Wakatta
January 21st, 2009, 20:42
Target Audience: Elementary Schoolers (could certainly be used for JHSers, too); ideally those who at least sort of know how to write the alphabet (they often learn romaji pretty early on) but I have done this successfully with kids who don't really know the ABCs.
Objective: Teach them that English letters correspond to sounds. Teach them what the sounds for each letter are so they can read new words themselves, instead of using the outdated Japanese method of memorizing whole words (sight reading) as though they were kanji.
Length: Can vary from a full lesson to a ten minute bite-sized warm-up. At ES, when possible, I like spending a whole class period on this. However, at my school where they use Eigo Noto, I end up doing it in 3-letter pieces, 10 minutes or less each class. It still works fine, although (for instance) I don't generally have time for the karuta game.
Materials Needed: Chalkboard. Preferably: some whacky-sticks for karuta, if you're going to do that. Magic markers (マジック) work great. Really optionally: laminated phonics letter cards.
Optional: Overview of Phonics
To start with, sometimes it makes sense to do a short Japanese summary of phonics. Here's one example. I think it's actually a bit long, and I don't often give this whole talk: I prefer to get straight into the meat of it. However, it might help people structure their own explanations. The important part, I think, is to tell students that 1) English letters have both a name and a sound, and they're not the same. (I use this a lot during the lesson: point at new letters and say "name" or "sound".) 2) Letters can have more than one sound, but there are rules. Today, we're going to study the basic sounds. (So they don't feel heartbroken or betrayed when they realize that "c" is not just "k-k-k-k" but sometimes also "ssss", or that an "a" is not always "ah" like in "cat".)
I suggest just hitting those points quickly and efficiently. If you want, though, here's an example of a little talk: (Japanese has been largely made up on the spot and has not been proofed by a native speaker, so likely has mistakes.)
• Phonics is the study of the connection between letters and sounds.
•「Phonics」とはもじとおとのかんけいのべんきょうです。
• For example, in Japanese, what is this letter's name? (Draw a き or さ or whatever.) (Students answer.) What is its sound? (Students answer.)
• たとえば、このかなのなまえはなんですか。 (Draw a kana.) (Students answer.) このかなのおとはなんですか。 (Students answer.)
• In Japanese, usually, a letter's name and its sound are the same. (For example: name -- き. Sound -- き.)
•ふつうににほんごではもじのなまえともじのおとはおなじです。 (たとえば、なまえ？ き。 おと？ き。)
• However, in English, the name and the sound are different. For example, this letter's name is "s". Its sound is "ssssssssssssss".
• しかし、えいごでは、もじのなまえともじのおとがちがいます。 たとえば、このもじのなまえは「s」です。 おとは「ssssss」.
• Also, sometimes one letter has more than one sound. The sound varies depending on the word.
•それに、もじ（アルファベット）ひとつはおとがふたついじょうあることもあります。 ことばによって、おとがちがいます。
• Today, we're going to learn some English letters and their basic, common sounds.
• きょう、えいごのもじときほんの（ふつうの）おとをべんきょうします。
• With phonics, you can read English on your own. You can even read words that you have never seen before.
•Phonicsで、じぶんでえいごをよめるようになります。 あたらしい、みたことはないことばもよめます。
You can also talk about vowels (ぼいん) and consonants (しいん) if you want. You can mention that it's the vowels that are the most likely to vary based on phonetic rules.
Again, if you actually read through all of this, you may lose a good share of the class to boredom. You've been warned.
Introducing Letters
This is where you introduce letters. I have changed my mind and now recommend going in order, starting from a. (I do sometimes also throw in "th", "f", or "v", especially if we've already covered them with "I'm fine, thank you" or other phrases.)
Write some letters on the chalkboard. Teach them the basic sounds. (See attached "Phonics Tricks" sheet.) Use whatever method you like, but I've lately been fond of teaching initial and terminal two-letter combos: e.g., teach a, then b, then ab, then ba, then c, then ac, then ca, then d, then ad, then da...etc. I'd avoid terminal "e" stuff, because that usually becomes a strong vowel...but you can always cap it with another consonant so you get those consonant-vowel-consonant trios with a weak vowel.
You can also make simple three or four letter words. Dad, cab, etc. (Make up words, too: no problems there.) Two approaches for that:
a) point at each letter in sequence, walk them through each letter, then combine them. E.g., for "dad"..."d-d-d-d-d-d. a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a. d-d-d-d-d-d-d. da-da-da-da-da. dad."
b) "conducting": orchestrate it with your hand. Use low levels for consonants and peaks for vowels. You can illustrate stops by smacking your hand into your other hand for sharper stops or just leveling off for smooth, continuous stops.
Definitely get the kids to read some words on their own with no cues from you or the other teacher. This is one of the biggest reasons for doing phonics: they don't have to memorize English words like kanji.
Blackboard Karuta Game
This is a lot of fun and one of my favorite activities. Split the kids up into teams (I usually make four). Write each of the day's letters up on the chalkboard. Hand out magic markers or whatever whacky-sticks you're going to be using. Call up one kid from each group.
Four phases in ascending dificulty:
a) You say the name, they hit the letter.
b) You say the basic sound, they hit the letter.
c) You say a word, they hit the letter that corresponds to the first sound in the word.
d) As (c), but with the final sound in the word.
First to hit the correct letter gets a point for their team. (Resolve ties with janken.) I usually rotate the kids after 5 letters. I also like to have the next group up on deck behind the kids currently playing, to keep it moving quickly. Finally, I suggest having the kids crouch down in front of the blackboard while waiting for you to say the letter/sound/word, so that the class can stare at the board and think about the letters.
Additional rule that I often introduce partway through: only one touch. If they get it wrong, they're out of luck that round! Makes them think harder, and avoids random sequential letter-striking.
Wrap-Up Activity
If you have a couple minutes at the end, have them run up and make their own new words -- probably consonant-vowel-consonant -- on the board with chalk. Then read them as a class. Fun!
Attached Files: Phonics Tricks, and the old version of this post.
Objective: Teach them that English letters correspond to sounds. Teach them what the sounds for each letter are so they can read new words themselves, instead of using the outdated Japanese method of memorizing whole words (sight reading) as though they were kanji.
Length: Can vary from a full lesson to a ten minute bite-sized warm-up. At ES, when possible, I like spending a whole class period on this. However, at my school where they use Eigo Noto, I end up doing it in 3-letter pieces, 10 minutes or less each class. It still works fine, although (for instance) I don't generally have time for the karuta game.
Materials Needed: Chalkboard. Preferably: some whacky-sticks for karuta, if you're going to do that. Magic markers (マジック) work great. Really optionally: laminated phonics letter cards.
Optional: Overview of Phonics
To start with, sometimes it makes sense to do a short Japanese summary of phonics. Here's one example. I think it's actually a bit long, and I don't often give this whole talk: I prefer to get straight into the meat of it. However, it might help people structure their own explanations. The important part, I think, is to tell students that 1) English letters have both a name and a sound, and they're not the same. (I use this a lot during the lesson: point at new letters and say "name" or "sound".) 2) Letters can have more than one sound, but there are rules. Today, we're going to study the basic sounds. (So they don't feel heartbroken or betrayed when they realize that "c" is not just "k-k-k-k" but sometimes also "ssss", or that an "a" is not always "ah" like in "cat".)
I suggest just hitting those points quickly and efficiently. If you want, though, here's an example of a little talk: (Japanese has been largely made up on the spot and has not been proofed by a native speaker, so likely has mistakes.)
• Phonics is the study of the connection between letters and sounds.
•「Phonics」とはもじとおとのかんけいのべんきょうです。
• For example, in Japanese, what is this letter's name? (Draw a き or さ or whatever.) (Students answer.) What is its sound? (Students answer.)
• たとえば、このかなのなまえはなんですか。 (Draw a kana.) (Students answer.) このかなのおとはなんですか。 (Students answer.)
• In Japanese, usually, a letter's name and its sound are the same. (For example: name -- き. Sound -- き.)
•ふつうににほんごではもじのなまえともじのおとはおなじです。 (たとえば、なまえ？ き。 おと？ き。)
• However, in English, the name and the sound are different. For example, this letter's name is "s". Its sound is "ssssssssssssss".
• しかし、えいごでは、もじのなまえともじのおとがちがいます。 たとえば、このもじのなまえは「s」です。 おとは「ssssss」.
• Also, sometimes one letter has more than one sound. The sound varies depending on the word.
•それに、もじ（アルファベット）ひとつはおとがふたついじょうあることもあります。 ことばによって、おとがちがいます。
• Today, we're going to learn some English letters and their basic, common sounds.
• きょう、えいごのもじときほんの（ふつうの）おとをべんきょうします。
• With phonics, you can read English on your own. You can even read words that you have never seen before.
•Phonicsで、じぶんでえいごをよめるようになります。 あたらしい、みたことはないことばもよめます。
You can also talk about vowels (ぼいん) and consonants (しいん) if you want. You can mention that it's the vowels that are the most likely to vary based on phonetic rules.
Again, if you actually read through all of this, you may lose a good share of the class to boredom. You've been warned.
Introducing Letters
This is where you introduce letters. I have changed my mind and now recommend going in order, starting from a. (I do sometimes also throw in "th", "f", or "v", especially if we've already covered them with "I'm fine, thank you" or other phrases.)
Write some letters on the chalkboard. Teach them the basic sounds. (See attached "Phonics Tricks" sheet.) Use whatever method you like, but I've lately been fond of teaching initial and terminal two-letter combos: e.g., teach a, then b, then ab, then ba, then c, then ac, then ca, then d, then ad, then da...etc. I'd avoid terminal "e" stuff, because that usually becomes a strong vowel...but you can always cap it with another consonant so you get those consonant-vowel-consonant trios with a weak vowel.
You can also make simple three or four letter words. Dad, cab, etc. (Make up words, too: no problems there.) Two approaches for that:
a) point at each letter in sequence, walk them through each letter, then combine them. E.g., for "dad"..."d-d-d-d-d-d. a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a. d-d-d-d-d-d-d. da-da-da-da-da. dad."
b) "conducting": orchestrate it with your hand. Use low levels for consonants and peaks for vowels. You can illustrate stops by smacking your hand into your other hand for sharper stops or just leveling off for smooth, continuous stops.
Definitely get the kids to read some words on their own with no cues from you or the other teacher. This is one of the biggest reasons for doing phonics: they don't have to memorize English words like kanji.
Blackboard Karuta Game
This is a lot of fun and one of my favorite activities. Split the kids up into teams (I usually make four). Write each of the day's letters up on the chalkboard. Hand out magic markers or whatever whacky-sticks you're going to be using. Call up one kid from each group.
Four phases in ascending dificulty:
a) You say the name, they hit the letter.
b) You say the basic sound, they hit the letter.
c) You say a word, they hit the letter that corresponds to the first sound in the word.
d) As (c), but with the final sound in the word.
First to hit the correct letter gets a point for their team. (Resolve ties with janken.) I usually rotate the kids after 5 letters. I also like to have the next group up on deck behind the kids currently playing, to keep it moving quickly. Finally, I suggest having the kids crouch down in front of the blackboard while waiting for you to say the letter/sound/word, so that the class can stare at the board and think about the letters.
Additional rule that I often introduce partway through: only one touch. If they get it wrong, they're out of luck that round! Makes them think harder, and avoids random sequential letter-striking.
Wrap-Up Activity
If you have a couple minutes at the end, have them run up and make their own new words -- probably consonant-vowel-consonant -- on the board with chalk. Then read them as a class. Fun!
Attached Files: Phonics Tricks, and the old version of this post.