Phonic learning is the method used in schools across the UK to teach children how to read. It involves sounding out words and vowels and “blending” them to demonstrate how different groupings of letters sound together.
Developed in 1570 by John Hart, it became popular for use in education in the 20th century. It’s a tried and true technique, but how could it be made even more effective in the modern age of technology?
Using audio recordings can be a massive help when teaching. It gives teachers a handy tool to assist them in engaging with pupils, and can also be used at home by parents to continue their learning outside of school. There’s multiple methods of doing this, for example videos and music, but you could also use applications like Sound Branch to streamline learning.
Sound Branch is an audio-based social media app which allows its users to record 10 second long voice notes to share with others. With something like phonetics, it’s a great tool; teachers can record themselves saying words and noises and use that to help aid a child’s phonic education.
For example, consonant digraphs (two consonants which together make one sound) can be taught with ease on Sound Branch. Teachers can record themselves saying letter groupings like “ch” and “sh” and demonstrate using them in full words like “chat” and “shop”. Teachers could then let their students use the app to try and form full sentences using what they’ve learned.
It’s important to make sure kids are continuing their learning at home, and Sound Branch can be used anywhere. Parents can keep track of their kids’ progress, and teachers can leave them voice notes so they’re up-to-date and know how to help their children outside of school.
So, if you’re looking for an easy tool to use to teach your kids or pupils how to read, write and ability to identify sounds, have a look at Sound Branch.
