letter-Naming

Interventions for Acquisition and Fluency

Bingo

A fun way to teach letter-names, but was originally meant to teach letter-sounds.

Materials:

One (1) bingo card per child

Several bingo chips per child

Directions:

Make copies of the bingo cards and the picture and letter squares (Found in Interventions for Reading Problems, pages 67-71)
Give each student his or her own bingo card.
Place the picture and letter squares in a box or bag.
Draw out one square at a time and show it to the students. If a picture square is drawn, the students should name the picture and give the first letter of the name. Any student who has that letter on his or her card should place a bingo chip on it. If a letter square is drawn, without showing the students the card, read the letter-name to the student. Any student who has that letter on their card should place a bingo chip on it.
The teacher should decide in advance whether the students need to cover a single row or the entire card to get “bingo.”

(For letter-sound bingo directions, please see directions on page 66 of Interventions for Reading Problems)

Post Office

Materials:

Picture Cards (see page 67-71 of Interventions for Reading Problems for examples)

Envelopes or pouches, each labeled with a different letter of the alphabet and able to fit the picture cards.

Directions:

Place the envelopes in front of the child. Or, if targeting a few, specific letters, only place those envelopes in front of the child.
Place the picture cards in front of the child. If only targeting a few letters, only place the relevant picture cards in front of the child.
Ask the child to name each picture.
Ask the child to name the first letter of the picture’s name.
Then, the child “mails” the picture card in the appropriately marked envelope.
The child picks a new picture card and the process is repeated until all picture cards are placed in their appropriate envelopes.

**This process can also be used for letter sounding. Just add letter-cards to the picture cards and ask the child to name the first sound of the picture card. Then, when success is experienced, ask the student to give the sound for each letter card. **

References:

Blachman, B.A., Ball, E.W., Black, R.S., & Tangel, D.M. (2000). Road to the code: A phonological awareness program for young children. Baltimore: Brookes.

Daly, Edward J., Chafouleas, Sandra, & Skinner, Christopher, H. (2005). Interventions for Reading Problems. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Other Phonics Activities and Tips

Reinforcing Alphabet Names/Sounds

Materials : alphabet cards, music, hat

Intervention : The student will say the letter and something that begins with that sound to their neighbor. The children sit in a circle. Each child draws an alphabet letter out of a hat. Have them identify the letter as they draw it out of the hat and think of something that begins with that sound. Place letters on the floor and stand up. Play a musical march and children march around the circle until the music stops. When the music stops, the children sit down by a new letter and repeat the above procedure. You can spot check to save time and have the kids help each other if they don't know the letter. Repeat the procedure several times. You could use words, shapes, and math facts, anything you want to reinforce.

Reference:

Good, R. H., Simmins, D.C., Smith, S.B. (1998). Effective academic intervention in the United States: Evaluating and enhancing the acquisition of early reading skills. School Psychology Review 27 (1) 45-56.

Hidden words

Materials: Student Reading Materials, Markers, Word Outlines, Scissors, Glue, and Card Paper

Intervention: Make word cards by cutting out the outlined words and pasting them onto rectangle cards. Color the smaller word within each word card and leave the rest of the letters plain. Show the flash cards to the student, one card at a time, and have the student read the color-coded words only. Show the cards again, this time having the student read the entire text after he or she has read the color-coded word (e.g., top…stop). Make more color-coded cards each week by using words from student reading materials. Invite students to use the flash cards with partners or in small groups.

Objective:1. Learn to look at letter patterns to identify words within words.

Objective:2. Use letter sounds to identify and pronounce words within words.

Objective:3. Use prior knowledge to decode larger words from the known smaller words within the larger word.

Reference:

adapted from Reading strategies that work. (1998). Cypress, CA: Creative Teaching Press, Inc.

Fishing for Blends

Materials : fish shaped cards displaying /s/ blends: st,sk,sw,sl

Intervention : The cards are placed face up in the center of the students. the caller calls out a word containing an /s/ blend, such as skate. The players take turns finding the correct blend from the group of fish cards. If the correct card is picked, the player gets to keep the card. When all of the cards are gone from the center, the player with the most "fish" wins.

Reference :

Mercer, C. D. & Mercer A. R. (1998 Teaching students with learning problems). (5th ed.). Prentice-Hall, Inc.: Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Brand-Name Phonics for One-Syllable Words

Materials : Common products (starting with those with rhyming names) and index cards

Intervention : First, choose products whose names have rhyming elements-Snack Pack, Slim Jim, and Shake n'Bake. On individual index cards, write about ten words that rhyme with and have the same spelling pattern as the product names, such as back, dim, and snake. Display the products and let students talk about them. On the chalkboard create a three-column chart, with the product names as the headers. Show students that each name not only rhymes, but also has the same spelling pattern. Explain that rhyming words often have the same spelling pattern. Have students copy the chart on pater, underlining the spelling patterns. Next, show one of the index-card words, and ask students to write it in the column with the matching spelling pattern. Have students say the word using rhyming words to help with pronunciation. Explain that thinking of rhyming words helps us spell words, too.

Reference :

Cunningham, P. (1997). Reading clinic: Want to teach basic skills? Try brand-name phonics! Instructor (44).

Website reference for the above activities :

http://www.usd.edu/cpe/reading.htm#k2

Tips

Separate the introduction of letter-sounds with similar auditory or visual features (e.g., /e/and /i/, /m/and /n/ and /b/ and /d/.

Color Code consonant and vowel so that the two categories of sounds are highlighted.

Add a kinesthetic component by having students trace or write the letter as they say the sound.

Have Students use mirrors and feel their mouths to see and feel how sounds are different.

Reference:

Vaughn, S., Basic. & Schumm J. S. (2003). Teaching exceptional, diverse, and at-risk students in the general education classroom (3 rd ed.). Boston: Ally & Bacon.