How Can Phonics Help Kids Get A Head Start In Reading English

You say – “Why Phonics”? We say – “Why not Phonics”?

English is one of the most complex language codes in the world. With the lack of awareness in terms of the basic building blocks and correct coding strategies, the struggle is multiplied ten folds.

Having said that, the phrase “complex language code” isn’t synonymous with “difficult to learn” provided it is taught correctly. So why should we opt for a phonics class?

Phonics Programme – A Necessity

Phonics based teaching for the English language is not just the correct way, it is the only way and hence has been legislated in all the native English-speaking countries.

Phonics based teaching emphasizes teaching the building of the language: the sounds, their corresponding written representations, and the spelling patterns and rules that go with them so the learners can decipher the words on their own. The understanding of these building blocks unlocks the mystery of 98% of the words in the English language.

Why Should Parents Choose Phonics For Their Children?

For the holistic development of a child, it is important to know a particular language thoroughly. Inculcating interactive and analytical learning from an early age can bring about a monumental change in a child’s personality and development. Mainly children in the age bracket of 5 to 12 years should be encouraged to use phonics.

• Writing becomes interesting if the child is aware of the correct pronunciation of words.
• Phonics can enable these young learners to excel and shine in the future. Essentially, the child should be able to identify the sound of the text that is written.
• Phonics provides a practical learning experience in order to aid effective communicators. When the child is exposed to poetic devices like the rhyme scheme, phonic will play an instrumental role here too. 
• From a parent-child perspective too, it is a great tool to establish and build upon the bond you share with your child, starting at an early age. Through phonics, even one, as a parent can learn something more, along with the child. 

How Does Phonics Help?

An effective English language teaching programme should present the complex language in a systematic and structured way, taking the learners from known to unknown very slowly and subtly, exploring small chunks of new information at a time and this is exactly what a good phonics-based program does.

Will you be surprised if I say that Hindi is also a phonetic language and is taught the same way? Yes, that is right, the learners are taught the ‘akshar’, ‘matras’ and ‘vartani ke niyam’ and then taught to string them together to make ‘shabd’.

The Phonics Impact

It was found that the understanding and fluency of the English language in learners of some 500+ schools saw a huge leap, irrespective of their cultural and economic backgrounds. This can be attributed to the multisensory nature, fun factor, ease of use and the effectiveness of Synthetic Phonics programmes. 

When a structured and systematic phonics programme is in place, the learners are happy to learn, teachers are happy to teach, the management and parents are happy to see the results, resulting in a win-win situation for all. Phonics in today’s age is used to bridge the gap in the Indian Education System.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 on Phonics

The recently published NEP 2020 also recognizes the importance of phonics-based learning and is, therefore, one of the major changes recommended among many others like experiential learning, inquiry-based learning and cross-curricular integration.

Quoting the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus “Change is the only constant in life” educators realised the importance of embracing this change for the benefit of young learners, for they are our future leaders.

If you have questions about phonics that you would like answered, share them with us in the comments below and we will get an expert to answer them.