In "Understanding English Orthography," David Hornsby offers a comprehensive six chapter course on teaching phonics and spelling effectively.
In Chapter 1, he sets the stage by emphasising the interplay between morphology, etymology, and phonology in English spelling. Chapter 2 dives into teaching phonics in a meaningful context, rejecting fixed sequences and advocating for literature-based learning.
Chapter 3 explores the relationship between morphology, etymology, and phonology, stressing their role in decoding orthography. In Chapter 4, David delves into word families and spelling irregularities, demonstrating word investigation techniques.
Chapter 5 focuses on systematic phonics teaching within rich contexts, emphasising understanding morphemes and their pronunciation. Finally, Chapter 6 discusses assessing grapheme-phoneme correspondences in meaningful ways, advocating for continuous assessment integrated into teaching practices.
Throughout the course, Hornsby emphasises understanding the interconnectedness of morphemes, graphemes, and phonemes, and their role in literacy instruction. He provides practical examples, resources, and strategies for effective teaching, ultimately emphasising the importance of meaningful context, flexibility, and continuous assessment in literacy development.
Included:
- 6 chapters
- 6 printable resources
