Phonics

What is Phonics?

Phonics is a method of teaching children how to read and write. It gives your child the tools to read almost every word. Your child will:

recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes.
identify the sounds that different combinations of the letter make such as /sh/ /air/
blend these sounds together to make a word.

Children can then use these tools to 'decode' new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read.

How will your child learn Phonics?

Phonics uses a 'systematic' approach and your child's school may use the following Phonics programmes:

Letters and Sounds
Jolly Phonics
Read Write + Inc (Ruth Miskin)
Letterland

Phonics can begin as young as nursery all the way to Year 2. Learning Phonics will have a big pay off for your child. The more success your child has, the more capable and confident he or she will be.

How can you support early reading development at home?

It is important that your child learns the lower case or small letters first. Obviously, you should use a capital letter when it is required, such as the beginning of a child's name. Also when you talk to your child about the letters, remember to use the letters sounds rather than the alphabet names.

Let your child see you enjoy reading
Immerse your child in the love of reading
Encourage your child to sound out unfamiliar words rather than using pictures to guess the word.