Synopses & Reviews
Review
"In this book, Isabel Beck brings the subject of phonics to life in a sensitive, clear presentation, which itself serves as a lesson in how to teach. Elementary teachers who use this book will enjoy reading and teaching from it, and their students are sure to benefit from the author's precise, thoughtful approach."--Sharon Vaughn, PhD, Department of Special Education, University of Texas at Austin
"Who would expect a book on phonics to be one you dont want to put down? This is the book Ive been waiting for--a straightforward, easy-to-follow, sensible guide to teaching phonics. I can imagine tutors and preservice and inservice teachers using this book both for its step-by-step instructional sequences and the accessible explanations of why they are done. I can imagine this so well, in fact, that I plan to use the book in my tutoring and preservice teacher education courses."--Connie Juel, PhD, School of Education, Stanford University
"Making Sense of Phonics chronicles the personal journey of a reading teacher learning her craft. All those who join Isabel Beck on this journey will benefit not only from her insight as a teacher, but also from her work as a leading researcher. Readers will learn powerful yet simple instructional strategies that are grounded in research. Few educators are as comfortable in both teacher and researcher roles as Dr. Beck. This book is a 'must' for teachers just starting out, as well as veteran teachers who are faced with struggling readers."--Marcy Stein, PhD, Education Program, University of Washington, Tacoma
"In a clear and conversational style, Isabel Beck has created a powerful text to support explicit and systematic phonics instruction. Making Sense of Phonics outlines procedures for such essential beginning reading activities as teaching letter-sound correspondences, blending, and word building. Inservice and preservice teachers will appreciate the books focus on classroom practice, and how the author applies every concept to real students. Teachers of English learners will find that the step-by-step teaching strategies provide an explicitness that helps students master important reading skills in their new language."--Lori Helman, PhD, University of Minnesota
"A timely, much-needed book for teachers. Isabel Beck helps sort through the issues related to phonics instruction and outlines a practical, explicit, systematic approach. Written as if you are having a conversation with the author, this straightforward book provides concise strategies for sequencing phonics instruction as well as anecdotes that further enlighten the reader. Readers are given many opportunities to reflect on their own students, analyze student responses, and determine an appropriate course of action. This makes for an excellent text for any reading methods course that emphasizes a balanced literacy approach. Based on research, this book provides needed tools for helping all students become independent, lifelong readers."--Donna Savage, EdS, Literacy Specialist, Newport News Public Schools, Virginia
Review
"Like the prior edition, this is a much-needed 'how-to' for classroom teachers that also warrants close attention from education professors and literacy coaches. No other book so thoroughly (but succinctly) summarizes the history of phonics instruction, explicates its role in reading development, and offers such a wealth of ideas for assessment, curriculum, and instruction. Call it 'one-stop shopping' for this pivotal issue in reading instruction! This is a book that preservice and inservice teachers will turn to repeatedly, long after purchase. It is a great text for undergraduate methods classes and reading endorsement master's classes, as well as a resource for professional learning communities."--Kathleen J. Brown, PhD, Director, University of Utah Reading Clinic
"I recommend this second edition as a text for preservice and inservice teacher education courses. The book not only demonstrates how to teach a variety of phonics strategies, but also explains why the strategies need to be taught this way. Teachers will appreciate the examples of students' misconceptions, as well as the word lists and assessment tools in the appendices."--Barbara R. Foorman, PhD, Francis Eppes Professor of Education and Director, Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University "I am certain that teachers--and all professionals interested in making sure children learn to read well--will find this book thought provoking and invaluable. The seminal research presented is rigorous yet highly accessible, and is illustrated with instructive, entertaining anecdotes. The new and expanded chapters in the second edition provide an eloquent picture of the challenging tasks that young children face as they learn to read, and show how to help them surmount these challenges."--Carol McDonald Connor, PhD, Learning Sciences Institute and Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
Synopsis
From bestselling author Isabel L. Beck--an experienced educator who knows what works--this concise volume provides a wealth of practical ideas for building children's decoding skills by teaching letter-sound relationships, blending, word building, and multisyllable words. Straightforward and accessible, the strategies presented for explicit, systematic phonics instruction are ideal for use in primary-grade classrooms or with older students who are having difficulties. Many specific examples bring the instructional procedures to life while elucidating their underlying rationale; appendices include reproducible curriculum materials.
Synopsis
This bestselling book provides indispensable tools and strategies for explicit, systematic phonics instruction in K-3. Teachers learn effective ways to build students' decoding skills by teaching letter-sound relationships, blending, word building, multisyllabic decoding, fluency, and more. The volume is packed with engaging classroom activities, many specific examples, and research-based explanations. It offers a complete phonics assessment and clear guidelines for sequencing instruction to give every student a strong foundation for reading. More than 30 reproducible forms and word lists are included in the appendices. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size and find a wealth of supplemental teaching resources.
New to This Edition*Six additional chapters covering key topics, including assessment, phonemic awareness, orthography, and automaticity.*A complete phonics assessment with administering and scoring guidelines.*Downloadable forms and word lists, plus a companion website with rich supplemental resources, including word/syllable cards, assessment tools, and illustrated stories featuring target words, which teachers can project or print for classroom use.*More classroom examples and "Your Turn" activities, as well as expanded word lists.
See also Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition: Robust Vocabulary Instruction and Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples, by Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan, which provide essential tools for K-12 vocabulary instruction.
About the Author
Isabel L. Beck, PhD, is Professor Emerita in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. Before starting her career at the university, she was a public school teacher, and has taught most elementary grades. Dr. Beck's work has been acknowledged by awards from the International Reading Association, the National Reading Conference, and the American Federation of Teachers, among others. Most recently she was elected to the National Academy of Education.
Mark E. Beck, MEd, is a reading specialist at Manchester Academic Charter School in Pittsburgh, where he works with children in grades K-5. After practicing law for 14 years, Mr. Beck changed careers, obtaining his Pennsylvania elementary teaching certification and working as a classroom teacher. Subsequently he obtained his reading specialist certification. He has also been a part-time instructor in the Reading Department in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh.
Table of Contents
1. Situating Phonics Instruction
2. The Alphabetic Principle and Phonics
3. Phonemic Awareness: A Bit of a Different Take
4. The Phonics Landscape
5. Teaching Children the Sounds That Letters Represent
6. Blending
7. Word Building
8. Assessment
9. Multisyllabic Words
10. Syllasearch
11. Orthography: A "Sticking Point" in Word Recognition
12. Automaticity
Appendix 1. Word Building Lists
Appendix 2. Specific Phonics Assessments
Appendix 3. Word and Syllable Matrices for Syllasearch
Appendix 4. The Word Pocket
Appendix 5. List of Online Materials
Glossary