There are many phonics programmes to choose from. Here is what these programmes need to offer to deliver explicit, systematic, structured, and successful reading instruction for all children. 1. Clear scope and sequence: the Alphabetic Code is complex, and it is imperative that it is introduced in a systematic way – starting with the simple […]
Read More
What is Set for Variability? Set for Variability is a cognitive flip that we do when we mispronounce a new word, and we need to try a different pronunciation to fit in that word. A classic example is when a learner reads the word ‘head’ as ‘heed’. They are misapplying their phonic knowledge to this […]
Read More
Research has shown that children lose the equivalent of one month of learning over the summer. Many children experienced learning loss during the pandemic, so it is important that we help to keep children reading throughout the summer to prevent this additional summer slide. Here are ten ideas to keep children reading over the summer […]
Read More
Find out all you need to know about the Phonic Books Dandelion Series Check out our leaflet to find out more about our Dandelion Series and to answer any questions you may have: What is decoding? What are decodable books? Why Phonic Books decodable books? What is the scope and sequence? What titles are in […]
Read More
For children to comprehend a text, they need to read it fluently. If the reading is disfluent, the reader will struggle to hold onto all the information needed to comprehend a sentence or paragraph. We know that reading fluency has three components: Accuracy – children need to be able to read words accurately. If they […]
Read More
It is not uncommon for reading interventionists to encounter students who try to use words within words as a spelling strategy. Some teachers may think that helping students remember how to spell a word that they can already spell, e.g., the word ‘hat’, may be useful to teach the word ‘that’. They then teach the […]
Read More
Scarborough’s Reading Rope is a wonderful theoretical framework for describing the complexity of reading and what we need to teach children in order for them to become fluent readers who can comprehend a text successfully. Decoding is on one strand of the rope, and language comprehension is on the other strand. These strands become increasingly […]
Read More
In this testimonial, Sharon Dheraj shares how she uses the Totem and Talisman series in her classroom. Sharon is a SENCO in a one form entry primary school as well as a specialist teacher and assessor of dyslexia. *** My day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing the operation of the SEND Policy, coordinating provisions for pupils with […]
Read More
Stanilas Dehaene, a leading neuroscientist, has researched how the brain learns. He has summarised his findings with the ‘four pillars of learning’. The first pillar is attention. Without attention we can’t learn. We need to focus on what is being learnt in order to absorb it. BUT – before attention – comes motivation. We need […]
Read MoreTami Reis-Frankfort, one of the founders of Phonic Books, has been thinking of how to organise a complex Alphabetic Code. *** The English Alphabetic Code is complex. How can we help children learn a code that has 176+ spellings for 44 sounds that uses only 26 letters of the alphabet? If we understand the Alphabetic […]
Read More
