Teach letter
SOUNDS first
It is a well established fact that we remember our first
encounter with new learning best. The analogy of learning
to drive is as good as any other analogy. When we are tired
we may still find ouselves reaching down for the floor gear
change when we have been using a column change for years.
We realise our error soon enough, remembering that our
first driving experience was in a car with a floor change.
When blending we need letter
sounds - names are of little use in the early stages and
are, in fact, an unhelpful distraction. If we first
remember that we see the letter 'bee' and then proceed to
derive that the sound is therefore a 'b' as in 'bag' we
have wasted a great deal of processing time and may even
have become confused!
If our initial response to the letter bee is 'b' we are
immediately in business.
Further, if the letter in
question happens to be a 'u - yoo' the student will derive
the 'y' (as in 'yes') sound, which is incorrect. Such
confusions once encountered are difficult to overcome.
Consider if you will the names of the following letters and
what you might derive the sound to be if you didn't know.
c g (the names give the 'soft sounds' only - as in 'cent'
and 'gem')
f l m n r s x h (this group all start with a vowel sound
eff ell em en ar ess ex aich) Can you appreciate the
possible confusions that may arise?
a e i o u (The sounds derived from the names are the 'long'
sounds as in - fake, here, pine, hope & cute - there is
nothing to assist the learner with words such as hat, hen,
tin, pop & nut). As the new learners needs the 'short'
sounds' in the initial stages - and these are not clearly
indicated in the names - the poor student starts on the
back foot so to speak.
Name-sound confusions involving the vowels is one of the
most difficult error patterns to erase and set to rights.
q w y (What about these? que, double-yoo, & wie!!)
Give the new reader a break.
Teach letter sounds FIRST.
v
