Why? Discover Intensive Phonics Helps Struggling Readers and ESL Students

Phonics System Helps Teachers Deliver Reading Instruction

For three decades, the Discover Intensive Phonics phonics system and reading program has taught hundreds of thousands of children to read. In elementary schools nationwide, students of all ability levels have advanced several grade levels using this revolutionary approach. Through direct instruction, logical sequencing, and multi-sensory techniques, it accomplishes the primary goal of phonics instruction: learning to recognize words rapidly and automatically. Students will be reading well above grade level and will have simultaneously improved their spelling, vocabulary, grammar, handwriting, listening, and reasoning skills.

The Problem

How do teachers effectively teach reading explicitly and systematically with their limited time, large class sizes, limited resources, and students at varying levels and still make it fun to learn and fun to teach? How do teachers assess student progress and various reading levels?

ESL/ESOL students struggle with the need to rapidly master conversational and educational English vocabulary. In addition, like struggling readers, ESL/ESOL students must sort out the unfamiliar sounds into pieces that make sense. They have problems perceiving and using English sounds and their corresponding letter symbols effectively.

The Solution

Unlike many approaches, Discover Intensive Phonics teaches a solid, sequential framework of phonics. Based on scientific research and Orton-Gillingham principles of multi-sensory instruction, this explicit reading system provides a foundation for reading success. ‘Proving’ words using the unique Discover Intensive Phonics marking system they learn to recognize likely and unlikely sequences of letters and develop the ability to easily break words into syllables. This empowers students with the ability to decode new and unfamiliar words with accuracy and confidence. Highlights of the program include:

• Explicit, direct instruction and active multi-sensory student involvement.
• Systematic organization. Students learn in incremental steps while receiving continual, positive reinforcement.
• Sequenced in a fashion that moves from simple to complex.
• Phonemic awareness assessment and progress assessments.
• Instruction and assessments in phonological awareness.
• Unique marking system to help students recognize letter and vowel sounds, likely and unlikely letter sequences, and the structure of syllabication, beginning with individual phonemes through the decoding of multi-syllabic words.
• Non-consumable instructional materials.
• Interactive, multimedia computer courseware.
• Affordable, highly engaging, hands-on professional development workshops.
• Research based and validated for over 30 years.
• Fun and easy; teacher-friendly.

The ESL/ESOL Solution

The first step in mastering any language is learning its letter sounds. A special software component allows students to hear the sounds of the alphabet and record themselves saying the sounds. They can also see and hear how the sounds are formed with the use of live video. Discover Intensive Phonics emphasizes phonetic structure and quickly gives students the skills they need to read English. Consequently, they adjust to their new environment more easily and experience less frustration than students who are forced to learn English much more slowly. Even those with no English reading skills can succeed with this system.

Dr. Neil Anderson, former International TESOL president and current English Immersion director at Brigham Young University says, "(Now) I feel able to explicitly teach phonetic skills. In most teacher preparation courses or in-service sessions, how to teach phonics is not covered. I'm very anxious to begin using this new knowledge."

The System – How Is It Done?

The primary goal of phonics instruction - learning to recognize words rapidly and automatically – can be accomplished in a variety of ways using the following components:

• Classroom Direct Instruction: Designed to engage and focus students and, at the same time, reduce the out-of-classroom burdens teachers face. Complete non-consumable classroom materials provide hands-on, multi-sensory instruction. Active learning takes place at the chalkboard. There are no mandatory practice books, worksheets, and papers to run off or correct. Students learn in incremental steps while receiving continual, positive reinforcement. Highlights of the materials include:
  • Non-consumable materials.
  • Two color-coded direct instruction Teacher’s Manuals.
  • Sound Essentials manual, containing practice pages, student involvement pages, black-line masters, games, and enrichment activities.
  • Wall charts, posters and flipcharts.
  • Reverse Listening Cards to test student abilities at incremental skill levels.
  • Word Builder cards used for phoneme substitution and manipulation.
  • An Enrichment CD with video-enhanced guides for using the manual, recording of all 42 Sounds, a complete set of masters for practice pages, student involvement pages, enrichment activities, and correction guides.
  • Readers containing 32 controlled vocabulary stories.
  • Special helps for teaching ESL/ESOL and special education students.
  • Daily online assistance and interaction with experts and teachers nationwide.
  • The system is extremely easy for the teacher to learn. A two-day training session is all that is needed.
• Interactive, Multimedia Computer Courseware: Based on the Discover Intensive Phonics for Yourself method, this engaging software follows classroom instruction exactly. Providing optimal reinforcement and explicit instruction and practice of concepts taught in the classroom. Friendly, encouraging female voices present each lesson. Students use the computer mouse, keyboard, and paper/pencil to interact and practice concepts. Provides immediate, corrective feedback. Highlights include:
  • Assessments for reading grade level, knowledge of high frequency words, and a nonsense word assessment that correlates with DIBELS phonologic assessments.
  • A separate phonologic section with both lessons and assessments dealing with rhyme; identification of syllables; recognition of initial, final, and medial phonemes; and identification of phoneme number.
  • Seventy-five colorful, interactive lessons that guide students from an absolute-zero level of ability through decoding of multi-syllabic words.
  • Completely correlated with the Teacher’s Manual.
  • Practice sessions following each lesson.
  • Nine lessons teaching high-frequency words.
  • Twenty-eight fully illustrated stories.
  • Fun with Phonics activities to reward progress and reinforce concepts in an engaging way.
  • Complete Administration system, providing reports, progress assessments, and interim testing. Automatically generated prescriptions specify lessons that need review.
  • Special helps for ESL, including the capability of recording a student’s voice pronouncing sounds/words and comparing their voice with that of the narrator's.
  • Sound effects throughout help keep children’s attention focused. Because the computer is infinitely patient and intrinsically motivating, children with special needs can be more easily and effectively mainstreamed back into the classroom.
  • Software can be used independently or correlated with classroom instruction.
• Direct Instruction Combined with Interactive Courseware: Multi-sensory classroom or small group instruction at the blackboard combined with independent work on the computer for reinforcement and reward provides a mix that ensures success.

Engaging, Hands-On Professional Development

Two days of explicit, hands-on instruction in the Discover Intensive Phonics approach provides for teachers the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively teach this superb phonics system. Teachers are trained in:

• Direct instruction techniques.
• Multi-sensory involvement.
• Structural analysis and use of the unique marking system used to identify word patterns.
• Making positive corrections.
• Handling exceptions.
• Use of games and activities to strengthen understanding.
• Use of charts, posters, flipcharts, Word Builder exercises, controlled vocabulary readers, and assessment materials.
• Administration and management of computer courseware, where applicable.

Three to five months following the initial Intensive Phonics workshop, an additional day of training allows teachers to analyze any problems, share successes, and ask questions that have arisen during the teaching process. Skills from the initial training are reviewed, and higher, more complex phonetic skills (usually taught in second grade and beyond) are taught. Discover Intensive Phonics provides a Teacher Certification program.