What is phonics?

Phonics is 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.

Written language can be compared to a code, so knowing the sounds of individual letters and how those letters sound when they’re combined will help children decode words as they read.

Understanding phonics will also help children know which letters to use when they are writing words.

Phonics involves matching the sounds of spoken English with individual letters or groups of letters. For example, the sound k can be spelled as c, k, ck or ch.

Teaching children to blend the sounds of letters together helps them decode unfamiliar or unknown words by sounding them out. For example, when a child is taught the sounds for the letters t, p, a and s, they can start to build up the words: “tap”, “taps”, “pat”, “pats” and “sat”.

(National Literacy Trust)

Jolly Phonics is a fun and child centred approach to teaching literacy through synthetic phonics. With actions for each of the 42 letter sounds, the multi-sensory method is very motivating for children. The letter sounds are split into seven groups, as shown in the Letter Sound Order chart below.

HOW DOES JOLLY PHONICS WORK?

Using a synthetic phonics approach, Jolly Phonics teaches children the five key skills for reading and writing. Complimented by Jolly Readers and Jolly Grammar, it provides a thorough foundation for teaching Phonics over three years in school (Reception to year 2).

LETTER SOUND ORDER

The sounds are taught in a specific order (not alphabetically). This enables children to begin building words as early as possible.

THERE ARE FIVE SKILLS TAUGHT IN JOLLY PHONICS

1.LEARNING THE LETTER SOUNDS

Children are taught the 42 main letter sounds. These include alphabet sounds as well as digraphs such as sh, th, ai and ue. 

2.LEARNING LETTER FORMATIONS

Using different multi-sensory methods, children learn how to form and write the letters. 

3.BLENDING

Children are taught how to blend the sounds together to read and write new words.

4.IDENTIFYING THE SOUNDS IN WORDS (SEGMENTING)

Listening for the sounds in words gives children the best start for improving spelling.

5.TRICKY WORDS

Tricky words have irregular spellings and children learn these separately.