Module 3: Phonics Evidence and Strategies

I found this power point to be very useful when discussing what high quality instruction is based on according to research. I was placed in a 1^st grade class during my junior year of undergrad where the teacher assigned the students worksheet after worksheet and she wondered why her students were not as successful as the other classes. It is so important for students to be engaged in the learning through hands on activities. I have found that the school that I am currently working at is constantly using a manipulative and hands on activities in order for students to become interested in the learning. If we gave students worksheets everyday, they would lose interest and lack the motivation to complete assignments. I found the students at the school I completed observations in during junior year to lack the desire to come to school each and everyday. The students at my current school discuss with one another how much they love this school and coming everyday. I have never seen such a positive attitudes from the majority of students because of the engaging and interest based lessons.

I currently work at a school for students with dyslexia and they are constantly experiencing letter reversals. Each week we practice two letters and after that week, the students are required to fix the letter if they complete a letter reversal. We begin the exercise by “sky writing” the letter in the air, speaking in a funny voice all together how the letter is formed, tracing over the already written letter on their own chalkboard with a wet sponge and going over it with a paper towel, and finally writing it on their own on the chalkboard. When students are learning their sight words for the week, we create “word tents.” Each letter of the word is written on a note card and it is folded into a tent.  When working in small groups, the students take turns sounding out their particular word. They love being able to do this because it is visual as well as hands on. This power point is very beneficial as well as reading what others in the class have written about how phonics is used in their class. I loved being able to read the power point and identify how phonics is used in my classroom.