The practical approach to reading and writing.
 


Afriphonics is a step-by-step systematic approach to reading and writing that has been structured into 5 progressive levels.  

  • Level 1:           Phonic Foundation Stage
  • Level 2:           Phonic Reinforcement Stage
  • Level 3:           Early Phonetic Word-building and Reading - the Pink Series
  • Level 4:           Intermediate Phonetic Word-building and Reading - the Blue Series
  • Level 5:           Advanced Non-Phonetic Reading - the Green Series




Level 1 – Phonic Foundation Stage




This stage introduces the child to the 26 sounds and letters of the phonic alphabet using a multi-sensory teaching approach.

The ‘I Spy’ Game, which consists of 104 object cards, introduces the child to the concept that all words have beginning sounds.  Through play, the child will learn to identify the sounds that make up the beginning sounds of words.

Once the child is able to identify the beginning sounds of words, we can then introduce the written symbols of those sounds.  Afriphonics makes use of a variety of materials and multi-sensory modalities in order to teach this abstract concept as easily as possible.

A three-phased approach is used in the introduction of the written symbols of the alphabet.

Introduction to the Animal, the Signal and the Sound

The first Teaching Card Set introduces the child to an animal whose beginning sounds matches the letter with which it is associated.  As the child at this stage has already had much exploration with the I Spy game, s/he will be able to identify the beginning sound with ease.

For multi-sensory learning, the animal is introduced with a whole body movement signal (which is characteristic of the animal) and the phonetic sound of the letter.



Introduction of the Written Symbol of the Letter

The second Teaching Card Set introduces the written symbol of the letter that is imposed over the picture of the animal. This gives the child the opportunity to use the knowledge of the animal’s beginning sound and its corresponding signal as a guide for remembering the phonic sound of the letter.

Sensory letters are introduced at this stage to allow the child the multi-sensory experience of writing the letter that represents the sound.



The Classroom Poster serves as a constant reminder for the child in the classroom or in the home.

The Capital Letter Poster may be added to the classroom/home display at a later stage once the child is aware of the letters of the alphabet. At this stage, capital letters very rarely need to be specially taught, as the child seems to easily absorb these.  The same animal references as were used on the lower case letters are used on the capital letters for continuity.

   



Reinforcement of the Written Letter only.

The third Teaching Card set, which represents the letter only, may then introduced as part of a thematic approach to the letter that incorporates the use of the sensory letters with wall display cards for each individual letter.

At this stage, the child will be able to ‘remember’ the animal that was previously pictured within the individual letter and by memory and signal, remember the corresponding sound.



A detailed manual is included for the entire stage that contains full lesson plans for each letter.  A CD of blackline masters for letter writing practice, ‘colour, cut and paste’, tracing, and other craft activities are also included.

Click here to view a lesson plan sample

For information and to ORDER, please click here.




Level 2 – Phonic Reinforcement Stage



Once the child has been successful in her/his progression through the Phonics Foundation Stage, a period of practice and reinforcement is required during which time the child is able to assimilate what s/he has learned and prepare for the next step into word building and ultimately reading.

Afriphonics Board Game 1 consists of 8 single-sided picture boards (same pictures as in the ‘I Spy’ Game for familiarity for the child) and 104 letter cards.




Afriphonics Board Game 2 consists of 8 single-sided letter boards and 104 picture cards (new pictures).



A detailed instruction booklet and word lists are included.

For information and to ORDER, please click here.



Level 3 – Early (Pink) Word-building and Reading Stage



At this stage of the programme, the child is well aware of sounds and can recognise the letters by their phonetic sounds.  The next step in the programme is to make the child aware of the association between sounds and words. Now it is time to start ‘writing’! This is an important step in the process, as the understanding of the sound/word association is crucial in the child’s progression from the knowledge of individual sounds to reading words.

In this stage, the focus is on 3-letter monosyllabic phonetic words (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant).

The Early Word-Building Set consists of 60 picture cards for the purposes of building (decoding) 3-letter phonetic words.

A set of Small Sensory Letters, which includes three of every consonant and five of every vowel, is also available for the purposes of physically building and writing the words.



The Early (Pink) Reading Card Set consists of 10 picture boards, each with 6 pictures, and matching words cards. This is the child’s introduction to encoding the individual sounds to start reading 3-letter phonetic words with a picture guide.



The Early (Pink) Reading Lists consist of 24 cards of word lists. This allows the child to practice reading 3-letter phonetic words without a picture guide.



The Early (Pink) Sentence Strips consist of 12 sentence cards with a picture guide. This allows the child to practice reading a small number of words together. It is also the child’s first introduction to sentence structure and punctuation, and includes a couple of common sight words.



The Early Readers consist of a set of 8 books that the child who is able to read 3-letter phonetic words can read completely on her/his own!

For information and to ORDER, please click here.





Level 4 – Intermediate (Blue) Word-building and Reading Stage




At this stage of the programme, the child can read 3-letter phonetic words easily and is able to be extended further into longer words that are multisyllabic yet still phonetic.

This stage includes the introduction of initial and final consonant blends, double consonants and the schwa vowel.

Towards the end of this stage, the consonant digraphs of ‘ng' and ‘nk’ are also introduced.

The Intermediate (Blue) Word-Building Set consists of 55 picture cards for the purposes of building (decoding) multisyllabic phonetic words.

No sensory letters are included with this set, as these would have already been purchased with the Early Word-Building and Reading Set.  



The Intermediate (Blue) Reading Card set consists of 18 picture boards, each with 6 pictures, and matching words cards. This is the child’s introduction to initial and final consonant blends, double consonants, and the ‘schwa’ vowel.



The Intermediate (Blue) Reading Lists consist of 32 cards of word lists. This is where the child can practice the new rules learned above without a picture guide. This is also the introduction to the consonant digraphs of ‘ng’ and ‘nk’.



The Intermediate (Blue) Sentence Strips consist of 15 sentence cards with a picture guide that allow the child to practice reading longer sentences with longer multisyllabic words based on the new knowledge gained above.



The Intermediate (Blue) Readers consist of a set of 8 books that the child at this level will be able to read independently.

For information and to ORDER, please click here.




Level 5 – Advanced (Green) Reading Stage



The materials for the advanced reading stage are still in development. This stage covers the introduction to the various vowel sounds combinations and general phonograms of regular base and compound words.

Irregular words are also covered.

For information and to ORDER, please click here.

 

 
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