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on Alison Helm (Ghana), 25/Oct/2011 16:01, 34 days ago
Phonics Partnerships . . .I have decided to concentrate my work on supporting some teachers in their understanding and teaching of phonics. At the moment the main reading strategy seems to be by repetition,  with the teacher reading out sentences and the children chanting a response. Although by no means claiming to be a reading expert, this method would appear to only be sustainable whilst the teacher is present to read the sentence first, and as such preventing children from becoming independent readers.As such I have found six schools in which I will focus my time, selected due to the positive enthusiasm of their head teachers as noted at the previous head teacher workshops. My idea is that if I manage to get at least one teacher in each of these schools interested and competent in phonics teaching, these teachers can be used as 'models' and trainers for other teachers after I have gone. (The head teachers also agreed this was a good and sustainable idea, and are willing and able to arrange this, as their teachers become more confident.)For the first couple of sessions I have been modelling teaching the different sounds using basic pictures, sound cards, chalk, slate and football teams . . . . Ch . . . ch . . . ch . . . . .chairCh . . . .ch . . . . ch . . . . .Chelsea!!  (champions!??!)I have then spent time with the teachers talking through the different sounds (and explaining the phonics sound chart). This has proven to be the hardest part as many are reluctant to move away from the letter or alphabet names (i.e.  b  being BEEEEEE)The following week I have encouraged the class teacher to do the re-cap of the previous weeks' sound so that we are 'team teaching' the lesson. (Many have told me that they have been practising this sound with the class during the week  = so-far-so-good!!)Following this, I am now trying to encourage the teacher to teach the next sound by themselves  whilst I take less of an active role.I am encouraging them to use lots of interaction, I-say you-say, partnerwork etc instead of a 'lecture like' approach.This teacher is very grateful of the support and used 'church' as an excellent example of where the 'ch' sound is used . . . twice! (He is also very keen that I leave my speed sound cards with him!)The same teacher taught the children the 'Rain, rain go away' poem in order to help them be able to hear, understand and remember the -ay sound.I am going to stay working in these six schools for the next few weeks in an attempt to get these teachers very confident in their delivery and try to get this method of teaching reading solidly embedded into their school curriculums.Alongside this,  in the afternoons, I am also working on the girls' sports/literacy project as previously mentioned as well as supporting some teachers with their own ICT knowledge (which I am sure will be an amusing idea to some of my Curwen colleagues who know about my persistent reliance on PowerPoint, ten years after Interactive Whiteboard Software has been introduced!!!)Thank you for all your emails and f/b messages . . . .I've heard some rumours that you are all feeling the cold (and so I am regularly putting my head into the freezer in an attempt to even start to remember that feeling!!!)Ali x