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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75 Items found Print
Active Filters: 5th grade (Ages 10-11), New Books & Materials
All About Reading - Divider Cards
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-7th grade
in All About Reading (Location: PHO-AAR)
$4.95 $3.50 (2 in stock)
All About Spelling / All About Reading Letter Tiles
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-7th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$25.95
Building a New Nation - Reader
from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$17.85 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Building a New Nation - Student Exercises
from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$5.30 $2.75 (1 in stock)
Building a New Nation - Teacher's Manual
from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$5.30
Building a New Nation - Test Packet
from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$5.30
Children of the Covered Wagon
by Mary Jane Carr
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$14.24
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 5
by Wendy Kramer
4th edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$13.35 $8.00 (2 in stock)
Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 5 - Answer Key
4th edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Phonics & Reading (Location: REA-CLP)
$5.30
Doodling 101: A Silly Symposium
by Mo Willems
from Hyperion Books for Children
for 1st-5th grade
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$19.99
Finding Providence
An I Can Read Chapter Book
by Avi
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-5th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.09
Handy English Encoder Decoder
by Harvey Bluedorn
2nd edition from Trivium Pursuit
for All Ages
in Reading Reference (Location: REF-READ)
$15.00
Harvey's Revised English Grammar
Harvey's Language Course
by Thos. W. Harvey
from Mott Media
for 4th-8th grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Other Primers (Location: REA-MCG)
$17.50 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Iron Scouts of the Confederacy
by Lee McGiffin
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.93
Living Together
by Pathway
from Pathway Publishers
for 5th grade
in Pathway Readers (Location: REA-PATH)
$11.00
Living Together - Teacher Edition
by Pathway
from Pathway Publishers
for 5th grade
in Pathway Readers (Location: REA-PATH)
$6.50 $3.50 (2 in stock)
Living Together - Workbook
by Pathway
from Pathway Publishers
for 5th grade
in Pathway Readers (Location: REA-PATH)
$3.50
LOE Essentials Reader
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$24.99
LOE Essentials Reader - Student Activity Book
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$14.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials Reader - Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$19.99
LOE Essentials Volume 1 - Student Workbook
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$8.99
LOE Essentials Volume 3 - Student Workbook
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99
LOE Essentials Volume 3 - Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$54.99
Megawords 1
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$20.49
Megawords 1 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$35.99
Megawords 1 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key (old)
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
$29.00
Megawords 2 - set (old)
2nd Ed from Educators Publishing Service
for 5th-6th grade
$46.00
Megawords 2 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 5th-6th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$35.99
Megawords 3 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$35.99
Megawords 4
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$20.49
Megawords 4 - set (old)
2nd Ed from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
$46.00
Megawords 4 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$35.99
Megawords 5
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$20.49
Megawords 5 - set (old)
2nd Ed from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
$46.00
Megawords 5 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$35.99
Megawords 6
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$20.49
Megawords 6 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$35.99
Megawords 7
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$20.49
Megawords 7 - set (old)
2nd Ed from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
$46.00
Megawords 7 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$35.99
Megawords 8
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$20.49
Megawords 8 - set (old)
2nd Ed from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
$46.00
Megawords 8 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
3rd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$35.99
Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon
A Step into Reading Level 5 Book
by Judy Donnelly
from Random House
for 2nd-5th grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$5.09
Of America 1 - Answer Key (old)
4th edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
$2.50
Of America 1 - Tests (old)
4th edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
$2.50
Paint Brush Kid
Stepping Stones Chapter Book
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from Random House
for 2nd-5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$5.09 $2.40 (1 in stock)
Prairie School
An I Can Read Book Level 4
by Avi
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-5th grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.09
Readers in Residence Volume 1
by Debra Bell
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 4th-6th grade
$60.00
Readers in Residence Volume 1 & Answer Key
by Debra Bell
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 4th-6th grade
$65.00 $45.00 (1 in stock)
Reading 5 - Assessments
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Reading (Location: REA-BJU)
$20.26 $11.00 (1 in stock)
Reading 5 - Assessments Answer Key
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Reading (Location: REA-BJU)
$14.72 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Reading 5 - BJU Subject Kit
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Subject Kits (Location: WH-BJUK)
$231.79
Reading 5 - BJU Subject Kit (old)
2nd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Reading (Old Editions) (Location: OBJU-REA)
$79.00 $49.00 (1 in stock)
Reading 5 - Student Activities
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Reading (Location: REA-BJU)
$44.72
Reading 5 - Student Activities Teacher Edition
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Reading (Location: REA-BJU)
$44.72 $24.00 (2 in stock)
Reading 5 - Student Textbook
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Reading (Location: REA-BJU)
$77.78 $43.00 (2 in stock)
Reading 5 - Teacher Edition
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Reading (Location: REA-BJU)
$110.00 $50.00 (1 in stock)
Reading Buddy Bundle Level 4
from All About Learning Press
for 4th-5th grade
in All About Reading (Location: PHO-AAR)
$4.95
Reading Comprehension in Varied Subject Matter Book 2
by Jane Ervin
from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-5th grade
$17.99
Reading Comprehension in Varied Subject Matter Book 2 - Answer Key
by Jane Ervin
from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-5th grade
$7.49
Reading Comprehension in Varied Subject Matter Book 3
by Jane Ervin
from Educators Publishing Service
for 5th-6th grade
$17.99
Reading Comprehension in Varied Subject Matter Book 3 - Answer Key
by Jane Ervin
from Educators Publishing Service
for 5th-6th grade
$7.49
Reading Detective A1
from Critical Thinking Books
for 5th-6th grade
in Reading Detective (Location: REACOM-RD)
$25.99
Reading Grade 5
from Kumon Publishing
for 5th grade
in Kumon Reading & Writing (Location: WRI-KUM)
$8.95
Ready Readers - Children's Literature Volume 1
by Missy Andrews
2nd edition from Center for Literary Education
for 1st-6th grade
in Teaching the Classics (Location: LITCUR-TTC)
$29.00 $19.00 (3 in stock)
Ready Readers - Elementary Literature Volume 1
by Missy Andrews
2nd edition from Center for Literary Education
for 3rd-8th grade
in Teaching the Classics (Location: LITCUR-TTC)
$29.00 $19.00 (3 in stock)
Reasoning & Reading 1
by Joanne Carlisle
from Educators Publishing Service
for 5th-6th grade
in EPS Reasoning & Reading (Location: REACOM-EPS)
$23.49
Reasoning & Reading 1 - Teacher's Guide / Answer Key
by Joanne Carlisle
from Educators Publishing Service
for 5th-6th grade
in EPS Reasoning & Reading (Location: REACOM-EPS)
$23.89
Teaching the Classics - Seminar Package
by Adam & Missy Andrews
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Teaching the Classics (Location: LITCUR-TTC)
$149.00 $104.00 (3 in stock)
Teaching the Classics - Seminar Workbook
by Adam & Missy Andrews
2nd edition from Center for Literary Education
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Teaching the Classics (Location: LITCUR-TTC)
$49.00 $34.00 (2 in stock)
Thomas Edison: The Great Inventor
DK Readers Level 4
by Caryn Jenner
from DK Children
for 3rd-6th grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$3.39
Upper Grammar Literature Collection - Volumes I-V
from Logos School
for 5th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$35.00
Victory Drill Book
by Andrea Carstensen & Deborah Masin
3rd edition from Victory Drill Book
for Preschool-8th grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
$21.95
Victory PreDrill Book
by Andrea Carstensen & Deborah Masin
Revised from Victory Drill Book
for Preschool-8th grade
in Miscellaneous Phonics (Location: PHO-MISC)
$18.95