I’ve been teaching for quite some time…so you can only imagine all of the things I have learned and all the mistakes I have made. But, as teachers, we constantly learn new things and better our teaching methods for our students. Whether you’re a new teacher, a veteran teacher, or just a teacher looking to change things up, I’m sharing the mistakes I’ve made when teaching phonics.
Over the last couple of years, I have immersed myself in the Science of Reading, and it has taught me so much about the value of teaching phonics and how to improve my teaching methods.
Mistake #1 Teaching Too Much at Once
I am entirely guilty of teaching too much at one time. In my early years, I was using rigorous programs, and I put so much pressure on myself to fly through the program that I realized I was doing myself a disservice to my students. I needed to slow down how much I was teaching and instead use fast-paced smaller chunks. My instruction is now much briefer, and it’s much more impactful for my firsties.
Mistake #2 Not Reviewing
Another mistake I always made was not including a previously learned skill within the new lesson. Looking back, that is crazy to me because I am constantly spiraling previously learned material, but with phonics, I never took the time to integrate a new skill with an old skill. I highly recommend reviewing at least a couple of times a week, too.
Mistake #3 Not Getting Straight to the Point
Along with teaching too much at once, I was taking too long to teach my lessons. It prohibited me from getting straight to the point. My lessons needed to be shortened and more targeted. Once I made this change, I realized how much more engaged my students were.
Mistake #4 Focusing on Words in Isolation
This was a mistake I was making that just took a bit more time and effort on my end to fix it. Teachers have been taught to teach a sound and create words by putting those sounds together. While it’s great to teach those sounds and words, we also want our students to read these words naturally, which is why it’s great to pair them with decodable sentences. We also practice our phonics skills in context using Phonics Mats. Phonics Mats are a quick and easy way to practice phonics in context. There are short decodable passages, sentences, and skills that are fun! See more about them here.
Mistake #5 Not Using Phonemic Awareness Skills
Phonemic awareness is essential. It’s an excellent predictor of reading success and has to be explicitly taught. Unfortunately, many of us teachers weren’t taught to incorporate this with phonics instruction. Thankfully I have learned and applied phonemic awareness to my phonics instructions. Check out this post if you’re looking to dive deeper into phonemic awareness.
Mistake #6 Not Using Decodable Text
I don’t even want to admit that there was a time I wasn’t using decodable text because now I am so passionate about helping teachers understand why and how to use decodable text with their students. Decodable text is essential for beginning readers because it is often sequenced to incorporate consistency with the letter and sound relationships that our students already know. This essentially forces our students to practice and work to put their decoding skills to work. It reinforces phonics lessons, so those skills will stick. You can learn about the importance and benefits of using decodable text in one of my previous posts. And if you’re looking for a resource to get started, definitely check this out.
Mistake #7 Not using a Multi-Sensory Approach
One of my biggest mistakes was making phonics a lesson and only a lesson. I didn’t allow for hands-on opportunities for movement or tactile learning. I quickly realized I needed to make a shift and include more activities that were hands-on. It gave my students with different learning styles a leg up, and I instantly noticed how much more engaged they became. If you’re looking for a few ideas on making phonics more engaging, check out this post.
Don’t beat yourself up if you’re making these mistakes. They are easy to fix, and we all make mistakes. The thing about teaching is that we are also learning every day and can always apply new techniques, strategies, and instructions to better ourselves.
