subject: Why Are Phonics Books Important [print this page] Phonics is the foundation of learning to readPhonics is the foundation of learning to read. It involves understanding alphabetic principles, meaning the association of letters and the sounds they make. In the early stages of reading, children use phonics to recognize common words as well as decode new words. The use of phonics books assists in the learning as well as teaching the relationships between letters and sounds for speaking and writing.
With learning any new skill, a solid foundation to build upon is key. Before a child can learn to read and write, they must understand the basics of phonics. They begin by simply associated single letters with single sounds and then progress to analyzing and decoding new words. Following these steps will help a child excel at reading and writing.
At first, children are exposed to hearing stories being read to them. This is their first exposure to letter and word sounds. These books are a necessary tool. After listening, a child would be introduced to how letters relate to sounds. A good practice activity would be writing a story using invented spelling. The learner will write letters according to what they hear and therefore the understanding of phonics can be assessed.
There are several activities that are found in these books to assist in teaching and learning. One such activity is practicing with letter-sound cards. These cards contain a particular letter sound as well as a picture of a word that is associated with that sound.
As an added challenge, a sorting activity would be ideal. This requires the child to match pictures to cards with their appropriate beginning sound. From here, the child can practice coming up with their own words that correlate with the sound they are studying.
Phonics books are great tool to help guide the teacher in the process of teaching phonics. They also allow the child to do independent practice on what they have learned.
