I have a son that is 9 years old and in the second grade. He is an avid reader. He enjoys the Ramona series, informational texts about sports, and especially the Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snickett. In school, his teacher insists that he continue with the phonics workbook pages even though he is a reader. My thinking is that if he has “cracked the code” in order to read, he already knows phonics. What is your opinion of this instructional practice?

Wow! It sounds like he’s doing wonderfully well with his reading. That’s terrific! It’s hard for me to really give an opinion about this as I’m not sure what his teacher is working on in class, what the assignments are like, and exactly where your child is in his progress. I do know that having him work on phonics assignments won’t hurt him, and that there are many levels of phonics instructions. If he’s doing well on these assignments, think of it as #1-good practice for him, and #2-the opportunity to feel great about his phonetic progress. (“Gee mom, these papers are a breeze! Aren’t I smart?”) Not bad reinforcement. I also know as a teacher with 20-30 kids in a class, it’s difficult to individualize each assignment. Most second graders still need to work on phonics and these assignments are very helpful and necessary for them. Perhaps you could challenge him at home by purchasing a phonics book that is a grade higher than he is currently working in. (Local bookstore or teacher supply store could be helpful here.)

In either case, I encourage you to discuss any and all options with his teacher. I always love to talk to parents and freely discuss their children and their needs. Just a few ideas—hope it’s helpful. Great job and keep up the good work! I just thought of another point. You mentioned that his teacher insists that he still work on phonics even though his is a reader. Many district and state curriculums continue to work out of phonics workbooks and focus on phonics issues up through fourth grade. So even though he’s reading (and it sounds likes he’s reading marvelously), phonics instruction is still a valid part of many school curriculums.