PLD is NOT just a spelling program; a SSP phonics program for reading, spelling, writing, word knowledge, HFWs and phonological awareness
PLD is a broad structured synthetic phonics program, with embedded tasks (and a routine) from which students learn:
The phonic concepts are (e.g. sh, au, ea, high and tion)
To decode (or read) the phonic-based words (across PLD's stages 1-6)
To read fluently, through the repeated readings of the phonic passages (and the application of the words correct per minute calculation embedded in the phonic passages).
To encode (or spell) the phonic-based words (across PLD's stages 1-6)
Understand the meaning of the phonic words (and this becomes more of a challenge from PLD's stage 3 and 4 when students are presented with multi-syllabic words)
Apply phonemic awareness (phonemes) and phonological awareness (syllable) sound units so that students are applying speech-sounds to print.
Explore the suffixes and prefix meaning units: Particularly from stage 3-6, a large percentage of the phonic words are also morpheme units:
To transfer the phonic words into the context of phonic dictation (through weekly practise).
High-Frequency Words (for reading, spelling and writing) are also embedded; the regular flash words and the irregular heart words.
Keep in mind when considering phonics applying to reading, spelling and writing:
Learning to decode and read is typically acquired first.
Acquiring the ability to spell the words takes more repetition and requires an added commitment to the learning tasks than did learning to read the words.
Acquiring the ability to transfer the concepts into writing takes further skill practise than did the reading and the spelling tasks.It is quite typical that from stage 3, the students can read the phonic list words, but they cannot spell the words, and also despite being able to 'read'/say the words, they often do not know what the words mean.
The phonic concepts are (e.g. sh, au, ea, high and tion)
To decode (or read) the phonic-based words (across PLD's stages 1-6)
To read fluently, through the repeated readings of the phonic passages (and the application of the words correct per minute calculation embedded in the phonic passages).
To encode (or spell) the phonic-based words (across PLD's stages 1-6)
Understand the meaning of the phonic words (and this becomes more of a challenge from PLD's stage 3 and 4 when students are presented with multi-syllabic words)
Apply phonemic awareness (phonemes) and phonological awareness (syllable) sound units so that students are applying speech-sounds to print.
Explore the suffixes and prefix meaning units: Particularly from stage 3-6, a large percentage of the phonic words are also morpheme units:
To transfer the phonic words into the context of phonic dictation (through weekly practise).
High-Frequency Words (for reading, spelling and writing) are also embedded; the regular flash words and the irregular heart words.
Keep in mind when considering phonics applying to reading, spelling and writing:
Learning to decode and read is typically acquired first.
Acquiring the ability to spell the words takes more repetition and requires an added commitment to the learning tasks than did learning to read the words.
Acquiring the ability to transfer the concepts into writing takes further skill practise than did the reading and the spelling tasks.It is quite typical that from stage 3, the students can read the phonic list words, but they cannot spell the words, and also despite being able to 'read'/say the words, they often do not know what the words mean.
Updated on: 31/03/2025
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