Phonics Instruction

• PRINT
• EMAIL

I hope you've had a chance to review the lessons teachers have posted as part of Session 2. You'll discover favorite titles from Dr. Seuss, nursery rhymes, songs, poems, and others. Playing with rhyming, rewriting texts, and using drama are a few ideas you'll discover.

Overview
In this workshop I will define the term "phonics," focus on classroom activities that support phonics teaching, and share helpful resource materials that can support your instruction.

Phonics is a hot educational issue, and has become a political issue as well. In fact, the phonics controversy has been debated for over 50 years! Most early literacy educators agree that phonics is important for emergent readers and writers. How phonics should be taught is the area of disagreement. I believe a knowledge of phonics is necessary to both reading and writing in a balanced literacy program.

Phonics refers to an understanding of the relationship of letters and sounds as they are used in writing and reading. It is learning about how letters and sounds work in words.

Forum: Just-in-Time Tech Training
It's common knowledge that we administrators must help propel teachers to the level where they are as comfortable working with technology as they are with the subject they teach. The task for school districts is to devise training processes that facilitate this end.

Strategies That Work
One school technology leader's winning strategies for staff development in technology integration.

Building a partnership for success
Find out how a superintendent and technology director made a difference together.