In the book Why Johnny Still Cant Read, Rudolf Flesh proves why ‘phonics first’ reading instruction is superior to other approaches and that the ‘reading habit’ is the best insurance for improved comprehension and critical thinking skills.
The FCS Master Faster program similar to Maria Montessoris method of ‘writing to read’ takes ‘phonics first’ to the next level. Starting with the tools of spelling, writing and then reading sets our students up for reading fluency. Check out our school’s Facebook page to see the Grade 1/2s in action.
As English is a phonetic language, at FCS we teach the English phonograms. Phono means sound, and gram means picture. Therefore a phonogram is a picture that represents a sound. Some phonograms represent more than one sound. In Kindergarten, we learn the 26 single letter phonograms A-Z and in grade one we learn the next 48 multi-letter phonograms. As we progress to spelling words, we learn the 47 spelling rules. With this foundation, FCS students acquire the tools to spell, write and read plus much, much more.
If you know people who send their children to other schools ask them if their children learn the 74 English phonograms and the 47 spelling rules. It may begin a healthy discussion about equipping students with the right tools for success.
