Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2226-6348

Theoretical Review of Phonics Instruction among EFL Beginner-level Readers in China

Min Jie Chen, Guo Jie Yin, Hock Seng Goh, Ruey Shing Soo, Raja Nor Safinas Raja Harun, Charanjit Kaur Swaran Singh, Wei Lun Wong

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v11-i2/13141

Open access

This article aims to conduct a theoretical review of phonics and its instruction among EFL beginners in China to provide an overall understanding of the basic concepts of phonics and phonics instruction, as well as the relevant theories. Based on previous literature, the findings indicated that phonics refers to the letter-sound relationship and that phonics instruction is the optimal teaching activity through which to implement phonics. Three major phonics instruction approaches can be identified, of which the synthetic phonics instruction approach might be the most appropriate for EFL beginners. In addition, to enhance the effects obtained from phonics instruction, beginners should be prepared with knowledge of the alphabet and phonemic awareness. Finally, certain relevant theories, such as behaviourism and constructivism, may provide the theoretical foundation for phonics and its instruction in EFL settings in China.

Adams, M. J. (1990). Beginning to read: Thinking and learning about print. MIT.
Aldhanhani, Z. R., & Abu-Ayyash, E. A. S. (2020). Theories and research on oral reading fluency: What is needed? Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 10(4), 379-388.
http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpld.1004.05
Amadi, E. A. (2019). Bottom-up theory and phonics instruction: Implications for beginning reading. European Journal of Applied Linguistics Studies, 1(2), 89-100. And phonics instruction: Implications for beginning reading. European Journal of Applied Linguistics Studies, 1(2), 89-100.
Armbruster, B. B., & Osborn, J. (2006). Put reading first: The research building blocks for teaching children to read (3rd ed.). The National Institute for Literacy.
https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf
Bald, J. (2007). Using phonics to teach reading and spelling. Sage Publication.
Bear, R. D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2020). Words their way (6th ed.). Pearson Education.
Blevins, W. (2017). Phonics from A to Z: A practical guide (3rd ed.). Scholastic.
Budiman, A. (2017). Behaviorism in foreign language teaching methodology. English Franca, 1(2), 101-114. http://dx.doi.org/10.29240/ef.v1i2.171

Chall, J. S. (1996). Stages of reading development. Harcourt
Chen, I. (2011). Behaviorism and developments in instructional design and technology. In S. Clarke, M. E. Jennex, A. Becker & A.V. Anttiroiko (Eds.), Instructional design: Concepts, Methodologies, tools and applications. Information Science Reference.
Clemens, N. H., Lai, M. H. C., Burke, M., & Wu, J.-Y. (2017). Interrelations of growth in letter naming and sound fluency in kindergarten and implications for subsequent reading fluency. School Psychology Review, 46(3), 272–287.
https://doi.org/10.17105/SPR-2017-0032.V46-3

Connelly, V., Johnston, R., & Thompson, B.G. (2001). The effect of phonics instruction on the reading comprehension of beginning readers. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 14(5-6), 423–457.
Davis, A. (2013). To read or not to read: Decoding synthetic phonics. Philosophical Perspectives on Education Policy, 2013(20), 1-38. https://doi.org/10.1111/2048-416X.2013.12000.x

Department of Education, Science and Training. (2005). Teaching reading: Report and recommendations.
https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=tll_misc

Donat, J. D. (2003). Reading their way: A balance of phonics and whole language. The Scarecrow Press.
Dow, R. S., & Baer, G. T. (2007). Self-paced phonics: A text for educators. Pearson.
Durkin, D. (1993). Teaching them to read. Allyn & Bacon.
Forstall, M. (2019). Bottom-Up theories of the reading process.
https://www.theclassroom.com/topdown-reading-model-theory-13028.html
Friedman, A. (2019). The top-down reading model theory.
https://www.theclassroom.com/topdown-reading-model-theory-13028.html
Gillon, G. T. (2017). Phonological awareness: From research to practice. Guilford. Press.
Goswami, U. (1986). Children’s use of analogy in learning to read: A developmental study. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 42(1), 73-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-0965(86)90016-0

Holmes, M. V. (2009). Bottom-up processing and reading comprehension in experienced adult readers. Journal of Research in Reading. 3(3), 309-326. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9817.2009.01396.x.

International Literacy Association. (2018). Explaining phonics instruction: An educator’s guide.
https://literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-explaining-phonics-instruction-an-educators-guide.pdf

International Literacy Association. (2019). Meeting the challenges of early literacy phonics instruction.
https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-meeting-challenges-early-literacy-phonics-instruction.pdf

International Literacy Association. (2020). The science of reading: Supports, critiques, and1questions.
Islam, M. H. (2015). Thorndike Theory and its application in learning. At-Ta’lim: Jurnal Pendidikan,1(1), 37-47.
https://ejournal,inzah.ac.id/index.php/attalim/article/view/166
Johnson, D. D., & Pearson, P. D. (1978). Teaching reading vocabulary. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Johnson, P. A. (2016). 10 Essential Instructional Elements for Students with Reading Difficulties: A Brain-Friendly Approach. Corwin Press.
Johnston, R., & Watson, J. (2007). Teaching synthetic phonics. Learning Matters Ltd.
Kaplan, D. E. (2018). Behaviorism in online teacher training. Psychology. 9(4), 570-577. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2018.94035

Kelly, A. C. (2016). Cracking the code: An effectiveness study (Master’s thesis). https://espace.curtin.edu.au/bitstream/handle/20.500.11937/615/246381_Kelly%202016.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=2

LaBerge, D., & Samuels, S. J. (1974). Toward a theory of automatic information processing. Cognitive Psychology, 6 (2), 293-332.
Lewis, M., & Ellis, S. (2006). Phonics practice, research and policy. Paul Chapman Publishing.
Long, Y. H. (2019). On the current situation and countermeasures of applying phonics to English teaching of rural middle schools-Take Jiujiang Middle School of Shuangliu District in Chengdu for example (Master thesis).
https://kns.cnki.net/KNS8/Detail?sfield=fn&QueryID=25&CurRec=6&DbCode=CMFD&dbname=CMFD202001&filename=1020015165.nh
Lyon, A., & Moore, P. (2003). Sound system: Explicit, systematic phonics in early literacy contexts. Stephen House Publisher.
Macy, S., & Lambert, C. M. (2011). Phonics. In S. Goldstein & J. A. Naglieri (Eds.), Encyclopedia of child behavior and development (pp.1089-1090). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2143

McConnell, C., Conrad, B., & Uhrmacher, P.B. (2020). Lesson planning with purpose: Five approaches to curriculum design. Teachers College Press.
Machin, S. McNally, S. and Viarengo, M. (2017). Changing how literacy is taught: evidence on synthetic phonics. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 10(2), 217-241.
http://doi.org/10/1257/pol.20160514
Mason, L. H. (2010). Literacy instruction for students with special needs. In P. Peterson, E. Baker & B. McGaw (Eds.). International encyclopedia of education (3rd ed., pp.759-766). Elsevier.
Ministry of Education. (2011). English curriculum for compulsory education. Beijing Normal University Publishing Group.
Morton, R. J. (2011). Phonological awareness and reading ability in children. Research Papers. Paper 94. http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/gs_rp/94

NSW Department of Education and Training Learning and Development. (2009). Literacy teaching guide: Phonics.
https://newcastleearlycareerteachers.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/guide_phonics.pdf

National Reading Panel. (2000). Report of the national reading panel: Teaching children to read. (U.S.). https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf

Nunn, S., Quach, R. S., Schaefer, V., & Jonas, D. (2019). Evidence-based practices for teaching phonological and phonemic awareness. Regional Education Laboratory.
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/appalachia/blogs/pdf/CoachingMemo_508.pdf
Pan, Y. (2011). Characteristics of Mandarin-Speaking students’ English phonological awareness development and its correlation with reading (Doctoral dissertation).
https://kns.cnki.net/KNS8/Detail?sfield=fn&QueryID=5&CurRec=1&DbCode=CDFD&dbname=CDFD1214&filename=1012292911.nh
Parker, S. (2019). Synthetic phonics: What it is and what it is not. Bulletin Learning Difficulties Australia, 51(2&3).17-20.
https://www.ldaustralia.org/Parker%20on%20Synthetic%20Phonics,%20LDA%20Bulletin,%20Vol%2051,%20Nos%202%20and%203,%20Summer%202019.pdf

Pearson, P. D., & Kamil, M. L. (1979). Basic process and instructional practices in teaching reading. New York University Education Quarterly. 10(2), 9-16.
Price, M. S. (2015). The teaching of explicit phonics effects on kindergarten reading readiness scores (Doctoral dissertation).
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/58826224.pdf
Redondo, M. (1997). Reading Models in Foreign Language Teaching. Revista Alicantina de Estudios Inglese,10 (1997), 139-161.
https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/6000/1/RAEI_10_11.pdf
Ren, L. (2020), Discuss the importance of phonetic teaching in primary school English teaching. Little Learner Magazine, 3(2), 94-94.
Robinson, J. M. (2018). Evaluation of teaching methods to improve reading performance of English language learners. Advancement of Educational Research International. 12(1), 25-33. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1209451

Sarker, M. F. (2019). Zone of Proximal Development. International Journal of Advancements in Research & Technology, 8 (1), 27-47.
Schunk, D. H. (2020). Learning theories: An educational perspective (8th ed.). Pearson.
Sivakumar, P., & Dihanaraj, P. P. (2017). Theories of learning and its educational implications.https://tntess.blogspot.com/2017/02/theories-of-learning-and-its.html

Smith, T. (2014). Methods and modes of learning. Salem Press Inc.
Stuart, M. (1995). Recognizing printed words unlocks the door to reading: How do children find the key? In E. Funnell & M. Stuart (Eds.), Learning to Read: Psychology in the Classroom. Blackwell.
Taylor, B. J., Branscombe, A. N., Burcham, G. J., Lan, L., Armstrong, S., Carr, A., & Martin, A. (2011), Beyond early literacy: A balanced approach to developing the whole child, Routledge.
Torgesen, J. K., Wagner, R. K., Rashotte, C. A., Herron, J., & Lindamood, P. (2010). Computer assisted instruction to prevent early reading difficulties in students at risk for dyslexia: Outcomes from two instructional approaches. Annals of Dyslexia, 60(1), 40–56.
Weber, C. (2013). RTI in the early grades: Intervention strategies for mathematics, literacy, behavior & fine-motor challenges. Solution Tree.
Williams, M. L. (2006). How to teach phonics. Hall and McCreary Company
Xu, F. (2002). Development and its relationship of children’s Chinese and English phonological awareness (Doctoral dissertation).
https://kns.cnki.net/KNS8/Detail?sfield=fn&QueryID=9&CurRec=4&DbCode=CDFD&dbname=CDFD9908&filename=2006044640.nh
Zhao, Z. Y. (2019). A Case study on primary school novice English teachers’ beliefs and practice about phonics instruction (Master thesis).
https://kns.cnki.net/KNS8/Detail?sfield=fn&QueryID=23&CurRec=1&DbCode=CMFD&dbname=CMFD202001&filename=1019096998.nh

In-Text Citation: (Chen et al., 2022)
To Cite this Article: Chen, M. J., Yin, G. J., Goh, H. S., Soo, R. S., Harun, R. N. S. R., Singh, C. K. S., & Wong, W. L. (2022). Theoretical Review of Phonics Instruction among EFL Beginner-level Readers in China. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(2), 449–466.