#Phonics reading programs

[allstudybuddy]

Online phonics reading programs are designed to teach children critical early reading skills like letter recognition, letter sounds, blending sounds to form words, decoding new words, and expanding vocabulary. These interactive programs use engaging games, videos, and activities to build literacy fundamentals in a fun, rewarding way.

[eggy-tea]

one big problem with anything touted as a cure-all is that something that helps the majority is often the exact opposite of what the minority needs.

[podddcasttt]

being a children's librarian is fun because you get to look forward to not having to answer questions about the printer or the mysteries of google drive like adult services does, but then you get asked questions about phonics and AR reading levels and you realize that there are mysteries the depths of which you can never fathom but you have to try because there is a very stressed parent right in front of you

[visenyaism]

do you have any ideas about why so many students are struggling with literacy now? I know that illiteracy and reading comprehension have been issues for years and most americans read at like a 5th grade reading level but I’m curious why it seems to be worse now (pandemic? no child left behind?)

It is everything. There’s not one answer. I could talk about this forever so instead I set a five minute timer on my phone and wrote a list of as many of the many things that are causing this on a systemic level that I could think of:

It’s parents not reading with their kids (a privilege, but some parents have that privilege to be able to do this and don’t.)

It’s youtube from birth and never being bored.

It’s phasing out phonics for sight words (memorizing without understanding sounds or meaning) in elementary schools in the early aughts.

It’s defunding public libraries that do all the community and youth outreach.

It’s NCLB and mandating standardized tests which center reading short passages as opposed to longform texts so students don’t build up the endurance or comprehension skills.

It’s NCLB preventing schools from holding students back if they lack the literacy skills to move onto the next grade because they can’t be left behind so they’re passed on.

It’s the chronic underfunding of ESL and Special Ed programs for students who need extra literacy support.

It’s the cultural devaluing of the humanities in favor of stem and business because those make more money which leads to a lot of students to completely disregard reading and writing.

It’s the learning loss from covid.

It’s covid trauma manifesting in a lot of students as learned helplessness, or an inability to “figure things out” or push through adversity to complete challenging tasks independently, especially reading difficult texts.

It’s covid normalizing cheating and copying.

It’s increasing phone use.

It’s damage to attention span exacerbated by increased phone use that leaves you without an ability to sit and be bored ever without 2-3 forms of constant stimulation.

It’s shortform video becoming the predominant form of social media content as opposed to anything text-based.

It’s starting to also be generative AI.

It’s the book bans.

what did I miss.

[blumoonfiction-blog]

Bob Books

Description: Simple, leveled readers that are perfect for beginner readers, focusing on sight words and phonics. Website: Bob Books Address: Online resource

[smartstudy-24x7]

Preparing Kids for Success: English Exam Preparation Strategies

As children progress through their education, English exams become a significant part of their academic journey. Mastering the English language is essential for achieving good results in exams, and effective preparation is crucial. This blog will explore various strategies and resources to support English exam preparation for kids, with a focus on vocabulary building activities and the benefits of online English classes for children.

Understanding the Importance of English Exam Preparation

English exams assess a student's understanding of the language, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. They often cover various topics, including grammar, comprehension, and vocabulary. Proper preparation is essential for several reasons:

Building Confidence: Adequate preparation helps students feel more confident in their abilities, reducing anxiety during exams.

Enhancing Understanding: Through consistent study and practice, children deepen their understanding of the English language and its nuances.

Improving Performance: Well-prepared students are likely to achieve higher scores, opening doors to future academic opportunities.

Encouraging Lifelong Learning: Mastery of the English language provides a foundation for continuous learning, as it is essential in both personal and professional contexts.

Vocabulary Building Activities

One of the key components of English exam preparation for kids is vocabulary development. A strong vocabulary enhances reading comprehension, writing ability, and overall communication skills. Here are some engaging vocabulary building activities to help kids expand their word bank:

Word Games:

Scrabble: This classic board game encourages kids to form words and learn new vocabulary in a fun way.

Boggle: A word search game that helps children think quickly and expand their vocabulary by finding words in a grid of letters.

Flashcards:

Create flashcards with a new word on one side and its definition or a picture representing the word on the other. Use these cards for quick review sessions and to reinforce learning.

Vocabulary Journals:

Encourage children to keep a vocabulary journal where they can write down new words they encounter. They can include definitions, sentences using the words, and synonyms or antonyms.

Contextual Learning:

Read books, articles, or stories with your child and discuss unfamiliar words in context. This approach helps them understand how to use words correctly in different situations.

Thematic Word Lists:

Create themed word lists around specific topics (e.g., nature, emotions, technology) and encourage children to use these words in sentences or stories.

Interactive Apps:

Many educational apps focus on vocabulary development through engaging games and quizzes. Some popular options include Vocabulary.com, Quizlet, and Memrise.

Online English Classes for Children

In today’s digital age, online English classes for children have become an increasingly popular option for parents seeking to enhance their child's language skills. Here are some of the benefits of online English classes:

Flexible Scheduling:

Online classes often offer flexible schedules, allowing parents to choose times that best fit their family's routine. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for busy families juggling multiple commitments.

Personalized Learning:

Many online programs allow for personalized instruction tailored to each child's learning style and pace. This individualized approach can help children grasp concepts more effectively.

Access to Qualified Instructors:

Online platforms often provide access to experienced English teachers who can offer valuable insights and support. These instructors can address specific challenges students may face.

Interactive Learning Environment:

Online classes typically incorporate multimedia resources, such as videos, interactive quizzes, and discussion forums, to engage students and make learning more dynamic.

Diverse Learning Resources:

Online courses often include a wealth of materials, including reading assignments, practice tests, and vocabulary exercises, ensuring that students have a well-rounded approach to exam preparation.

Safe Learning Environment:

For students who may feel shy or anxious in traditional classroom settings, online classes can provide a comfortable space to learn and participate without the pressure of a physical classroom.

Strategies for Effective Exam Preparation

In addition to vocabulary building activities and online English classes for children, several strategies can enhance overall English exam preparation. Here are some tips for parents and educators:

Create a Study Schedule:

Establish a structured study schedule that breaks down study sessions into manageable chunks. Consistent daily practice is more effective than cramming close to exam time.

Practice Past Papers:

Familiarize children with the exam format by practicing past papers. This exposure helps them understand the types of questions they may encounter and build confidence in their abilities.

Incorporate Reading and Writing:

Encourage daily reading and writing to reinforce language skills. Reading a variety of texts, from fiction to non-fiction, broadens vocabulary and enhances comprehension.

Engage in Conversations:

Encourage open conversations at home, prompting children to express their thoughts and ideas. This practice develops verbal communication skills and reinforces vocabulary usage.

Join Study Groups:

If possible, arrange study sessions with peers. Collaborative learning can motivate students and help them learn from each other.

Monitor Progress:

Regularly assess your child's progress and adjust the study plan as needed. Celebrate achievements to keep motivation high.

Leveraging Technology for Learning

Technology plays a significant role in modern education. There are numerous online resources and tools that can support English exam preparation for kids:

Educational Websites: Websites like Khan Academy, BBC Bitesize, and Scholastic offer interactive lessons, quizzes, and activities tailored for children's language learning.

Language Learning Apps: Applications such as Duolingo and Busuu provide engaging platforms for children to practice vocabulary and grammar through gamified experiences.

Video Resources: Platforms like YouTube host educational channels that cover grammar rules, vocabulary, and reading strategies, providing visual and auditory learning opportunities.

The Role of Parents in English Exam Preparation

Parents play a vital role in their child's academic journey. Here are some ways parents can support English exam preparation:

Encourage a Love for Reading:

Provide access to various books that match your child's interests and reading level. Regular reading can spark curiosity and improve comprehension skills.

Be Involved:

Stay informed about what your child is learning in school. Attend parent-teacher conferences, communicate with teachers, and ask about ways to support your child's learning at home.

Create a Positive Learning Environment:

Establish a quiet, dedicated space for studying that is free from distractions. A positive environment fosters focus and motivation.

Celebrate Efforts:

Recognize and celebrate your child's hard work and achievements, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement can boost their confidence and motivation.

Be Patient and Supportive:

Encourage your child to ask questions and seek help when needed. Your support and understanding can ease their stress during exam preparation.

Conclusion

English exam preparation is a vital part of a child’s educational journey, and incorporating effective strategies can lead to success. By engaging in vocabulary building activities, enrolling in online English classes for children, and utilizing technology to enhance learning, parents and educators can provide children with the tools they need to excel.

At Kiya Learning, we are committed to helping kids develop strong English language skills through our tailored programs and experienced instructors. With the right preparation and support, children can approach their English exams with confidence and achieve their academic goals. By fostering a love for learning and providing engaging activities, we can empower the next generation to become skilled communicators and lifelong learners.

CONTACT  US  - 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kiyalearning/                                

Website URL - https://kiyalearning.com/             

Business Email - contact@kiyalearning.com

  Whataap Link -   

[onlinelearningclass]

How Do Children Learn To Read Through Phonic Classes?

The basis for proficient reading and writing is phonics. Children learn to decipher words, identify spelling patterns, and develop reading fluency. They learn to comprehend the link between letters and sounds. According to research, a solid phonological foundation has link to better vocabulary growth, reading comprehension, and general academic success.

Visit us:- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-do-children-learn-read-through-phonic-classes-1xahc/

[3liza]

after meaning to get around to it for years i finally listened to almost the entirety of Sold a Story and it is as groundbreaking as everyone says it is. it's also the most confusing, to me, single event in American culture in my lifetime and my reasons for thinking that are pretty complex so im not sure theyre fully formed yet. there's a list of shit in this podcast that made me feel like i was going insane

i KNEW something was going on at a population level, i've been noticing it for years, people kept telling me i was imagining things, but i was RIGHT, two generations of kids have been reduced to barely-literate levels of language function because of this shit and you CAN see it and hear it while talking to people in the world!

the entire adoption of the Calkins programs in the first place were based on the majority of people responsible for American child education deciding basically overnight that "children don't need to learn phonics in order to become strong readers" which is literally and not figuratively equivalent to saying "children can learn algebra without learning what numbers are". it is so self-evidently false i dont even know how to respond to such an assertion. you have to be fundamentally devoid of common sense to think this is true. language is comprised of sounds (phonemes), sounds are represented by letters, letters make up the alphabet, the alphabet makes up words, and words make up sentences. you cant just skip over the parts of this you dont like, it's the basis of our entire civilization. "i dont need to learn individual notes i just want to play to saxophone" okay well. too bad? you cant

american primary education apparently has no communication whatsoever with the scientific fields of human behaviorism, pediatrics, neurology, linguistics, the science of learning generally, and there is next to zero communication between teachers who are actively responsible for educating children and the entire research field of educating children. they just dont talk to each other, at least in huge swaths of the country. in retrospect this is obvious, i just have been assuming incorrectly this entire time that maybe, surely, some aspect of how our public schools are administered is in some way being guided by scientific evidence and research. this has apparently not been the case for 20+ years. Lucy Calkins herself claims she "didn't know" that the research on how children acquire language had been essentially settled by the 1990s, she just wrote her stupid book based on her own self-assurance that what she THOUGHT children were doing when they learned language was correct. she ddin't check, she didnt ask about research or studies, she didn't test her hypothesis, she just told everyone she had figured out how to teach kids to read based on nothing but her own untested assumptions. and everyone was like "okay sounds good". every single person involved in this process is or was in a position of responsibility for educating american children. and almost none of them thought to ask "okay, but have you tested it? does it work?" because they didn't test it, and it doesnt work, and for some reason that was never even brought up

teachers kept being interviewed on this podcast who kept saying things like: "they never taught us how to teach children to read" and "they didn't teach us how children learn so i had no idea how it worked" and then explaining this was why they were so easily hoodwinked by the Calkins program. i don't understand this. what is actually taught during the two year degree programs at teaching colleges? if it's not child psychology, pedagogy, neurology, and actual techniques for teaching children, what are they teaching you to do there? one of my friends who went to a teaching college told me they mostly provided classes on lesson planning.

individual teachers apparently are not reading books or articles or papers on any of these subjects either. so having graduated from a teaching college knowing nothing about children, teaching, or even basic english literacy ("i didn't know how to teach phonics and no one told me" is another thing actual teachers kept saying on the podcast. girl, SESAME STREET can teach basic english phonics, and it does), almost none of them actually do any investigation on their own. they just show up to their workplace (the school) and "teach" whatever admin hands them. ?????????????? how is this possible?

i realized last night in a fugue of post-exertional malaise that the three-cueing method of teaching reading is training children to approach language very similarly to how a large language model does it. they laboriously instruct the children to guess what the next word in a sentence will be, often by actually covering the word with a post-it note and then cajoling and badgering the child until he guesses the word under the post-it, based on the vibes on the sentence he's reading. this doesnt teach you to read, it teaches you to act like youre reading

this isnt directly addressed in the podcast but we used to just teach everyone english like it was an actual system that has parts and rules and structures, because that's what a language is. everyone would start with phonics and the alphabet, then later do stuff like sentence diagramming and grammar, neither of which have been taught in primary schools in decades. i think i was probably the very last generation of kids to get ANY of that stuff unless they went to an exceptional school, and it was only because my 8th grade teacher knew it was important and went against school admin's instructions in order to teach it. the couple days of sentence diagramming and grammar he gave us, out of SPITE, have been more useful to me in reading and writing than the entire rest of primary english education i received in public school, and i didn't even go to a school that had adopted three-cueing stuff yet.

[bixbythemartian]

Okay, I wasn't going to say anything, but I've seen posts about this get passed around. And it's probably too late to push back on this, anyway, but I'm so frustrated I feel the need to say to say something. This is coming from a place of love- I just hate seeing this going around, and I want to offer some perspective on the matter.

First of all, regarding that poll where the user did not know how to pronounce 'Miette'- if you look in the replies, it doesn't take long to discover that the OP was genuinely confused about the pronunciation and, when corrected, was working to get it right. That poll came from a place of innocent ignorance. I hope the OP took it down and stopped reblogs and turned notes off or whatever, because some people said some awful shit. I hope you are the kind of person who is kind and understanding, in the face of such ignorance. Or, if you can't be that, I hope you can at the very least be quiet. (And props to the people in the replies who patiently and kindly explained things to the OP.)

Second of all, I've seen a lot of posts talking about literacy rates, and I'd like to point out that English literacy has very little to do with figuring how to pronounce a French fucking word, goddamn. The OP just didn't know. The dunking, the pointing, the laughing- rude, unnecessary, not helpful.

Thirdly, in response to the complaints of 'they don't even teach phonics in schools these days'- that's bullshit. Because the odds are very good that they didn't teach phonics in schools when you went to school, either.

When I was a kid, it was called Whole Language. It was the new hot literacy technique, and a lot of schools adopted it. It used cueing techniques and sight words and was very similar.

If you're a millennial, you might remember the commercials for Hooked on Phonics, and you might conclude that teaching phonics in schools was perhaps not common, if you think about that for a bit. If it was worth it to sell a whole reading tutoring program for struggling readers based in phonics, perhaps it might lead one to conclude that phonics weren't as common as other methods, right? You might not have been taught phonics to start. What you do know about phonics, you might have picked up in the past 20-30 years, right?

Okay. Lets go back further, you know Dick and Jane? It was based on, more or less, the same sight words principle, and those primers date from the 1930s, although I don't think that teaching technique came really into vogue until the 40s.

If you are alive, today, in the United States, the likelihood that you were not taught phonics in school is well above non-zero. Especially if you're a millennial.

The notable exception is the 1970s. And during that period of time, there were probably plenty of schools that still used fucking Dick and Jane. And plenty of schools that were starting to adopt Whole Language, because while it was popular in the 80's and 90's, it was developed before. So, Gen X, you didn't get out of this unscathed either, though you had a better chance of getting a phonics-based reading program, I think.

'Kids these days' are not less literate because they were taught wrong. A great deal of us who are alive and speak English as a first language were taught wrong.

(I also think this is the common way English as a Second Language is taught and I'm sorry if you learned sight words, it's so much less intuitive than phonics, and English phonics aren't particularly intuitive. But I know a lot less about this, and I'm not sure.)

The reason some younger people struggle with language and words that I, for example, don't, is that I've been reading and speaking the language a lot longer. That's it. That's likely the same thing for you.

Please quit mocking people for their lack of information, for a start. I don't blame you for not knowing this about the literacy programs, for example. I had to do a lot of research on this. Right? Odds are good, you didn't know this.

And you are hitting people who struggle with literacy for other reasons- English as a second language, for example. The people who deal with dyslexia, there's plenty of autistic people who struggle to communicate fluently in their first language, and many more people who struggle with learning, speaking, and otherwise communicating in English for a huge variety of reasons.

Even if you're right, you're hitting people who had no choice in the language method they were taught from. They were five.

I don't think people mean to be unkind, generally (some do, but we block and move on), but it's really frustrating to a lot of snark circulate without the greater context of 'actually, a lot of English speakers of all age groups were taught English this way, especially USAmericans' and 'hey, what does English literacy have to do with pronouncing a French word, anyway?'

Okay? Okay.

Love you bye

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

I can't even fucking phantom ever being able to learn how to read if my teachers literally just told me to guess how a syllable is pronounced. Who is the asshole who come up with that, and can we all go piss in their graves?

John Amos Comenius invented it but Ken Goodman is the one who popularized it. Ironically, most places went through the "whole learning" phase in the 1980s and 90s, and the most recent movement is about working on refining their synthetic phonics programs. I have no idea how OP managed to catch a whole language kid in the wild in 2025.

[problematicsashawaybright]

That is surprising because you’re obviously both very intelligent and educated, yet it doesn’t sound like you had a very stable or nourishing childhood. Would you be comfortable discussing who homeschooled you and how you found that learning environment?

(note, this got kind of long and rambly because even though it doesn't upset me to talk about, I rarely have the opportunity to talk about my opinions on homeschooling as an ex homeschooled kid so it's under a read more. Also TRIGGER WARNING for mentions of child abuse in a non detailed/graphic way)

Absolutely! And thank you for the compliment!!! So me being homeschooled was my mom's idea initially. She really valued education and learning so she did all the right things in terms of that when I was little (talking to me like an adult, teaching me things, letting me be curious. One of my earliest memories is helping her bake my birthday cake and her explaining all the components and how the cake is made). I also had (still have) pretty severe hyperactive ADHD that was undiagnosed at the time because this was the mid 2000s/early 2010s and not a lot of girls were getting diagnosed with hyperactivity. I was super ahead on a lot of my milestones, especially in terms of talking (I could hold a pretty good conversation by the time I was 2), and reading. I was never really taught to read, after I learned the alphabet and the sounds, I was able to memorize words and phonics really well and then I would try to read every book, magazine, and newspaper in the house and figured it out from there. By the time I was 5 and ready for kindergarten age wise, I was independently reading Harry Potter (I was 5 and twitter was barely even a thing so I didn't know about the Horrors associated with JKR obviously). I was also really severely hyperactive and bored easily. I also hated when people explained things I already knew, so my mom (accurately) assumed that if I were in kindergarten learning basic phonics and the alphabet, I would probably 1. Not learn anything and 2. Get myself into trouble because of the boredom (I still have to occupy myself constantly because boredom gets me into trouble) My mom's original plan was to homeschool me until 3rd grade, because in our district at the time, you could enter the gifted and talented program then and I would have more challenging work and would be more mature. However, I was also growing up in an abusive household. My dad was abusive in every way, and it was especially bad towards me and he continued to single me out for the rest of the time I was with him (I have 3 siblings but I'm the oldest and was deemed the most problematic to him). My mom had the means to leave him, but emotionally she couldn't, so what started as homeschooling to make sure my education was properly suited to my abilities and maturity, became homeschooling to avoid being in an environment full of mandated reporters who would have definitely have noticed the signs of child abuse and neglect and reported to CPS.

We also moved around a lot because my dad was involved in a lot of tax evasion stuff and couldn't buy a house, and we also moved as soon as people started noticing signs of child abuse and the illegal parts of his businesses.

Eventually my mom got super overwhelmed with dealing with my dad, working to keep the illegal businesses afloat, and having 4 young kids (who she also homeschooled, but my brother was in tutoring programs that were kind of close to real school because he had some learning disabilities and my younger sisters were babies when this was all happening), so she just kind of. Stopped the homeschooling bit. She would occasionally order homeschooling workbooks and stuff and tell me to fill them out, but she never even really checked if I did them. She had to submit samples to the state to prove she was providing real education, but I remember doing a lot of random worksheets the night before those meetings and she would pretend like I did them every day and it was regular curriculum.

Because there was a lack of structure and really any supervision educationally, I did have a LOT of gaps in what I was being taught. I'm still not super strong in math because I wasn't taught the foundations that more advanced math is based on (like I learned fractions and my multiplication tables in high school). I think the only reason why I'm still able to succeed in school is because reading was very much an escape for me. I would read fiction, but I also had full access to the entire library, so I would check out literally anything. I remember checking out medical textbooks and books about scientific and linguistic topics meant for high school/college students when I was around 8. So even though I wasn't taught a lot of things, I was able to fill in the gaps because I do genuinely enjoy learning and academics.

When I was 13, my parents finally divorced and my mom got custody, and when I was 14, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get into college and I also had never really had many friends before, so I had my mom enroll me in public high school. I kind of hated it because socially I was NOT prepared (I was autistic with no social skills and starting in a smallish area where most people went to the same middle and elementary schools together) but I met some people I'm still really close with today, and I also really liked being in a classroom for the first time, even though a lot of the material was stuff I wasn't really being challenged on because I had learned about it on my own previously. However this was in fall of 2019, and in March of 2020 covid shut everything down. I had a really rough summer and went inpatient a couple times for mental health reasons, and when school came back online in 10th grade, it felt like a more restrictive version of being homeschooled, so I dropped out and entered a dual enrollment program with the local community colleges. Basically I was able to take regular undergrad college classes with other college students, but the credits counted towards finishing my high school degree, and my associates degree. I graduated that last year, and now I'm going into my senior year of my bachelor's degree in psychology. Ultimately, college has been my favorite education experience because I'm learning new things in an environment that isn't socially difficult and I can kind of pick and choose which classes I take and make my schedule work for my brain.

Ultimately, I consider myself pro homeschool as a concept! It can be really good for kids who may not do well in a typical school environment. HOWEVER!!!!! I think it's also extremely dangerous the way it's structured currently. One of the benefits of a school environment is that ideally a child has access to other adults who can notice signs of mistreatment. My state is considered one of the more strict in terms of homeschooling laws, but I was still only required to see another adult for a maximum of an hour every month during the school year. Any teacher who saw me every day would have noticed red flags, but with me being isolated, I sort of slipped through the cracks. I think the laws should be stricter in terms of enforcing a good structured education at home, as well as centered around keeping parents accountable and protecting kids as the #1 priority.

[blumoonfiction-blog]

Teach Your Monster to Read

Description: A free, game-based program that covers early reading basics. Suitable for children ages 3-6. Website: Teach Your Monster to Read Address: Online resource

[onlinelearningclass]

Discover The Magic Of Phonics: Unlocking Reading Success With Phonics Classes!

The basis for proficient reading and writing is phonics. Learners acquire the skills to decipher words, identify spelling patterns, and develop reading fluency by comprehending the link between letters and sounds.

Visit us:- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/discover-magic-phonics-unlocking-reading-success-classes-singh-yadac

[fereldanwench]

watching a video on the decline of literacy in murica and it reminded me of this "experimental" spelling program i got to do in 5th grade

i read a lot, but i wasn't a great speller until i did this program. it took a morphemic instead of phonic approach to spelling, so it focused on learning the patterns of individual parts of the words, which just made so much sense to my brain rather than just trying to sound shit out. like it explained why "tion" would make a "shun" sound even though phonically that seems to make no goddamn sense, and show what kind of words would be more likely to use that suffix

to this day i've never heard of anyone else having this kind of spelling lesson (especially in public elementary school), and i cant for the life of me remember what the fuck it was called. idk if i was an outlier in how well it worked for me or if it was too expensive or whatever to continue, but it sounds like it was just dropped, which is a damn shame imo

[geyfrog]

I don't actually understand the proposed mechanism by which non-phonetic reading is supposed to correspond to lack of understanding? Many people I know (not just my online argument thunderdome Tumblr mutuals) recently have been raising concerns of "people aren't gaining meaning from the text they're reading" and attributing that to "people aren't reading phonetically because of The New Education Programs", without ever really explaining why non-phonetic reading is inferior and causing this lack of understanding.

---

Personal anecdote warning:

I'm biased here, I don't read phonetically, that's never been the default way I read. There is no voice in my head that reads the words aloud when I'm reading, I just look at the words and know what they say. Or I don't know what they say, and then I reread or use context clues and etymology or stop to look a word up. I don't think that diminishes my ability to understand text? I still have the meanings in my head, just not the sounds. But I don't know, because I've only ever been myself.

I can read phonetically, I can sound a word I don't know out, I can read a text out loud if you ask me, but IME it doesn't usually help me understand it any better. Why would you need to know what a text sounds like to understand it? If you're recognising all the words and gleaning the meaning, then you're reading, right? I mean, I can get somebody who's used to primarily engaging with words through speech needing to "translate" between written and spoken language. But I don't do that, in fact often I can feel the inverse, where I feel like I have to "translate" spoken words into thoughts before I can understand them.

For background: I didn't first learn to read in school (for context, I'm nineteen, but went to Montessori school as a child and had fairly non-standard curriculum, I don't remember ever being explicitly taught phonics but that was largely because the teaching was very individualised and I already knew how to read). I learned to read at two or three by teaching myself. In part by memorising books my parents read to me before bed, in part by, you know, picture books that teach children how to read, you put the picture and the word and now I know what the word means. In no part here did I need to know what the word sounded like, so that was just never part of the reading process for me.

End personal anecdote

---

This isn't, like, an attempt at an argument, I'm not making a case here, I'm just genuinely asking, because it's entirely possible I am literally just living in Plato's reading cave here.

Are people just used to phonetic reading themselves, only capable of parsing words as speech, and the written word as a transcription of speech, and thus think non-phonetic reading is non-reading? Or what? Am I just a special little boy? I don't think I'm a special little boy. But I don't understand. Why would you need the sounds. They're words with meaning. Am I autistic*? Are you autistic? Are we all autistic?

*Editor's note: I am, in fact, autistic

[posttexasstressdisorder]

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WhatMatters

Your guide to California policy and politics

By Lynn La

May 1, 2025

Presented by Child Care Providers UNITED, Climate-Smart Agricultural Partnership, California Primary Care Association and First 5 LA

 

 

Good morning, California.

Federal crackdown on CA immigration increases even as justice system finds problems

People detained inside the Golden State Annex, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in McFarland, on July 8, 2024. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Let’s dive into some immigration news:

Proposed detention center?: As President Donald Trump and his administration continue to crack down on immigration, the federal government is eyeing opportunities to dramatically expand the number of immigration detention centers. Federal officials in April started eyeing Fairfield’s Travis Air Force Base as a possible site, according to KQED. The base is one of at least 10 other military bases in the U.S. under consideration. A month earlier, demonstrators rallied at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin after internal emails revealed that the Trump administration was considering the now-shuttered prison for women as another possible detention facility.

A lack of proper care: The California Department of Justice released a 165-page report Tuesday detailing the conditions of the state’s six, privately-operated active immigration facilities, writes CalMatters’ Wendy Fry. State investigators found that the sites had “deficiencies in suicide prevention and intervention strategies,” staffing shortages and a lack of coordination between medical and mental health care providers. The conditions, such as solitary confinement, can exacerbate mental health issues that many detainees already have, including anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. The report also found that more than 3,100 people were held in immigration detention centers as of April 16 — up from the daily average of about 1,750 in 2021. About 75% of those detained had no documented criminal history. Read more here.

Temporary order on Border Patrol: Wendy and CalMatters’ Sergio Olmos also report that a California judge has temporarily barred Border Patrol agents from making immigration stops unless they have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in the U.S. illegally. The injunction also prohibits agents from carrying out warrantless arrests unless they have probable cause that the person is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. The order stems from a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the United Farm Workers, after Border Patrol agents in January conducted a three-day sweep in Kern County. A CalMatters investigation revealed that agents had no criminal or immigration history on 77 of the 78 people it arrested from the sweep. Read more here.

Join CalMatters and Evident in San Francisco today for a screening of Operation: Return to Sender, a short documentary uncovering what really happened during a three-day Border Patrol raid in Bakersfield. After the film, CalMatters’ Sergio Olmos and others will discuss what the team uncovered and what it means for immigration enforcement. Register today.

Other Stories You Should Know 

A ‘reading wars’ compromise

Students in a sixth-grade class read at Stege Elementary School in Richmond on Feb. 6, 2023. Photo by Shelby Knowles for CalMatters

On Wednesday state lawmakers reworked a bill that now seeks to provide funding for phonics-based instruction in K-12 classrooms without requiring schools or teachers to implement it.

As CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones explains, the measure’s new language signals a compromise between two camps of educators who argue that reading programs should either emphasize phonics, or the sounding-out of words; or sight reading, which focuses on memorizing words by sight.

The measure would require the state to provide training for teachers and instructional materials on the phonics reading approach. Because English learner advocates have criticized the phonics method for being too confusing for students who are not English proficient, the bill also requires materials and training to address the specific needs of English learners. (About 18% of California’s K-12 students, or 5.8 million, are English learners.)

The bill replaces another proposal, which died last week, that would have required schools to use the phonics-based approach. 

Read more here.

 

Two chairpersons get ‘rolled’

State Sen. María Elena Durazo during the Senate Committee on Health at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on April 9, 2025. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters

A Senate bill that would boost housing development near public transportation hubs has advanced through two Senate committees — despite strong objections from both leaders of the committees, writes CalMatters’ Ben Christopher.

The rather unusual development could indicate a “philosophical split” among Democrats related to the state’s approach to building more housing, said longtime California lobbyist Chris Micheli. 

In one corner are the Democrats, including bill author Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, who want housing to be easier, quicker and cheaper to build. In the other are Democrats who do not oppose more housing, but are concerned with issues related to private development, regulation and affordability. This group includes the two chairpersons of the Senate’s housing and local government committees, Sens. Aisha Wahab of Fremont and María Elena Durazo of Los Angeles, respectively.

Wiener, however, disagrees that there may be a deep rift within the party when it comes to housing.

Wiener: “You have two chairs who have just a different perspective and that’s normal and, you know, I appreciate that we’ve been able to go through this process very respectfully. We’re all grown ups.”

Read more here.

 

And lastly: Kaiser labor talks

Kaiser Permanente’s mental health care workers protest outside its Sunset Boulevard facility in Los Angeles on Feb. 7, 2025. Photo by J.W. Hendricks for CalMatters

After more than six months on strike, Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California mental health workers are resuming negotiations. CalMatters’ Joe Garcia and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on the record-setting labor dispute as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.

SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.

California Voices

CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: The Legislature is considering a bill that would restore a key ability local governments would have over public pensions — yet no local governments so far have voiced any opinion about the bill.

CalMatters contributor Jim Newton: The impressive and painstaking efforts of local community groups and nonprofits to restore Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park represent civic reclamation in action.

Other things worth your time:

Some stories may require a subscription to read. 

Trump-appointed Californian shakes up civil rights unit at the Justice Department // Los Angeles Times

CA’s elections chief pushes back against GOP efforts to limit voting rights // San Francisco Chronicle

Newsom says CA is doing ‘DOGE but better’ in jab at Musk // Politico

Newsom supports push to make it a felony to purchase minors for sex in CA // KCRA

Affordable housing developers say they need steady cash. Will CA provide it? // KQED

CA high-speed rail leader pushes state to support private investment // AP News

Study: Powerful earthquake could raise Pacific north-west sea levels ‘dramatically’ // The Guardian

Major Canadian airline cuts SF flights as Trump backlash intensifies // San Francisco Chronicle

State will deliver more water to Southern CA this year via State Water Project // Los Angeles Times

LAFD union head made $540K in a year, with huge overtime payouts // Los Angeles Times

 

See you next time!

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