Phonics
Information for Parents
September 2009
What is Phonics?
• Phonics is the teaching of reading,
children learn to associate letters with their
sound.
• Children are taught that letters have a
particular sound.
• They are taught to listen carefully to
sounds in words, to identify them, and
to associate them with a letter shape.
Letter sounds
• How many letters in the English alphabet?
• 26
• How many different phonemes (sounds) are
there that make up the English language?
• 44
• How many different graphemes (combinations of
written letters) are used to make these 44
sounds?
• Over 100.
Phonemes and Graphemes
• Through a daily phonics lesson, your
children will be taught to recognise these
26 letters, 44 phonemes and over 100
graphemes enabling them to become
confident readers and spellers.
• High frequency and ‘tricky words’ also
taught during phonic sessions.
Timing
• All infant children receive a daily 20
minutes lesson focusing on letters and
sounds.
• Opportunities are given throughout the
school day, across the curriculum, for
children to apply their developing phonic
skills.
Phonics Program
• Phonics is taught in 6 clearly defined
progressive stages.
• Children are taught according to their
need.
• Regularly assessed.
Phases
• Phase 1 – focus on speaking and listening
• Phase 2 – introduction of phoneme-grapheme
correspondence.
• Phase 3 – learn the rest of 44 phonemegrapheme correspondence
• Phase 4 – learn and spell words with adjacent
consonants
• Phase 5 – learn alternative spellings for
phonemes
• Phase 6 – developing children as spellers, fluent
readers and understand verb tenses
Games
• The teaching of phonics is highly
interactive.
• Most learning takes place when playing
games.
• Lots of oral work
Enunciation
• Great importance is placed on articulating
sounds clearly and precisely.
• t
• c
• d
• f
• j
• l
• m
• r
Reading
• Sound words out.
• Look out for 2 or 3 letters that make just
one phoneme.
• phonics cards parents.ppt
• Blend the sounds together
Spelling
• Encourage the children to sound words
out.
• Celebrate that children have the correct
phoneme.
• Errors identified.
• Select alternative grapheme.
Writing
•
•
•
•
•
Throughout the phases
Letter formation
Writing words
Writing captions
Writing sentences
Ideas for home
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•
•
•
•
I spy
Hangman
Spot the phoneme
Read books on a daily basis
Odd one out
Homework
• Once a week.
• Literacy will be related to an area of phonics
from that week.
• Read school reading book and other materials
on a daily basis
• R/Y1 Maths homework will be added later in the
school year.
• Y2 Maths –children to learn their tables when
directed by class teacher.
• Y2 Occasional Learning Logs