CVC Words
PHONICS
CVC Words, Consonant-Vowel-Consonant words are taught to the learners after a few consonants are taught. The vowels are introduced as part of the CVC words.
C-V-C Words
The vowels have different sounds in different contexts and they are introduced in words. For example,
after teaching the basic consonants /c/, /t/. /m/, etc. words such as 'a cat' and 'a mat' are introduced.
Here first the teacher writes on the blackboard 'c' and ask the children what it is. Then she writes 't' and ask them what it is - 'c t'.Then she draws a cat on the bb and puts 'a' two times to get 'a cat' and tells the children 'a cat'.
Other Diagraphs
In the same way using known words other digraphs are introduced.
Flash Cards & Classroom Objects
Big flash cards and classroom objects are used to teach phonics. These cards and objects should have already been used in the oral communication class and the children are familiar with the names of objects and pictures.
For example, to teach /b/ (sounded as /ba/ and not /bi/) pictures such as 'a boy', 'a balloon', 'a ball' and classroom objects such as 'a box', 'a book', 'a bag', etc. are used. Each picture and object is held up for all the children to see.
First you tell the children: This is a boy.
Then you ask this question: What is it?
You present a sample response: a boy
Ask the question again: What is it?
Children respond: a boy
If children say 'boy' teacher insists that they say 'a boy'.
After showing all the pictures and objects and completing the interaction, teacher writes on the bb the letter 'b'. She writes the letter slowly talking to the children how to write the letter. She makes the children write the letter in air, with their fingers. Then she shows the pictures and objects again and repeats the interaction. This time she points out 'b..b...b..b..b' 'book' and 'b...b...b...b..b' 'box'.
The answer to the question 'What is it?' is always, a box, a book, etc. and not b..b...b...book. After saying 'a book' teacher can repeat b..b..b...b book to make the children get the idea that the initial sound is b in book, box, bench, etc.
No questions such as 'What is the initial sound or first sound?' should be asked. Just from the gestures and emphasis on the way 'b' is produced, 'b' is related to 'book' and children guess that is the first sound. Later we can have 'a book' and 'a pencil' and ask, 'Is it b?' and get yes or no answer. For example, teacher shows a book and asks, 'Is it b?' children will say, 'Yes'. And teacher shows a pencil and asks, 'Is it b?' children will say, 'No'. At a later stage they will be able to say, 'No, it is p'.
The questions should be simple and the model of the answer is given by the teacher. Then the question is repeated and the answer is sought from the whole class.
The teacher can use a story book to talk about the pictures and draw the attention of the children to the 'b' words in the story.
In the next class teacher can teach 't' in the same way and have some activities where the children have to classify the pictures and tell whether they are 'b' words or 't' words.