Do not flash the cards !

I think some of those who read my blog has mistaken that I am using the flash card method.

The fact is that I never "flash" cards to my kids.

Here's the page in my blog which describes the method that I used to teach phonics.
http://tamarindphonics.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-to-teach-phonics.html

The first photo may lead people to jump into conclusion that I am using flash cards. I explained my method from steps 1 to 7. The cards are given to my boy so that he can put it under the correct position, for example "cat" under "at", and "can" under "an". This is very different from "flashing" the cards, because when you flash the cards, the child has nothing to do. He is a passive learner. The problem with flashing cards is that you can flash a hundred times, the child may just be thinking of something else and not learning.

But when I give the card to my boy, he becomes an active learner. He looks at the card and think, where should he put it ? He has to think and remember what he has learnt before, and then apply it correctly.

Step 7 is actually most important. I mixed up the cards. Then I say a word, and ask my boy to pick up the correct card. This really makes him pay attention and think so that he can pick up the correct card.

I am sharing my method because I think it has worked wonderfully well with my boy, who has a very short attention span and cannot sit still. When learning phonics with me, his itchy fingers always have something to do.

I encourage other parents to develop their own methods to suit their own child.

It is very important that you do not flash the cards at your child ! Give him the card, let him play with it , think about it, put it in the correct position himself. In this way he is actively using his brain and learning !