The Alphabet Phonics

I have been teaching for over thirty-one years, particularly young children. I began my teaching career on the island of Jamaica in January 1988. My first class was a group of young children, ranging from two to five year olds. The setting was comfortable and conducive for learning. The small school is nestled in the cool hills of Goshen in Clarendon, Jamaica. The natural surroundings made it easy for teaching, as the weather was constantly cool and that type of atmosphere enhanced learning. My first class of students followed my instructions well and they excelled academically. Later that year, I was transferred to a bigger school with more students on the plains of Clarendon. The weather was different there, as more sunshine circulated on the plains. The students were virtually preparing for the end of year examinations. I went there just on time to help prepare the examination papers. All the students performed exceptionally well, and moved on to the elementary (primary) level. As the years went by, I calculated that reading was becoming a problem for young children, particularly. A bright idea emerged! Phonics was the "tool" that should be used to develop reading for young children. I discovered, too, that young minds learn words easier through blends - initial, medial and final... blends. An example is as follow: Blend Phonics Fluency Drill matjamratbadman hampadmadpandad fatpattaplassAnn battagPamgassat raptanhatnapat Let us look at the C_V_C method. C_V_C means "Consonant - Vowel - Consonant." A C_V_C word is a three - letter word that follows the spelling pattern of a consonant, then a vowel, and then another consonant. Remember, vowels are the letters A, E, I, O, U (sometimes Y!), and consonants are all the other letters. For example, top.