SNIPPETS (38)- BY SUMAILA UMAISHA

_From my chats with writers_

I taught English, literature, and at a time language teaching methods in various schools and colleges across the north central zone. I found that reading deficiency was due to the traditional method of teaching English using the 26 letters of the Alphabet. Even now I still see wall charts reading "A is for Apple", etc. Laughable. My last 14 years before retirement from FCT Education Resource Centre were spent as the head of the panel which recommended textbooks for the teaching of English in Senior Secondary Schools. And I observed that Early Childhood Classes were only seen in private schools with their Nursery classes, etc. This is unfortunate… _Phonics for Beginners_ (2016) was my response to _Jolly Phonics_, the common textbook used in private schools. Phonics method should be compulsory for all teachers, broadcasters, and preachers, because most of the bad English we hear and read from today's youth is from listening to them.

© JOANAH IHEOMA OJI

- Nigeria