Teaching Phonics from a Manual? Learn How to Bring it to Life!

Are you required to teach phonics from a manual this year? As schools and states are switching to a structured literacy approach, many mandates and even state laws are being created to ensure the consistency and (dare I say) fidelity of these programs.

Having a structured phonics program is crucial for students, but many times these programs are dry and boring, which can make phonics a dreaded time of the day for our students. The thought of this *literally* makes me cringe because there are so many opportunities for making phonics fun and engaging, even when teaching from a manual. This is exactly what we're going to be talking about today! Before we get into it, though, I want to share this quote:

Never underestimate the power of your teaching! A teacher could be given the most perfect, ideal curriculum (which doesn't exist BTW!) but if that teacher doesn't deliver the instruction in an engaging way, it won't be very effective. On the flip side, a teacher could be given a less-than-ideal curriculum, but if that teacher works hard to bring it to life for her students? That less-than-ideal curriculum is now effective. The importance of a teacher's delivery can't be overstated.

So how can teachers take an underwhelming curriculum and spice it up for maximum engagement? Keep reading to find out!

5 Ways to Bring Phonics Instruction to Life

Let's say that early in your phonics manual, the idea of syllables is introduced to your students, and that words in our language are made up of 6 different types (just a brief overview and nothing in depth yet). We'll use this concept of the 6 syllable types to illustrate how you can make it engaging and memorable for your students!

Help students connect new learning to something they are already familiar with. Analogies have been shown to improve recall, clarify thinking, and increase motivation. When a new concept is introduced, it is more easily remembered if it has an existing framework or context to which it can "connect."

So, how can we use analogies when teaching new phonics concepts? Here are some creative ideas!

• Teaching digraphs? Relate them to mixing paint colors! When two different colors are mixed together, an entirely new color is made. Digraphs are just the same! When certain consonants are "mixed" together, like the letters <s> and <h>, and entirely new sound is made- /sh/! You could even bust out the paint (if you're feeling brave!) and have your students experiment with mixing paint colors and then write the consonant digraphs on top of the paint splats!
• Introducing the schwa sound? Relate it to a lazy, unstressed sloth! The schwa vowel sound is always found in an unstressed syllable, and it makes a "lazy" sound like /uh/. You could totally act this one out and even use a clip of the sloth from Zootopia to make it more memorable!

2. Visuals

Visual aids can help reinforce the new phonics concepts you are teaching, especially if the image or poster relates to the analogy that you used above! Building in consistent review with these visuals helps students to cement the new concept into memory. You can hang posters around your room after teaching a new concept, or make a Google Slideshow of images that you can click through and review. 

To go back to the 6 types of syllables example, here is a visual that you could hang in your classroom or add to a Google Slideshow for consistent review. (To grab your FREE copy of the poster, click on the image below!)

I would always blow up this poster, hang it in my classroom, and then use chunky highlighter tape to highlight each syllable type once we learned it in depth. It was always a BIG deal when we learned the last syllable type and all 6 were finally highlighted! 🙌

3. Songs, rhymes, and chants

Music and rhythm can make learning more memorable! Come up with a quick chant or song for what you're teaching, and don't worry about looking and sounding ridiculous... your kids will love it! 🤪 An easy way to do this is to think of a popular tune and change the lyrics to match what you're teaching. Here is a quick video of a song that I made up for the 6 syllable types to the tune of B-I-N-G-O. (Disclaimer- I'm not much of a singer, but my students loved it! And bonus-- they remembered and could recite all 6 syllable types shortly after learning it!)

4. Hand motions and movement

Make the lesson multisensory by incorporating hand motions and movement. This adds a kinesthetic element to your instruction, and has been proven to help increase retention and engagement. Plus, it's fun and playful, and makes the concept memorable for students!

Get creative here and make up hand motions or movements to match what you're teaching. Just make sure that you keep it consistent! In the video above, I used hand motions for each of the 6 syllable types. We used these same motions consistently throughout the year, and it really helped my students remember them. 

*Side note- For an easy time-filler activity (like when you line your students up a few minutes too early! 😩), you can say a concept out loud and have your students show you the hand motion. For example, you could say, "Show me the hand motion for.... digraphs!" and students will do the motion. Or you can do the opposite- you show students the hand motion, and they have to shout out what it stands for!

5. Read alouds

Find read alouds that focus on the phonics concept you are teaching. Emily Gibbons from The Literacy Nest wrote a really great blog post on this topic (and featured one of the books that I wrote about the Silent E... yippee!) To read her blog post, click on the image below. Be sure to write down the 8 titles she recommends and incorporate them into your phonics instruction. Students will LOVE these playful stories that help to bring phonics to life!

Introducing.... our new "Bringing Phonics to Life" series!

If you'd like to learn more about how to spice up your phonics instruction (even when teaching from a manual), we are starting a new series called "Bringing Phonics to Life." 💫

Each week, we'll be highlighting a new phonics concept and revealing all of our best tips and ideas for bringing it to life in your classroom. Think songs & chants you can use, free posters you can download, and MUCH more! 

Next week, we'll be starting at the beginning of our scope & sequence with how to teach open and closed syllables! Get ready because it's going to be a good one.... complete with a really awesome freebie you can print and use right away with your students!

To get notified when a new blog post (and free resources!) are released, make sure you join our email list by filling out the form below. Every week, we'll be sending out goodies that you do NOT want to miss! 😊

Alright, go and make phonics magical, friends! You've got this!