What Is Phonics? A Parents’ Guide to Teaching English Letter Sounds
Phonics is a way of teaching reading in which children learn the sound of each letter, then blend the sounds to read words on their own. It’s one of the most widely used methods in schools today. This article explains it simply and shows how to use it at home.
- Suitable age
- 4 to 7 years
- Suggested time
- 10 minutes a day
- what phonics means, and the difference between a letter’s name and its sound.
- the four stages of learning to read with sounds.
- the suggested order for teaching sounds, and why we don’t start with A B C.
- common mistakes, and a short daily routine for home.
What’s the Difference Between a Letter’s Name and Its Sound?
Every English letter has a name and a sound:
- The letter’s name is what we say in the alphabet song. The name of S is “ess”.
- The letter’s sound is what we hear when we read a word. The sound of s is “s”, as at the start of sun.
When your child reads sun, they say the sounds, “s – u – n”, then blend them. That’s why we teach the sound first. Listen to the difference:
The Four Stages of Learning to Read with Sounds
| Stage | What does your child learn? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sounds | Each letter’s sound, a few sounds each week. | The sound of t is “t”. |
| 2. Blending | Saying a word’s sounds in a row, then faster until the word appears. This is reading. | c – a – t… cat |
| 3. Segmenting | Hearing a word, splitting it into sounds and writing a letter for each. This is writing. | cat → “k – a – t” |
| 4. Common words | A few words that can’t be sounded out are learned as they are. | the, I, you |
In What Order Should the Sounds Be Taught?
We don’t teach the sounds in A B C order. We start with sounds that make words quickly. After learning just s a t p, a child can read words like sat, tap, pat and at.
This is the order in the Kitabcom book, a group of sounds in each unit. Tap any letter to open its page, with its sound, words and song:
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Adding a vowel after the sound: “suh” and “tuh” | The extra vowel stops blending: “suh – a – tuh” doesn’t become sat. | A short, clipped sound: “s” and “t”. |
| Using letter names while reading | “see – ay – tee” doesn’t make the word cat. | Read with the sounds: “k – a – t”. |
| Too many sounds in one day | Your child forgets the sounds and mixes them up. | One or two new sounds a day, with a review of earlier ones. |
| Teaching similar letters together | Your child mixes up b and d. | Teach each of them in a different week. |
A Ten-Minute Daily Routine
- Two minutes: review earlier sounds with cards.
- Three minutes: the new sound, with its word and song from the letter pages.
- Three minutes: read two or three words by blending, as in reading a first word.
- Two minutes: the game “What starts with the sound…?” using things in the room.
A chart of every sound, with a printable file, is in English Letter Sounds. After single sounds come the digraphs sh, ch and th.
Choose one sound (s) and find 3 things in the room that start with it, saying the sound short: “s”.
Start each lesson with a one-minute “sound and touch”: you say the sound and the children point to the letter on the wall.
Summary
- Phonics teaches reading through letter sounds, not letter names.
- There are four stages: sounds, blending sounds to read, segmenting words to write, and common words learned by sight.
- Start with the sounds s a t p, because they make lots of words quickly.
- Say each sound short, with no vowel after it: “s”, not “suh”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I teach my child the letter’s name or its sound first?
Start with the sound, because children read with sounds. The sounds “k – a – t” make the word cat; the names “see – ay – tee” don’t. Children pick up the names at the same time from the alphabet song.
At what age should a child start phonics?
Usually between 4 and 6, once they can hear the first sound in a word, for example knowing that sun starts with “s”.
How many minutes a day does a child need?
Ten minutes a day is enough, and it does more than a full hour once a week. In each session: a new sound, a review of earlier sounds, and two words to read.
What’s the difference between phonics and Jolly Phonics?
Phonics is the method itself. Jolly Phonics is a well-known program that teaches it in the order s a t i p n. The order in the Kitabcom book is close to it: s a t p, then i n m d.
