Expert seeks deployment of phonics methodology in teaching

Deployment of phonics methodology in teaching process has the capacity to improve reading and learning skills among Nigerian children, so says the Training Director, Coreskills Developmental Services, Mrs. Toyin Sam-Emehelu.

Phonics is a method for teaching reading and writing of the English language by developing learners’ phonemic awareness—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes—in order to teach the correspondence between these sounds and the spelling patterns (graphemes) that represent them.

Sam-Emehelu gave the charge during the yearly “Phonics Training,” organised for educationists in Lagos State. The module 1 & 2 training according to the organisers, offers hands-on skills on easy and time-proven ways of deploying phonics.

According to Sam-Emehelu, a certified phonics trainer, phonics skills are critical for developing good foundation in reading, social interaction and positive self-esteem.

She said it was in realisation of this fact, that the firm remains committed to, through the yearly training, help schools simplify phonics deployment in daily teaching and learning.

She said, “Phonics is a teaching model that makes it easy for children to learn, read and write English language. Because English language is the foundation of communication even in all areas of learning, that makes it a very critical skill children need to imbibe in schools.

“Phonics, if well deployed would become a selling point for schools as kids can perfectly read and write following this model from before age five. Some children with high intelligent quotient can do far earlier, say way before their fourth birthday.

What we teach, she continued, “Combines a mix of education and Jolly Phonics and a little bit of Maria Montessori teaching model. Having a knowledge of all the models, we created a blend that we believe is a little more stimulation than any of the stand-alone models.”

Coreskills she further stated, has organised more than 40 trainings/seminars in over 40 months. These include in-house (bespoke) training for schools and other educational stakeholders.