APPREHENSION 1
PHONICS IS ALREADY TAUGHT IN SCHOOL AND IT IS NOT A ROCKET SCIENCE, THEN WHY A PARENT NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED?
We Feel :
A child’s achievement to read & write depends mainly on two things. First, his hearing ability and second being his ability to memorise. Some children have sharp ears and some have sharp memory. It will be difficult for a teacher to find out for an individual child as to where does he/she needs help (in memorising or in clear recognition of sounds). By hearing, it does not mean that there is some functional issue but it simply means that the child’s way is not by learning but may be visual, kinesthetic or by memorising. This is where a parent’s intervention is necessary. If a child is having a challenge in learning sounds, parent can help him by getting him more practice done at home. The other reason for parent’s involvement is that phonics need “automaticity”. The letter sound should come spontaneously like driving or making chapattis. For this, a child needs practice and all the patience. Who else but a parent can only give all that!!!
APPREHENSION 2
WE AS KIDS WERE NOT TAUGHT PHONICS, BUT CAN FLUENTLY USE THE LANGUAGE, SO WHY PHONICS –HYPE NOW?
We Feel :
Times have changed! We used to play snake & ladder, ludo, cards all through the summer break, day in & day out, but never used to get bored. But, today’s child has very less attention span. He gets bored easily and has become “Gadgety” where images change with a swipe. So, the challenge is to make best of the minimum attention he can offer. Phonics has evolved as a multi sensory approach – involving all the senses so that learning becomes fun and effective for this generation.
APPREHENSION 3
MY CHILD KNOWS ALL THE LETTER SOUNDS, HE EVEN SINGS THE PHONIC’S RHYME, SO WHY DO I NEED TO BOTHER?
We Feel :
Knowing all the letter sounds is essentially important, but what is more significant is the skill to use them while blending words or segmenting them. The child knows the sounds because it has been repeated again and again so it was more of a repetitive learning. What should be instilled is the skill to code and decode words. And this needs a structurised curriculum and practice.
APPREHENSION 4:
MY CHILD IS 4 YEARS AND KNOWS ALL THE SOUNDS BUT HOW DO I ASSURE THAT THE BASICS ARE CLEAR AND HE WOULD NOT FACE ANY CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO READING OR WRITING?
We Feel :
Unfortunately, it is known when it has already become little late, as in when the child is dictated some words and he misunderstands “bad” to be “bed” or “pat” to be “pet” just because his vowels sounds were not crystal clear. Or when the child fumbles while reading when he is expected to read in a fluent fashion. This mainly happens when the emphasis is only on introducing the letter sounds. It is very essential that the synthesising or blending of words also start soon.
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