How to read phonetically in 6 steps!

Teaching children aged 2-3

Step 1:

In the beginning and the earliest stages, teach letter sounds from a-z (in order)

Use lower case letters (you can also show upper case letters but when the children do begin to read, they will mostly be exposed to lowercase letters)

Go through the letter sounds from a-z.

Note - In the English alphabet we have 44 sounds.

Step 2:

Go through the alphabet out of order (sounds)

Step 3

Move onto blending.

Create a board with sounds or flashcards if your child is easily distracted by too many things on one board.

Elongate the sounds to help your child to blend effectively.

Step 4

Use a phonics primer to help to teach your child to read.

See ‘The National Right to Read Foundation’.

Step 5

Choose appropriate books for beginner readers.

Step 6

Teach the sight words.

If words cannot be decoded phonetically then we can have the child memorise by sight.

The key is to do small amount each day. 1-2 minutes each day to start off with. Have fun with this. This should be an enjoyable experience for your child. When they get tired or distracted, that’s absolutely fine. Come back to it at another time or another day.

Happy Creative Reading Everyone!

The joys of reading!

There are always opportunities to read.

Curiosity

Always learning!