Making Sense of Phonics: The Hows and Whys

By Mark E. Beck and Isabel L. Beck

Book Overview

Now in a revised and updated third edition incorporating a decade of additional research and classroom experience, this book has helped over 100,000 primary-grades teachers understand and successfully apply the science of reading in phonics instruction. Isabel L. Beck and Mark E. Beck present innovative approaches to assessing and teaching letter-sound relationships, blending, Word Building, multisyllabic decoding, fluency, and more. A wealth of reproducible forms and word lists can be copied from the book or downloaded and printed; the companion website also features supplemental word lists, word and syllable cards, and 30 illustrated Syllasearch stories. Engaging teacher anecdotes and end-of-chapter "Your Turn" activities enhance the book's utility as a professional development resource and course text.

New to This Edition
*Chapter on the key role of phonics in today's literacy programs--with a focus on what is needed for high-quality instruction aligned with the science of reading.
*Chapter on extending Word Building instruction to small groups and individual students.
*Extensive revision of the Syllasearch activity for decoding multisyllabic words.
*Expanded reproducible and downloadable tools, including enhanced Word Building lists, new Syllasearch lists (with teaching tips), and eight new Syllasearch stories.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1462555365
• ISBN13: 9781462555369
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Guilford Publications
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 1.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Current, concise, right on target for today's reading instruction!

I will refer to the information in this book often as a reading specialist. This book combines research proven, common sense approaches toward the teaching of reading. Finally! A usable phonics guide without a 'script' or without being a canned, expensive product.

Excellent Instructional Resource

This is an excellent resources on phonics instruction. It not only gives practical instructional strategies and activities but it also explains the rationale of why the activities are meaningful and necessary. This is a must have resource for a first or second grade reading teacher.

Hows and Whys of Phonics

One of the best professional how-to books in education. I've tried the principles from the book and they work with my hard to teach students. It was also an easy read.

Useful Ideas

In this book, Beck outlines procedures for essential beginning reading activities such as letter-sound correspondences, blending, and word building. I really liked how this book focused on classroom practice, and how the author applies every concept to real students. Beck also supplies appendixes to supply the materials needed to make your own centers that were used in the classroom practice examples. I really liked the idea for word pockets, where students place the letter where they heard the sound(beginning, middle, or end.) Also, now each one of my students now has their own set of alphabet cards. When we have free time, they are busy putting letters together to make a word.

Need help with your struggling reader?

I have ten years of teaching experience, from pre-school to third grade. It has been easy teaching about 80% of my students to read, over the years. They respond well to my small guided reading groups, carefully planned literacy centers, and limited but focused phonics instruction. But the other 10 percent%? Well, they have needed something different, and this book, "Making Sense of Phonics," is it. Isabel Beck strikes a perfect balance in this book between theory, research, and application. I read the book over a weekend after attending a seminar about how brain imaging and neuroscience is helping to make sense of the process to learn to read. Beck's research was discussed at length and quite convincing, and so I bought the book, read it, and began teaching lessons using her protocol to the 6 lowest readers in my class. Results? After just three weeks I already note marked improvement in these students' ability to sound out words, blend sounds, and make the connection between the letters on the page and the sound they produce with their mouth. It's fast paced and simple to do, once you've taught just a few lessons. If they continue at this rate, I will be completely sold on it and plan to present to the primary teachers at my school in hopes of convincing others to use it, as needed. I think that a parent could just as easily do this with their child as well; in fact, it could be even better because the child would receive that one on one attention. It does seem pretty important to stick to Beck's suggestions regarding how to emphasize letter sound correspondance to all parts of the word as opposed to just initial placement. Bottom line, if your student or child is a struggling reader and you've tried lots of things and are going nuts because they know a word on one page and forget in on the next or they just look at the first letter and then make a guess, then this is the teaching strategy for you!