Learning phonics is a critical skill for reading development, and it is essential to reinforce this at home.
This article provides guidance for parents to support their children in developing phonological awareness. Teachers can share this URL with parents to help them understand and implement these strategies.
Understanding Phonics and Its Importance
Phonics is the method of teaching reading by correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters.
It is foundational for children as it helps them decode words, improving their reading and spelling skills. Engaging in phonics activities at home can significantly enhance a child's phonological awareness, especially for those struggling.
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 Remedial 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 - a couple of examples are listed before. For a full list see here.
Activities to Improve Phonics at Home
If you want to play a part in improving your child's phonics, there are ways to improve phonics at home, this time through some fun games. Below we give an example. However, for more games like this, please view this article that we created that goes into more detail.
Clap Out Syllables
Start simple by clapping out syllables in everyday words. Use familiar terms like their favourite football team or what you're eating for dinner. One clap for each syllable. This can be something you do anywhere! Some examples below:
Chel-sea (Chelsea)
Pas-ta (Pasta)
Ap-ple (Apple)
Cho-co-late (Chocolate)
Li-on (Lion)
Morphology, a complementary approach to supplement phonics
Sometimes phonics can be a real sticking point. If this is the case, then you might want to try Morphology. Morphology is the study of the structure and form of words, particularly how they can be broken down into meaningful units called morphemes. Morphemes include roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and understanding these elements can significantly enhance a child's ability to decode and spell words. If a child really struggles with learning phonics, morphology might be a good option.
How This Helps
Morphology provides a different approach to phonics, focusing on the meaning of word parts rather than just sounds. This can be especially beneficial for children who struggle with traditional phonics methods. By learning how words are constructed from meaningful forms, students can better understand and predict word meanings, improving both their reading comprehension and spelling accuracy.
If you would like to try Morphology, check out our article here which explains more detail.
Decodable Texts
Decodable texts are reading materials specifically designed to align with a child's current phonics knowledge. These texts include only the phonetic patterns and words that the child has already learned, making them an essential tool for building reading fluency and confidence.
How this helps
Decodable texts provide a structured and supportive reading experience, allowing students to practice their phonics skills in a meaningful context. By focusing on words they can decode, students build confidence and fluency. Repeated reading of decodable texts reinforces learning and helps students achieve high levels of accuracy and comprehension.
Tips for Decodable Texts
Selecting Decodable Texts:
Choose decodable texts that match the child’s current phonics level. Ensure the text only includes words and phonetic patterns that the child has already learned.
Re-Reading for Fluency
Encourage the child to read the same decodable text multiple times over several days. Each reading helps build automaticity with phonics patternsphonetic patterns and improves their reading speed and accuracy.
Phonics for Older Learners (11+)
Phonics instruction can also be adapted for older learners who may still need support with foundational reading skills.
While the principles remain the same, the approach is tailored to be age-appropriate and relevant to older students. It's also worth noting that most children should be pretty good at phonics by the age of 9. So if they're still struggling, it might be worth getting some extra help.
A Few Tips for Older Learners
Use More Complex Texts:
Incorporate phonics practice into more challenging, age-appropriate texts that align with the student's interests. This helps keep them engaged while reinforcing phonetic principles.
Morphology Focus:
Older learners can benefit from a greater focus on morphology, understanding how words are formed and how this knowledge can help with spelling and reading complex texts. Oftentimes Morphlogy can be the unlock when other things haven't worked. Ask the learner to look for suffixes/prefixes, or find words that have the same roots and compare the meaning.
Consistency is Key:
Regular, consistent practice is important for older learners, just as it is for younger students. Short, frequent sessions can be more effective than infrequent, longer ones.
Extra Support Outside of School
You might want to get your child some help outside of school. Particualrly, if they are age 10 or above. This can be done inexpensively - check out 'Tutor Hunt' and search 'phonics tutors' and you can arrange phonics lessons for just £15 an hour. Link here.