Phonics Learning in Australia - Essay Example

Phonics Learning in Australia Name College Date Introduction Synthetic phonics is a form of teaching and learning where a connection is made between individual letters and the way that they are supposed to sound. This is a method of teaching and learning that was introduced in Australia as well as several other countries in order to aid better reading among young students. Once a student is able to master a certain way in which a letter should sound, h is at much ease to connect the various letters even when they are placed in a different context from that which they were taught in the beginning. Therefore, this method was adapted with the hope that students would be better at reading and consecutively at comprehension. In Australia the program was introduced in the year 2005. This was following a report that was released by the Department of Education, Science and Training. This report which detailed information regarding the potential benefits of the program as a result of a research that was conducted, was named a National Inquiry into the Teaching of Reading. The program has been introduced to a number of schools and analyzed after a specified period of time. There are certain characteristics of the students that had gone through the program that were found to be similar. For instance, the general belief was that all children, regardless of their backgrounds, had the ability to learn to read and write properly, if given the opportunity to do so. The second factor was that children recorded better performances when introduced to a certain pattern of teaching. In this pattern, learning of the phonemics is the first step, followed by phonics and fluency. Vocabulary and comprehension are the final stages in this learning process. The report also started that the children who have difficulties in learning should be taught using this approach, since wholesome learning may prove to be too hefty for them. Phonics approach, according to Ewing (2014) should be used in helping students with disabilities and those who are learning English as a second language. This approach is essential for improvement of comprehension as well as fluency. It is therefore important for teachers to fully understand this approach so that they are able to implement it in the classroom in the appropriate manner, prediction, vocabulary and making connections are the important components of this approach. Researchers describe learning as a social phenomenon and therefore the more teachers use strategies that involve interaction, the more effective the learning process will be. Riddle (2013) reported that inference is a major part of Phonics learning. Inference refers to the ability of the student to make reference to things that have happened in their lives and connect them to the text. Riddle (2013) provided an explanation of how she prefers to conduct the Phonics approach during her teaching sessions. She says the first step is to question the text. This she does by reading aloud, stopping the telling the students what she thinks about the text that she has just read. Being able to question the text that one is reading is the first step towards understanding and comprehension. The next step she takes is to select the text that could be used for discussion. This is done by either selecting a text or a picture that she thought was likely to bring up a lot of debate. The third step is the introduction of the approach. Here, she explains to the children the importance of asking questions while they read. She asks if any among them have questions they would like to ask. The last step in this procedure is using sticky notes to mark the important parts of the text and to note down important facts about the text that they would like to remember. Schellings (2006) state that self regulation is an important product of Phonics approach. Self regulation refers to the process where students are able to adapt various learning strategies for their various learning goals. In order for learners to do this, they should be able to have a clear understanding of the tasks that they have to accomplish and what is required that will enable them to do so. This was learned after a research that was carried out by the Siik & Hawkins (2013) for this purpose. Data obtained from questionnaires indicated that students are able to adapt to study strategies in a very slow manner and that even their awareness of demands is quite low. Task awareness of tenth graders was analyzed in this research. It was discovered that when the students are not taught using the Phonics approach, they tend to have much lower understanding of what they read, which is caused by their lack of awareness about what exactly they are supposed to deduce from a piece of reading. This further emphasizes the need for adoption of the thinking aloud method when teaching. According to Wiltshire & Donnelly (2014) the difference between the traditional form of teaching and thinking aloud is that it is difficult for the tutor to monitor the progress of the students in the right manner. Learning should not only be evaluated by the marks and scores that a student receives in test. In order for appropriate learning to take place, students should have the capacity to draw the appropriate lessons from the teachings without necessary having to be prompted by the tutor. Thinking aloud helps the student to think about what he is reading as he goes on. In this way, he can to synthesize everything as she goes the student may come back for reference or clarify when he feels that he has missed out on something (Campbell, 2012). This creates a deep and broad sense of comprehension in the student and enables them to question what they are reading and make sure that they are able to understand. The next stage is to introduce the book to the students. During this stage, the teacher should explain to the students that he intends to stop periodically to check for analysis and understanding. Once the teacher has identified the spots in the reading where these strategies are to be applied, he ensures that when reading, the class stops at these points to conduct discussion with students. He should ensure that is more students centered since the learning is meant for them. In case the children are reading on their own, he should encourage them to conduct the same exercise in the manner in which they will have been modeled for them. Forman (2012) recognizes the importance of Phonics approach in development of the mind of the students. According to the author, people who are proficient at reading are normally able to create images of the things they are reading in their mind. This not only assists them in being able to easily understanding the things that they read, but is also essential in assisting the students in remembering and retaining what they have read. This in turn helps them to actively apply these concepts in their everyday lives outside of a school setting. Reading aloud is especially important for a mind that is still in the developmental stage. It helps the teacher in tracking the progress of the students. An example would be pronunciation. Reading aloud ensures that students are able to correctly pronounce words and the teacher is able to correct them where necessary. Bowey (2006) explains the processes that are involved when a teacher is putting the Phonics approach in teaching. The first stage is that the teacher should be able to read the book in advance and understand the areas where the students are likely to need assistance. This will help the teacher to practice earlier for application of the approach. Coltheart & Prior (2006) found that the Phonics approach is important in learning and development of students, especially those who have just joined school and are new to the whole education system. Reading aloud does not allow for students to hide their weaknesses. When they are able to share with the class, or with their teachers, that which they think they have learnt, the teachers are able to easily identify the points of weakness in the students. The teachers are also, through this method, able to identify the correct and appropriate methods through which the weak students can be made to cope and assist the students attain the learning level that the rest of the class will have reached. Every student is special in their own way and thus each of them have different methods through which they are able to grasp what is taught to them in school. While some students are quickly able to understand things as they are explained in school, there are those who will need certain special assistance and strategies to help them understand (Johnston & Watson, 2009). This is where the Phonics approach comes in. comprehension is a tricky topic for most students. This is especially in cases where the text that is being read is written using hidden language that needs deeper interpretation. When the teacher divides the reading into shorter segments that require discussion in class, he is able to help the student to grasp the gist of the text early enough thus preventing them from losing the understanding of the text. Conclusion Phonics learning was introduced into the learning system in Australia with the hope that it will make the entire learning process easier. The reason for this is that it is a learning method where a student is taught how to connect certain letters and the way in which they are supposed to be pronounced. Consequently, the student is able to learn better because they learn to pronounce even those words that they have not been taught directly. References Bowey, J. A. (2006). Need for systematic synthetic phonics teaching within the early reading curriculum. Australian Psychologist, 41(2), 79-84. Campbell, S. (2015). Feeling the pressure: Early childhood educators' reported views about learning and teaching phonics in Australian prior-to-school settings.Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 38(1), 12. Coltheart, M., & Prior, M. (2006). Learning to read in Australia. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 11(4), 157-164. Ewing, R. (2014). Phonics: its place in the literacy story. Australian Literacy Educator’s Association. Forman, R. (2012). Phonetics for Phonics. Literacy and Numeracy Studies,20(1). Gilbert, C. (2009). Reading by six How the best schools do it. Ofsted. Government of Australia. (2005). Teaching Learning. National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy. Department of education, Science and Training. Johnston, R., & Watson, J. (2009). Effects of Synthetic Phonics Teaching on Reading and Spelling Attainment. Scottish Executive Education Department. Riddle, S. (2013). My first ideology: teaching reading falls victim to the culture wars. The Conversation, 1-4. Siik, S. S. C., & Hawkins, J. (2013). Thrass Phonics: A Case Study of Thomas as an Emerging Reader in English. English Teacher, 42(1). Wiltshire, K., & Donnelly, K. (2014). Submission from Learning Difficulties Australia to the Review of the National Curriculum. Read More