VISUAL PHONICS: RELEVANT FOR ALL EARLY READERS, ESPECIALLY STRUGGLING READERS

Abstract

Visual Phonics is a multisensory method for teaching phonological skills using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities and has the potential to improve the literacy development of diverse students, especially struggling readers. Many interventions designed for specific populations (e.g., students who are deaf or have learning disabilities) can be generalized to the larger population of students. However, the potential of these interventions is often overlooked or regarded as not applicable to specific cohorts of students. Visual Phonics is one such example. Therefore, this paper describes visual phonics, reviews selected studies on its effectiveness, and provides instructional activities and strategies of Visual Phonics to show how to use this system effectively.