Jolly Phonics method

Jolly Phonics method

At GreenLeaves, we believe that learning a second language should be based on a consolidated teaching method that allows an appropriate, professional transfer of knowledge.

Accordingly, and after studying different teaching-learning styles, we believe that the Jolly Phonics method perfectly meets our expectations.

Jolly Phonics is a complete method of reading and writing that facilitates communication and oral comprehension in English. Use the “synthetic phonics” system to teach sounds in a multisensory, fun and attractive way for children to learn to read and write using the sound of letters, both in the early childhood and Elementary education stage.

Oral activities

From the first phase of learning the foreign language, oral comprehension and expression activities are a priority.

The vocabulary will be enriched, being intonation and pronunciation a constant concern. In grammar, children should become able to use simple and compound sentences with correction correctly. They should know the spelling of the words they use.

With this method, we will teach children to use the basic alphabetic code for the beginning of oral expression, reading and writing, helping auditory discrimination since, children must learn to recognize each letter by its sound, not by name.

For example, the consonant n has to be recognized as nn and not as ene, and thus, knowing the sounds that represent the letters, graphemes and words, a greater understanding of the language is achieved. The name of the letters will be learned later.

In the Early Childhood stage

In the Early Childhood stage, we will attach great importance to the consolidation of phonological awareness in English.

To do this, this methodology starts from the premise that each sound is represented by an action, an image that represents the sound and a small song, which allows children to learn the sounds more easily and helps them remember them so that they can later read.

With the songs they also learn the movements of each letter and find it more entertaining. As the child progresses, progress can be made by presenting one letter a day. As the child gains confidence, he will not need to continue repeating the gesture.

In the elementary stage

In the Elementary stage, the acquisition of this second language will revolve around the consolidation of grammatical aspects essential for proper oral and written communication.

For this, certain techniques already known by children, such as songs, games and storytelling, that allow the acquisition of new lexical and syntactic knowledge that open the door to later learning are extremely useful.

Learning how to recognize and synthesize sounds

Learning how to recognize and synthesize sounds is not an easy task for all children. For this reason, the Jolly Phonics method is organized and consists of 5 stages:

Sound learnin:

Children learn the 42 main letter sounds in English and not just the alphabet. Children learn how to recognize a letter by its sound and not by its name, something essential to then to be able to synthesize them into words.

Some sounds are written with two letters like oo and th, which are called digraphs and may sound differently (book/moon, that/three) so they have been represented differtly to help distinguish them.

These sounds are divided into 7 groups in a specific order as shown below:

Letter building

With the use of different multisensory methods, children learn how to build and write letters and correct directionality. In the infant nest and community we do not work with graph letters, although we do show them to students. It is in the children’s room where we begin with reading-writing.

At this point it is important that the child learns how to hold a pencil correctly. The pencil should be held by making a pincer between thumb and forefinger and supporting it with the middle finger. If children do not learn how to hold a pencil correctly from the outset, there will later be serious difficulties to correct it.

To do so, we foster the grip movement that the child makes with their fingers, a work of precision that is not easy and that they begin to carry out little by little. This movement is a landmark in a child’s psychomotor development as from then on they begin to pick up objects more precisely in a world of possibilities that opens up before them to discover, explore, and touch.

We work lines on different formats and different materials: paper, sand, flour, paintbrushes, tempera, paint, plasticine, etc. In time, children learn how to make letters in italics which, among other aspects, improves the fluency of writing and spelling. Writing a word with a single movement helps to remember the letters that build it.

Letter blending

This is the process of saying sounds individually within a word and joining them to create a new word, that is, children will be taught how to combine sounds and letters to read, write and verbalize new words. For example, the passage from d-o-g to dog.

To start, the word is articulated sound to sound and children are given the opportunity to hear the word. It is necessary to say the sounds of the word quickly and articulating the highest initial sound that the rest. It is convenient to often practice with the children, but during short periods and begin with simple words such as b-u-s, t-o-p, c-a-t.

We have to differentiate among a combination of consonants like -st and a digraph like -sh. In a combination of consonants there are two sounds, the -s and the -t and each one one can be heard separately and in a digraph this is not the case. Children must articulate the digraph -sh and not the letters separately (-s -h)

Segmentation of word sounds

The easiest way of knowing how a word is written correctly and spelled properly is listening and differentiating the sounds that make it.

We begin by making children listen to the initial sounds of words, the game of I-spy is ideal for practice. We continue to final sounds, as intermediate sounds are always the most difficult to hear. We can also say a word and then break down sounds by accompanying each sound with a flick, at first we use simple words of three letters like -cat or -hot

To accustom listening to a word in sounds we use rhymes, poetries, the game of I-spy and songs. Another game we use is:

Add a sound: what does comes out if I add p to ink? The answer is -pink. Other examples are it m-ice, b-us.
Remove a sound: what is it if I remove him p from pink? The answer is -ink. Other examples are f-lap, s-lip, c-rib, s-top.

Trickwords

There are more complicated words because they have irregular pronunciation, and children learn them separately and in this last stage.

There are different ways to help children learn how to write irregular words correctly:

Look, Cover, Write and Check. We begin by looking along with the child at the word and discovering what the “trick” is. We then ask the child to write the word in the air while saying the letter. Then they can write the word correctly without looking at it.
Say the word as it sounds. Saying each sound inside the word, for example, the word “was” would be w-a-s but in fact /woz/ is spoken.
The first letter of each word of the sentence does not give the word we want to write.
Spelling also improves with the use of blended letters (italics)

Early Childhood education

Finally, the materials used for the implementation of this method are the following:

Big book: This material is used to tell the story of each sound.
Songs: They help children to acquire the correct sound of each letter, through simple, short and animated melodies that favor the memorization of the song.
Flash Cards: Where the sound to be studied is represented graphically and a sound that summarizes the lyrics of the song and the gesture to be enhanced in order to accompany it.
Different materials: flour, paint … to work the spelling of the different sounds.

Elementary education

Elementary education

Songs: They help children to acquire the correct sound of each letter, through simple, short and animated melodies that favor the memorization of the song.
Flash Cards: Where the sound to be studied is represented graphically and schematically a sound that summarizes the lyrics of the song and the gesture to be enhanced by the accompaniment of it.
Jolly Phonics Pupil Book 1: This material introduces the 42 basic sounds necessary to understand and practice this second language.
Jolly Phonics Pupil Book 2: This material provides children with numerous opportunities to practice reading and writing skills.
Jolly Phonics Pupil Book 3: This material allows children to strengthen language skills and continue to improve the acquisition of the second language through activities such as interactive dictations, creative writing and oral presentation of projects.
Digital whiteboard: It will allow to secure all the contents in an interactive way.