ABC orientation is outmoded
Rethink and reset conventional priorities. Why? ABC-based products – per se – provide incomplete information.
Shown here, Nellie Edge’s program engages visual modality (ABCs), auditory modality (speech sounds), and kinesthetic modality (signing cues) to create optimal learning. Yet, since crucial speech sound-units are missing, 100% mastery of this chart cannot guarantee that the learner actually understands foundational literacy basics or how spoken language becomes text.
V01/a/ alligator
V02/i/ insect
V03/o/ octopus
V04/u/ umbrella
V05/e/ elephant
V06 ?
V07 ?
V08 ?
V09 ?
V10 ?
V11 ?
V12 ?
V13 ?
V14 ?
V15 ?
C16/p/ piano
C17/b/ bear
C18/t/ turtle
C19/d/ dog
C20/ch/ chicken
C21/j/ jump
C22/c/ cat; C22/k/ kangaroo
C22+C28/x/ x-ray (beginning sound V05)
C22+C36/qu/ queen
C23/g/ goat
C24/f/ fox
C25/v/ volcano
C26/th/ thread
C27 ?
C28/s/ sunshine
C29/z/ zebra
C30/sh/ sheep
C31 ?
C32/h/ hat
C32+C36/wh/ whale
C33/m/ monkey
C34/n/ nest
C35 ?
C36/w/ world
C37/l/ lion
C38/r/ rainbow
C39/y/ yo-yo
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See Microsoft Word ABC Phonics and other fonts on display at Pinterest, again missing much necessary SOUND-BASED information:
V01 ?
V02 ?
V03/o/ opera
V04 ?
V05/e/ elephant
V06/ai/ airplane
V07 ?
V08 ?
V09 ?
C39+V09/u/ unicorn
V10 ?
V11 ?
V12 ?
V13 ?
V14 ?
V15 ?
C16/p/ penguin
C17/b/ baby
C18/t/ turtle
C19/d/ dinosaur
C20 ?
C21/j/ jaguar
C22/c/ car; C22/k/ koala
C22+C36/qu/ quintet
C23/g/ gorilla
C24/f/ fountain
C25/v/ viking
C26 ?
C27 ?
C28/s/ sun
C29/z/ zoo; C29/x/ xylophone
C30 ?
C31 ?
C32/h/ hippopotamus
C33/m/ mom
C34/n/ nest
C35 ?
C36/w/ water
C37/l/ lion
C38/r/ robot
C39/y/ yo-yo
We would never buy an alphabet product if letters were missing. Why, then, are we willing to ignore all these speech sounds?
ABC orientation infiltrates all curriculum. For instance, ABRACADABRA < abralite.concordia.ca > is an acronym for “a balanced reading approach for all Canadians designed to achieve best results for all”. The general phonics program continuum could be modified away from ABCs as follows.
1st Level – Phonological sensitivity using words-to-be-read, including (a) Speech Sounds/intense [instead of Letter Sounds/intense], (b) Blending, (c) Segmenting
2nd Level – (a) Sound-spellings [instead of Sounding out/phoneme level], (b) Word Changing (ex. within/between)
3rd Level – Reading real words in text
