What is phonics anyway?

Phonics
Phonics is about learning about the sounds of letters and the way words are made up of units ofsounds. Instead of learning the names of the alphabet - 'Ay, Bee, Cee' - children learn the sounds the letters make - 'Ah, Buh, Cuh'.
Children start by learning the names of all the letters in a certain order. Each letter is usually introduced with a picture and an action to make the learning more fun and easier to remember.
Next children learn how to blend (or crash) two letters together and work out what new sound they then make. They learn about pairs of letters and the sounds they make (such as 'sh', 'cr', 'bl') and they also learn how to break up words into small units of sound and then put them together again.
They also learn about the shapes of letters, learning how to write them too. It sounds complicated but it is really just a way to teach children about the sounds of letters and how they chunk together to make words.
Schools will teach it in a really engaging and fun way. You'll probably find your child bringing home worksheets for the new letters they are learning - with pictures to colour, actions to practice and they will be starting to learn how to write the letters, too. We have some phonics worksheets available on Netmums too. 


How can I help my child learn to read with phonics?

  • Look and say As your child is learning their letters you can practice with them at home. Look atthe letter, make the action they have learnt together, say its sound and think of lots of words beginning with that letter. Can they spot the letter in a book or on signs as you walk home? Keep saying its sound whenever you see it.

      • Phonics
    1. 1. Books, books and more books Right from when your baby is only a few months old you can start to read books together and make books and reading part of your baby's life. Not only is reading to your child a lovely thing to do but right from this early age you are teaching them important pre-reading skills - which way up a book goes, the way we read from right to left, the shapes of words, how words tell a story...
    2. Rockin' and a rhyming Share lots of nursery rhymes, rhyming books and rhyming songs with your child. When you and your toddler enjoy giggling to funny rhymes - such as 'The fat cat sat on the mat', you are also providing them with a strong foundation for reading. They don't know it, but they are actually learning early phonics. Put simply - good rhymers make good readers.
    3. Sounds not names Teach children the sounds rather than the names of letters. So when you look at letters on signs, in books and car registration plates say the sounds. So for 'C' say 'Cuh' not 'Cee'. 'H' is 'huh' not 'aitch'.
    4. Look at the shape of letters with your child You can draw the letters on your child's tummy or back, ask them to draw them on yours with their fingers and then draw them on the carpet or in sand or flour you have sprinkled on the table. You can even make letters out of playdough. All this fun will help them learn the shapes of the letters and help when they learn to write.
    5. Get to the point When you are reading with your toddler or pre-schooler point to words in the book when you are reading and when you are looking at the pictures together. Run your finger underneath the words. They will begin to learn about word shapes, to recognise letters and also learn the basic skill of reading text from right to left.
    6. Play games with rhyming words You can play fun games with rhyming words - make some up as you walk to the shop perhaps - 'Let's think of as many words as we can that rhyme with 'pig'. Or how about drawing funny pictures together of things that rhyme - 'Let's draw a pig in a wig doing a jig'.
    7. Make it magnetic Buy some magnetic letters and a magnetic board. Once your child learns the sounds of new letters at school you can help them 'crash' letters together on their magnetic board. Get a 'c' and say its sound - 'cuh'. Then get an 'a' and say its sounds - 'ah' - then crash the two magnetic letters together on the board and say the new word 'ca'. Then build it up and 'crash' on a 't' to say 'Cat' .Then find other rhyming words such as 'mat', 'bat, 'sat'.
    8. Don’t compare All children learn to read at different rates - there will be some early readers who have a vast vocabulary and can read many words when they start school, and there will be others who take a lot longer for it to fall into place. At the beginning reading is quite hard and slow and can even be frustrating. Often your child will learn how to read his whole reading book from memory and will be reading it to you with the book upside down, just spouting the words he has heard so many times. Don't worry at all. Keep reading fun and keep using all of the tips we have shown you here. Once they have mastered phonics and learnt lots of the tricky words, suddenly things all click into place and reading becomes easier, faster and more enjoyable.
    9. Tricky words The English language is a tricky thing to master - not all our words fit neatly into the sounds children have learnt and for every rule we have there is an exception. Alongside phonics, children will be learning these tricky words - a few at a time. You can help them by practising them often. Try using the 'Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check' method. Look at the word, say it out loud together, cover it, ask your child to write it, then uncover and check if it is right. Point out the tricky words they are learning when you get to them in books or on signs you read.
    10. Library Use your local library, sign you child up for their own library card and borrow books regularly. Most libraries have a large children’s section, often with colourful paintings and soft beanbags to make it a fun place to visit. Find your local library here
    11. Regular reading Read to your child and with your child often. Read silly books, funny books, exciting books, read street signs and the back of the cereal packet at the breakfast table! Let your children see how much you read too - whether it is magazines, newspapers, books or an ereader.


    This article is taken from NetMums


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