Literacy Concepts, Phonics Method, and Thematic Language Learning

Defining Literacy

Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read and write at a level suitable for communication, which implies understanding and communicating ideas in a literate society. It is a concept claimed and defined by a range of different theoretical fields. Key components include:

• Phonemic awareness
• Decoding
• Fluency
• Comprehension
• Vocabulary

The Phonics Method for Reading Instruction

Phonics is a method of teaching reading. It involves teaching letter-sound correspondences, enabling learners to translate letters into sounds and then blend the sounds together to pronounce words.

This method is particularly appropriate at the very beginning of children's schooling.

The strategies used to teach reading with this method are:

• Identifying Unfamiliar Printed Words

  When children read a word for the first time, they have to do it by translating letters to sounds. New correspondences are introduced rapidly, including more complex ones, but just one strategy is taught initially.

• Blending (Synthesizing)

  Children blend the sounds in order to arrive independently at a pronunciation for a printed word (e.g., sh… i… p… ship). The teacher does not pronounce the word for them because the point of blending is to allow them to work the word out themselves.

• Book Reading

  This method does not expect children to read books until they are competent enough at phonic word-reading to make book-reading possible.

• Sight Words

  It starts by introducing a few words containing irregularities, but only once pupils have mastered the technique of reading simple regular words by translating letters into sounds and blending the sounds.

Topic-Based Second Language Teaching

The process of teaching a second language must be related to the development of the whole child (socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively). For that reason, 'teaching through topics' is a way to be close to the child and also to create a motivating environment and a meaningful context for their learning.

The best topics are those from the daily life of the child, for example: 'the school', 'my family', 'my friends', 'my pet', 'games and sports', 'the seasons', etc.