Reply To: Your Phonics Instruction Strategies
1. It depends on my students. I teach special education and I have students from kindergarten to 5th grade. They are each at different points in their ability for reading and understanding phonological awareness. The majority of my students still need the foundational skills, but do best with a multisensory approach. They need explicit instruction, repetition, immediate feedback, and different strategies to help them progress through the continuum of phonological awareness and reading skills.
2. Using real objects has always been an engaging strategy for my students. Using items and having students match the beginning sound to a cup with a letter on it is an example of a strategy to use that incorporates real objects. Playing fly-swatter games, using playdough, and rhyming activities are always a hit with all grade levels that I have worked with. I think it is important to continue to use a multisensory approach, even as the students get into the upper grades.