Materials for Educators
A Review of:
Phonics and Vocabulary Building
Module #1
A Videotaped Workshop
In a lively, engaging and fun videotaped workshop, Augusta Mann presents ten original instructional strategies and approaches—two for vocabulary and eight for phonics. She demonstrates practical, results-oriented approaches to accelerating the mastery of reading skills for students who must catch up before they can move forward.
The package of materials includes a videotaped workshop, a teaching guidebook, and two phonics posters. The guidebook serves as a comprehensive resource for classroom implementation of the original instructional strategies presented on the video. The 102-page guidebook provides summaries of each strategy, discussion questions for group viewing of the videotape, step-by-step teaching guides, tips for classroom implementation, scenes from successful classrooms, and an appendix of word lists and other reference material.
The video and guidebook introduce a unique and interesting framework, “Touching the Spirit” for incorporating culture in education.
The program includes two full color posters: The Consonant Sound Recitation Chart (20” X 30”) and the Highly Recurring Phonic Elements Chart (28” X 40”). These are essential resources for successful classroom implementation.
The materials are easily adaptable and are being used in professional development programs and by individual teachers in pre-schools, elementary, secondary, and community adult literacy classes.
The Instructional Strategies Presented are:
Dancing Definitions
Uses rhythm and recitation to enliven the study and quick memorization of hundreds of word meanings.
Language Development Recitation
These recitations give young students, starting in preschool, practice using clear and concise language when defining familiar words.
Letter Name Recognition
Low achieving youngsters learn the names of alphabet letters in a short period of time.
Consonant Sound Recitation
Students quickly learn six consonant sounds through the rhythmic recitation of a set of four picture words for each sound.
Highly Recurring Phonic Elements
Organizes the teaching and application of a set of high frequency phonic patterns utilizing an eye-catching reference chart.
Street Phonics
Relates academic achievement to real life and enhances decoding skills through the practice of reading environment print—store signs, menus, billboards, and the like.
Phonic Pattern Hopscotch
Provides an invigorating process for decoding words using the Highly Recurring Phonic Elements.
1,000 Most Common Words
Teaches a list of 1,000-high frequency words, building a strong foundation for the analysis and decoding of thousands of other words.
Flash Cards for Mastery
The goal of the flash card drill is mastery. With the use of flash cards, the words that have been analyzed and taught and practiced on the chalkboard become sight words.
Phonic Pattern Word Lists
These lists are words with the same common Highly Recurring Phonic Elements.
Phonics and Vocabulary Building Guidebook References
What Teachers Say About the Materials:
In researching information for this review we read a sampling of feedback forms from participants of Augusta Mann’s workshops. They add important practitioners’ viewpoints to this materials review.
L. Roome, Kindergarten, First Grade
Indianapolis, IN
I have used Augusta Mann’s reading program with first grade the past two years. My first graders became very successful readers. I am using her program with my kindergarten class this year and I have many successful readers, many children that are very proficient at sounding out words, and many amazed and thrilled parents.
Jackie Cole, Special Education
Indianapolis, IN
A special education student at another school in the district was introduced to the Augusta Mann reading program in first grade. She continued to use the program with her second grade teacher. Her success was great and she has tested out of special education. We feel that the consistency of using this program from year to year has improved her reading ability and was one of the keys to her success.
P. Love, First Grade
Indianapolis, IN
This is my first year teaching. I am a first grade teacher. Throughout the beginning of the year I noticed some of my students struggling with letter sounds. I even had one student who came in and did not even know the alphabet or recognize letters. I made slow progress with these “low” students working with them individually and using the phonic program I was provided with. After a teacher gave me Augusta’s Mann’s video and attending her workshops in NUA, I took what I learned and used them in my classroom. Phonic Pattern hopscotch and intensified reading, the Highly Recurring Phonics chart, flashcards for mastery, and all her other tips to help children succeed and read at a faster rate did wonders. Now I have no possible detainee’s. I have 9 students that can read at a 2nd. Or 3rd. grade level. My students who were on the edge of reading (knew sounds, but couldn’t read) are now reading independently. It did wonders and it made me have a very impressive first year.
R. Phifer, First and Second Grades
Indianapolis, IN
Augusta, I would like to thank you for your accelerated phonics. I have used your chart in first grade and second grade with my lowest students and detainees.
I’ve had a lot of success in reading and writing. All of my children in reading will go to the chart to figure out unfamiliar words. I have the chart in the front of my classroom all year.
The idea of moving from one grade to another used to scare me. Now, I don’t worry because I have my bags of NUA strategies to accompany me. Smile…
B. Brown, Kindergarten
Indianapolis, IN
Your methods are awesome. I have gone to a lot of workshops, but what they are presenting doesn’t apply to our children. You have a handle on what children in our school need. My kindergarteners learned the alphabet quickly using the method that you demonstrated. Your methods work for my students.
T. Bluiett, Third Grade
Indianapolis, IN
I have tried many of Ms. Mann’s activities. I love how, over time, all these practices fit together to produce an enormously successful platform for my curriculum. Over the past three years I have grown as a professional. But better still, my students are having the reading success that had been so elusive to them.
More information on ordering the guidebook, video and posters.
Phonics and Vocabulary Building Guidebook References.
