By Mikayla Peters and Michael Fannin
May 31, 2023
As parents, we all want to give our children the best start in life. One of the most valuable skills we can help our children develop is the ability to read. Early literacy skills lay the foundation for future academic success, and phonics and sight word instruction play a crucial role in building those skills.
The Power of Phonics and Sight Word Instruction
Phonics is the process of teaching children the relationship between the sounds of spoken language and the letters that represent those sounds in written language. Sight words, on the other hand, are common words that children should be able to recognize instantly without having to decode them phonetically. Both phonics and sight word instruction are essential for developing strong reading skills.
By incorporating multisensory approaches into phonics and sight word instruction, we can engage children's senses and make learning to read a richer, more enjoyable experience. Let's explore some multisensory techniques for various age groups:
Birth to 12 months: Laying the foundation
At this stage, your baby is absorbing everything around them. While they may not be ready for formal reading instruction, you can still lay the groundwork for developing phonics and sight word skills.
Taste: Although taste may not seem directly related to reading, introducing a variety of flavors can help stimulate your baby's senses and create positive associations with learning. When feeding your baby different foods, slowly pronounce each phoneme in the food, then blend the phonemes together slowly, then faster, until you are saying the word at a normal speed. For example, if you are feeding your baby mashed bananas, you could say, "Banana. B. A. N. A. N. A. b...ə...n...æ...n...ə. Banana." Spelling and pronouncing each sound separately can help your baby distinguish the sounds in a word.
Touch: Use textured books or create your sensory materials such as fabric swatches with different textures. Encourage your baby to touch and feel while you describe each texture.
Sight: Surround your baby with visually stimulating materials like high-contrast books, pictures, and mobiles. Point out letters and words as you read together.
Sound: Read aloud to your baby daily, using different voices and tones. Sing nursery rhymes and songs that incorporate rhyming and alliteration to build awareness of phonics.
Scent: Introduce a variety of scents to create pleasant associations with learning. For example, you might use scented markers or essential oils while reading together.
Movement: Encourage your baby to move and interact with their environment. Hold your baby while reading and gently sway or bounce to the rhythm of the text.
1 to 3 years: Building a strong foundation
As your child grows, you can start introducing more targeted phonics and sight word activities.
Taste: Incorporate letter-shaped snacks or use alphabet cookie cutters to create fun, edible learning experiences.
Touch: Introduce tactile activities like finger painting, tracing letters in sand, or using playdough to form letters and words.
Sight: Create a print-rich environment by labeling objects in your home and engaging in shared reading experiences. Point out sight words and letters as you read together.
Sound: Continue reading aloud and introduce audiobooks or educational apps with phonics-based games. Encourage your child to repeat sounds, words, and sentences.
Scent: Use scented playdough, markers, or stickers to create a multisensory learning environment. Encourage your child to associate different scents with different letters or words.
Movement: Incorporate movement-based activities like dancing, jumping, or clapping to the rhythm of the text or while practicing phonics and sight words.
4 to 6 years: Mastering phonics and sight words
As your child enters preschool and kindergarten, formal phonics and sight word instruction become more important.
Taste: Continue using letter-shaped snacks or create word-themed meals (e.g., "Taco Tuesday" or "Spaghetti Saturday") to reinforce letter recognition and sight words.
Touch: Encourage your child to practice writing letters and sight words using different materials (e.g., chalk, markers, or crayons) on various surfaces (e.g., paper, whiteboards, or sidewalks).
Sight: Use flashcards, word walls, or educational apps to practice sight word recognition. Engage in shared reading experiences and point out phonics patterns and sight words within the text.
Sound: Introduce phonics-based songs, chants, or games to reinforce letter-sound relationships. Encourage your child to practice blending and segmenting words.
Scent: Continue using scented materials to create a multisensory learning environment. Have your child associate specific scents with different phonics patterns or sight words.
Movement: Incorporate movement-based activities like acting out stories, jumping on letter mats, or playing phonics and sight word games that involve physical movement.
By introducing phonics and sight word instruction at an early age and using multisensory approaches, you can help your child develop strong reading skills and set the stage for a lifetime of learning. As you explore these techniques, remember that each child is unique and may respond differently to certain activities. The key is to remain patient, supportive, and engaged in your child's learning journey.
Comments