The Phonics Formula

a research based approach for teaching anyone to read and spell

Why is reading so important anyway?

When it is difficult for us to master a skill, we are often tempted to ask ourselves how important it is that we do so in the first place. After all, once a child is able to stumble through basic text, how important is it that the child read anything else? If he can make it through the reading assigned in class, even if it is a bit cumbersome, should we really worry about him?

Unfortunately, poor reading skills lead to a downward spiraling staircase in achievement and even in the potential to achieve. This may seem like a tremendous statement to some, but lets look a bit closer.

The child who struggles to read will typically read much less than those who are lucky enough to read easily. Before long, the less skilled reader will find that the information they are expected to read in school (and perhaps even out of school) will be too difficult for them to process. The energy required for the child to simply get through a reading passage will inhibit the energy he can spend on comprehending the information he has read. In other words, the less a child reads, the less he understands, the less he is able to learn.

Conversely, the child with solid reading skills will concentrate less on word recognition and more on comprehension, which is where true learning begins. This child is more likely to enjoy reading and to do quite a bit of it! It stands to reason that this child will have a better chance at success than his counterpart with poor reading skills.

Lets look a bit further. Lets look at the vocabulary children are exposed to as they read. It is not too difficult to see that the level of vocabulary in written text is clearly superior to that of the spoken word. After all, if I were to call you on the phone and talk to you about the same information I have given you in this passage, I would be likely to use an entirely different vocabulary. You may be tempted to think that the excess words used in written language are unnecessary, but studies show that they are fairly ordinary words. It is doubtful that you would find words like "legitimate", "dominant", "infinite", "provoke" or "literal" unnecessary words, yet these are not often found in spoken language.

In order for children to be exposed to new and more difficult words to the point where they understand them, they must read them over and over. The child who reads as little as 5 minutes a day (or about a half hour per week) is exposed to about 280,000 words per year. In contrast, the child who reads an hour a day is exposed to over 4,000,000 words a year. The difference in vocabulary exposure is enormous!

The conclusion to all this is simple. The easier we read, the more we read, the more we understand. The more we understand, the more we can learn, the greater chance we have in life. Reading is not only important to your child's future, it is as necessary as food and shelter!

Why isn't it easy to teach my child to read?

Reading is difficult to teach for many reasons. One common misconception about reading acquisition is that the development of literacy skills is a natural, automatic skill like walking and talking. While it is true that some children will learn to read by themselves simply by being exposed to literature, it is by no means true that all children will do so. The fact is that although human beings are "hard-wired" to communicate orally, written communication is an invention of the human mind like the combustion engine and the telescope and does not come automatically to the great majority of us. Where most children will learn to speak simply by being spoken to, it does not follow that they will also learn to read simply by having books read to them. Nor is it true that they will learn the inner workings of a combustion engine just by driving a car.

The second factor that makes it difficult for us as parents to teach our children how to read is our own recall of the manner in which we ourselves were taught. Typically, adults with good reading skills have long since forgotten how they learned to read and now recognize letter patterns by sight as most good readers do. They have generalized their skills and no longer consciously know the code. This is the way it ought to be as the ultimate goal in reading instruction is instant word recognition skills to allow the reader to concentrate on comprehension.

Unfortunately, language is extremely complex and few teachers have studied the structure of the English language in sufficient detail to teach it effectively. This basic knowledge is essential for approximately 20% of our students. Another 20% of our population require this knowledge in order to read, write and spell effectively.

Direct, explicit, systematic phonics instruction coupled with extended time teaching is the key. THE PHONICS FORMULA is designed to fill this need. It provides you with the rules required for giving a solid foundation to any child. The skills are sequenced from simple to complex so that new skills can build on previous knowledge. The books demonstrate, in a simple manner, how to teach letters and sounds, how to develop phonemic awareness, how to blend and segment sound, how sounds combine into syllables, how the sounds of English are paired with spelling patterns, spelling and phonics rules, and more.

With THE PHONICS FORMULA, reading instruction has been made as easy as possible. Simply put, the program will teach you how to teach. Each volume is designed as a teaching tool, with lessons that help you teach your child the concepts he will need to read successfully. In essence, you become the child’s “reading coach”. As you go through each volume, you will learn to model the correct techniques for your child just as a teacher would do in the classroom.

Children are fascinated with language. When they are taught well, they develop the conscious analytic knowledge they need to succeed. When a student is provided with all the pieces of the language code required for reading acquisition, they are rewarded with excellent gains in vocabulary and comprehension as well. With THE PHONICS FORMULA, your child will be provided with the foundation which ultimately will allow them to succeed and to become independent in their own learning.

Have a question for Jan Crosby? Please email us at expert@thephonicsformula.com and we will try to respond as soon as possible.