Structured Synthetic Phonics – Teaching the word level reading through a systematic, explicit code-based instruction

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Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) – Teaching the word level reading through a systematic, explicit code-based instruction

SSP explicitly teaches the relationship between letters (graphemes) and their corresponding sounds (phonemes) and how to use these connections to both decode and encode words.

Decoding: The process that involves the ‘blending’ or ‘synthesizing’ of sounds that have been represented by letters (graphemes) to read words (e.g. dog – /d/ /o/ /g/ – ‘dog’).

Encoding: The process that involves ‘breaking up’ or ‘segmenting’ spoken words into their sounds and representing each sound with its corresponding grapheme/ s to spell words correctly (e.g. dog – /d/ /o/ /g/ – ‘dog’).

A ‘Structured Synthetic Phonics’ (SSP), approach, explicitly, sequentially and cumulatively introduces ‘Grapheme Phoneme Connections’ (GPC) to students as a progression of learning informed by a detailed ‘Scope and Sequence’. Students are provided with multiple planned opportunities to practice decoding and encoding. Students read supported texts (decodable texts) to build fluency and automaticity of decoding, and practice code related spelling (encoding) to assists in the transference of knowledge and skill to writing.

There are many high quality SSP programs available to implement into schools, however, some schools decide to accept the mammoth challenge of creating their own program. It is essential that these programs are informed by high quality research and measured against those that have been proven to be of high quality.

Examples of High Quality Structured Synthetic Phonics Programs

examples-of-structured-synthetic-phonics-programs.pdf

Phonics Plus Set 1 – Foundation | Phonics Plus Lesson Plans | Arc

Phonics Plus scope and sequence | Lesson plans guidance | Arc

So, what does a Structured Synthetic Phonics Lesson include?

When first learning about how to teach phonics, it can be challenging and as educators who want to do the best for their students, there are many questions….

What features should I included in my lesson?

What high quality, research-based teaching methods should I include?

How do I make it engaging and enjoyable?

How do I monitor my students learning progression?

So here are some recommendations and resources that might support you in this process.

Firstly, use the correct terminology and teach these to your students. Ensure that the school has a consistent glossary of terms, that can be accessed by all teachers.

If your school is purchasing a reading program, ensure that you have looked at it with a ‘Science of Reading and Learning’ lens… There are still wolves in sheep’s clothing hiding behind the banner of ‘Science of Reading’ aligned! As educators it is our responsibility to critically evaluate the tools that we are going to use.

In Australian English there are 44 phonemes, 24 consonant phonemes and 20 vowel phonemes.

These phonemes are represented by a range of graphemes (letters or letter combinations. Research has shown that children need to know 150 – 200 of these phoneme/grapheme correspondences in order to read a reasonably complex text and these need to be taught explicitly and systematically.

It is essential for children learning to read and spell, that they can map phonemes to graphemes. This provides the foundation that students need to become skilled readers and spellers. Practicing this mapping process should form a part of your daily phonics lessons and should be included until students have knowledge of the 44 phonemes and their multiple representations and have fluent application of this process.

A structured synthetic phonics lesson in Australia might start by introducing a new letter sound, like “m” making the /m/ sound, with explicit instruction and visual aids, then practice blending these sounds to read simple words like “mat” and “man,” followed by activities like word sorting or reading decodable text with the newly learned sound, all while emphasizing the connection between letters (graphemes) and their corresponding sounds(phonemes) to build decoding skills.

Kilpatrick (2016) has suggested a number of well-established methods for teaching Phoneme/ Grapheme Connections. These approaches are all included in a Structures Synthetic Phonics Approach (SSP).

Provide multiple exposures,
Use multisensory methods of learning (tracing and writing letters while saying their phonemes),
Teach small set of letters at a time (SSP).
Teach letter sounds in a developmentally appropriate manner (SSP),
Point out visual features of letters,
Teach letter sounds using embedded mnemonic letters.

Kilpatrick, D. (2016). Equipped for reading success. Casey and Kirsch.

Example One: 6-Step Explicit Phonics Instruction Lesson Plan

Step 1: Develop Phonemic Awareness (3 minutes) …

Step 2: Introduce and Review Sound-Spelling Patterns (3 minutes) …

Step 3: Blend Words (6 minutes) …

Step 4: Build Automatic Word Recognition (3 minutes) …

Step 5: Apply to Decodable Text (10 minutes)

Step 6: Make connection and transfer knowledge through encoding. Dictation of simple sentence.

Example Two: Lesson Structure (detailed):

Daily Review (5 minutes)

Quick recap of previously learned sounds with PowerPoint, flashcards or a sound chart.
Blending practice with familiar words like “cat” or “dog”.

New Sound Introduction (10 minutes):

Present the letter “m” and its sound /m/ clearly articulating the sound.
Use visual aids like letter cards, pictures (e.g., a mouth), and exaggerated mouth movements to demonstrate the sound.
Practice saying the sound in isolation and in simple words like “mo” and “me”.

Blending Practice (10 minutes):

Introduce simple CVC words with the new sound like “mat,” “map,” and “man.”
Guide students to sound out each letter and blend them together to read the word, emphasizing the “m” sound.
Use interactive activities like “sound boxes” (Elkonin boxes) where students manipulate letter tiles to build words.

Application (15 minutes):

Word Sort: Provide a set of cards with words containing the new sound and other similar sounds, asking students to sort them based on the initial sound.
Decodable Sentences & Decodable Readers:Read carefully selected sentences or short texts, with controlled vocabulary featuring the new sound, encouraging students to sound out words they might not know.
Sentence Building/ Sentence Dictation: Build simple sentences using the newly learned words, focusing on correct pronunciation and word order.

Key Points to Consider:

Explicit Instruction: Clearly explain the connection between letters and sounds, using consistent language and visual aids.

Systematic Synthetic Phonics Scope and Sequence: Introduce phonemes and letter patterns (graphemes) in a logical sequence based on a structured phonics program.

Sound Articulation: Be aware of how you model the articulation of phonemes. Be precise!

Remember what you model, is what children will learn. If extra ‘schwa’ sounds are added to emphasis the raw phoneme or maybe it’s an example of our own bad habits, a product of what we learnt at school, then this will be reflected in your student’s writing. For example, saying tuh for /t/, /t/ has 1 phoneme whilst tuh has 2 phonemes /t/ and /u/. Children may then add the extra sound when encoding (spelling) e.g., cat as catuh.

Visual Displays: as each grapheme is introduced, add it to your vowel valley or consonant mountain. Refer to this when you are teaching. Students will actively engage with these resources if modelled by their teachers.

Transitioning from Word Walls to Sound Walls | Reading Rockets

Active Engagement: Incorporate interactive activities like games, mixed media, songs, and movement to reinforce learning.

Frequent Practice: Provide ample opportunities for all students to practice blending sounds and reading decodable text.

Phonics Programs: Ensure you are using a quality product. Many Australian schools utilise structured synthetic phonics programs like “PLD”, “Sounds Write”, “Jolly Phonics” or “Read Write Inc” which provide a structured sequence of sounds and activities.

Differentiation: Cater to the diverse learning needs of all students by:

Providing additional support and targeted intervention (Tier 2 or Tier 3) along with increased opportunity to consolidate learning through guided practice, for the struggling reader.
Extending activities and complexity of the word level for advanced learners.

Example three – General Phonics Plan based on the LETRS phonics lesson plan, Moates and Tolman (2019)