Zoo Phonics

Zoo-phonics is a method developed to make children strong readers and spellers using a “phono” (hearing), “oral” (speaking), “visual” (seeing), “kinesthetic” (moving), and tactile (touching)—whole brain approach. Students actually learn the sounds of the alphabet and advanced phonemic concepts through an easily understood, concrete method of presentation.

Zoo-phonics uses animals drawn in the shapes of the letters for ease in memory. A related body movement is given for each letter. This concrete approach cements the sounds to the shapes of the letters. Lowercase letters and their sounds are taught first (needed 95% of the time in text), capital letters and letter names are taught later.

Zoo-phonics also provides a springboard for all other academia such as math, art, music, cooking/nutrition, social studies, science, grooming, physical education and sensory/drama.

Every aspect of the program has been field-tested and found to be effective. Educational research repeatedly supports the focus of phonics in early reading programs, as well as the educational benefits of pictorial mnemonics and kinesthetic approaches to learning that are unique to Zoo-phonics.

Currently Zoo-phonics is used throughout the United States and internationally as a highly effective language arts program.

Zoo Phonics Program Methodology

1) The Animals help the children remember the shapes and sounds of the letters

Letters are symbols and are very abstract for young children. The more abstract learning is, the less the students understand and remember. Zoo-phonics uses Animals in the shapes of lowercase letters before teaching the actual letters. Sequentially, the child learns first the Animal Shapes, then the Merged Animal-Letters and finally, when developmentally ready, the letters themselves.

2) Letter sounds are taught before letter names

We do not read with letter names, we read with sounds. These sounds are the same sounds that children have heard from birth. According to research, neurons are assigned to sounds that babies hear repeatedly. Later these same neurons will be responsible for making the connections to reading and spelling. Reading and spelling, then, should be taught through the same auditory system (language) that children have known from birth.

Learning the sounds of the alphabet is essential for beginning readers. Zoo-phonics teaches the sounds of the letters through the animal names ("a" as in alligator, etc.). Research shows us that; letter names initially provide no link to the letter sounds. Expecting children to learn the letter names at the same time as letter sounds may only be confusing because children hear two distinctly different sounds.

3) Lowercase letters are taught before capital letters

Did you know:
It is easier for a young child to form a lowercase letter than a capital letter? (Capitals require more strokes, pencil lifts and diagonal lines.)
Reading materials are written 95% of the time in lowercase letters?
It is easier for a child to read sentences written in lowercase letters than capital letters because capital letters are all the same size?
Often first and second grade teachers have to work with students all year to break the habit of inappropriately using capital letters? Let's teach them correctly the first time around!

4) The body movement for each animal letter helps "cement" the phonemic information into memory

Research shows that when the body moves, the brain remembers. The Zoo-phonics Body Signals allow children to put their natural "wiggles" to good use and act as a cue for memory. We know statistically that anytime we physically perform, memory is enhanced.