Phonics involves the relationship between sounds and their spellings. The goal of phonics instruction is to teach students the most common sound-spelling relationships so that they can decode, or sound out, words. This decoding ability is a crucial element in reading success. The first step in phonics study is to be able to identify the sound(s) each letter can make. As we begin to “read” our letter Jj books, we are also taking part in correctly orienting books for reading and turning pages one at a time. Children also begin to demonstrate an understanding that print carries meaning. All of these are the first steps in the process of early reading.
