[senco-forum] a defintion of synthetic phonics

In a message dated 09/10/2007 20:30:10 GMT Daylight Time,  
alice.chenneour at btinternet.com writes:

I would  really like to pick your brains on how you would describe synthetic 
phonics in  relation to analytic phonics - it's just that when I put it to 
staff that the  focus of literacy teaching had moved from an approach which 
favoured analytic  phonic to one favouring synthetic phonics, they jumped on this 
saying that all  phonics teaching was largely of the synthetic variety. I did 
point out  teaching literacy along the lines of onset and rime was an example 
of the  analytical approach but I flapped. What do you understand by these  
terms!?

You either synthesis or analyse. Synthesise - build up; analyse break  down.

So, the word "Cat" can be synthesised or built up from the phonemes /c/ /a/  
/t/ or can be analysed or broken down from the whole word to its separate  
sounds. Also same analysis applies to the onset (initial sound) and rime (rest  
of the word).

Sounds first or words first? Discuss. Where are you Julie?

Martin