Phonics Lesson Plans - General Notes
This phonics program is a continuous, 3-year course, with the ultimate goal that students begin the after post kindergarten program with a firm grasp of phonics and the ability to read and write simple phonically regular words. As the program is newly introduced this year, all the levels are starting from the basics, but they will inevitably move at different paces, as will classes within the same level.
The yearly targets have been split into a number of different unit goals (including a double-length section on 2-letter words), together with a timeline for the year. These timelines should be used as far as possible, however as class ability differs it is possible to or to take longer in some areas, however it is important not to dwell too long on any one unit to avoid losing students' motivation – there is a review week unit which draws on all previously learned phonics which over time should solidify some of the more challenging concepts.
Phonics Lesson Plans - Vowels - AEIOU
This is the most basic and perhaps the most important part of the program. Students who can confidently use these correctly will have a much easier time with both reading and writing, so it is vital for the teachers to ensure that the vowels are thoroughly taught.
Sounds
The sounds that the vowels make are different in Japanese, so it's most important to get the students used to the different sounds – this isn't usually a problem, but the (a)pple and (u)mbrella sounds are very similar, so highlighting the difference and correcting errors early will really help in the long run. (i)gloo is commonly sounded as (ee) as this is how the 'i' phonic is usually sounded in Japanese, but early correction can ensure that the 'new' sound is easily remembered.
Phonics Lesson Plans - BCGDT
The most common difficulty is differentiating between the 'b' and 'd' written letters, so it's important to get the children used to this early. One good method is to draw a vertical line on the board, and then form either a 'b' or a 'd' by finishing the letter to the left or the right. This game is fun, and highlights the differences easily.
As with all the consonants, try to make sure that the consonants are voiced as short as possible –
i.e. make sure that it's 't' rather than 'to'(と) and 'g' rather than 'go'(ご)
Phonics Lesson Plans - MNPS
The main issues in this section are the differences between 'm' and 'n' and the similarity between p, g, d and b (which is why 'p' is introduced here rather than in previous units). If theses are adequately distinguished, by using the game above but using 'b', 'p', 'g' and 'd' for example, this will make life easier in the future – this is one of the most common confusions and, whilst it's not easy to correct completely given the time available, it will do a lot of good.
Phonics Lesson Plans - HKLQ
Highlighting the identical sounding phonics 'k' and 'c' is important here, as is making sure that the 'q' phonic is correctly pronounced – 'kwuh' rather than 'kuh'. The 'l' phoneme is not as difficult to pronounce as the 'r' phoneme, so it is covered first, and it is closestst to the 'default' for all l- and r-starting words iJapanesese (らくだ sounds more like lakuda than rakuda as the motion of the speaker's tongue when articulating the phoneme ら is formed – is more similar to the English 'l')
Phonics Lesson Plans - FJRW
J and W are relatively straightforward for students to remember, but the fact that 'f' is not articulated strongly in Japanese is the first main issue – ふ is articulated as a voiceless 'whistle' rather than the 'fuh' sound that is used in English. One method of demonstrating this difference would be to exaggerate the sound and the mouth formation using a drill – 'fuh fuh FUH' using different stress patterns to highlight the movement of the bottom lip when forming the sound.
As before, there is no need (or time!) to over-stress this issue on when introducing the phoneme, the cumulative review will show improvements gradually, but consistent correction is vital.
The 'r' phoneme is also very difficult – it has been split from the 'l' phoneme so that at this stage students can hopefully recognise the 'l' flashcard and produce the phonic sound (even if they are unable to produce it independently), and can now begin to recognise that there is a difference between the two sounds. As with 'f' it is not recommended to insist on precision at the introduction stage, but as part of the review in later units a 'l, r, l, r' drill that increases in speed can be fun and helps to reinforce the difference.