Phonics & Reading

We encounter language in four basic ways: hearing, speaking, reading and writing. The first form by which language comes to us is hearing—before we are able to express language, we hear it used by those around us. Eventually children learn to speak themselves, and by the time they learn to read the average child has a spoken or oral vocabulary of 400-500 words. The larger the child's oral vocabulary, the easier it will be for him to learn to read.

The transition between spoken and read language comes when a child begins to realize the symbols he sees all around him—on road signs, in the hymnal, on the cereal box—represent the words he hears and speaks. Learning to read is simply learning to decipher these symbols in context.

Phonics is the study of the relationship between letters and the sounds they make. A child who learns to read phonetically learns to understand written language based not on the mere appearance of words on the page, but based on the sounds and oral vocabulary he already knows. Phonetic instruction provides the most thorough foundation for understanding written language because it builds upon prior naturally acquired knowledge, rather than setting up a brand-new learning paradigm that can ultimately confuse and frustrate students.

Of course, there is good and bad phonics instruction. Good phonics instruction is the result of pairing an understanding of Phonics Facts with a good Phonics Habit. Phonics facts are the sounds letters make alone or in combination, also called phonograms. A good Phonics Habit entails the ability to read and pronounce phonograms correctly by recalling them from oral memory.

Without a firm grasp of Phonics Facts and a solid Phonics Habit, a person is limited to reading only words he can memorize. No one can memorize every word in the English language, but with phonics a student can read virtually any word he encounters, whether he has seen or heard the word before or not.

Teaching a child to read well takes time; the purpose is not simply to be able to let the child loose as soon as possible, but to provide him the proper tools for unlocking language on his own. The rewards of teaching your child to read are some of the greatest you'll ever have academically—you can almost see his mind waking up as the whole realm of learning opens before him. Basically all knowledge is made available by the ability to read, not just of science and history, but knowledge of God and His people, and the offer of this to your child is one of the greatest gifts you'll ever provide.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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54 Items found Print
Active Filters: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), Consumable Workbook
Adventures in Phonics Level B
Adventures in Phonics Series
by Florence Lindstrom
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 1st-2nd grade
in CLP Adventures in Phonics (Location: PHO-CLP)
$16.75
Adventures in Phonics Level C
Adventures in Phonics Series
by Florence Lindstrom
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd-3rd grade
in CLP Adventures in Phonics (Location: PHO-CLP)
$16.75
Beyond the Code Book 1
by Nancy Hall
from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-3rd grade
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$13.09
Beyond the Code Book 2
by Nancy Hall
from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-3rd grade
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$13.09
Beyond the Code Book 3
by Nancy Hall
from Educators Publishing Service
for 2nd-4th grade
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$13.09
Beyond the Code Book 4
by Nancy Hall
from Educators Publishing Service
for 2nd-4th grade
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$13.09
Birds of a Feather
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-4th grade
in All About Reading (Location: PHO-AAR)
$19.95
Black Learning Log
by Wanda Sanseri
from Becky's Bouquet
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$23.00
Busy Times - Workbook
by Pathway
from Pathway Publishers
for 2nd grade
in Pathway Readers (Location: REA-PATH)
$3.50
Classic Curriculum Reading Grade 2, Book 1
from Mott Media
for 2nd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Classic Curriculum Reading Grade 2, Book 2
from Mott Media
for 2nd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Classic Curriculum Reading Grade 2, Book 3
from Mott Media
for 2nd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
Classic Curriculum Reading Grade 2, Book 4
from Mott Media
for 2nd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
Classic Curriculum Writing Grade 2, Book 1
from Mott Media
for 2nd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
Classic Curriculum Writing Grade 2, Book 2
from Mott Media
for 2nd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
Classic Curriculum Writing Grade 2, Book 3
from Mott Media
for 2nd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
Classic Curriculum Writing Grade 2, Book 4
from Mott Media
for 2nd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Workbooks (Location: REA-MCG)
Climbing Higher - Workbook
by Pathway
Revised Edition from Pathway Publishers
for 2nd grade
in Pathway Readers (Location: REA-PATH)
$3.50
Climbing Higher - Workbook (old)
by Pathway
from Pathway Publishers
for 2nd grade
in Old Edition Reading (Location: OREAD)
$2.50
Daily Phonics Grade 2
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 2nd grade
in Evan-Moor Phonics (Location: ZCLE-EM)
Do-It-Yourself Homeschooling Reading Time 180 Day Journal
by Sarah Janisse Brown
2019 printing from Thinking Tree
for 1st-12th grade
in Reading Reference (Location: REF-READ)
$8.75 (1 in stock)
Early Reading Comprehension in Varied Subject Matter Book A
by Jane Ervin
from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
$15.89
Early Reading Comprehension in Varied Subject Matter Book B
by Jane Ervin
from Educators Publishing Service
for 2nd-3rd grade
$15.89
Explode the Code 1 1/2
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 2 1/2
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Explode the Code 3
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 3 1/2
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 4
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 4 (old)
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Explode the Code 4 1/2
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 5
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 5 1/2
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 6
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 6 1/2
by Nancy Hall & Rena Price
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st-2nd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
Explode the Code 7
by Rena Price & Nancy Hall
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 2nd-3rd grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Explode the Code (Location: PHO-ETC)
$12.89
First Start Reading - Book E
by Michelle Tefertiller
1st edition from Memoria Press
in Memoria Press First Start Reading (Location: PHO-MP)
$7.90
Letters and Sounds 2 - Worktext (old)
from A Beka Books
for 2nd grade
in A Beka Phonics (Location: PHO-ABK)
More Busy Times - Workbook
by Pathway
from Pathway Publishers
for 2nd grade
in Pathway Readers (Location: REA-PATH)
$3.50
Phonics and Language 2 - Worktext
1st edition from A Beka Books
for 2nd grade
in A Beka Grammar & Writing (Location: GRA-ABK)
Phonics Review Student Text (old)
by L. Michelle Rosier, Robin Scroggins
from Bob Jones University Press
for 2nd grade
in BJU Reading (Old Editions) (Location: OBJU-REA)
Primary Learning Log
by Wanda Sanseri
from Becky's Bouquet
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$16.00
Primary Phonics 2 - More Workbook
by Barbara W. Makar
from Educators Publishing Service
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Primary Phonics (Location: PHO-PRIM)
$10.79
Primary Phonics 3 - Comprehension Workbook
by Barbara W. Makar
from Educators Publishing Service
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Primary Phonics (Location: PHO-PRIM)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Primary Phonics 5 - Comprehension Workbook
by Barbara W. Makar
from Educators Publishing Service
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Primary Phonics (Location: PHO-PRIM)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Primary Phonics 6 - Comprehension Workbook
by Barbara W. Makar
from Educators Publishing Service
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Primary Phonics (Location: PHO-PRIM)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Rod & Staff Reading 2 - Phonics Workbook Unit 1
Bible Nurture & Reader Series
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd Grade
in Rod & Staff Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-R&S)
Rod & Staff Reading 2 - Phonics Workbook Unit 4, 5
Bible Nurture & Reader Series
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd Grade
in Rod & Staff Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-R&S)
Rod & Staff Reading 2 - Phonics Workbook Units 2, 3
Bible Nurture & Reader Series
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd Grade
in Rod & Staff Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-R&S)
Rod & Staff Reading 2 - Reading Workbook Unit 1
Bible Nurture & Reader Series
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd Grade
in Rod & Staff Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-R&S)
Rod & Staff Reading 2 - Reading Workbook Unit 2
Bible Nurture & Reader Series
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd Grade
in Rod & Staff Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-R&S)
Rod & Staff Reading 2 - Reading Workbook Unit 3
Bible Nurture & Reader Series
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd Grade
in Rod & Staff Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-R&S)
Rod & Staff Reading 2 - Reading Workbook Unit 4
Bible Nurture & Reader Series
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd Grade
in Rod & Staff Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-R&S)
Rod & Staff Reading 2 - Reading Workbook Unit 5
Bible Nurture & Reader Series
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd Grade
in Rod & Staff Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-R&S)
Something Fishy - Review Book
from All About Learning Press
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in All About Reading (Location: PHO-AAR)
$19.95