120 hr. TEFL Course Module 3-Reading (Pt.7 Forming Associations)

Module 3: Reading

3.3 Forming associations

Very early on in the process of learning to read, students need to learn to form associations between sounds (phonemes) and letters/words. This process is paramount to a student understanding how English speakers turn sounds into words and how English words convey meaning. Regardless of the age of your students or their native language, you will need to help them learn typical English letter/sound associations. Here are the basic principles behind teaching a student how to form strong letter/sound associations:

• Assessment: Every student is different, and you don’t want to assume that all of your students are in the same place. Some students are coming to the English language with a native language that shares many of the same sounds, while others could be coming from a native language that uses none of the same sounds as English. By properly and consistently assessing the letter/word association abilities of your students, you can tailor your lesson planning to directly target deficiencies and differentiate your instruction to address all skill levels.

• Sequential and systematic instruction: While pedagogy often dictates that you let students guide their own learning, a skill like this needs to be taught systematically and sequentially. In many ways, basic skills like these work best with old-school instruction, which means you teach a concept, assess for that concept, teach another concept, assess for both concepts, and continue with this process. Continually build on the skills and knowledge that your students are attaining, and keep returning to the basics to make sure they don’t forget them. 

• Teach explicitly: Sometimes, it can be cool to lead a student to meaning without the student really knowing where the lessons are going. When teaching letter/sound associations, though, it is important to be explicit about your teaching. That means you are clear with your students about what you are teaching them, what they are learning, and why they are learning it. The more you get the student to accept the process, the more success you will have.

• Do not focus just on reading: Learning letter/sound associations is not just a reading skill; it is multisensory. Therefore, you should treat your instruction of the skill as a multisensory skill. Use whatever resources you have available to help students make the necessary associations. Use flashcards, pictures, digital games, and any other modes of learning you can think of to get the job done. In this way, you will help your students in more than just their reading.