Phonics or Not?
AJ's Explode the Code book 4 workbook for this year covered dividing words into syllables.
Here are the rules she learned:
#######################
Now she has finished the book. She mostly understands the concepts, I think, but she doesn't have all the rules memorized and doesn't always apply them correctly.
But, you know, I don't know all these rules and know where to divide words into syllables either. Neither does DH.
In fact, I find some of them confusing myself: For instance, the word invented seems to have two of these rules that apply to it. Dividing between the word and the suffix would divide it as in-vent-ed, but dividing between the two consonants that stand between 2 vowels would divide it as in-ven-ted. AJ's book didn't talk at all about which rule takes precendence if two rules disagree. I had to look it up in the dictionary to see that it should be in-vent-ed. But if I say the word aloud, it sure sounds to me like it should be in-ven-ted.
How important is this, anyway? Do I need to make sure AJ memorizes and fully understands these rules at age 7, or can I just post the printout I made of the rules somewhere, make sure she knows how to use the dictionary, and move on?
I'm not sure we'll continue using the Explode the Code series next year. Both AJ and M&M found them rather boring, and I'm not sure they're really presenting important information in a way that kids will understand and retain adequately. It seemed like a lot of busy work for what they learned.
We ended up skipping most of M&M's ETC 3 book, because it was covering information she already knew (things like letter combinations making a single sound) and she found the format excessively boring.
Personally, I didn't think the majority of the exercises in the ETC books actually did a good job of addressing the skills they were supposedly practicing. The kids did a lot of reading and writing words and identifying the pictures that illustrated particular words, but not so much directly practicing dividing words into syllables, finding the diagraphs in the words, etc. I had to add those types of activities to many of the workbook pages.
Maybe I chose the wrong levels for my kids, or maybe they just aren't a good fit for us. But I think I'll look for a different phonics program next year. Or maybe I'll just use An Acorn in my Hand by Ethel Bouldin.
The problem with phonics programs is that they're generally geared for kids who are learning how to read. Since AJ and M&M are now reading at a 5th grade level (M&M at early to mid-5th grade and AJ at mid- to late 5th grade level), I'm not sure really how much phonics instruction they actually need. The issue is, though, that they use phonics more intuitively, without really understanding why or knowing the rules. Which, by this point, is pretty much how I use phonics too.
Will the important phonics rules get covered along with English, Spelling and Grammar as we move into those subjects, or do we need to cover them before we move on? If we do need to cover them, what would be the most efficient and effective way to do it? That's the question.
Here are the rules she learned:
#######################
Rules for Dividing Syllables
A word can be divided:
1. Between 2 little words--wind/mill
2. Between a word and its ending--jump/ing
3. Between 2 consonants that are the same--rab/bit
4. Between 2 consonants that come between 2 vowels--vc/cv--nap/kin
5. When 1 consonant stands between 2 vowels, the word is usually divided after the first vowel. The first syllable is open, with a long vowel sound.
6. When a word has 1 consonant between 2 vowels, sometimes the word is divided after the consonant. The first syllable is closed, with a short vowel sound.
7. When a 2-syllable word ends in y, the y makes a long E sound and takes the consonant before it to make the last syllable.
8. When -le is at the end of a word, it takes the consonant before to make the last syllable.
9. Sometimes 2 vowels together in a syllable make 1 sound. This is a vowel diagraph, and makes the long sound of the first vowel. The syllable may or may not have a consonant with it.
Open and Closed Syllables
An open syllable ends in a vowel. The vowel is long and says its name.
A closed syllable ends in a consonant, and the vowel is short.
Now she has finished the book. She mostly understands the concepts, I think, but she doesn't have all the rules memorized and doesn't always apply them correctly.
But, you know, I don't know all these rules and know where to divide words into syllables either. Neither does DH.
In fact, I find some of them confusing myself: For instance, the word invented seems to have two of these rules that apply to it. Dividing between the word and the suffix would divide it as in-vent-ed, but dividing between the two consonants that stand between 2 vowels would divide it as in-ven-ted. AJ's book didn't talk at all about which rule takes precendence if two rules disagree. I had to look it up in the dictionary to see that it should be in-vent-ed. But if I say the word aloud, it sure sounds to me like it should be in-ven-ted.
How important is this, anyway? Do I need to make sure AJ memorizes and fully understands these rules at age 7, or can I just post the printout I made of the rules somewhere, make sure she knows how to use the dictionary, and move on?
I'm not sure we'll continue using the Explode the Code series next year. Both AJ and M&M found them rather boring, and I'm not sure they're really presenting important information in a way that kids will understand and retain adequately. It seemed like a lot of busy work for what they learned.
We ended up skipping most of M&M's ETC 3 book, because it was covering information she already knew (things like letter combinations making a single sound) and she found the format excessively boring.
Personally, I didn't think the majority of the exercises in the ETC books actually did a good job of addressing the skills they were supposedly practicing. The kids did a lot of reading and writing words and identifying the pictures that illustrated particular words, but not so much directly practicing dividing words into syllables, finding the diagraphs in the words, etc. I had to add those types of activities to many of the workbook pages.
Maybe I chose the wrong levels for my kids, or maybe they just aren't a good fit for us. But I think I'll look for a different phonics program next year. Or maybe I'll just use An Acorn in my Hand by Ethel Bouldin.
The problem with phonics programs is that they're generally geared for kids who are learning how to read. Since AJ and M&M are now reading at a 5th grade level (M&M at early to mid-5th grade and AJ at mid- to late 5th grade level), I'm not sure really how much phonics instruction they actually need. The issue is, though, that they use phonics more intuitively, without really understanding why or knowing the rules. Which, by this point, is pretty much how I use phonics too.
Will the important phonics rules get covered along with English, Spelling and Grammar as we move into those subjects, or do we need to cover them before we move on? If we do need to cover them, what would be the most efficient and effective way to do it? That's the question.
Labels: learning
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Posted by purple_kangaroo at 12:37 PM[Permanent link]
7 Comments:
The only reason I've ever needed to know how to divide syllables is for typing lyrics into music. That's a fairly specialized purpose. And I look up almost every word. Luckily, it's quick and easy to look it up with a dictionary widget on my computer!
Unfortunately during the years I was at school in Australia the schools were going through a phase of mostly covering English Literature rather than Grammer. We may have briefly touched on basic grammer in 3rd and 4th grade but from there on in it did not seem to be in the curriculum at all. I think so long as they know the basic rules of grammer and syntax so that they can get documents or assignments or business applications gramatically correct I would imagine that is all they really need to know. Also I feel spelling is probably very important too. I know that my grammer is not always perfect by any means but I can make myself adequately understood. These days also most word processing programs have dictionary and thesauruses (sp?) and many of them will also pick up on your grammer. Something else they need to be aware of maybe when they are a little older is that some words are spelt differently in different countries. One that I can think of is I think you guys spell color without the 'u' where as I would spell it colour and neither one is incorrect.
Especially at this early age I think it only important to know basic grammer and syntax, this can be expended on as they get older and as they need it, how much depth they need to go into later on may depend on what they choose to do as a chosen profession.
I have to admit I too found the explanations in your entry a little confusing so I am very proud of your girls for understanding it. I'd also be inclined to agree with them on their opinion of finding it boring :-)
Take Care and keep up the good work. I did Russion History in high scholl and found it fascinating. I nfact I find history fascinating still, to the extent I am almost glued to the history channel when it comes to programmes.
Love to you All
Carolynn xxx :-)
PS that e-mail will get done hopefully soon. :-)
OOPS Don't let the girls see this one I think I spelt school incorrectly somewhere in that last comment.
:-(
Carolynn
I can't imagine why knowing all those rules would be necessary ...even for kids learning to read, dividing word into syllables isn't all that helpful.
I think learning grammar IS important--but in small doses over time for kids the age of yours. Really they already KNOW grammar, what they are learning is how to make explicit what they do implicitly. I am grateful that I was taught grammar as a kid--it helps me be a better writer, and it helps in learning other languages.
As for the comment about spell checkers checking grammar--that is one of the best arguments I can think of for needing to know grammar--so you know when the grammar checker is WRONG--and it often is!
My son learned a rhyme at school which help with at least one of the rules:
"When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking".
I'm not sure if you've gotten "The Electric Company" on DVD, but they do a nice job with some of this, too.
Aside from the first four, those rules are extremely confusing! This seems like one of those things that should be retained as a reference (maybe kept as a folded sheet tucked into the dictionary?) that you can keep for the girls to look up on their own when and if they need to, but committing all of that to memory seems like a waste of brain power. My two cents is that it's more important for the girls to understand the concept of syllables and understand that rules do exist for dividing a word into multiple parts, but needing to know all the ins and outs of those rules is likely not necessary unless they, as Heike mentioned, become lyricists. :) --Kathy J.
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