Phonics and Reading

2 Timothy 3: 15b-17 …and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Winter is a great time to curl up in front of the fireplace with a good book and a cup of coffee. To be absorbed in a story is a favorite time for many, but not everyone. For some, reading is not enjoyable because it is difficult and does not come easily. Many people think that reading comes naturally, and yet honestly, it requires hard work. The best way to learn how to read is through phonics. Phonemic awareness is a critical early literacy skill that helps kids recognize and work with the sounds of spoken language. A child’s skill in phonological and phonemic awareness is a good predictor of later reading success or difficulty.

At CCA, we start teaching phonics in kindergarten with a strong foundation of Saxon phonics, and we continue to build on those skills throughout first and second grade. During first and second grade students learn how to read, and by third grade they are reading to learn. Developing good reading skills helps in all academic areas.

Over the past two weeks, first through eighth grade students took the STAR Reading test, which is a computerized test that gives us a general idea of each child’s reading ability. Students take this test three times a year to monitor reading levels to make sure that they are at or above grade level. Feel free to contact your child’s teacher to find out your child’s STAR score.

At CCA we have reading intervention groups for first and second graders to help them improve their reading fluency. Read Naturally is a computerized program that helps students to practice and improve their reading skills. Older students can benefit from Learning Ally which are audiobooks that can help students read a variety of books from novels, to textbooks, to books merely for enjoyment. With Learning Ally, the students enjoy gaining information from the book without the intensive labor to get the print off the page.

Some students need more explicit and extensive instruction and their needs can be met through the Explore Program. Learning to read and enjoying reading is such a privilege and a blessing. One of greatest books to read is the Bible, which is God’s love letter to each of us. Reading God’s Word and understanding the truths that were given so long ago, is great motivation to be able to read well!!

Be sure to visit with your child’s teacher to see how your child is doing and if there are any interventions the teacher would recommend.

Meeting the needs of God’s Children,

Rebecca Terronez

Special Needs Director