Welcome to Zoo-phonics...a kinesthetic method for teaching phonics, reading, spelling and writing using literature.

Zoo-phonics aligns with the National Reading Panel Research...
“It seems self-evident that techniques to develop children’s phonemic awareness in classrooms should be as relevant and exciting as possible so that the instruction engages children’s interest and attention in a way that promotes optimal learning...It seems that teachers will be most effective when they are enthusiastic in their teaching and enjoy what they are doing in the classroom.”
--The National Reading Panel’s Report, “Teaching Children To Read” (April 2000)

Zoo-phonics is based on Creating Brain-Efficient Curriculum!

Zoo-phonics WILL reach every child!
Toddlers
Head Start
Preschool
Kindergarten
First Grade
English Language Learners
Special Education (all grades)

Head Start teachers love the results of Zoo-phonics too...
“I teach a Head Start class that includes three and four-year-old children. I was initially concerned about presenting the entire Zoo-phonics alphabet to the children at one setting. But the first time I presented the alphabet, they wanted to do it again! They loved it! They learned the sounds and movements after just one week. Every day they would come in and ask to do Zoo-phonics. They were proud that they had learned it! Within a week I noticed that the children were relating the sounds and movements to letters and words around the room and in books. I would pick up a book and a child would say, “‘Home’ is a word like Honey Horse.” They just started to become aware of the letters and sounds. Within six-weeks the children could combine the sounds of letters to start to form words like c-a-t. They also began to notice if a word ended in “Sammy Snake.” The best part was the feedback I got from the parents when the children went on to Kindergarten this last fall. The children from my class were very well prepared and had great advantage because of Zoo-phonics!”
— Janet O’Connor, Head Start Teacher, Grapeview, WA

Zoo-phonics will make BELIEVERS out of even our toughest critics...
“I started teaching Zoo-phonics when I worked in Western Placer School District. I didn't want to do it!!!! I was dead set against it! I was FORCED into it. THANK GOODNESS! I have been using it ever since and wouldn't use anything else! I'm so grateful for a way to teach phonics that the children love. Thanks Zoo-phonics!”
—Cheri Smith, Teacher, Grizzly Hill Elementary, North San Juan, CA

The problem with the alphabet and learning how to read and spell is that it is too abstract. So we made it concrete!
Toddlers and preschoolers are so ready for learning, but parents often wait for the school to begin the literacy process, missing years of precious time. Researchers are telling parents, “Teach your children; their brains are ready!” However, you cannot teach young children through abstract methods and materials – they do not understand abstractions. Make it concrete, however, and there is no limit to what they can learn. Their neurons are making pathways like LA freeways!

Our Animal Letters are delightful and memorable. Here’s why: A bear is a bear, is a bear, no matter how you turn him!

Can you say this about a “b”?
b, d, p, q

Our society is capital letter and letter name entrenched. The problem is that we use capital letters only 5% of the time and then only for specific reasons (in a name, to begin a sentence, etc.). The same goes for letter names. We never say “double u” (w), or “ache” (h), “el” (l), “em” (m), etc., when reading. Traditionally, capital letters and letter names are always taught first. This is incidental (important, but incidental) information not immediately needed for beginning the reading, spelling and writing process. Let’s hit the bull’s eye with relevant instruction and we will maximize children’s learning.

The Zoo-phonics Program fully involves the child’s eyes, ears, mouth and body as they learn phonemic awareness, the alphabet and how to decode (read) and encode (spell/write).

Zoo-phonics is so playful. Watch baby animals as they play. They are in constant motion as they wrestle, jump, roll, snarl, yip and growl. This is important preparation for adulthood. The same goes for children. They’re in constant motion and they love to make noise. So let’s use what is natural for them and channel it for learning! If they are moving, they have fun and they are processing information through this important movement and sound production!

Zoo-phonics has a strong parent component because we know that training parents to help their children is crucial. Parents bond with their children as they “play” Zoo-phonics. No longer is there a power-struggle with homework! Says Program Specialist, Sally Mathers of Great Falls, Montana, “Parents are no longer threatened when asked to help their children with homework.”

Teachers love Zoo-phonics because students learn quickly, without stress, and retain what they learn. Zoo-phonics brings fun and excitement into the classroom thus motivating them.

Zoo-phonics fosters success by helping children feel good about their reading, spelling and writing ability. No child slips between the cracks! School is a good place to be where successful learning takes place and children are off…reading, spelling and writing!

The ESSENCES of Zoo-phonics...

1) The Animal, drawn in the shape of the lowercase letters, helps children remember the shapes of the letter. The alternative names of the Animals teach the letter sounds.

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
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3) 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. (Try this: Say the letter name. Now say the letter sound. If you repeat this with each letter of the alphabet, you will hear the difference between the letter names and the letter sounds.

3) Lowercase letters are taught before capital letters.

Did you know:
a) that 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.)
b) that reading materials are written 95% of the time in lowercase letters?
c) that it is easier for a child to read sentences written in lowercase letters than capital letters because capital letters are all the same size?
d) that 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 states 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.

5) The alphabet is taught sequentially, and as a whole entity, "a-z." The alphabet is not fragmented.

The alphabet is one unit with 26 parts which are all necessary for reading and spelling mastery. Why take 26 weeks to teach something that can be taught in a few weeks? Emergent learners can use the whole alphabet immediately because the Zoo-phonics Animals and Signals make it so concrete and playful.

6) Short vowels are taught before long vowels.

It is much easier for a child to remember the sounds of a word with two and three letters, than to memorise the configuration of larger words. Most long vowels are found in larger words because they require other vowels to create the long sound.

When children are ready for more advanced concepts, long vowels, diphthongs, silent letters, and soft sounds are taught with the Animal/Letters through Signals, stories, music and skits.

7) Phonemic patterns (at, bat, fat, sat, etc.) are taught first, rather than random word lists (of, it, then, was, etc.)

Children are "naturals" at locating patterns. Patterns help them make sense of their world. You wouldn't teach the times tables by mixing up the multiplication factors. Why, then, do we teach reading and spelling so randomly? Zoo-phonics teaches children through repetitive patterns, to make them aware of the patterns in speech and text.

8) High frequency words are taught phonemically, not by sight.

9) Phonics is taught as an integrated part of the language process.