To a beginning reader, the act of reading can be a momentous task. Incorrectly taught, reading becomes a burdensome and arduous chore. Taught correctly, reading motivates the child to want to learn more. In recent years, there has been much debate about how children should be taught to read. While the use of phonics has generally been advocated for this, the actual approach on how it should be used has been contentious. However, recent research carried out in the UK and elsewhere has shown that a method called systematic synthetic phonics (as opposed to other phonics approaches, such as analytical phonics) leads to better reading and spelling attainment among children. These slides explain what synthetic phonics is and draw attention to some problems faced by non-native speakers when learning to read in English.

1. 学习阅读, 阅读教学
www.e-unik.com.my

2. At a glance
• Founded in 1998
• Sister company of
Unik Didik
• Provided Free
educational VCD-Roms
to students
• Provided free online
access/ question bank
• Appointed by MoE as
developer to provide
school courseware
(Preschool programmes,
English contents for
MBMMBI, etc.)
• Awarded MSC status
company
• Developed phonics
programme for MoE through
open tender
• Content provider for B-
Smart TV Didik for Telekom’s
Hypp-TV
• Content provider for Astro
Tutor TV: ZOOM UPSR
• Developed in mobile apps
1998 - 2005
2006 -
2009
2010 -
current

3. The English proficiency of Malaysians
has been declining over the years…

4. Country Reading Mathematics Science
Shanghai - China 570 613 580
Singapore 542 573 551
Hong Kong - China 545 561 555
Korea 536 554 538
Japan 538 536 547
Taipei 523 560 523
Finland 524 519 545
Australia 512 504 521
United Kingdom 499 494 514
United States 498 481 497
Vietnam 508 511 528
Thailand 441 427 444
Malaysia 398 421 420
Indonesia 396 375 382
Performance in Reading, Maths & Science
Source:
PISA 2012

5. Addressing the problem
Education
Blueprint…
KBSR
 KSSR
…
…
…

6. Whole language Phonics
Teacher-centred Learner-centred
Chalk and talk
ICT (Information &
Communication
Technology)
Language skills focused
on sound system
Language skills focused
on literacy, language arts
and penmanship
Significant changes from KBSR to KSSR
PKSR & UPSR
SBA (School-based
Assessment)

7. Stakeholder issues
Stakeholders
Parents
- Limited knowledge of
current system
- Unfamiliar with phonics
Teachers
- Time constraint
- Limited resources
- New syllabus
Learners
- Reading is not natural
- Effective ‘learn to read’
programme lacking
Principals
- KPI
Tuition Centres
- Parents’ expectations

8. English vs Bahasa vs Chinese language
Make pronouncing and
reading more easy
English
(Phonics)
Bahasa
(Suku Kata)
Chinese
(Pinyin)

9. Reading in: English vs Bahasa vs Chinese
• Words are spelled out
• E.g.: bin (/b/ / ɪ / /n/)
• Words are not spelled out
• Need to memorise
• E.g.: 彬，斌，宾，槟，鬓
• Words are spelled out
• Suku kata
• E.g.: bin (b-i-n)

10. Writing and Spelling
in English
Writing and Spelling
in Chinese
vs
English vs Bahasa vs Chinese,
Which language is more difficult?
Writing and Spelling
in Bahasa
vs
• 26 letters
• based on sounds
• 26 letters
• based on sounds
• cannot base on sounds
• follow rules of stroke and
sequence

11. Phonics: Systematic Synthetic Phonics
Listening Speaking
Reading Writing
Systematic
Synthetic
Phonics (SSP)
同时间让学者“见词能拼,听音能写”

12. Why Systematic Synthetic Phonics?
• Clackmannanshire Study, UK (1997)
(1) analytic phonics programme
(2) analytic phonics + phonemic awareness
(3) synthetic phonics
• Rose Review (2006)
a. reviewed research on teaching methods
b. recommended adoption of synthetic phonics
12 – 20 weeks
Systematic, methodical and logical
Performance
proven
Fast-paced
Well-structured

13. What is Systematic Synthetic Phonics?
•sounds and letters / learning are
taught in a specific sequence
•Beginning lessons: s, a, t, p, i, n,
m, d, …
Systematic
•Blending sounds
•e.g.: p + a + t  pat
Synthetic
44 sounds,
67 graphemes

14. How does SSP help learners to read correctly?
Sound-letter
relationship
Blending
Segmenting
Tricky
Words
Practices

15. Overcoming the brain’s limitation
by reinforcing memory

16. Learning to read: Our brain has limitation
SSP
• Remember the 44 sounds: the
relationship between sounds
and letters
• Memorize some
reading/phonics rules
Analytic Phonics/
Traditional method
• 1st year: remember 300 sight
words
• 2nd year: remember 600 words
……
How many words can a
learner remember?
Learners will be able to
read words they are not
familiar with.

17. TEACHING READING AND LEARNING TO READ
WITH PHONICS FUN

18. Content
Knowledge
(CK)
Pedagogical
Knowledge
(PK)
Technological
Knowledge
(TK)
Pedagogical Content
Knowledge
(PCK)
Technological
Content
Knowledge
(TCK)
Technological
Pedagogical
Knowledge
(TPK)
Technological Pedagogical Content
Knowledge (TPACK)
Using the MGI* framework
* Modeling-Guided practice-Independent

19. Contents: 15 Topics and the 44 sounds
Learn all 44 sounds
and their associated
letters
Simple to complex
Learn to blend
sounds and segment
words
Recognize and read
irregular words

20. About 84% of English words are
proved phonetically!
(Louisa C. Moats, 2005)
Really?
How does it work?

21. Lesson 1: s, a, t, p
s + a + t
sat
as
at
pat
sap
sat
tap
tat
pap
spat

22. Lesson 2: i, n, m, d
an as at in
and did man nib pin sip tin
ant dim map nip pit sit tip
dab din mat pan sad tab
dad dip nab pap sap tan
dam mad nap pat sat tap
damp mint sand spam spat spit snap
dint mist snip span spin tint
stamp stand stint sandpit

23. Vocabulary: simple to complex
Lesson 1: sat
Lesson 2: sandpit
Lesson 5: topdress
Lesson 8: chestnut, sandwich, chopstick
Lesson 10: marshmallow, download, fellowship
Lesson 11: understanding, hamburger,
hummingbird, thunderstorm
Lesson 12: surrounding, creampuff

24. Read sentences
By lesson 4
(s, a, t, p, i, m, n, d, g, o, c, k, ck, e, u, r)
 Sam dug a pit in the mud. (7 words)
 Dad and Greg drag a drum in on the rug. (10 words)
* a, the – sight / tricky words

25. What about the other 16% of English words?
Remaining
16% of
English
words
Tricky words
e.g.: a, I, the
Loan words
e.g.:
restaurant
Word family
structures
e.g.: -tion,
-dge

26. Why Phonics Fun?
 About 84% of English words are phonetically
proven
 Teaching strategy is methodical and systematic
 Result proven programme
 Solve problem with reading difficulty

27. Why Phonics Fun?
Phonemes with multiple representations are introduced
s = ss
c = k = ck
f = ff = ph
l = ll
w= wh
z = zz
igh = ie – i-e
ee = ea = e-e
oa = oe = o-e
oo = ue = u-e
or = aw = au
ur = er = ir
ow = ou
oi = oy
ay = ai = a-e

28. The 9 stages to English proficiency
Stages Level
1. Phonics skills / phonemic awareness
2. Phonics skills / reading / high frequency
words
3. Listening & reading fluency
Foundation
Lower Order
Thinking Skills /
LOTS
4. Vocabulary building
5. Grammar rules
6. Understanding of sentences meaning &
structure
Learning process
7. Reading comprehension as thinking skill
8. Task-based learning for speaking
communication
9. Task-based learning for writing
communication
Comprehend
Higher Order
Thinking Skills /
HOTS

29. Journey to English proficiency
The five components of effective reading instruction
Other components
are not left out

30. Try it to believe it!
www.e-unik.com.my/online
(Free trial)