| Phonics is the key ingredient in the reading recipe. | | | | unable to sound out any new word that appears in the |
| Phonics is as important to reading as cheese is to a | | | | text. |
| grilled cheese sandwich. Have you ever had a grilled | | | | A number of years ago, I took a course called |
| cheese sandwich without the cheese? I had one when | | | | Cognitive Science as an elective in the Computer |
| I was a kid. When you bite into the sandwich you can | | | | Science curriculum at the local university. Cognitive |
| tell it is lacking a little something or more like a lot of | | | | Science is basically the study of how the mind works. |
| something. | | | | Understanding how young minds develop is very |
| Leaving phonics out of the reading recipe is like leaving | | | | important to the study of Cognitive Science. Therefore, |
| the cheese out of a grilled cheese sandwich. You can | | | | my professor was often sharing information with the |
| still eat the sandwich even without the cheese. | | | | class regarding how babies, infants, and children obtain |
| Likewise, you can still learn to read even without | | | | knowledge. I enjoyed the class very much and learned |
| incorporating phonics. However, a grilled cheese | | | | many fascinating things including the effectiveness and |
| sandwich that includes the cheese is going to be much | | | | importance of children learning phonics. |
| more complete, enjoyable, and filling than a grilled | | | | Since that time, I have made observations that have |
| cheese sandwich without the cheese. In a similar | | | | confirmed for me how important phonics is to helping |
| manner, a child that is taught phonics is going to have | | | | children become successful readers. Parents have |
| more success with reading than a child that is not | | | | more opportunities than ever to obtain phonics learning |
| taught phonics. | | | | systems that their kids can use at home. These |
| Phonics is a system that teaches children to associate | | | | systems include various combinations of printed media, |
| specific sounds with specific letters or combinations of | | | | audio media, video media, and software. Parents can |
| letters. Words are composed of a single sound or | | | | purchase one of these kits to give children a head |
| some combination of sounds. Recognizing letter | | | | start before starting school, to supplement what the |
| patterns and associating the appropriate sounds allows | | | | child is learning in school, or both. |
| a child to sound out complete words. This of course | | | | If you are a parent or some other important person in |
| includes words that the child has never seen before. | | | | the life of a child, don't forget the cheese on the |
| Without knowing phonics, that same student would be | | | | sandwich and please don't forget the phonics. |