Visual display has an extremely important role to play in teaching and learning - particularly the teaching of reading and spelling.
I have not yet seen any class, or school, where the full potential of visual display for phonics teaching has been fully exploited.
That doesn't mean that huge efforts have not been made - in many cases they have - certainly by individual teachers.
Many of us are familiar by now with the notion of posters or friezes of alphabet letters or alphabetic code in Reception and infant classes - but how many of these are now being produced which are attractive at the expense of being CLEAR?
In addition, are friezes and posters always used appropriately and systematically?
For example, why do I often see 'simple code' alphabetic code friezes in year two classes where the time for the children (in English-speaking countries) to have needed a visual mnemonic to learn the 'simple code' should have been complete in a Reception class - or perhaps a year one class for schools slow to start or for strugglers?
Where is the progression?
In a year two class, in general terms, the teacher is usually expecting the children to write independently. In England, the government actually expects the children to fulfil end of year two writing assessments where they have written in specific TEXT GENRES. In other words, these children are expected to be well past the stage of learning the basic letter/s-sound correspondences displayed on various commercial posters.
I might expect, in an ideal classroom, posters which show some organisation of The Alphabetic Code - the complexities of spelling alternatives for the 44 or so sounds and pronunciation alternatives for some common spellings.
So, I am suggesting that any teacher beyond Reception should be considering the helpfulness of visual display in terms of a more complete Alphabetic Code illustrating the relationships between the 44 sounds of speech and the spelling alternatives. Whilst I have seen some teachers adapt their commercial friezes by adding on some additional words with the same spellings - and/or using the same picture cue but adding on alternative spellings, is this the best organisation possible?
This is one reason why I have provided a variety of Alphabetic Code charts and posters. They are very useful as a whole school document, "This is the Alphabetic Code that we are accountable for teaching in our school". This is no small thing - and, in my opinion, a huge advance on what has gone on in most schools.
Such a chart can give clear direction to the teaching as well as provide a good visual aid for organising and understanding The Alphabetic Code for staff and students - and even for parents who are interested in the teaching and willing to work in partnership in at least some cases!
I have given a great deal of thought to the role mnemonic systems play in teaching letter/s-sound correspondences. I believe that there are definitely some systems that are better than others. Some commercial programme designers are totally opposed to any catchy mnemonic systems at all - on the basis that they are not really necessary and can also be a detraction or counter-productive to learning the letter/s-sound correspondence. It is important to show how these work in real words for reading and spelling - rather than just showing correspondences in isolation.
I think these worries are valid in at least some cases.
There may well be a role, however, for mnemonic systems which are memorable and catchy and fun for some children - and especially for some of our younger children.
The CAREFUL USE of a mnemonic system is an important teaching and learning issue to consider. If children learn quickly, do we need them? Or if they are helpful and fun HOW LONG DO WE GO ON FOCUSING ON THEM? Many times I have tested children's reading of text - and they can read - and then I test their letter/s-sound correspondences and they automatically think that they should be doing some actions or saying a keyword or character name. Why would 'reading' children still being showing signs of the original mnemonic system instead of simply saying the sound (phoneme) in response to seeing the letter/s?
Too many teachers hang on to mnemonic systems way longer than is necessary or helpful - and this is not always the fault of the original design - just the USE of the design. Some commercial programmes, however, lead the teachers to use the mnemonic catch forever and ever - making me think that the programme designers themselves aren't always entirely clear about the usefulness of the mnemonic system.
So, Phonics International has been designed not to overplay the notion of mnemonic systems on the one hand but colourful illustrations have been included in a broader sense as a stimulus for word work, for word associations and to enable vocabulary develpment which the individual teacher needs to enhance.
To an extent, the constant opportunity for the learners to draw their own pictures may act as a mnemonic system of sorts - and certainly this provides an incentive to engage with the work.
The online nature of Phonics International has enabled me to produce posters for every letter/s-sound correspondence introduced in the form of very plain, simple Mini Posters with cumulative words and occasional tricky words.
These posters do not need to be elaborate. The idea is that they are used to support the use of the Sounds Book activity sheets and that the teacher should have no more than a handful on display at any one time and that the older ones are taken down as new ones are displayed. There could be a 'rolling programme' of their use. This is the same with the Picture Posters which are currently available in units 1 to 6. Use them, refer to them and then take them down when new learning is introduced.
Ideally, every classroom teacher needs to identify a very prominent phonics display board at eye level where possible.
This could then be used for the Mini Posters and Picture Posters, perhaps just one or two Sounds Book activity sheets or Read the words, make up a story sheets which have been completed by the learners and which will encourage the learners to take pride in their drawings, reading and spelling - and, of course, a version of The Alphabetic Code overview charts.
I use the Say the Sounds posters in units 1 to 5 very frequently - both for individual assessment sheets and for sticking in the Sounds Books which go backwards and forwards to 'home' and as A3 posters around the classroom for casual use. Space permitting, you could put one of the most current ones up on your main display board. Include some tricky words posters which you introduce gradually - or as needed.
I am currently using several versions of The Alphabetic Code charts. I like to use the Giant black and white versions for specific groups of children where we colour in with the matching-coloured pencil crayon as we complete the Sounds Book activity sheets. The learners are able to see where they are heading, what they have completed - and the teachers are able to use the charts as constant points of reference whether for wider reading or spelling and writing actitivities.
Elsewhere in the school, we have the full colour version of The Giant Alphabetic Code overview chart. Teaching assistants keep the colour version of the chart with 'Teaching Points' in their regular-use file for ready reference. Then, for older pupils, they wanted their own 'Build the code' charts (A4x2) in their files so they could plot their individual progress. It just gives them a sense of satisfaction to have their own chart.
If phonics has to be week in and week out for a few years, surely the greater the understanding of The Alphabetic Code and what they are learning is the best way forward!
And what I would have given to have had such charts at the outset of my teaching career and at the outset of being a parent. Here I am - now a grandparent - and I am only enjoying their advantage at this late stage!
I see infant classes which look really fabulous with great art work and topic work and yet no clear 'work-in-progress' phonics displays. I am suggesting that we can really think about this much more than we do - and that being pretty and colourful is not the main purpose of visual display for this kind of teaching.
In any event, multi-SENSORY teaching and learning is by far the most effective teaching when this is undertaken with the maximum thought. Just as much as teachers need to provide quiet areas for phonics work to enable maximum hearing, learners also need to see mouth movements, facial expressions, be made aware that the volume in words is mainly provided by the VOWEL SOUNDS and then they need constant visual reminders of the UNITS OF SOUND (the letter/s-sound correspondences) and of exemplar words and unusual common words.
Simply displaying lists of words for children to blend both planned and through independent activities is also very helpful indeed.
Remember that you also need a poster of The Alphabet in addition to your Alphabetic Code charts and the correspondences you are introducing that week.
Your display will therefore include some permanent features and some of the 'rolling programme' variety - but it should be - dare I say it - an 'organic' thing - a living, breathing display which moves and changes and is part of the daily and weekly teaching and learning processes.
Don't be too 'precious' about it. Be quick at putting things up and taking them down. Write on the posters - whether paper based or laminated (dry-write pens).
If you are fortunate enough to have a display-sized magnetic whiteboard, take advantage and try to laminate and add sticky-backed magnetic tape to those resources you will need to return to over and again - or that make excellent independent activities and games for the learners.
Finally, because there is never enough display board for my teaching purposes, I have utilised some card concertina displays in the school where I work part-time. Blu-tac is the method of attaching the Alphabetic Code charts and bulldog clips are ideal for any of the daily posters etc. needed. Two groups have their own Alphabetic Code charts and we have the colour 'mini' version of the chart as a reference for the colours to colour-in the letter/s-sound correspondence sections.
Finally, I would like to mention 'home-use' of the Phonics International programme. It is just as helpful selecting some key resources to display at home as it is in school. There is plenty of material at A4 size - or less - which can be Blu-tacked on a wardrobe, or fridge or pinboard to act as a visual reminder. Little and often teaching and routines are the best possible way to address phonics teaching.
I hope that I have inspired you to audit your own visual displays - in your homes, in your classrooms and in your schools! This is not intended to take lots of additional time and effort - after all, I have produced the material - all you have to do is press the buttons!
