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Authorized Teachers
The First Focus Reading System incorporates phonics into helping children to learn to read. First Focus Reading teaches specific phonics and reading skills through a series of charts that is shared with students and parents. We welcome parent to participate in the program as we provide weekly updates on the progress and the current skills being taught in the classroom. By using phonics, we start by developing a solid foundation in reading and related language arts skills.
Using the First Focus Phonics System, the reader does not have to memorize long lists of words or have a photographic memory to read successfully. Each "Chart" focuses on one phonics-decoding concept. The First Focus Phonics Charts, Student Course Book, practice material and the Read and See Books provide the opportunity for a student to master each skill being taught and allow the student to apply the concepts successfully and quickly.
A brief outline of the First Focus skill set taught via the Chart system is as follows:
Chart 1 - Letters of the Alphabet
Chart 2 - Consonant sounds as described by the imaginary symbols
Introduction to the First Focus Reading Code: How to decode a word into the correct vowel and consonant sounds.
Chart 3a - Reading Long Vowel words
Chart 3b -Reading Short Vowel Words
Chart 3 a/b - Reading Combined Long & Short Vowel Words
Chart 4 - Consonant Digraphs, such as sh, ch, bl,
Chart 5 -
Chart 4&5 combined digraphs and blends
The Kindergarten, Level 2, curriculum ends with Chart 5
Part II: The Clues
The second part of the Course is designed to teach a student how to master the many exceptions and blended sounds in English.
For example, when a Y is the first letter of a word, the sound is consistent, such as yes, yesterday, yacht, yahoo, yawn, year, yellow, yogurt.
However, in words with a Y at the end of the word, we have some challenges. For example, listen to the sound of the Y in the word Cry and then the sound of the Y in the word Candy. In the first word, (cry) the y has the sound of an I, in the second word, (candy) the Y has the sound of an E or EE.
Students often struggle and are frustrated with the memorization involved in the many exceptions, such as the Y in the beginning of a word or at the end of a word.
First Focus has established a system of clues that complement the First Focus Reading Code and continue to allow the student to logically find the first vowel in a word and check if the word contains a clue which has a rule to determine the correct sound, the student then applies the clue or the standard reading code to obtain the correct sound and read the word.
The FIRST FOCUS Phonics System provides:
- A simple, safe and secure base for the beginning reader to build on.
- An easy, organized method of learning the decoding skills necessary to read.
- A consistent approach with practice materials which build competence and confidence.
Our Mission: Help every child learn to read quickly without frustration, fear or failure.
Lynne Hanson created the FIRST FOCUS approach to Phonics and has perfected it over 20 years of teaching reading and language arts in public and private schools. Her motivation was to help children overcome their feelings of frustration when they were asked to "Try!" but hadn't been taught "HOW". The result is a simple, efficient and very effective learning system from FIRST FOCUS Reading.
Lynne Hanson’s training, experience/accomplishments include:
* B.A. in Elementary Education, California Teaching Credential,
Reading Specialist Certificate State of California.
* Classroom Teacher, Resource Teacher, Reading Specialist -California Public Schools
* Director of Project CLINIC (Federally funded Cross-Age Tutoring Program)
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E.S.E.A. Title 3 service team on Cross-Age Tutoring and Self Esteem
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Classroom Teacher for Department of Defense Overseas DependentSchools
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ESL Classroom teacher of immigrant children in Borough of Bedford, England
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Owner/Director of Creekside Nursery School
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Reading Consultant for Cupertino Union School District
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Owner/Director/Tutor of Creekside Private School, private and small group tutoring
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Owner/Instructor of Hanson’s Reading, FIRST FOCUS™, training reading teachers
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Creator and Developer of FIRST FOCUS™ Phonics, a rapid-learning reading system
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Author of Hanson’s READ AND SEE BOOKS (series of books)
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