[MOSAIC] advice on phonics minilessons

[Kukonis at aol.com]

I am not sure straight phonics does not work with MOT strategies. If you  
look at "phonics" as content to be learned than you can certainly use  
connections, mental images, inferences and synthesis to not only learn spelling  words 
but more importantly transfer these patterns to unfamiliar words. Although  not 
a real fan of Fountas and Pinnell.... my phonics work with kids has  
increased. I try very much to talk the MOT talk while we observe and use our  five 
word wall words for the week. The assessments I give are much more  difficult 
than the original spelling list in that the easiest way to study  for the test is 
to understand the phonetic rule or pattern. My test consist of 5  word wall 
words, 5 transfer words, 5 review patterns, 5 adding endings, and  dictation 
that includes patterns but not the five original word wall words.  Remember 
these kids are only in first grade. Memorization of list words is not  the point 
of learning to spell. I liken phonics rules as algorithms in math.  They are 
the keyturn..... We make KWL charts, use graphic organizers, predict  how to 
spell derivatives etc........I try to support the rules kinesthetically  with 
lots of borrowed work from LindamoodBell. Kids can figure out where sounds  are 
coming from and match them easier to letters.
 
I must say it takes some getting used to both for parents and kids. But by  
end of November my kids do an exceptional job of spelling multi-syllabic words  
based on the phonetic patterns we study with our www. The part that I have 
not  been as satisfied with is that the very same children who have correctly 
spelled  a transfer (unfamiliar) word on a test will still spell it incorrectly 
in  writing workshop. My hunches are that either it is too much to  
integrate....author craft, handwriting, and content of piece (keeping all balls  going 
at once) or that the www pattern is may be too obvious on the original  
assessment and kids are so tied to the pattern, that using the word randomly is  more 
difficult. I thought I had the latter covered with all the review words...  
but maybe not.