Mod 10 Video Discussion

The teacher in the video A Phonics Lesson With the "OW" Sound uses a scientific approach to help students master this language concept. First she shares with her students different types of words which use an “OW”, those with the OW at the end of the word, and those with the OW in the middle of the word. The she explains how generally speaking, the sound the “OW” makes is different depending upon where in the word the letters are placed. She presents this as a hypothesis to test.

Then she sounds out the words to test her hypothesis. She presents words that follow the general rule and words that are exceptions.

Thus her approach is process-based; it is experiential rather than rote memorization, and so her students will be more likely to apply the “process” to accurately pronouncing new words with the same letters.

A process-based approach that focuses on applying a general concept to test its limits is an invaluable tool for helping students take ownership of their own learning.We can adapt this approach in numerous ways: one example: teaching about the placement and effectiveness and topic sentences in paragraphs.