There are 44 sounds (called phonemes) in the English language and each sound can be represented by a letter/some letters (called graphemes). It’s important for children to hear the sounds in the word and say them individually so that they can write them. It’s also important to say the sounds as purely as you can, avoiding the “uh” sound at the end of letter sounds. A free film demonstrating how to say all the letter sounds can be found here.
How schools typically teach phonics
In schools, phonics instruction is systematic and sequential, starting with simple sound-letter relationships and progressing to more complex patterns.
Teachers use a variety of activities to teach phonics, including reading, writing, and interactive games. Parents must collaborate with teachers to ensure consistent support at home, reinforcing the skills learned in school. To find out more, you should contact your school SENCo.
A well-known phonics expert has created an online course for parents to understand phonics which covers this in more detail. It does, however, have a £15 charge. See link here.
Intensive literacy programmes
Intensive remedial literacy programs can be beneficial for children requiring additional support. These programs are designed to provide structured and focused intervention to improve phonics and reading skills. There are some programs that schools could use, and a couple of examples are listed before. For a full list, see here.