Call to implement phonics teaching

By Alphonse Porau
The government has to be serious to implement the phonics teaching method when it is talking about literacy, PNG Education Advocacy Network board chairman Mesia Novau says.
Novau said there were two teaching methods, the language method which is a look and say method and the phonics method which teaches sounds and symbols.
But the phonics method helps children improve their reading skills, analytical thinking and logical reasoning.
“Whole language method teaches words only,  they short cut in whole language method to teach the look-say method, the picture and a word, whereas in phonics sounds and symbols are taught,” Novau said.
“We can’t just impose something without testing.”
He said in the last six to eight years, we tested the whole thing out just to make sure our assumptions are correct, and phonics teaching method of language is working very well.
“It helps children to think analytically, they analyse the sounds, the symbols of the sounds or the alphabet letters that represent the sounds and how they fit together in forming words.
“In that way, the thinking skills are there where they analyse and assess what is real and what is not real.”
Novau said in an alphabet, letters were fixed absolute, but the sounds differed as they appeared in words.
“You can play around with words and create words by building the sound though they are not real words, but at least the children listen to the sounds and at the same time it helps them to think logically and helps them learn faster.”