I have found that the most common success for students is segmented blending. Segmented blending is sounding out one letter at a time with a pause between each sound: blending until there is no pause between each sound.

But remember the best method for teaching phonics is the one that works for your student!

Another method for teaching phonics is Body -coda blending. This is the opposite of onset and rime. You begin with the body of the word (the beginning consonant along with the vowel) then finish with the coda (the ending vowel).

Find the method that works best for your students!

Zephaniah 2: 6 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

Shepherds have fences and boundaries for their flock. Graham Donovan tells us in his book Teaching Redemptively, about how the shepherds do not just put food in a container for the sheep to eat. Rather he leads them out to the pastures and lets them choose the best grass.

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Onset and rime describe the division of a syllable into two parts: the onset and the rime. The onset is the initial consonant sound, and the rime is the vowel and ending sound. Basically, you are reading rhyming words.

Faith Music Radio

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John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”

As a shepherd, teachers need to know their students, and students need to feel like they belong and can trust their teacher.

Hebrews 13:20 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep…”

We are always looking for ways to improve our classroom management.

We can improve our teaching skills simply by applying some shepherding techniques to classroom management. 

Eph 3:4 “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.” 

I often say the best curriculum to use is the one that works for your students. Curriculums are different because they use different methods for teaching. I talk about different methods for teaching phonics in this episode and will go into details in the next few episodes about why the methods work and what curriculums you can use for teaching those methods.

A book I want to recommend is by Chris Nikic. Chris is the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an ironman triathlon. His book 1% Better: Reaching My Full Potential and How You Can Too is about how he reached his goal by improving by 1% every day on his goals.

Our ultimate goal should be reaching students with the gospel of Christ through all our teaching- including our process and discipline methods.

Do you ever sing "I shall not be, I shall not be moved" when talking with other teachers about classroom policies and procedures? I have! But when my child's academic life was hanging in the balance, I was finally willing to listen, hear, and change what I had thought was the only right way. I was an 'I shall not be moved teacher.' It took a very personal trial for me to change. What will it take for you?