Super Phonics: a Mini Lesson

History of Reading in America Series: A Detour that includes Teddy Roosevelt

Hello beautiful humans! If you haven’t entered my giveaway yet, you still have time to win a signed copy of Jazmyne’s Big Emotions by Tom Tracy. You can enter it by replying to this email or commenting on this post.

Remember a million years ago (or February 26th to be more accurate) when I wrote about kids learning to read, my most-read post (am I blushing?) to date? Writing that post got me thinking about reading — how we learn it, how we teach it — which led to my History of Reading in America Series.

In this series, I have shared about:

• Primers used during the early settling of America

• Horace Mann and his fear of the alphabet (and educational reform)

• The memorable Dick and Jane books

• Rudolf Flesch and Johnny’s inability to read

• and Jeanne Chall’s reading research lab

AND I still have so many things I want to talk about! I don’t want to leave us back there in the 1960’s, no matter how groovy a time it was.

See? Super Groovy.

You can’t read or do research about “The Reading Wars” without reading a lot about phonics. Today is part mini-lesson, part history lesson, part phonetic fun. Is it ironic that phonics starts with that tricky little F sound made by the blend PH? Is it like rain…on your wedding day? Isn’t fonics phun?

So, what is phonics? Then standard definition is that phonics is the relationship between letters and the sounds they make. Doesn’t that sound SO simple? Today on my bike ride home from school we were talking about how head, said, and red all rhyme! (OMG even the word RHYME…phonetically, what in the ever-loving-what is happening with that word?) Logically, head, said, and red would all be spelled exactly the same except for the starting letter. Right? Just like sat/cat/mat/bat/hat. But, alas, like all relationships in life, the one between letters and their sounds is not easy either.

Recently I have become befuddled by the vowels. I know there are basic rules that exist for why Y sometimes says ‘yuh’ (yellow) and sometimes says ‘e’ (happy) and that there are probably ways to explain how to know if it is an A or a U or an O that is making that sort of nondescript guttural sound in the middle of whatever word we are attempting to spell, but it seems like an awful lot of memorization or tricks would be required to figure it all out.

Also, how does one explain s, c, k, and ck? Why would camel and kite start with a different letter? Or why does the I in like and lick have an identity crisis? And, for that matter, why do those two words end with an identical /k/ sound even though their endings are not the same?

One place I went for clarity was the Dictionary. Remember those? Before our phones and computers just automatically edited all the misspelled words for us, we had these big giant books that collected dust on our shelves and also contained every word in the English language. Then, right next to every word is that mysterious code word that looks like a mix of hieroglyphs, pen slips, and mirror tricks. That is the word in IPA, which stands for the International Phonetic Alphabet (not India Pale Ale, though they are all the rage, and maybe now I am craving one and they also make more sense than the phonetic alphabet). PHONICS!

ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē 

Alas, asking kids (or anyone, let us be honest) to read the IPA version of the word does not make reading or spelling any easier. Instead, it is like asking someone to read an unfamiliar language. One would have to decode IPA to decode English. Anyway, if learning how to decode the IPA sounds like your idea of an afternoon romp in the park you can study this chart on dictionary.com. If you need me, you know where to find me.

Despite all the confusion, I have, miraculously in my 40 years of existence, learned how to spell a lot of words. For example, I correctly spelled miraculously…twice! And then there are the words that I will never know how to spell. Conscious? Forget about it. Rhythm? Always gives me pause. (You see what I did there). Definitely? I can only remember how to spell that one by thinking “it has the word finite in it.” Hey, whatever works, you know?

I nannied for a brilliant child who would confidently sound out any word he wanted to write with such determination and patience. We would get to the end of any word and he would look up at me with dread brimming in his eyes to ask his most serious question: “And then…silent E?” He could not fathom (nor could I) why it would end up at the end of so many words, a stealth little sabotaging spy. Just stick it on the end of everything, he figured.

Learning to read is hard. Explaining how to read is hard. Learning to spell is nearly impossible! I mean, if my phone didn’t automatically guess where I was going (or trying to go) how else would I figure out how to spell tchotchkes?

Y’all, when you are feeling at a loss trying to parse out the minutia of the English language, TAKE HEART. We aren’t the only ones trying to spell minutia and thinking WTF?!?

Enter beloved Teddy Roosevelt, who, in 1906 went to war again, this time not with the Rough Riders against Spain, but alongside steel baron Andrew Carnegie against English language spelling. I kid you not. In 1906, President Roosevelt decreed (to the Government printer, thus bypassing Congress and any votes on the matter) that all correspondence coming from the White House would use an alternate spelling of 300 English words approved by the Simplified Spelling Board.

Smoke’em Teddy

The Simplified Spelling Board, founded by Andrew Carnegie, argued that with easier spelling the English language would have a greater chance of becoming THE global language of the future, and we all know how US Presidents feel about becoming global leaders. They like the idea. A lot. Supporters of simplified spelling believed it would make teaching easier (amen to that), and had the potential to cut down on printing costs (get rid of all those pesky silent e’s and you have way fewer letters to print). Mark Twain even made a speech where he argued that difficult traditional spelling was holding immigrants back from being productive members of American society.

It was a measly 300 words that Roosevelt proposed be spelled differently. Change through to thru, dropped to dropt, that sort of thing. No. Big. Deal. Right? What seemed like a minuscule shift to make spelling easier for everyone turned out to be quite upsetting to, well, everyone. Apparently, we all just wanted to kvetch about spelling, not offer a solution for it.

Did you know Shakespeare is credited with creating around 1,700 words in the English language?! And we celebrate him for it.

England had a heyday mocking “Ruzvelt” for his asinine idea. The Supreme Court got involved when a judge noticed a simplified spelling word on a court order and was offended. Congress took it to a vote where it lost with a whopping 142 to 25.

I bet ol’ Teddy would have been THRILLED with the shorthand and alternate (or should I say alt) spelling (or should I say sp) that has come about via texting. Can I name some of my favs (short for favorites)? idk, tbh I like so many of them! lol. r we evolving language thru txt tho? TBD.

If you want to learn more about Teddy’s war on words, this wonderful and hilarious article was the source of all my historical information for today’s newsletter.

What are some of your favorite “new” spellings? What are some words that you will never be able to spell confidently (confidently was autocorrected, thanks so much)?

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LIT TIP

Phonological Awareness is one of the earliest ways to get kids primed for reading. And this time, it is actually easier than it sounds! Phonological awareness is all about playing games that help kids HEAR the sounds of words.

• Syllables. Use rhythm instruments or clapping to count syllables in words.

• Rhyming. Point out words that rhyme when you are reading or chatting. When you are reading a book or singing a song that has a rhyming schema, let your child guess the last word of the stanza. You will be surprised how quickly they pick up that finding a rhyming word is the key.

• Alliteration. Start seeking similar sounds. Such a satisfying soiree, see?

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FROM THE STAX

COLOR DANCE by Ann Jonas

An illustrated dance troupe performs a gorgeous scarf dance that teaches children about color creation. The watercolor illustrations in this book are so beautiful you will be pulling your own art supplies out and mixing colors in no time. Then you can have a dance party with scarves while you wait for your paintings to dry.

My tiny ballerina loves to mimic the moves she sees on the pages, and my son loves that the colors are on the spectrum and introduce hues like aquamarine and marigold.

EVERY DOG IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Philip C Stead Illustrated by Matthew Cordell

Louis really wants a dog, but his grandmother says there are enough in the neighborhood already, plus she is busy with a problem of her own. When he wants to verify if this is true, and the city doesn’t keep track of the numbers, it is up to Louis to determine the answer. So, Lois (and his Grandmother if you pay attention to the subplot) take matters into his own hands.

With both grandmother and grandson out on their missions, this book strikes a sweet balance of care and encouragement, with a light hint of activism. The story gently encourages kids to follow their curiosity, ask questions, and get involved in seeking solutions. It holds a message for young and old, that sometimes you have to create the change you want to see happen.

AND THEN COMES HALLOWEEN by Tom Brenner Illustrated by Holly Meade

When the weather starts to get cold, when the geese fly south, when the leaves change colors on the trees, then it is time to start decorating, creating, and getting ready for Halloween!

Fall is officially here and even though it is still warm enough to be swimming every day, the skellies, ghosts, and witches are popping up in our neighborhood. We love Halloween. The papercut art in this book and the DIY costume creation will have you feeling ready for fall decorations and trick or treating.

ACE DRAGON LTD. by Russell Hoban & Quentin Blake

John is walking down the street when he notices a peculiar manhole cover and stops to inquire after its occupant. From there, a rolicking story of friendship and adventure endures in a way that is perfectly captured by the iconic Quentin Blake. Nothing makes me feel more in touch with my childhood than his illustrations.

I love when a book takes an ordinary occurrence and imagines the extraordinary. It makes for a more magical world where every little nook and cranny you may encounter has the potential for a full-on imagination adventure.

THE HOUSE WITH 100 STORIES by Toshio Iwai

*This book was gifted to me by Holiday House, all thoughts and opinions are my own*

When Tochi receives a mysterious invitation to the tall tower, he has to go and see who he might meet. Traveling to the 100th story, he passes through a vertical maze of the tower’s residents, with each ten floors occupied by a different “family”, before reaching the host on the 100th floor.

With each page spread housing a new family for ten floors, this book is an engaging visual exploration. There is so much to discover on each page, including the numbers 1-100! It reminds me of a search-and-find book, but with what you are searching as open-ended as your imagination.

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I named this post “Super Phonics” because I was txting w a BFF (sry, can’t help myself rn) and somehow we got on topics of things we used to collect. I used to collect pins. It started when my dad would travel around the world and bring us back presents. I somehow became the pin collector. My sister? keychains. My brother? I have no earthly idea, he was older and a boy and always telling us what to do so we did that classic sibling ganging up against him thing. Poor brother. Luv u 4ever.

Getting sidetracked, Super Phonics is my nod to my pin-collecting days, which I listed as a “hobby” in my school memories book for the 8th grade, so now you have a general idea of what junior high was like for me. But also, a nod to the greatest basketball team of all time, the Seattle Super Sonics. RIP. Never 4get. IYKYK.

Yes, I still have my pin collection.

What did you collect as a child? What do you collect now? Should we start collecting a list of all the words that are too hard to explain how to spell?

Thanks for being here! Share me with a friend, give me a little heart, and chat with me below. See you later this week as I attempt to get back to my regular publication schedule and happy reading y’all.