Now after extensive reading about Phonics Instruction, I realize that we have to debunk the fallacies of it so that no more misconception and injustice will fall upon our students. First of all, phonics instruction is worthless until kids know the names of the letters and the sounds they represent.(Freeman,pg 131) and there are 166 rules and 45 exceptionalities related to the rules of English. This fact itself is overwhelming not to students but to teachers as well! Even I do not know in depth all of the rules.
Let’s say the kids we are teaching know all of the rules and exceptions, but still it will be a problem because they won’t be able to pronounce the individual letters unless they already see the whole word(pg.135). This is worst if they come from different regions. For example, we can compare [interesting], if we transcript this word, they would be two possible (maybe more) pronunciations which are : /in??resti?/ or /int?resti?/. The question is how do they know either to pronounce /t/ or /?/ or how to stress or not to stress and where should they put stress in this word.
Thirdly, Eye Movement Research proves that Phonic Instruction is baloney. We don’t read individual letters but we read the whole word. That is how our brains read texts and look for meaning. This notion is supported by study from Cambridge where we can read fine if I “wrt my nxt txt in ths” manner by using short forms as students always send sms(short message system)/texting to their friends.
Lastly, our subconscious tell us that we pronounce /s/ for /pleks/ and /z/ for /plems/(pg.139). We do that without knowing the rule of pronunciation of s at the end of these words.
As for today, I have been reading a book entitled “ A Whole New Mind” by Daniel H. Pink. This book tries to tell us about the shifting and the importance of the right brain over the left brain as the next new trend for futures. According to the author, he said, left brain does not have weight-age compared to right brain as it is replaceable with computers and super chips. In relation to our discussion, it says, the left hemisphere specializes in text; however the right hemisphere specializes in context. Understanding comes from context, to reach for the meaning, not from individual and technical stuff. This notion itself , in my understanding someway somehow support the sociopsycholinguistic points of views.