"English is so illogical!" It is generally believed that English is a language of exceptions. For many, learning to spell and read is frustrating. For some, it is impossible... especially for the 29% of Americans who are functionally illiterate. But what if the problem is not the language itself, but the rules we were taught? What if we could see the complexity of English as a powerful tool rather than a hindrance? --Denise Eide Uncovering the Logic of English challenges the notion that English is illogical by systematically explaining English spelling and answering questions like "Why is there a silent final E in have, large, and house?" and "Why is discussion spelled with -sion rather than -tion?" With easy-to-read examples and anecdotes, this book describes: - the phonograms and spelling rules which explain 98% of English words - how English words are formed and how this knowledge can revolutionize vocabulary development - how understanding the reasons behind English spelling prevents students from needing to guess The author's inspiring commentary makes a compelling case that understanding the logic of English could transform literacy education and help solve America's literacy crisis. Thorough and filled with the latest linguistic and reading research, Uncovering the Logic of English demonstrates why this systematic approach should be as foundational to our education as 1+1=2.

Don’t waste time making up lesson plans and reading tests on your own. YesPhonics Offers a complete curriculum for teaching phonics, with proven, step-by-step, and comprehensive lesson plans … So you don’t have to create them on your own. This unique phonics program guides both teacher and K-3rd grade student through their phonics studies … so no special teacher training is required.

Includes CD-Rom Times Educational Supplement Star Read! ′This is an authoritative yet lively and eminently readable book. It is well grounded in both the latest academic theory and experienced hands-on pedagogic practice, and it summarises succinctly the implications of the recent Rose Report, giving a masterly exposition of both synthetic and analytic phonics and their places in the processes of learning to read and spell. Practical and organisational issues are tackled in a most supportive way, with very useful checklists and photocopiable proformas on an accompanying CD. The book also provides and excellent guide to provision for professional development, involving the use of lesson observation and part of the evaluation and planning cycle for CPD. Its style is clear and well signposted with subheadings, case-study boxes to illuminate points, and with aims given at the start of each chapter as well as challenging points for reflection and guides to further reading at the ends. Every staff room should have one!′ - Dorothy Latham, Primary Education Consultant, English specialist and author of How Children Learn to Write ′Synthetic phonics may well be only one tool for teaching reading and spelling, but it is the single most important one′ - Ruth Kelly, Education Secretary, March 2006 ′Teachers - and particularly Literacy Co-ordinators or SENCOs - who are enthusiastic about children′s learning and about their own professional development will undoubtedly benefit from using this book and CD, with its combination of useful explanation and practical resources to support the implementation of the ideas′ - Lorna Gardiner, General Adviser, Foundation Stage, North Eastern Education and Library Board, Northern Ireland Are you looking for practical advice on how to teach phonics? By giving the reader a basic introduction to teaching reading and spelling using phonics, this book will provide you with easy-to-use ideas for your classrooms. Following on from the recommendations of the Rose Report, the author explains why teaching phonics works, and how to present irregular as well as straightforward features of English. The book: o contains practical examples and activities for teachers o explains the basis of synthetic and analytic phonics o gives advice on choosing the best resources o looks at how to help the weakest readers o includes a CD Rom with photocopiable resources and INSET materials o contains a glossary of key terms Literacy Co-ordinators, teachers and teaching assistants will find this an invaluable resource.

The first edition of Spelling Through Phonics was published in 1982. Since then, over 300,000 copies have been sold. This 30th Anniversary Edition, is available in the same compact, easy-to-use format that teachers want. It contains: the McCrackens' original spelling instruction program an explanation of phonemic awareness and why children need to acquire it detailed instructions on how to teach spelling--easily, quickly, and efficiently methods to organize children's spelling practice within the school day reproducible spelling checklists for grades 1-3 This 30th Anniversary Edition is dedicated to the memory of The McCrackens' teaching, and honours their invaluable contributions to language arts across North America.

Phonics for Pupils with Special Educational Needs is a complete, structured, multisensory programme for teaching reading and spelling, making it fun and accessible for all. This fantastic seven-part resource offers a refreshingly simple approach to the teaching of phonics, alongside activities to develop auditory and visual perceptual skills. Specifically designed to meet the needs of pupils of any age with special educational needs, the books break down phonics into manageable core elements and provide a huge wealth of resources to support teachers in teaching reading and spelling. Book 1: Building Basics introduces basic sounds and explores their relationship with letters. It focuses on sounds and letters where there is a simple 1:1 correspondence between the two, and explores the sounds in simple words that follow the pattern of vowel-consonant or consonant-vowel-consonant. Sounds are grouped into seven sets, with each set containing more than 50 engaging activities, including: sound story, dynamic blending, reading race, spot the word and spelling challenge. Thorough guidance is provided on how to deliver each activity, as well as a lesson planner template, handy word lists and posters for teachers and teaching assistants to use to support learning. Each book in the series gradually builds on children’s understanding of sounds and letters and provides scaffolded support for children to learn about every sound in the English language. Offering tried and tested material which can be photocopied for each use, this is an invaluable resource to simplify phonics teaching for teachers and teaching assistants and provide fun new ways of learning phonics for all children. This book is accompanied by a companion resource, 'Phonics for Pupils with Complex SEND ', to be used alongside the Phonics for Pupils with Special Educational Needs programme. The activities from Books 1-6 of the programme are adapted to be accessible for non-verbal pupils, including AAC users, and those with physical disabilities.

Fresh new cover, same great content In 1996, Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas presented Guided Reading, the most comprehensive guided reading resource ever published. Hailed for its practical, systematic approach, the book showed hundreds of thousands of teachers how to address the needs of the whole classroom as well as individual readers. Now, with the publication of Word Matters, Pinnell and Fountas offer K-3 teachers the same unparalleled support, this time focusing on phonics and spelling instruction. Word Matters presents essential information on designing and implementing a high-quality, systematic literacy program to help children learn about letters, sounds, and words. The central goal is to teach children to become "word solvers": readers who can take words apart while reading for meaning, and writers who can construct words while writing to communicate. Where similar books are narrow in focus, Word Matters presents the theoretical underpinnings and practical wherewithal of word study in three contexts: word study that includes systematically planned and applied experiences focusing on the elements of letters and words writing, including how children use phoneme-grapheme relationships, word patterns, and principles to develop spelling ability reading, including teaching children how to solve words with the use of phonics and visual-analysis skills as they read for meaning. Each topic is supported with a variety of practical tools: reproducible sheets for a word study system and for writing workshop; lists of spelling minilessons; and extensive word lists, including frequently used words, antonyms, synonyms, and more. Armed with these tools-and the tried-and-true wisdom of Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas-teachers can help students develop not just the "essential skills," but also a joyful appreciation of their own literacy.