Continuing on from Kat2’s last article about Phonics International, this post concentrates on she used the Phonics International scheme in her classroom. Part 3, which will be uploaded separately goes into more depth about the program itself and when Kat2 met the author.The school year 2006-2007 was the first time I used a synthetic phonics programme-Jolly Phonics- and, as it was new to all pupils, I taught it in a whole class setting, with amazing results.
I did have the support of the Learning Support Teacher for approx 30 mins. 4 days a week but did not have a teaching assistant.
However as the new school year approached, I was unsure how best to proceed given the fact that while the new SI children would already have been introduced to all the basic code GPCs, were familiar with many of the long vowel alternatives and were systematically working through the ‘Jelly and Bean’ readers, I would have to start from scratch with the new JI children.
As I would not have a teaching assistant, the logistics of timetabling and teaching two sets of content while ensuring that those children who needed extra support were catered for, was very daunting.
I appealed, on www.syntheticphonics.com, for suggestions regarding more efficient “sounds book” management.
To suit my setting, I had adapted the Jolly Phonic “sounds book” concept, expanding it to incorporate blending, segmenting and handwriting exercises.
I had decided to include a list of decodable words at the beginning of each week, and instructed the parents/guardians to encourage their children to blend to read and segment to spell these words as the appropriate GPC was introduced.
Initially, the JI children were encouraged to use grapheme tiles to form words until they became confident with correct letter formation and also to practice correct letter formation under the grapheme, while the SI were encouraged to write 2/3 words as a dictation exercise each night.
Things soon moved on to a stage where the YR were writing dictation at word level and the SI were composing and writing sentences involving the words from the list.
The wordlists had to be differentiated and this involved me spending time each week compiling lists of cumulative decodable words.
I also found that the younger children in particular were quite slow at cutting and sticking the graphemes in their soundbooks and that it was a time consuming exercise.
I was overwhelmed at the amount of extra planning and time that I anticipated it would take to continue to manage the ‘sound books’ in this way.
I was also concerned that I would have to spend an inordinate amount of time assembling/creating suitable resources to engage pupils in each class group in purposeful reinforcement/consolidating/independent activities while I worked with the other class.
Debbie’s reply, to the relief and delight of my addled mind, included the following sentences:
‘Wait till you see my new online programme – it will be all your dreams answered re the sounds book and information to parents.
I have put into writing all the advice that I have been giving teachers and parents all these years. It is all done for you step by step.’
However as “Phonics International” as the programme was entitled, wasn’t due to be launched until early September, and as my uncertainty as to how best to plan and structure my programme of work became more stressful, I contacted Debbie and requested a meeting during the summer holidays.
