phonics vs sight words

[pastelsummer]

ok what is the debate? i had planned to use "teaching your child to read in 100 easy lessons" My mother used it for my adhd nephew and he learned to read so fast. But i keep hearing you have to teach sight words not phonic or you HVAE to do phonic not sight words. so what is the deal with it?

[LovinBeingMommy]

I learned to read phonetically. I can sound out any word you put in front of me. In college, some of my friends really struggled because they were strictly sight readers. It was hard for them to learn the really long words showing up in our college texts. One professor actually ended up spending two class periods teaching the class to read phonetically.
I don't see anything wrong with teaching a child sight reading because it's fast and easy, but along side phonics. They know a word based on how it looks. It can be hard when words appear in a new font, though. My brother still struggles to read cursive because he sight reads. I don't see why you can't teach both?

[LadybugSam]

i've havne't heard about either/or. I was told you have to do a little bit of both. Phonics is how we read most words for most words but some words like of, she, they, one, have, are, etc. cannot be read phonetically and need to be taught as sight words.

[RachelB]

Most experts seem to agree that a balanced approach is best. If your child can only read words that he already knows, then he has no idea how to approach new ones. If he only knows how to sound out words, then he's clueless on the many words that don't fit the "rules." An approach that teaches both is what is usually recommended.

[AngelaVA]

IMO phonics AND sight words should both be taught as a support to reading for meaning. If a child has a text that's within their level of development they shouldn't have to memorize a bunch of new words or sound a bunch of words out to read it. The sight words would be anchors and the phonics a crutch if they stumble.

[Littledisciples]

You don't have to teach sight words but it is good to teach phonics. I am using The Writing Road to Reading and I like it much better. I like the phonograms they learn and we don't use sight words at all. My 6 year old is able to read some 3rd grade words now. WRTR also explains the sight words so you don't have sight words rather you learn the rules so you know why something is sounded out the way it is. The thing I like about it is it is designed for special needs and can be used for children with all sorts of learning disabilities.

---------- Post added at 01:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:39 AM ----------

100 Easy Lessons is good book too.

[teamommy]

I don't think there is a way to teach 100% phonics because even in a program that teaches very thorough phonics, there are going to be a few rule breakers.

Most of the sight words on the Dolch lists they teach in schools, however, are actually phonetic and don't break any rules. The programs I have used teach via explicit phonics and there are only a few of the sight words that do have to be learned on sight that way. But, with both my boys I have given them extra practice with the more common words, (even though taught phonetically) because being able to recognize some words does greatly increase confidence.

Most children do well with a combination. Some need something more intensive.

[Codi]

teamommy, what sight words list do you use? :)

[pastelsummer]

ok can someone show me a cheap/free way to teach to read? she is so eager but i just looked through the 100EL and man I am so confused! I do not do read instructions very well. Maybe i should just scrap the idea and send her to public school

[teamommy]

teamommy, what sight words list do you use? :)
:think Trying to figure out what you are asking.

I only know of the Dolch list.

[Codi]

I don't think there is a way to teach 100% phonics because even in a program that teaches very thorough phonics, there are going to be a few rule breakers.

Most of the sight words on the Dolch lists they teach in schools, however, are actually phonetic and don't break any rules. The programs I have used teach via explicit phonics and there are only a few of the sight words that do have to be learned on sight that way. But, with both my boys I have given them extra practice with the more common words, (even though taught phonetically) because being able to recognize some words does greatly increase confidence.

Most children do well with a combination. Some need something more intensive.


I guess I was referring to the bold. Maybe I am reading wrong but the previous sentence seems to say not all the words on the Dolch list are actually phonetic and do not need to be taught by sight. Then the bold sentence I took as you used/use a program that has less sight words than the Dolch list (because much of the Dolch list is *actually* phonetic). :giggle

Clear as mud?

[teamommy]

Is it because I said "the list they teach in schools"? As if I know of a different list? :giggle I just meant that a lot of the "sight words" are really phonetic and can be taught with phonics. They are on the list because they are high frequency words and can be taught either way.

Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, for example, off the top of my head- teaches of, said, could, would, should buy, two, does, and a few more, as sight words. But the rest of the words on the (Dolch) list are taught in the phonics lessons.

---------- Post added at 04:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:01 AM ----------

Codi-- Gotcha. :) I think I answered, then.

[Littledisciples]

ok can someone show me a cheap/free way to teach to read? she is so eager but i just looked through the 100EL and man I am so confused! I do not do read instructions very well. Maybe i should just scrap the idea and send her to public school

Why don't you come over and I will show you how to do it. I have a copy of that book on hand. :)

[DoulaClara]

I think the "either/or" argument is old, and I don't think I know anyone IRL who is strictly one or the other! Even when I was teaching in the public schools, we did a good mix of both. If you think about it, most people by adulthood have generally worked in their own method of a mixture of both- how many times has a poster posted something, and a few people have initially misread it to read something else, at first? :lol We read so quickly, our brains skip over the words and automatically fill in what is semantically and syntactically correct. And when we slam into a word that is unfamiliar, we use our phonetic decoding methods (usually) or methods that align it with other words we know, and give it our best shot.

Anyway, here's my vote for, "use both!" I'm a phonics fan myself, and prefer to teach using phonics, but I still like a good collection of "rule breaker" and "frequently used" words.

[Peaceful Meadows]

ok can someone show me a cheap/free way to teach to read? she is so eager but i just looked through the 100EL and man I am so confused! I do not do read instructions very well. Maybe i should just scrap the idea and send her to public school
:hug You can do it! :yes

Check out the Three R's by Ruth Beechick from the library. That might help you but all you really need is to word build.

Teach your child the sounds that each letter makes. Then start with one vowel and one constant for example "a" and "t" and show how they blend together to make a word in this case "at" Then show that if you add "c" to "at" you make "cat", "p" to "at" makes "pat", "h" to "at" makes "hat" and so on.

If your child doesn't grasp it then wait a bit h/she may just not be ready yet.

HTH

[Codi]

Yes, I have only ever read of doing both as well. Never either or. :shrug

[Amber]

We are doing a combination of both. Having ds1 memorize some sight words has really helped make reading more fun for him. Like a PP said many of the words on the sight word lists are phonetic high frequency word.

[Kiara.I]

ok can someone show me a cheap/free way to teach to read?

Okay, I'm confused.

Is it not possible to just read to kids until they pick it up? (Like, with them sitting on your lap looking at the book.)

I mean, obviously point out words when they ask, occasionally show them how to sound things out, but generally let them just work it out as you read to them? Or is that crazy? :blush

[Waterlogged]

some kids don't pick it up like that.

contrary to popular opinion, reading ability does not always develop naturally like language development.

[Littledisciples]

One thing that works well is explode the code too I like that for teaching phonics. The first books are Get ready for the code.

I think phonics is huge to teach a kid how to sound out words and is key to spelling words later on. I read and read and read to my kids My oldest would never have learned to read by just reading to her. She had to have intensive phonics program.

[JavaMama]

Dd1 has always tended towards sight reading and because she was 7-8yo and barely reading still, I decided to chill on trying to push phonics. Now that she is doing better reading in general (mostly sight reading) I've started her on Explode the Code which I am hoping will fill in any gaps.

Ds is picking up reading some more and we're doing some of both- he just started the first book in EtC and I am getting ready to order Get Set For The Code for dd2 because she wants to do it too! :tu

[CelticJourney]

ok can someone show me a cheap/free way to teach to read? she is so eager but i just looked through the 100EL and man I am so confused! I do not do read instructions very well. Maybe i should just scrap the idea and send her to public school

I can help with that - I'm on child #3 using that book. First thing you do is drop about half of the 'stuff'. I never did the writing part and the rhymning made my girls annoyed. Teach the sounds and then they become words and then stories - I happens really fast after about lesson 13.:yes

And even in 100 Easy Lessons, there are what we call 'weird words' - those that don't follow the pattern and you just have to learn them, like 'said'. I'm often surprised how often ds remembers the 'weird ones' quicker than others.:giggle

Oh, and when you get to the 'silent letters', I told ds they are 'shy' so don't say them or it will scare them. He'd get to a silent 'e' and whisper 'oh, a shy one!'

[FamilyLove]

I can help with that - I'm on child #3 using that book. First thing you do is drop about half of the 'stuff'. I never did the writing part and the rhymning made my girls annoyed. Teach the sounds and then they become words and then stories - I happens really fast after about lesson 13.:yes


I'm glad you said that about not doing the writing and the rhyming. I've been skipping the writing and wondering if she was missing out because of it. We just did rhyming today (lesson 7, I think) and it seemed frustrating to her. If it is not necessary, I am definitely skipping it from now on.

My daughter *really* wants to learn to read, but I'm not sure she has the skills for it yet. We'll see how this goes.

[aleigh]

Haven't read the replies, but my DS is in kindy & they do both. He has a list of high frequency words that they basically memorize as sight words, but they also do phonics. I think you need both.