We have been readers for a good portion of our lives, thanks to phonics. Phonics refers to the relationship between letter symbols and sounds in a language. The very fundamental of phonics is in the alphabets. Therefore, students should master the alphabets to understand the concepts of phonics. Examples of phonetic concepts in the English language include, letter B has the sound of /b/, letter “e” is silent in words like line, “tion” sounds /shun/, among others. Phonics helps learners to read and spell words.
Wilson (1998), suggests that phonics instructions teach the existence of forty-four sounds created by the twenty-six letters of the English language. I use the sound-letter relation element which helps me map the connection between letters and sounds. This phonetic element includes the sound-spelling relationship of both vowels and consonants. Single consonants and short vowel sounds are relatively easy to master. When challenged with an ambiguous word, I always identify the sounds associated with individual letters in isolation and then blend the sounds. For instance, the sound-letter correspondence /l/, /a/, /m/, and /p/, I blend the letter sounds and read the word “lamp”.
Vocabulary is made more active when students get engaged in activities like creating word walls, word sorts, and morphology practice with matching activities. These three activities could be very successful in our class because our Biology teacher is always penalizing us in the exams for miswriting biological term. Also, during oral class work, most of my classmates are always mispronouncing common biology terms. For example, if the whole class regularly uses morphology practice with matching activities, we get to study the roots, bases and suffixes of various words like cardiomyopathy. In addition to the pros of phonics instructions, phonics is very formulaic because once the basic rules are learned; reading a wide variety of literature becomes easy. Also, students acquire better pronunciation and word recognition skills. On the other hand, phonics has cons. First, a student may have difficulties in comprehending a text due to the constant breakdown of words into smaller parts. Second, spelling out some words becomes difficult because the English language lacks a direct sound-symbol relationship and there are several homonyms.
2) EDUC 505
Factors for Grouping or Paring Students for Speaking Activities
Students’ participation in group work is a crucial factor in learning process. Grouping provides a platform where students can listen to one another, verbalize their ideas, create common products, and share authentic discussion (Center, 2008). However, some factors govern how a teacher arranges students for group work for a speaking activity.
First, when creating a vocal group, let’s say an English speaking lesson; the teacher must consider the personality of the students. Some students are introverts while others are extroverts. Therefore, each group should be well balanced regarding student’s personality. A teacher may arrange necessary activities like asking for directions, making doctor’s appointment, ordering food, and so forth. These activities provide experience to students irrespective of their personalities, and they can use the language in real communication.
Secondly, the familiarity of students with each other is a factor to consider for grouping. Students who have previously worked in groups together are more likely to work in groups once again in an efficient manner (Center, 2008). Before a teacher places students in groups, it is essential to consult with the students if they have worked in groups on previous projects. During the speaking activities, students are more free and comfortable to speak if they know each other. This situation results in students expressing their ideas and opinions effectively.
The perspective of diversity is also a factor to consider for grouping in a speaking activity. When one of the projects' learning objectives is familiarity with multiple views, then is vital to compose diverse groups. Often we consider diversity regarding culture, gender, native language, and ethnicity, but a teacher might consider the relevance of the political, socioeconomic, among other differences in the speaking activity objectives. It is also important to ensure enough representation of diversity in every group so that lone members of a specific social category do not get isolated in a group.
In conclusion, pair and group work can be productive if used at the right times and structured appropriately. For teachers, grouping students is an excellent tool to promote student interaction whereby they help each other in learning. Therefore, a teacher should vary groupings dependent on the goals and context of the activity. Also, it is crucial to know what assistance to provide students with every learning challenge.
Reference
Center, E. (2008). Teaching excellence and educational innovation. Grading and Performance Rubrics. Retrieved from Online Website: http://www. cmu. edu/teaching/designteach/teach/rubrics. html.
Wilson, S. (1998). Phonemic Awareness: A Review of Literature.
