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Incredibly as it may
sound, with the Paula Di Method, by the end of Kindergarten,
many children learn to read, write and even spell up to the
third grade level, and some even up to the sixth grade level
by the end of first grade.
The system includes a teacher's Instructions (3 books, 3 booklets
and 15 one-hour Audio Tapes with special locator labels for
specific titles. The primary objective of this program is
to give students a thorough phonics background, which is the
key to decoding and spelling any word without having to depend
solely on sight-memory. Learning the phonics for reading and
spelling is analogous to learning the techniques of a musical
instrument, but a phonics foundation is much easier to grasp
than the technical preparation of a musician.
The program, heavily phonics-oriented, yet multisensory, shows
the following:
1. Children of average intelligence can learn to read, write
and spell very well.
2. Bright children can achieve much more in a far shorter
time.
3. Slow and even dyslexic children are able to learn to read
and spell, but, understandably, at a slower rate.
4. Most children are ready to start their formal education
between 4-5 years old, and that by waiting until they are
six, many form bad learning and writing habits, some of them
even impossible to eradicate later.
5. A great number of "learning disabilities" are
the result of improper teaching methods, especially during
a child's earlier years.
6. Most standard workbook activities are a complete waste
of precious learning time.
7. The English language is much more phonetic than we have
thought: understanding the phonics of our language gives us
a powerful reading and spelling tool.
The relatively few teachers throughout the years and throughout
the country who have been faithful to the phonics method have
been forced to teach outside school systems and have had to
develop their own phonics material.
Background of this system:
The author did not publish any of her material until after
more than thirty years of working with all levels of students.
She has knowledge of several languages. Her work has been
tested by Queens College, New York, and has been approved
by the New York City Board of Education. This approach of
teaching is unique in that the phonics, reading, writing and
auditory (spelling) exercises correspond with and complement
each other.
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