Welcome
Phonics instruction involves teaching students the relationships between letters and sounds. Students use their knowledge of letter-sound relationships to decode written words accurately. This module provides information about the components of strong phonics instruction as well as the parts and pieces that do not fit into strong phonics instruction
Estimated Completion Time: 3 hours
Welcome!
Welcome to the third module in the Primary Literacy series titled The What of Teaching Phonics & Word Recognition in the ALL Ohio Literacy Library! This module is geared towards all educators and other interested stakeholders who want to further their knowledge about evidence-based phonics instruction. By providing students with effective phonics instruction, teachers give students an opportunity to break the code of English so that they may become proficient in word recognition. As educators, caregivers, and other roles that support children and education, it’s imperative that we know the characteristics of explicit, systematic phonics instruction, what it looks like, and how educators can use evidence-based practices to produce positive literacy outcomes.
Whether you are an early interventionist, caregiver, teacher, administrator, paraprofessional, parent, related service provider, higher education faculty or candidate, or have another role in helping a child develop their reading skills, we want to first say THANK YOU. We know that your time is valuable, and you would not be here if you weren’t interested in supporting outcomes for children and families.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this module. However, you may be interested in completing The Why of Phonics & Word Recognition before beginning this module.
Module Description
This module is the third module in the ALL Ohio Primary Literacy Series. The module’s focus is on the “what” of phonics instruction, providing information on the practices and components that exemplify explicit and systematic phonics instruction. In this module, you will learn about effective instructional techniques, reflect upon your current practice, and evaluate how well your reading program aligns with research on effective reading instruction.
The following topics are discussed in the text, linked resources, embedded audio, and video:
- The elements of explicit and systematic instruction
- A phonics scope and sequence
- Quality texts for reading practice
- An explicit phonics lesson sequence
- The importance of using research-aligned instructional materials
Although this module will likely be most helpful for K-3 educators, educators in all grades and content areas may find this module to be beneficial.
This module aligns with the following recommendations in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Practice Guide – Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade:
- Recommendation 2: Develop awareness of the segments of sounds in speech and how they link to letters
- Recommendation 3: Teach students to decode words, analyze word parts and write and recognize words
- Recommendation 4: Ensure that each student reads connected text every day to support reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension
Learning Objectives
Contrast practices characteristic of systematic and explicit phonics instruction with alternative approaches that are less effective.
Compare and contrast decodable and leveled texts.
Identify key lesson components in an explicit phonics lesson sequence.
Analyze foundational reading skills instructional materials to determine the presence of critical elements to meet the needs of all learners.
Course Navigation, Design, and Policies
Throughout each course, you will see a Course Outline with a green ribbon and the title of the course at the top right corner of the page. The outline displays every section of the course. Click any section to jump right to it.
At any time you are in a module, you can go back to the Home Module page by clicking the Back to Module button located directly under the module outline.
As you go through the course, you will have the opportunity to click the Mark Complete box at the end of each section. When you do this, the sections you have completed will be crossed off in your outline, and you will be taken to the next section of the course.
Your progress will automatically be saved within the learning management system, and you can view your course progress through the progress bar located near the top of most sections.
Exiting and Resuming a Module
Know that your progress will automatically be saved within the learning management system. If you exit the website, once you log back in you can easily access your courses by clicking the on the My Dashboard button located on the gray ribbon on top of every page.
Note Feature within the Modules
Throughout each module, you will notice some Reflection boxes that provide various prompts. Each reflection will be in a grey box with an image of a pen/lightbulb. A built in feature of each module is the ability to take notes and save them for your future use. This feature can be used within any part of the module, but is especially helpful for the reflection activities.
To access the note feature, simply click on the purple Take Notes button fixed in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. When you click on this button, a Take Notes box will appear. This box can be moved anywhere on the screen. Within the box, there is a SAVE button as well as a Print Button.
The easiest way to print all the notes you take from the entire module is to click View All Notes. When you click View All Notes, you will be taken to a page like the one below.
Click the boxes of the Notes you would like to print, and then click Download Selected. All your notes will be downloaded into one document separated by headers.
All Ohio’s comprehensive learning modules are relevant to any educator working to support students’ literacy development. In each module, you will find in-depth narrative text, linked resources, realistic scenarios, reflection activities, and embedded audio and videos.
Each module is self-paced. The approximate time for completion of the module is listed in the Simple View of Reading Module text box on the home page of the module.
Additional information included on each module’s home page include:
- Required prerequisites for the module.
- A more detailed description of the module.
- Helpful downloadable resources for the module including an outline of the module’s content and supporting resources, a step-by-step guide to assist you in navigating the professional learning modules, and an in-depth information about the purpose and key elements of the Ohio Literacy Library.
Certificates
Professional Development Certificates
are available for each comprehensive learning module. To earn a Professional Development Certificate, you must obtain a passing score of 85% or more on the module post-test. Please note that you are only allowed up to two attempts to obtain a passing score to earn your certificate.Badges
When completing professional development modules within All Ohio, you can earn badges based on your engagement in and mastery of content within each comprehensive learning module. You earn
Achievement Badges when you demonstrate proficiency with module content (i.e., obtaining a score of at least 85%), whereas Engagement Badges are awarded based on your level of participation on the site. Your earned Certificates and Badges will be displayed on your “All Ohio Dashboard.”
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Helpful Resources Related to this Module
An outline of the module’s main content and supporting resources.
Welcome & Navigation
Step-by-step guide to assist you in navigating the professional learning modules.