Phonics
Phonics is defined by the National Literacy Trust (2017) as "a way of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children hear, identify and use different sounds that distinguish one word from another in the English language."
Understanding phonics helps children to know the sounds of individual letters, how to use them to decode words when reading, and also which letters to use when they are writing words. In the UK, it is most common to teach synthetic phonics; teaching how sounds are associated with particular letters to pronounce in isolation and then blended together to form a word.
For an overview of the letters, sounds and tricky words your child will be working on according to age or stage, take a look at my Phonics PDF. As well as all the knowledge you need, there is also a host of tried and tested games and activities suitable to try at home to make learning playful, practical and fun!
Phonics knowledge and understanding forms the foundation for so much of our children’s learning, especially in a language with so many exceptions and alternative sounds. I have vast experience teaching every phase of phonics and continuing this into spelling and grammar teaching as children progress; this experience feeds into many of my tutoring sessions and also into the range of resources I provide.
For online games to support your child’s phonic knowledge and understanding, visit:
