The current study aimed at investigating the characteristics of the phonic-based approach and seeking to show two points: the first was the students' ability to recognize the English sounds (/p/, /v/, /ʧ/) when heard (which will be tested by reading to children). The second point was the ability to realize these sounds while reading.
The researchers determined to overview the teaching methods that are actually used in teaching reading in English to primary school children in Kuwaiti public schools, and hence they pinpointed their advantages and disadvantages .The subjects sample were chosen randomly from several Kuwaiti public schools (the schools were chosen randomly as well). This evaluation was based on the students' results which depended on the reading and listening of two different short stories. The results were then compared to what is suggested at that stage by international educationists in the field.
It was expected that this study would result in the identification of the current methods of teaching reading in the Kuwaiti pubic primary schools. In addition, it emphasized the differences between genders and grades. The flaws of the current methods of teaching phonics in the public primary schools in Kuwait were addressed in connection to the recent studies conducted in the field of phonological awareness. This study is believed to be so authentic as the teaching of phonics has not been investigated previously in Kuwait, and gender-segregation in teaching phonics was greatly emphasized.
Key words: phonic awareness, teaching methods, gender, segregation
The research questions are as follows:
Are first and second grade students able to identify and read the English sounds (/p/, /v/, /ʧ/)?
Is there a difference between male and female students' ability to identify and read the sounds addressed?