The first thing students learn about in phonics is recognition. Students begin recognizing certain combinations of letters within the words. Once they recognize these combinations, they remember the rule and the sound that goes with them. Once students learn the basic sounds of each letter, they learn the special sound combinations. The "Cl" in clock, "bl" in block and "tr"in train are just a few of the special sound combinations in phonics
Drilling the special sounds over and over again helps students recognize them as soon as they see them in a word. Have students circle the sound combinations whenever they see them. Use flashcards to review the special sounds every day. Add new sounds one or two at a time while continuing to review the old ones.
When introducing a new sound combination, read books and create a spelling list for the week that incorporate the special sound. This helps students recognize by sight. Have the students use sound only to come up with words that might also have that special sound. For example, if the sound that you are working on is "ch," see how many words they can think of that have the "ch" sound in them, such as chump, chew, chore and children. This helps students to recognize by hearing. For words that have a similar sounding combination, write those on the chalkboard off to the side to discuss later. For example, when working with "ch" words, "tch" words have a similar sound but a different combination.
Allow students to read orally and quietly. When reading orally, read as a group. This helps the students that are not as fluent readers to follow along and sound out words in their head. When reading quietly, pass out worksheets afterward to see how much of what they have read they understand. Teach them to read the story and not just the words. Some students become so focused on reading each word that they miss the point of the story. Reading with fluency and comprehension will come with time. It is more important that they understand what they are reading, even if they read slowly.