Phonics
- Hints and Tips

Tell us about ways in which you help a child learning synthetic phonics

Phoneme poster - After each sound is introduced, the children work together to create a large poster which displays all the things that remind them of that sound. These could range from catalogue pictures of things that begin with that sound, spaghetti letters which they have made themselves, the children’s pictures of the Jolly Phonic action which accompanies it, a tongue twister they have learned, etc. These are then displayed around the classroom. Although the children only work on the poster in small groups, every child will contribute to the final poster. This encourages a feeling of unity within the class. (H.W., Gwent, Wales)

Fishing game - Sam and I use a 'Fishing Game' to learn new words. Newly learned words are written onto cards shaped like fish. A paper clip is then attached to each card. These cards are later strewn into a large cardboard cover (this is the 'pond') Sam holds a rod with a magnet tied to the end of the line. When the game starts, his job is to catch a 'fish' and read the word written. He keeps the 'fish' when he correctly reads the word. (M.H.C., Singapore)

Have you got your mouth ready? - When I take A.P. for reading and he gets to a difficult word I always say to him, "Have you got your mouth ready. 'That seems to help him to look at the first sound of the word. When I first started with A.P. he would more often than not say the final sound first. I asked him if that was what he actually saw when he looked at a word. He said it was, so I tried a strip of paper under the line of words. That didn't help. In the end we found that if I pointed to the beginning of the words with a pencil, then he would get his mouth ready for the sound. In this way we have trained his eyes to look at the first sounds and not the end sounds. With using phonic prompts, especially learning the short sounding vowels, this has really helped A.P. to decipher the difficult words with confidenc. He knows now that he can help himself! (G.K., New Zealand)

Children teaching children - Children remember 90% of what they are taught by another child. (Neil Mackay, Dyslexia Conference, Jan 2006, London, UK)

Spelling homework - Spelling homework was always a nightmare. Buying magnet letters and using the side of the fridge was a breakthrough. He can make two, three or twenty attempts, without having to worry. I can leave him good morning messages, showing I need to use the fridge too. (Paula, UK)

Letter sounds and colors - Teaching a child with many difficulties, including no knowledge of color names, I taught her letter sounds and colors at the same time, by making large fabric letters. S (her initial letter) was silver, soft and shiny, with a squeaker inside it. B was big and blue, covered in bubblewrap and enclosed a bell Red was rough and raggy, patchwork, enclosing a plastic bag that rustled.... Yellow was more difficult: yummy yellow sweets were the answer.... G - green grass of the type used in shop displays.... After she had the idea, other letters needed less specific teaching, and went in with more conventional letters, covered in objects she found in catalogues. (Alis, Wales)

Stevenson Language Program - I use the Stevenson Language Program which incorporates visual cues such as a snaky s, fins on a fish are made with f's, a rope is made in the shape of an r, etc. This program also focuses on phoenimic awareness. (N.N., Bartlesville, Oklahoma)

Spelling words - Our dyslexic 11 year old had a horrible time with spelling at the beginning of this year. I used the computer to make crazy pictures of his favorite things and people - with a short phrase to depict the spelling words. We have a scanner and a color printer. To save time, I print things or scan and use the old-fashioned cut and paste with scissors and tape. The crazier the picture the more he remembered. I also asked for a couple more study days from the teacher. Spelling grades went from the 40's to the 90's in a matter of week. He's now a happy camper! (D.A., Washington, DC )

Colored letters - When my son was in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade, I used a large font technique. I would retype the spelling words in at least a size 72 font. I also learned that it seemed helpful to change the color of the letters for the part of the word he was having trouble with. For instance, if he was spelling "friend" as "freind," then I would change the color of the "ie" to red. I reasoned that he knew how to spell the rest of the word, so he should concentrate on that "ie" part. It seemed to help. If he had themed spelling lists, I sometimes even changed the font colors depending on what the words were emphasizing. So "station" would have the "ion" in red, while "patient" would have the "ien" in blue, because they sound similar but are spelt differently. (E.S. New Jersey, USA)

Large print spellings - I type spelling words in MS Word, select a large font size (font = 72) and print the words onto large index cards. This way my second-grade son has the individual word in front of him when using it in sentences or writing and can focus on the one word. I also allow him him to draw a picture on the back which he associates with the meaning of the word. (R. J., Decatur, GA)

Essay writing - My dyslexic daughter, 11, has such a hard time spelling that it takes her forever to write a report or essay at school, especially if she is constantly looking through the dictionary. Two things that helped were:
(1) A very small 40,000-Word list book - it has just the words, not the definitions, and
(2) A Franklin electronic speller.
With the latter, she can enter a word phonetically, and it comes up with a list of correctly spelled options. She can choose the option she thinks is correct, and a definition pops up to ensure it is the correct word. This was so helpful that four other children in the class purchased one, too. Rather than having her spelling problem being a stigma, the other kids like her cool gadget! (R. F., Boise, Idaho )

Make alphabet biscuits together, or use 'writing icing' to make words on ordinary ones - everyone has to say the one they have before eating it! (S. H-C, Surrey, UK)

Pupils highlight their spelling errors One of my students used to sigh and begin to switch-off every time I mentioned her spelling mistakes, so I changed it around and put her in control by suggesting she highlight any words she felt might need checking. We looked at the ones she had highlighted and ignored the other mistakes. It had a very positive effect on her attitude, as she was being her own critic rather than the teacher. (V.L., Hampshire, UK)

Clay letters - My dyslexic son is 8 years old and has difficulty with writing spelling words for his test. We did some research and found that molding letters out of clay helped tremendously. He seems to learn better with visual or 3D aides. We form each letter in clay and make the spelling words. He spells it out loud forward, backwards and forward again. So for it is working. (lexus443, Louisiana)

'b's and 'd's - My dyslexic son's 1st grade teacher taught him how to remember how to write his b's and d's by using his hands. He would say A, B (and make the letter 'b' with his left hand - the thumb up and fingers in a fist) C, D (do the same but use the right hand). This seems to work for him. (Janet, Longview, Texas)

'b' and 'd' - I have this problem and when I was at school to help me with my b's and d's they just wrote 'bed' because it looks like a bed and you can hear it (Carly Harris, UK)

Getting 'd' the right way round - My dyslexic son and I have found a cunning little trick to get the letter 'd' the right way round. He says: 'c, d, starts to write 'c' and continues it into a 'd'! (Rod, Los Angeles)

'b' and 'd' - My son gets b's and d's mixed up often. I bought him a bracelet for his right arm. Now he knows that "b" is for bracelet and goes in the direction of the bracelet side and "d" goes to the side of him not wearing the bracelet. (R.S., California)

Letters with tails - I find that the D'Nealian manuscript alphabet works better than the Zane Bloozer, because it makes greater differentiations between the letters with its monkey tails. The child can try writing the letter with their finger when they are stuck trying to decide, which is a "b" or a "d". (L.S., Atlanta, GA)

Shaving cream - My dyslexic 8-year old daughter hates practicing her spelling words. So while she is taking her bath we smooth shaving cream onto the wall so she can write the words with her finger. When she needs to try again we can just smooth out the shaving cream. We have also used peanut butter smeared on a paper plate and wrote the words with carrots! (Carla, North Dakota, USA)

Bath foam - Jake is 10 years old, dyslexic, and hasn't enjoyed spelling. So I bought a bath foam that comes in colors; I spray it on the glass table top and he writes the words into it. If he should get it wrong I correct it with him and then he says the letters forward and backwards a couple of time and then says the work. He also closes his eyes and says the letters forward and backwards. The last two tests he has scored 100. (P, USA)

Cookie dough - When my son was struggling to learn the alphabet at 6 years old. We made cookie dough, divided it, added different food colors, chocolate chips, sprinkles etc. We then formed the dough to make the letters of the alphabet starting with uppercase letters. We then baked them and ate them. This helped him learn the letters and isolate them so they would not move so much on the page. (J.J., Louisiana, USA )

Hearing your child read (1) - You could play a simple game with your dyslexic child. Choose a story that the child will enjoy. Before you begin tell the child that they can only read one word every time it appears in the book. This might make the child wonder why they can only read just one of the words. If the adult reads their part of the story with enthusiasm then the child will concentrate on reading their word when it appears. The child may well ask the next night if they can read more than their one word, building up their confidence. (from 'How to Reach and Teach Children and Teens with Dyslexia' by Cynthia Stowe - USA | UK)

Hearing your child read (2) - Tom enjoys 'paired' reading, when he and I read together. He tends to let me take the lead and he echoes the words. This takes the pressure away from him and he still gets to enjoy what he is reading. Usually we will read a few pages together, then I will ask him to read the next few pages on his own. If I sense that he is getting tired, I take over the reading for a time while he continues to listen to the story. When Tom comes across an unfamiliar word, he will make an attempt to sound it out. If he cannot manage the word, I tell him the word so as not to interrupt his reading. (M. W-B., France).

Cellular or mobile phones - There is a lot of controversy about the use of cellular/mobile phones. We were not keen on getting my dyslexic son a phone for a gift. However, as most of his friends had one, he asked for one just to be like his peers. One of the reasons we didn't want him to have one was it is very expensive to keep. But since he got it he is always texting his friends, whether it is about sport or homework. He does not abbreviate his words and I am amazed to see the speed he has acquired in using it. His spelling in his written work has greatly improved. I am now glad we let him have the phone. I feel it has opened another line of communication for him, and for him to continue to use his spelling skills. (L.F., Co. Kildare, Ireland)

Telling a dyslexic child the words they cannot read yet - I was hearing Peter read and telling him any words he hesitated on. Peter made a deal with me that I will only tell him the words that he genuinely had problems with. He would tap my hand and I would read him the words he had a problem with. (H.N., New Delhi, India)

Reading aloud for your dyslexic child - As a parent you should never give up reading aloud for your child. It's the only way from the beginning to give your child the love for reading. Our son is slightly dyslectic and was a slow reader and up to Middle School I used to read all his book for him aloud, while he sat listening. We really enjoyed the hours spent together. Now I don't have to read anymore. When he had to read for his literature list I saw to it that he chose interesting and exciting books so that while reading he could "see the movie inside his mind". It really helped. He is a willing reader now and he has noticed that reading not only became a pleasure but also that he can read faster now. So never give up reading aloud for your child. (P.A.T., Curacao, Netherlands Antilles)

Alphabet in rice - My 5 year old son was having a terrible time learning his alphabet. I noticed a big difference when we got out a cookie sheet, filled it with uncooked rice and he practiced making the letters in the rice (similar to writing in the sand at the beach). When we wanted to do a new letter, a little shake of the tray and we had a clean slate.. (D, Y., Aloha, Oregon, USA)

Reading 'big kid chapter' books - My dyslexic 9 year old often feels he is the only one who can't read or who struggles with trying to sound out a word. He hates the 'baby' books he often has to read at school, so at bedtime he wants the 'big kid chapter' books (Harry Potter stuff). Most of the time I read them to him and when it comes to a big word I stop and sound out the letters or ask him for help. Whether he gets it right isn't the point, it is knowing that even his mum needs to keep trying and ask for help. Watching his heart swell is the greatest boost of all! (Kimberley, Ottawa, Canada)

Used to hate reading - My 9 year old used to hate reading, but since getting terrific support from school, reading is starting to become pleasurable instead of torture. What we do for fun reading e.g. Harry Potter (rather than school stuff) is for him to read the words he can and then I fill in the big/difficult words for him, this way he practices his reading while hearing a story for pleasure and fun (Kim, London, UK)

Multi-sensory letters for synthetic phonics - Last year I worked with a child who had difficulty remembering the formation of some letters. He became angry, cried and was frustrated when he could not remember what certain letters looked like and how to write them. I provided him with lots of tactile objects, e.g. pipe cleaners, plasticine, ribbons, clothes, sponge, etc. We worked on one letter a day: he chose one object, e.g. a pipe cleaner, to make the shape of the letter, and glued it onto a cardboard book, which I had prepared earlier. I got him to feel the shape of the letter with his eyes closed, say the sound of the letter and asked him to write it on the same page. We worked on the project for a few weeks and every day we started the lesson by getting him to feel the letter. Each letter was shaped from different materials, so it helped him to remember better. After a few weeks, he could match the sound to the letter and write it correctly. (M.P., Singapore)

Resource class - Many teachers report the embarrassment dyslexic children experience going to the resource class or withdrawal group. However, if children enjoy the range of activities - games, matching, etc - they take part in when in the resource class, along with all the praise they receive, the children will enjoy going, and the other children in their class may even start to feel a little envious of them. (John Bradford, Direct Learning)

Tray game for synthetic phonics - For this game you need alphabet letters and an assortment of objects. Place one object at a time on the table, together with a selection of letters, one of which is the initial letter of the object (e.g. a plastic dog - with the letters 'a', 'c', 'd', 'h', 'm'). The child must find the letter whose sound the object begins with. Alternatively, you can put out one letter and five objects, the child having to pick the object beginning with the letter. This game can include the use of consonant blends and digraphs as initial, medial or final phonemes. (D.P.M, Bedfordshire, UK)

Sending home a reading book the child already knows - I have found that a good reading experience for homework is sending home a carefully chosen book, which I have used all week for the Literacy Hour. In class the child has had a whole week of fun activities and sensitive support based on and using the book. If the learning experience has been pleasurable, they enjoy sharing the story - which they have become familiar and confident using - with their family at home during the weekend. (J.D., Bexhill-on-Sea, UK)

Using rewards - My 10-year old son is having so much trouble with spelling, but things have improved a lot since I started giving him reward points for learning his spellings at home (even if he's forgotten them by the next day!). I bought a packet of silver stars which I stick on a little card. When he's got ten, we organize a small reward for him - usually staying up late to watch a video on a Saturday, or her can ask a friend round for a couple of hours. It makes it all a lot more positive for him. (Helen, Liverpool, UK)

'Reading Buddy' - Each day after lunch the first 15 minutes are quiet reading time, when the teacher can hear readers and the children can settle down after lunch time! We use a Reading Buddy idea, where children pair up and take it in turns to read a page/paragraph to each other. We also use audio books and headphones which allow the poorer readers to "read" the same books as others in the class, when doing an author study. (Rebecca, UK).

Reading - I used to have a terrible time hearing my son read. I would stop over every word he could not read and make him say the sounds of the letters. I'm afraid that it usually ended in tears and anger! Anyway, I've now changes all that. If he comes to a word he cannot read, I just tell him, and we're both really enjoying reading now. And his reading is definitely improving, as well as our relationship. (Liz D, California, USA)

Correcting errors - My dyslexic son has a bad habit of writing a correction on top of the error, instead of erasing it and writing it clearly. The result was a real mess until we bought him two or three ink and pencil erasers. This has made a big difference to the appearance of his homework, though he still needs reminding sometimes! (Jo, PA, USA)

Mnemonic spelling - My daughter is 8 years old and has just been identified as having a learning disability. She has difficulty remembering her spelling words beyond the weekly spelling test. Mnemonic spelling seems to be really helping her. We also use a variety of other things such as spelling in salt, clay, dry ease markers, and stamping letters. Here are some of the saying we have used to correct a few words. They are silly, but they work for us. I hope they will help someone else too.
Because - Big Elephants Can't Always Use Small Elevators. (great visual)
Again - Again, Gorillas Appear In Nighties.
Friend - Every friend has an I, and hopefully it will never END.
Front - Wreath ON front door. The "O" in on is round like the wreath. (S.S., USA)

More mnemonics - Some more good phrases:
Because - Bake Every Cake And Use Six Eggs.
Said - Sally Ann Is Dancing
Could - Can Oliver Understand Long Division
Rhythm - Rhythm Has Your Two Hips Moving
They - They Hate Eating Yogurt
Wednesday - WE Do Not Eat Sweets DAY
Tuesday - Tuesday - U Eat Sweets DAY . (Julie, UK)

Animal mnemonics - my son enjoys finding ways to remember spellings this way:
you - Yellow Octopus Underground.
like - Lions In Kenya Eat.
are - Ants Run Eating.
They all seem to have to be connected to animals.

Sight, sound, touch and movement - The young children at my school are introduced to synthetic phonics and letters by drawing them in the air, in sand, making them out of playdough and "treasure hunting" the classroom for items beginning with this sound. This involves sight, sound, touch and movement and gives the children a greater range of memories to use. This is the policy for all the children, but obviously benefits dyslexic child! (R.T., California)

The Goldfish Room - Our Special Needs room is referred to by all as the Goldfish Room on account of the tankful of exotic fish in the corner of the room! Our special needs children are always happy to come, and the other children even get a little jealous! (V.L., Hampshire, UK)

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