A new phonics check is about to be implemented in Australian schools, to identify children who may be in need of literacy intervention.

But a phonics check is only useful if there is intervention following the testing that remedies the problem!

What do you know about phonics? Phonics is the association between spelling choices (graphemes) and speech sounds (phonemes). So, in the word ‘cat’, the ‘c’ makes a /k/ sound. Similarly, in the word ‘chef’, the ‘ch’ grapheme (spelling choice) makes a ‘sh’ speech sound (phoneme) but in the word ‘chair’, the ‘ch’ spelling choice (grapheme) makes a traditional ‘ch’ speech sound (phoneme), written as /tʃ/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet.

BUT in the word ‘station’, the ‘ti’ digraph makes a ‘sh’ speech sound as well.  Letters only make sounds when they are in a word. In the alphabet, they are just letters without sounds.

English spelling is crazy. And that is why it can be difficult for some children to grasp.

The evidence, however, is definitely clear. Teaching explicit systematic phonics works. That’s what we want from this phonics check. The subsequent implementation of evidenced-based phonics teaching to improve literacy skills.

Check out this link at the conversation.com for more info.

Our speech pathology and psychology clinic is located in Braddon, ACT, in Canberra’s CBD. Call us on 5117 4890 or email reception@inpositivehealth.com to get in touch.

In Positive Health, Canberra. Nel MacBean Speech Pathologist Canberra. Campbell MacBean Psychologist Canberra.

Did you know Speech Pathology Australia has a number of Fact Sheets to provide members of the public with information about communication and swallowing disorders?

They can be accessed here on the SPA website.

Fact Sheets include information on:

• Tongue tie
• Communication Milestones
• What is a Speech Pathologist?
• Communication Impairment in Australia
• Communication Milestones Kit
• Stuttering
• Swallowing
• AAC – Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Helping your baby talk
• The Sounds of Speech 0 – 3 years
• The Sounds of Speech: Preschool & School-age
• Speech Pathology and Indigenous Children
• Raising Bilingual Children
• Speech Pathology in Mental Health
• Mental Health Infographic
• Communication and Swallowing Difficulties following Stroke
• Speech Pathologists Working with Older People
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Literacy
• Voice
• Speech Pathology in Justice

Of course, if you’d like any further information, just ask us – we are only too happy to talk, clarify, provide information in more detail or just listen. It’s nice to have a sounding board sometimes.

Our speech pathology and psychology clinic is located in Braddon, ACT, in Canberra’s CBD. Call us on 5117 4890 or email reception@inpositivehealth.com to get in touch.

In Positive Health, Canberra. Nel MacBean Speech Pathologist Canberra. Campbell MacBean Psychologist Canberra.