Prior to her death in 2005, Roberta Skipwith published a handbook entitled PHONICS AND BEYOND: Confidence and Power in Reading, Spelling and Writing. In the Forword, she speaks of her loving devotion to students:
Over 95% of my students achieved grade level in reading and phonics skills.
I served as a phonics and reading mentor and as a trainer and consultant for teachers at all grade levels. My experience includes Master Teacher for new teachers and for student teachers, training instructional aides, teaching ESL classes and remedial groups.
I loved Roberta; her path and mine intersected in 1984 when she was my pre-service mentor. Roberta taught 2nd grade. I was hired to teach 3rd grade.
As a matter of perspective: I became aware while completing my credential requirements that the district (which would become my employer) had major discord which culminated in a nasty union strike. After being hired, I witnessed the lingering scars. Due to my lifelong religious indoctrinations and beliefs, I never chose to join our Teachers Union but – in good faith – agreed to pay an equivalent "proxy" share of my salary to a nonprofit charitable organization. However, I support collective bargaining. During my employment, I was happy to take my turn as site representative at the after-school union meetings. (Thankfully, my mother provided after-school child care so I could volunteer in this way.)
At the time I started my classroom teaching career, a new Language Arts curriculum was being implemented district-wide which was intended to diminish the use of phonics instruction in elementary classrooms and promote the "whole language" approach. This was a highly controversial issue for many veteran teachers and I witnessed their disempowerment. I also learned how, within the educational industry, individuals with a higher pay-grade –– site administrators, district officials, county, state and federal "public servants" –– get the last word about classroom instruction. I saw professionals express heartfelt angst and protest when mandated to violate their personal convictions about “what works for kids" -- but it seemed even more regrettable whenever teachers became willing to allow personal initiative to be compromised and/or eviscerated.
In preparation for my teaching career, I have been taught to teach reading-writing-spelling in several ways: 1) My prior study of Speech Pathology and Audiology showed the value of language’s smallest sound-units; 2) Roberta showed me how phonics worked for her; 3) I received in-service training in whole language methodology from the Language Arts curriculum publisher; 4) To qualify to teach students identified for GATE classes [Gifted and Talented Education], I received instructor training in Junior Great Books Inquiry Method, which assumes the children can already read.
Roberta was a die-hard phonics devotee. Due to the circumstances of our whole language mandate, she chose to work twice as hard to teach both phonics and the new program. The phonics program she loved was called Phonovisual. In the sidebar, see Exhibit 1 (Vowel Chart) and Exhibit 2 (Consonant Chart).
To benefit her 2nd graders, she supplemented the mandated whole language textbook stories by voluntarily preparing sound-sorted word lists, which she cranked out weekly on a messy mimeograph machine. A huge part of her classroom focus was this direct instruction in vocabulary-to-be-read. Roberta taught me to teach step-by-step because RANDOM TEACHING RESULTS IN RANDOM LEARNING. Her phonics lessons also included guided practice wherein students wrote-read-erased on individual chalkboards. Learning was reinforced with flashcards, games, or worksheets before testing.
I immediately recognized the value of the sound foundation Roberta provided for her eager students. It seemed to me that sound-sorted word lists would, in fact, bridge the gap between phonics and whole language.
Since I was not assigned to teach 2nd grade, it soon became obvious that creating weekly word lists for the much-more-difficult 3rd grade stories was too labor-intensive. I was not able to replicate Roberta's example, but it became the catalyst and inspiration after I retired for my making sound-sorted word lists and posting them as a public service at WordsAhead.org/com/net.
As soon as I left my classroom teaching, I began to analyze educational products, including: Popular elementary basal curriculum, including Open Court/SRA stories (with “Sound-Spelling Cards”) and Houghton Mifflin Reading stories (with "Alphafriends") • Phonics-based assessments/interventions, including DIBELS and Reading Mastery/DISTAR/SRA; Independent theories, including PhonoGraphix/Reading Reflex (McGuinness) and Word Mastery (Akin); Preschool curriculum, including Handwriting Without Tears (Knapton/Olsen) and Zoo-Phonics; Learn-to-read websites, including Starfall.com, PBSKids.org, Free-Reading.net; Other systems, including NATO Phonetic Alphabet and the International Phonetic Alphabet; etc.
Since I was not assigned to teach 2nd grade, it soon became obvious that creating weekly word lists for the much-more-difficult 3rd grade stories was too labor-intensive. I was not able to replicate Roberta's example, but it became the catalyst and inspiration after I retired for my making sound-sorted word lists and posting them as a public service at WordsAhead.org/com/net.
As soon as I left my classroom teaching, I began to analyze educational products, including: Popular elementary basal curriculum, including Open Court/SRA stories (with “Sound-Spelling Cards”) and Houghton Mifflin Reading stories (with "Alphafriends") • Phonics-based assessments/interventions, including DIBELS and Reading Mastery/DISTAR/SRA; Independent theories, including PhonoGraphix/Reading Reflex (McGuinness) and Word Mastery (Akin); Preschool curriculum, including Handwriting Without Tears (Knapton/Olsen) and Zoo-Phonics; Learn-to-read websites, including Starfall.com, PBSKids.org, Free-Reading.net; Other systems, including NATO Phonetic Alphabet and the International Phonetic Alphabet; etc.
What I discovered was shocking to me. Although I had no proof, it appeared to me that major short-comings within the language-learning infrastructure itself were inadvertently hindering student achievement. I began to question so-called “proven methods” of instruction. (This in no way disparages teachers, parents or students who use these methods.)
My questions for discussions about our common theories, fundamental practices and the pedagogical infrastructure of Language Arts might include:
My questions for discussions about our common theories, fundamental practices and the pedagogical infrastructure of Language Arts might include:
Why do we ever settle for less than explicit language information?
Whole Word and Sight Word methodologies seem sub-standard because they lack specificity regarding phonemic awareness. Students may be left to flounder when vocabulary becomes more complicated.
Whole Word and Sight Word methodologies seem sub-standard because they lack specificity regarding phonemic awareness. Students may be left to flounder when vocabulary becomes more complicated.
Whole Language activities –– although very engaging –– may be more effective following conscientious, systematic sound-spelling study of relevant vocabulary, ahead of time. If a teacher has the ability and is willing to teach sound-spellings, it seems obvious that students never need to skip or guess at content words.
Why have we allowed foundational information to become muddled?
Data Set :: SPEECH SOUNDS
Individual auditory sound-units, which may (or may not) be manifested in writing with ABCs or other symbols.
Speech sounds and ABCs are separate entities.
Each have separate names.
Speech sounds and ABCs are separate entities.
Each have separate names.
Data Set :: SOUND NAMES
The separateness of speech sounds and ABCs is breeched by commingling alphabet letters in sound names:
Conventional Phonics Sound Names
Short/Long-A
Soft/Hard-C
Short/Long-E
Hard/Soft-G
Short/Long-I
Short/Long-O
Soft/Hard-U
Etc.
WordsAhead *NEW * Sound Names
V01 spelled using Letter /A/ or with other letter(s)
V02 spelled using Letter /I/ or with other letter(s)
V03 spelled using Letter /O/ or with other letter(s)
C16 spelled using Letter /P/ or with other letter(s)
Etc.
Data Set :: ALPHABET LETTERS
Letters are graphic symbols for sounds.
Letters are graphic symbols for sounds.
/Aa/, /Bb/, /Cc/, /Dd/, /Ee/, /Ff/, /Gg/, /Hh/, /Ii/, /Jj/, /Kk/, /Ll/, /Mm/, /Nn/, /Oo/, /Pp/, /Qq/, /Rr/, /Ss/, /Tt/, /Uu/, /Vv/, /Ww/, /Xx/, /Yy/, and /Zz/
Letters are NOT sounds!
Letters are NOT sounds!
Data Set :: LETTER NAMES
(pronounced) aay... be... sea... Dee... EEE... efff... jeeeeee... etc.
I fondly remember Roberta addressing the honest bewilderment whenever a phonics rule was broken, by saying, "Well that word just doesn't "play fair." What now can I say if I see that the entire doctrine itself does not "play fair"?
Good news! Parents, tutors, and classroom teachers who want to make changes (and are willing to violate the status quo) can quietly revolutionize their instruction by intentionally providing a foundation in SPEECH SOUNDS. Classrooms can be organized around speech sounds using a WordsAhead Sound Map. (No cost.) Each sound of each key word for each lesson can be taught, ahead of time, using *CloudSpelling*. (No cost.) Teachers and volunteers can verify that learners can pronounce and spell vocabulary words before they discover the meanings of the vocabulary within the context of the literature using Word Lists for Literature Mastery. (No cost.) WordsAhead is working hard to support these specific efforts.
What are the most useful names for speech sounds?
The most precise descriptors are those used in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) which indicate the placement of articulators -- lips, tongue, teech, etc. But terms like “bilabial” and “labiodental” and “nasal” and “plosive” and “fricative” are unwieldy for most elementary educators and students. WordsAhead's numbered sound-labels which cue to vowel sounds (V) and consonant sounds (C) are inclusive and much easier:
V01/a/ h a t formerly "Short-A"
V02/i/ sh i p formerly "Short-I"
V03/o/ d o t formerly "Short-O"
V04/u/ c u p formerly "Short-U"
V05/e/ b e ll formerly "Short-E"
V06/a_e/ c a n e formerly "Long-A"
V07/i_e/ k i t e formerly "Long-I"
V08/o_e/ c o n e formerly "Long-O"
V09/u_e/ t u b e and z oo
Blend C39+V09/u/ m u sic formerly "Long-U"
Blend C39+V09/u/ m u sic formerly "Long-U"
V10/ee/ f ee t formerly "Long-E"
V11/a/ b a ll
V12/oo/ h oo k
V13/ow/ d ow n
V14/oy/ b oy
V15/ir/ g ir l
Blend C39+V15/ure/ p ure
Blend C39+V15/ure/ p ure
C16/p/ page; C17/b/ bed
C18/t/ tub; C19/d/ dish
C20/ch/ chase; C21/j/ joy and /g/ gel
C22/c/ cat aka "Hard-C" and /k/ king
Blend C22+C36/qu/ quit
Blend C22+C28/x/ axe
C23/g/ gate aka "Hard-G"
Blend C23+C29/x/ exact
C24/f/ fun; C25/v/ vote
C26/th/ thank; C27/th/ that
C28/s/ sun and /c/ ice aka "Soft-C"; C29 /z/ zoom
C30/sh/ shoe; C31/s/ measure
C32/h/ house; Blend C32+C36/wh/ where
C33/m/ man; C34/n/ nail; C35/ng/ sing
C36/w/ wish; C37/l/ leg; C38/r/ red; C39/y/ year
Spoken language is a universal phenomenon. Spoken language is organic and natural for humans, whereas written language is a value-added option (not mandatory) for communication. WordsAhead will help you with every function of spoken language: Heard, Said, Spelled/Encoded, Read/Decoded.
Handwriting – especially directionality – is a separate subject of great importance from the earliest years. WordsAhead alleges that encoding (sound-spelling) is a logical prerequisite for decoding (recognizing sound-spelling). The literature is filled with the term Letter-Sounds (literally, looking at ABCs then listening to speech sounds), but WordsAhead teaches Sound-Spellings (literally, listening to sound-units then seeing how they are spelled in a given word). To illustrate the difference, consider the following. If you say two sounds –– [V08] as heard in "vote, go, road, low" and [V11] as heard in "all, taught, car" –– you will predictably hear ONLY those two unique sounds. But if you focus on the two words "Oh!" and "Ah!", you'll observe three alphabet letters –– /o/, /a/ and /h/. Those three letters may be found in many other sound-spellings, illustrated here:
Letter /O/ spells:
V02/o/ w o men as in "sit"
V02/o/ w o men as in "sit"
V03/o/ o ctopus as in "not"
V04/o/ o ven as in "up"
V08/o/ o pen as in "vote"
V09/o/ tw o as in "moon"
V12/o/ w o man as in "cook"
Plus, Letter /O/ combines with other letters to spell:
V05/eo/ l eo pard as in "egg"
V10/eo/ p eo ple as in "beet"
V13/ow/ d ow n as in "town"
V14/oy/ b oy as in "toy"
V15/or/ w or k as in "first"
Letter /O/ spells:
V01/a/ a pple as in "cat"
V04/a/ wh a t as in "fun"
V05/a/ a ny as in "end"
V06/a/ a ble as in "fame"
V08/a/ w a rm as in "wore"
V11/a/ c a rt as in "fall"
Plus, Letter /A/ combines with other letters to spell:
V03/oa/ br oa d as in "tot"
V07/ia/ d ia l as in "life"
V10/ea/ ea t as in "sweet"
V15/ear/ p ear l as in "firm"
Letter /H/ spells the sound called C32.
Plus, Letter /H/ combines with other letters to spell:
V03/ough/ b ough t as in "hot"
V06/eigh/ eigh t as in "ate"
V07/igh/ s igh t as in "ice"
V08/oh/ oh as in "phone"
V09/ough/ thr ough as in "boot"
V11/augh/ t augh t as in "call"
V13/ough/ pl ough as in "cow"
C20/ch/ chair
C22/ch/ chord
C23/gh/ ghost
C24/ph/ phone and /gh/ laugh
C26/th/ think
C27/th/ this
C30/sh/ shout
C38/rh/ rhubarb
The language of your instruction will show your orientation, whether an ABC-focus or a speech sounds-focus.
ABCs: “What sounds do these letters make?”
Speech sounds: “Let’s spell-out these sounds.”
ABCs: “Draw a circle around the letter that makes the beginning sound.”
Speech sounds: "Draw a circle around the first sound’s letter-spelling.”
ABCs: “Sound out the word you don’t know.” (View a string of letters.)
Speech sounds: “Let’s do Sound-Spelling for new words.”
(Learner will hear a string of speech sounds.)
Mindfully consider your actions. All behavior is purposeful.
Roberta's General Guidelines
In auditory training, children must focus on your lips, tongue, and teeth.
Repeat if a child makes a mistake or is hesitant.
Say, “Listen again and watch me say the word.”
Keep the pacing moving. DON’T LET THEM FAIL!
Consistency is important.
A teacher’s job is to make learning easy.
Make lessons low-risk and non-threatening experiences.
Make the classroom a great place to be.
Create an atmosphere of encouragement.
Hold a “You can do it!” attitude.
Stress group recognition more than individual recognition.
Minimize mistakes; handle corrections gently.
Use statements like, “We are just learning!”
Exclaim, “Look at all the good work you have done!”
Recognize learning hard spots and guide your learners through them.
Be sure that every person is treated with dignity.
Repeat if a child makes a mistake or is hesitant.
Say, “Listen again and watch me say the word.”
Keep the pacing moving. DON’T LET THEM FAIL!
Consistency is important.
A teacher’s job is to make learning easy.
Make lessons low-risk and non-threatening experiences.
Make the classroom a great place to be.
Create an atmosphere of encouragement.
Hold a “You can do it!” attitude.
Stress group recognition more than individual recognition.
Minimize mistakes; handle corrections gently.
Use statements like, “We are just learning!”
Exclaim, “Look at all the good work you have done!”
Recognize learning hard spots and guide your learners through them.
Be sure that every person is treated with dignity.
![[Exhibit 1]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tYhiXS0U6Gs/SXkcFQt-QeI/AAAAAAAABXQ/KbpsEnJ8XyI/S269/Picture+3.png)
![[Exhibit 2]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tYhiXS0U6Gs/SXkb42sQXfI/AAAAAAAABXI/z417iat5aE4/S269/C-Sounds.png)
