Hi parents! We thought we will continue our series on the benefits of the various types of phonics for the different levels of children. We shall now talk about embedded phonics and its benefits for preschoolers.
What is Embedded Phonics and Its Examples
Embedded phonics is a type of phonics that teaches children to read during authentic or actual reading experiences. It involves indirect rather than clear-cut instructions on how to read sounds or words and corrections take place as needs arise. So, embedded phonics instruction in reading will begin with a chosen text by parent or teacher appropriate for the child’s level.
For example, an adult may have selected a simple poem or rhyme about ‘Jill’ in ‘Jack and Jill who went up a hill’. As he or she reads the poem to preschooler, he or she points out the words that end with ‘ill’ and explains that even though there are two l’s, they represent only one /l/ sound.
Some of my favourite rhymes that I start with my young students include:
- Alphabet Song
- Once I Caught a Fish Alive
- B-i-n-g-o
- Five Little Monkeys
- If You’re Happy and You know it
Focus On Real-World Reading Experiences
The embedded method of phonics involves learning during actual or authentic reading tasks for the preschooler. As such, this makes it different from the synthetic and analytic methods.
Synthetic and Analytic Methods
There are clear and direct lessons on phonics. Teachers or parents and students focus on specific word forms in each session. Children are presented individual phenomes, graphemes (word parts) and whole words. The teacher and students then work together to deconstruct and construct words until mastery is achieved.
However, in the embedded method, lessons begin through the reading of texts or books. As the teacher or parent and the preschooler read the books, the adult highlights the more difficult word forms and works with the child to break them down. By starting with reading a
simple book, preschoolers may understand more clearly the value in the sharing and how it relates to meaning-making in real life.
This can help your little ones to learn to pick up books willingly, ask questions curiously regarding the forming of words and the meanings behind challenging words. It helps them make intelligent guesses in order to figure out texts and gets them excited about moving on
to harder ones as they trod along.
Benefits of Embedded Phonics for Preschoolers
Now that we are clear what embedded phonics entails which is teaching phonics skills within the context of text reading, we can list the several benefits embedded phonics offers to preschoolers.
Foremost, embedded phonics is taught within the context of real reading experiences. Instead of isolating phonics instruction, the appointed words in question are woven into the stories, or daily conversations, and even during playful activities. For preschoolers, who learn best through play and exploration, this approach feels more like a daily part of their day rather than a separate, more formal learning session. Hence, these preschoolers are more likely to engage with the material, and that interaction is crucial for early literacy development.
Embedded phonics is also highly adaptable to the needs and interests of the individual. Preschoolers all learn at their own pace and have their own unique interests or learning style. This approach thus, allows for instruction that can be tailored to each kid, making learning more meaningful and engaging for them. For example, a child interested in marine animals might learn phonics through books about dolphins and seahorses, incorporating their personal interests into the learning process.
I highly recommend this approach to parents who are not trained educators but see themselves as reading partners to comb book shops and libraries with their child or children together so they become mere supporters rather than teachers. This role is precious as, you, as parents will become their models to groom your children into becoming avid readers.
Embedded phonics helps preschoolers develop a better understanding of the alphabetic rules, improve their word recognition, and enhance their spelling abilities. This approach involves implicit (indirect) instructions, allowing young children to learn phonics skills incidentally (by the way) while engaged in real reading experiences.
A lot of cognitive training takes place here as your child will need to pluck from all his experiences with words and context learning in order to decipher the words and their vocabulary meaning in their simple books or text extracts.
Embedded phonics also provides contextualized learning, a lot of practice, and a student- centered approach, which are valuable for preschoolers to recall and hence improve their memory on matters. This is a very important skill to pick up when young as it makes learning how to learn easier as they grow.
We can truly see how crucial early literacy skills development for our children is, how it sets the foundation for our preschoolers’ future reading and writing abilities and how they relate to letter-sound relationships while beginning to decode and recognize words in the texts they encounter. This will lead them to incorporate high frequency sight words into meaningful contexts and how it will build their reading fluency and comprehension.
Word of Caution
However, it’s important to note that embedded phonics should be used only as part of a comprehensive approach to phonics instruction, as it may not be as effective when used in isolation. Therefore, it is recommended we integrate embedded phonics with systematic and analytic or analogy phonics systems.
Conclusion
For parents, understanding the benefits of embedded phonics can help them support their children’s early literacy development. By being aware of how this approach enhances their preschooler’s phonics skills through real-world reading experiences, parents can reinforce and complement these efforts at home.
Learn more about out at our SAE page.
More Reading Resources
If you have kid in kindergarten, learn more about the benefits of embedded phonics for kindergarteners
If you have kid in primary school, learn more about benefits of embedded phonics for primary school student