Phonics instruction begins with the alphabet. This educational philosophy stresses the importance of building student knowledge about words out of the sounds from which they are composed. Hence, it is necessary to begin with the rote learning of each sound that a particular letter makes. Many teachers use flashcard systems for this level of instruction, with the letter on one side and all the sounds it makes on the other.
After students learn the alphabet, the subsequent strategy seeks to teach students about how letters can create new sounds when they occur in sequence. These new sounds are called blends and digraphs. Blends are the resulting sounds when two consonants create a new sound when placed together, such as when "c" and "h" create the initial sound in the word "child." Digraphs are the new sounds two vowels make together, such as in the word "out."
The next step in phonics strategies typically addresses syllables. These are often made up of several letters that create one particular sound in a word. Each word can be broken down into its audible sounds or syllables. Activities and assignments at this level of mastery focus on recognizing where words split apart into syllables.
After students understand how words are made of parts called syllables, they move on to the concept of compound words. This approach involves the concept of separation again. Students learn how to recognize and separate the words that have been put together to make a new word. They should also create their own compound words from an assortment of words written on small cards and jumbled together.
This strategy is useful as students approach mastery of their reading level. Teachers present students with a jumbled mass of words and ask them to sort the words into like groups. The teacher can discuss these groups before the activity or, with students who have already done this, the teacher can ask the students to come up with their own groups.
Teachers should use games at various junctures in student achievement. This allows students to use their newly learned skills in an environment that is not related to grades. Such games can be versions of hangman for beginners or games that are structured like famous TV game shows, such as Jeopardy.
Reading aloud to students throughout the reading process is a good way to reinforce what they have learned. It also gives them a model for how words should sound when spoken correctly. To test their mastery, cut apart simple stories and have students rearrange the parts correctly and read them aloud to you.