Module 3: Activity 2

What do you think of this? What do such activities and �cracking the code� contribute to proficient reading? What else might a reader need to become proficient? Record your thoughts in a blog posting. Name this posting "Module 3: Activity 2."

I do not believe that phonemic awareness single handedly helps students crack the code at the English language.  Since proficient reading encompasses syntax, schema, and phonics, students need to use real words and teachers need to create background knowledge or help students identify background knowledge of real words rather than nonsense words.  

I feel as though using nonsense word lists or having students complete the activity such as the one in the video, you are wasting a child's time and wasting valuable instructional time by having them sound out words by letter sound.  Oftentimes, in the English language the "rules" of phonics don't work 100% of the time and then students who rely on those rules are left to struggle on their own because the rules don't work with particular words.  The sounding out of individual letters in a word does not accurately portray the pronunciation of the word, and therefore meaning is lost. 

It seems like it would be much more valuable to use words that are simple and common in a student's language to use and create meaning for or build upon the meaning that is already there.  As teachers, we want to use as much instructional time as possible and we want students to become proficient readers.  Using nonsense word lists defeats both objectives.  Students need schema and background knowledge for the words and need to use the context or syntax of the words in order to create meaning and use it effectively in the future.