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How to teach a child using phonics in a different accent?


This is one of two questions regarding teaching my child to read using phonics. The other related question is:


How to teach the difference between "go" and "got" using phonics?


I am a parent of a four year old boy who is starting to read at school (UK). The school is using a phonics system to teach the children to read.


We live in the north-west of the UK - Manchester, to be precise.


My wife and I are from New Zealand. While our New Zealand accent is not particularly strong, we have occasional trouble making ourselves understood with native english speakers who speak with a Mancunian accent. For instance, when I ask someone for a "pen", I occasionally get a confused look and a question as to why I should want a "pin". Sigh.


Phonics, as a teaching system, is rather alien to both my wife and me. However, we are both very keen to consolidate and reinforce what our son is learning at his school.


I anticipate problems when teaching our son to read using phonics, particularly when we are teaching vowel sounds.


Should I:


(i) not worry - peer pressure and teaching will overcome whatever his silly parents are teaching and how they speak, or (ii) try to emulate the sounds as he is being taught them?




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