It is most relevant to teach phonics when a learner is struggling to recognize or pronounce a sound or letter. Letters and sounds that the learner already knows need not be taught. Phonics strategies work best with learners who learn well by listening. However, other learners may also find these approaches useful. Phonics should be taught in combination with other learning strategies such as sight words and word patterns. No learner can learn through phonics alone.
The two charts presented in this appendix are not meant to be followed step by step; they are a general guide for introducing phonics to a learner. Some sounds and letters will not need to be taught, and the instructor or tutor may wish to skip some of the steps outlined in order to accommodate individual learners' needs. These charts are intended for instructor reference only; they are not meant to be given to learners to memorize.
The following order for introducing new sounds is generally accepted:
| Steps: | Examples: |
|---|---|
| Start with consonant sounds that are easy to recognize. | m, b, s, d, f, t, n p, r, l, c, k, g, j, qu, z, v |
| Start by teaching consonants that come at the beginning of the word. | bed, deck, tan, lip, go, vent |
| Next, teach consonants that come at the end of the word. | lip, tar, Sam, ten |
| Then work on short vowel sounds. | "a" as in apple "e" as in echo "i" as in igloo "o" as in ox "u" as in up "y" as in Egypt |
Return to note 3 The contents of this appendix have been taken with permission from Rutten-James' (2003) English- as-a-Second Language Tutor Training Kit (available from the National Adult Literacy Database, http://www.nald.ca/index.htm) and Saskatchewan Literacy Network's (2000) Saskatchewan Level 1Ttutor Training Kit (available from the author, http://www.sk.literacy.ca).