Teach sounds before you teach the Alphabet

When I start working with students who have been taught the alphabet, it is far harder to teach them phonics.

The letter name is different to the letter sound. This is why it can become so confusing if a child has been taught the alphabet first. Please don’t panic if you’ve done it this way. Just go back to teaching them the sounds. It will take a little longer and that’s ok.

My son is now 18 months and I am teaching him his phase 2 phonics. I use Anima phonics which is my favourite phonics programme (I do not get paid for recommending them, I just like them a lot!) I am fully ware that he will be exposed to the alphabet in his every day life and that is ok. He goes to nursery part time and he spends a lot of time with family members. But when he is with me, we learn the pure sound of the letters only.

I promise you that it will make it far easier to teach your child to read if they associate letters with sounds.

Only once my students are confident with the letter sounds do I then teach them the letter names.

What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.