| What kinds of phonics programs help children learn to decode text easily? Those that teach sound-spellings in the easiest, most useful sequence.
Sequencing Phonics Instruction There are many ways to sequence a phonics program. Some programs begin with "continuous consonants," such as f, l, m, n, r, and s, because these consonants can be pronounced until the breath runs out. Other programs teach long vowels first because these vowels sound like their letter names. However, long vowels are hard for children to learn because they often have difficult spelling patterns, such as vowel teams or the VCe pattern in which the final e is silent. Still other programs begin with short vowels because their spellings are easier for children to learn. When taught in conjunction with consonants, short vowels can be used to generate many words.
After considering the various approaches, Blevins (1998) suggests that you follow this efficient, carefully ordered scope and sequence:
- Short vowels and consonants in combination
- Digraphs (ch, sh, th, wh)
- Blends (r-blends, s-blends, l-blends)
- Final e (a_e, e_e, i_e, o_e, u_e)
- Long vowels (multiple spellings)
- Other vowels (oo, au, aw) and diphthongs (ou, ow, oi, oy)
- Silent letters, inflectional endings (-ed, -s, -ing)
Constructing a Highly Generative Sequence
Whatever sequence you choose in your classroom, consider this expert advice (Blevins, 1998):
- Teach short-vowel sounds before long-vowel sounds.
- Teach consonants and short vowels in combination so that words can be generated early on.
- Teach mostly continuous consonants (f, l, m, n, r, s, v, and z) at the beginning. These consonant sounds can be sustained without distortion, so it is easier for you to model blending.
- Use a sequence of sound-spellings that will generate the greatest number of words: that means teaching the highest frequency sound-spellings first.
- Progress from simple to more complex sound-spellings.
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