A Fresh Look at Phonics, Grades K-2: Common Causes of Failure and 7 Ingredients for Success(Corwin Literacy)

"In most instances, there isn’t one main cause of a systematic breakdown in phonics instruction. Rather, a combination of causes can create a perfect storm of failure."  —Wiley Blevins Picture a class of kindergarteners singing the alphabet song, and teaching phonics  seems as easy as one-two, three, A, B, C, right? In a Fresh Look at Phonics, Wiley Blevins explains why it can get tricky, and then delivers a plan so geared for success, that teachers, coaches, and administrators will come to see owning this book as a before and after moment in their professional lives.  In this amazing follow up to his renowned resource Phonics From A-Z, Wiley uses the data he has collected over two decades to share which approaches truly work, which have failed, and how teachers can fine-tune their daily instruction for success.  You will learn to focus on the seven critical ingredients of phonics teaching that produce the greatest student learning gains— readiness skills, scope and sequence, blending, dictation, word awareness, high frequency words, and reading connected texts. Then, for each ingredient, Wiley shares:   Activities, routines, word lists, and lessons that develop solid foundations for reading Ideas for differentiation, ELL, and advanced learners to ensure adequate progress for all learners Help on decodable texts, what not to over-do, and what you can’t do enough of for your students’ achievement Interactive "Day Clinic" activities that facilitate teacher self-reflection and school wide professional learning In a final section, Wiley details the ten common reasons instruction fails and shows teachers how to correct these missteps regarding lesson pacing, transitions, decodable texts, writing activities, assessment and more. A Fresh Look at Phonics is the evidence-based solution you have been seeking.  Wiley Blevins, Ph.D., is a world-renowned expert on early reading, and author of the seminal book Phonics From A-Z among many other works. He has taught in both the United States and South America, and regularly trains teachers throughout Asia. He holds a Doctorate in Education from Harvard University, and has worked with numerous educational scholars, including Jeanne Chall, Isabel Beck, Marilyn Adams, Louisa Moats, and Dianne August, and others. 

Table of Contents:
Section 1: The Key Ingredients for Phonics Success Success Ingredient 1: Readiness Skills Background and Key Characteristics Best Practices and Look-Fors for Success Common Instructional Pitfalls Day Clinic: Examine Your Practices Next Steps to Leap Forward Success Ingredient 2: Scope and Sequence Background and Key Characteristics Best Practices and Look-Fors for Success Common Instructional Pitfalls Day Clinic: Examine Your Practices Next Steps to Leap Forward Success Ingredient 3: Blending Background and Key Characteristics Best Practices and Look-Fors for Success Common Instructional Pitfalls Day Clinic: Examine Your Practices Next Steps to Leap Forward Success Ingredient 4: Dictation Background and Key Characteristics Best Practices and Look-Fors for Success Common Instructional Pitfalls Day Clinic: Examine Your Practices Next Steps to Leap Forward Success Ingredient 5: Word Awareness Activities (Word Building and Word Sorts) Background and Key Characteristics Best Practices and Look-Fors for Success Common Instructional Pitfalls Day Clinic: Examine Your Practices Next Steps to Leap Forward Success Ingredient 6: High-Frequency Words Background and Key Characteristics Best Practices and Look-Fors for Success Common Instructional Pitfalls Day Clinic: Examine Your Practices Next Steps to Leap Forward Success Ingredient 7: Reading Connected Text Background and Key Characteristics Best Practices and Look-Fors for Success Common Instructional Pitfalls Day Clinic: Examine Your Practices Next Steps to Leap Forward Plus One More Essential Success Ingredient: You! Section 2: 10 Common Causes of Phonics Instruction Failure Introduction Reason 1: Inadequate or Nonexistent Review and Repetition The Problem How to Fix It Reason 2: Lack of Application to Real Reading and Writing Experiences The Problem How to Fix It Reason 3: Inappropriate Reading Materials to Practice Skills The Problem How to Fix It Reason 4: Ineffective Use of the Gradual Release Model The Problem How to Fix It Reason 5: Too Much Time Lost During Transitions The Problem How to Fix It Reason 6: Limited Teacher Knowledge of Research-Based Phonics Routines and Linguistics The Problem How to Fix It Reason 7: Inappropriate Pacing of Lessons The Problem How to Fix It Reason 8: No Comprehensive or Cumulative Mastery Assessment Tools The Problem How to Fix It Reason 9: Transitioning to Multisyllabic Words Too Late The Problem How to Fix It Reason 10: Overdoing It (Especially Isolated Skill Work) The Problem How to Fix It Closing Thoughts References

About the Author :
Wiley Blevins, Ed.D., studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Bowling Green State University. He is an author, educational consultant, and researcher, and has taught both in the United States and South America. Wiley has written over 17 books for teachers, including A Fresh Look at Phonics, Phonics From A to Z, Differentiating Phonics Instruction for Maximum Impact, and Choosing and Using Decodable Texts. He has authored several phonics and reading programs and wrote the phonics brief by the International Literacy Association (Meeting the Challenges of Early Literacy Phonics Instruction). Wiley′s current focus is on adaptive technology, differentiated professional development, and children′s literature. Wiley has written over 100 children′s books and is SVP and Associate Publisher at Reycraft Books, a new imprint focused on publishing books by authors and illustrators from under-represented groups.

Review :
"When Wiley Blevins wrote his first book on teaching phonics 20 years ago I thought that it was one of the most practical approaches to teaching this foundational reading competency.  It may seem like a cliché, but Wiley has outdone himself with this book!.  In A Fresh Look at Phonics he provides teachers and others interested in effective phonics instruction with a comprehensive and practical guide to making phonics instruction work for all students, all year. Just as the title promises, Wiley provides us with a truly fresh way of thinking about how phonics plays out in classrooms." "Wiley combines the latest research and his own years of trusted know-how to provide educators with a timely trove of high impact tools they can readily use to deliver world-class phonics instruction. A Fresh Look at Phonics is sure to be another must-have, well-worn classic." "I devoured this book!  Who would have thought that a book on phonics would be a page-turner? It’s quick, practical, and teacher friendly and yet comprehensive enough to be a refresher course for experienced teachers and the needed foundation for teachers new to teaching beginning readers.  I can’t wait to share this with teachers with whom I work in professional development—they are going to love the clear links to reading, writing, and spelling. My favorite feature? The broad scope and sequence that pairs with guided reading instruction and provides links back to phonics lessons." "Wiley Blevins’ fresh take on phonics is a must-read for anyone looking to improve phonics instruction. He boils phonics down into critical ingredients and supports teachers in the ever-important process of reflection. The book gives professional learning communities the tools needed to turn common instructional failures into effective, timeless practices."