The human brain is the most advanced pattern detector in the universe, so why not teach someone how to read by finding and showing them the patterns inherent in written language?
In this site tens of thousands of English words have been painstakingly grouped according to their spellings and their sounds to make the patterns obvious. These patterns are then used with a very easy, yet systematic method for teaching literacy. It doesn't rely on rules to teach reading and spelling; instead, repeated exposure to a sound/letter pattern allows your brain to recognize the pattern and internalize it.
The English Alphabetic Code charts are a series of charts which display the diversity of the English spelling patterns in all their glory. These charts are like the Periodic Table of Elements in that they visually present what every beginning student faces as they begin the task of becoming literate in English, whether they or their teacher realises it or not.
But do not despair! Help has arrived. You do not have to teach each and every one of the spelling patterns on those charts. Nor do you have to throw a student into the deep end of our spelling pool by giving them stories to read and watch them struggle because they haven't been taught to recognize all the patterns. This site has tamed the wilderness of the English spelling system by giving you the power to focus on only one pattern at a time and to cover as many or as few as you want. The power is all in your hands. The SynPhony Activity pages have tamed the English language so that you can teach someone to read by introducing them to only one new pattern at a time. Each time you introduce a new spelling pattern the page makes sure that each word displayed contains that pattern and that any other letters used in the words have been taught before. This results in word lists that are completely decodable by the student. It can't get any easier than learning only one new pattern at a time.
The method used to teach literacy at this site is called Synthetic Phonics. It consists of teaching a student how to pronounce a letter pattern and then have them practise reading words which contain that pattern. If they make a mistake, stop them and have them re-read the word correctly. Have them practise until they can read the words at a decent speed. Now you know their brain (that great pattern detector) has internalized the pattern into the sub-conscious and they can work with it. Next, they need to use it in print. Each word list can be printed out and used for writing practise or for spelling exercises. Also, one computer can be used to keep track of many students so they can progress at their own rate. Simply log the student in and the computer will remember which patterns they know and where they last left off in their reading progress.
Be sure to read the help page for the SynPhony Activity pages so you can use all of the features available there. There is also a page with tips on what to remember when teaching someone to read.
I recommend to start using the SynPhony Activity pages to teach someone how to read.
Thanks for visiting! Any comments, mistakes or suggestions? Please .
Developer: Norbert Rennert
Canada Institute of Linguistics
Langley, BC
Canada