Phonics Foundations by Christian Light Education is specifically designed to provide help to dyslexic students or any struggling reader. Using the Orton Gillingham methodology, this program employs multisensory activities in every lesson to help kids make the phonological connections they need to become fluent readers. Typically, this program is best used for students in the last semester or at the end of first grade. However, even though the activities are centered around younger kids, any struggling reader can benefit from this course. Components to this program include a Starter Pack (Training and Assessment book), Units 1-6 Teacher Guides, Units 2-6 Student Books, student flash cards, and teacher cards.
The Starter Pack includes the Training Book and Assessments. These are not sold separately because you need both to use the course successfully. The first book you want to read and become familiar with is the Training Book. This 60-page resource book has a wealth of information including definitions to phonics terminology, detailed information on dyslexia and different methods of teaching reading, how to give the initial assessments, step-by-step directions on how to use the course, and reproducibles to use with the program. This training book is extremely useful in helping you understand how to use the teacher books and cards and also gives you plenty of ideas for additional multisensory tools. I appreciate the author explaining dyslexia thoroughly while also recognizing and considering there may be other causes for students struggling with reading such as vision or hearing issues or other difficulties.
The other essential component before getting started is the Assessment book. Including two assessments, a Phonological Awareness Assessment and Letter and Sound Assessment, these tests serve as a guide to help you know where to best place your child in the program. Complete instructions are given on how to implement and score the assessments.
Teacher guides for each unit give instruction on how to teach each lesson and how to implement the teacher and student cards. It also has reproducible pages for games/activities. The guides are not scripted but are very organized and easy to follow. Unit 1 only consists of a teacher guide (no student book) because it is primarily working on phonological awareness activities with no writing. If your student is strong in this area, he/she can begin in Unit 2. Units 2-6 have a teacher’s guide and student book. Teacher guides 2-6 follow the same sequence for each lesson: Review, New Learning, Spelling & Reading practice, Syllabication, Red Word practice (sight words), and Oral Reading. Each unit builds on the previous one. After every unit there is a posttest to ensure students have mastered the concepts in the unit. Units 1-6 cover these concepts:
- Unit 1: Phonological awareness activities with no writing (25 lessons)
- Unit 2: Consonants, consonant digraphs, and short vowels (25 lessons)
- Unit 3: Beginning and ending consonant blends, plurals, vowel/consonant units, affixes, blends, and syllables (31 lessons)
- Unit 4: Long Vowels, silent e, vowel teams, homophones, r-controlled vowels, prefixes and suffixes, and additional syllable types (24 lessons)
- Unit 5: Soft c and g, advanced vowel teams, spelling rules, prefixes and suffixes, and syllabication (26 lessons)
- Unit 6: Advanced vowel teams and digraphs, prefixes and suffixes, schwa syllables, and syllabication (25 lessons)
Each lesson in the Student Book reinforces the new concepts being taught. Pages consist of reading practice words, sentences, sentences with red (sight) words, and a short story. A comprehension activity follows the story. Then the activity pages vary depending on the unit. Students also practice writing the red (sight) word and using it in a sentence. Options for additional games are also available using the reproducible sheets in the teacher guide.
Another integral part of the program are three different sets of cards for the teacher: Teaching Cards, Rule Review Cards, and Instruction Cards. The full-color teaching cards are a half page size with a picture and letter on the front and examples of the sound used in words on the back. The back of the card also tells you what unit and lesson the sound is first introduced. Rule Review Cards (4 ¼ x 5 ½ inches) are full color with a picture and spelling rule on the front and examples on the back. The black and white instruction cards are also 4 ¼ x 5 ½ inches in size and include detailed, step-by-step instructions to implement the six parts of the lesson for Units 2-6.
Student Flash Cards are also widely used in the program. These cards consist of individual letters/sounds, blends, digraphs, and affixes. Student cards are color coded based on if it is a consonant (letter, blend, or digraph), vowel (letter or digraph), or affix. The back of the card gives an example of how it is used and the unit and lesson where it is first introduced. There are also placement dots on the back of each card to sort them into different stacks for blending practice.
How is spelling implemented? When new words are introduced in
the reading and spelling section of the lesson, students tap their non-writing
fingers for each sound and softly pound their fists for each syllable division.
The student can also write the words on the finger tapping worksheet found in
the reproducible section of the training book. For sight words, students
practice tapping the letters out from shoulder to wrist and writing them with
red crayon. Advanced students can write out words and also write the numbers of
syllables, sounds, vowels, and letters.
It is recommended students complete two or three lessons per week that each last around 60 minutes or daily lessons for 30-45 minutes. This schedule allows students to complete all six units in two nine-month school periods. However, depending on where the child places in the initial assessments, it may not take as long. The material in Phonics Foundations covers the phonics, reading, and spelling skills normally taught in CLE Reading and Language for grades 1 and 2. Because Phonics Foundations teaches reading and spelling, students should pause work in their reading and language arts programs while completing Units 1 and 2. When students are working through Units 3-6, grammar practice is encouraged (if able) but students still should not be involved in another reading program. After students complete Unit 6, they can begin the CLE Grade 3 Reading and Language or another language arts program.
Phonics Foundations was developed to teach phonics, reading, and spelling to beginning readers that are struggling or provide remedial help to dyslexic students or struggling readers of all ages. The multisensory, structured format provides targeted instruction so students can remember the phonics concepts taught while improving fluency. ~ Gina