On the subject of phonics... Carol over at Carol's storybook shares her thoughts on the need for structured phonics lessons early in life.

The more I learn about unschooling and homeschooling, and of course public schooling, the more convinced I am that many children are simply lacking a strong foundation in phonics. No wonder the children can�t read until they are 8, 10, or even 12! I really believe that children should not be deprived of the joy of reading, especially when they are young. I understand the concerns related to readiness skills and developmental issues, but in general, I think we shouldn�t underestimate the minds of young children. Rather, we should provide them with attention and encouragement, and in addition to reading aloud to them, a concentrated phonics-based program may be appropriate to equip them with the reading skills they deserve.

She advocates the use of Abeka phonics program. Anyone have any other phonics ideas to share? We have primarily used Phonics Pathways and our letter of the week philosophy (we focus on the sound of one letter for that week in all we do - example can be seen here. Would love you to share other comments and ideas.

Peace,
Tenn