To a beginning reader, the act of reading can be a momentous task. Incorrectly taught, reading becomes a burdensome and arduous chore. Taught correctly, reading motivates the child to want to learn more.

In recent years, there has been much debate about how children should be taught to read. While the use of phonics has generally been advocated for this, the actual approach on how it should be used has been contentious. However, recent research carried out in the UK and elsewhere has shown that a method called systematic synthetic phonics (as opposed to other phonics approaches, such as analytical phonics) leads to better reading and spelling attainment among children.

Phonics Fun is our exciting new learn-to-read programme especially designed for the beginning reader. Built on the principles of systematic synthetic phonics, Phonics Fun takes advantage of interactive multimedia to make learning to read even more fun and stimulating.

THE PHONICS LESSONS

Children are taught three main things:

• Grapheme-phoneme correspondence
  
  Children are taught all the phonemes (the smallest sound units capable of conveying a distinct meaning) in the English language, and ways of writing them down. These sounds are systematically taught in a particular order. For example, the first sounds that children learn are the sounds of the letters s, a, t and p.
   
• Blending
  
  Children are taught to blend sounds to form words. They say the sounds that make up a word and merge the sounds together until they can hear what the word is. This skill is vital in learning to read.
   
• Segmenting
  
  Children are also taught to segment, which is the opposite of blending. Children say a word and then break it up into the phonemes that make up the word. This skill is vital in being able to spell words.

  Children also learn to recognize specific “tricky” words – words that are not spelt or pronounced according to the phonic “rules” that they are taught.

  There are also fun and exciting activities designed to reinforce what is taught in the lessons.

The research

#WHAT IS PHONICS?

Phonics is simply the connection between letter symbols and sounds. Using phonics, children are taught the relationships between letters and sounds. Children then use these relationships to read, write and speak words.

There are several kinds of phonics instruction. In analytical phonics, for example, children learn to read whole words by sight, often in the context of meaningful text. To deduce which sounds go with which letters, they compare and contrast the similar-sounding words (pat/mat, sigh/high). Letter sounds are taught after reading has already begun. In synthetic phonics, children are first taught the sounds that go with a few letters; they then use this knowledge to sound out words written with those letters. More letter-sounds and words to decode with these letters are gradually added.

OUR STRATEGY

• Use phonics as the primary first method to teach children to read.
• Teach phonics in a systematic way across the programme.
• Set lessons within a rich language environment that develops speaking and listening, reading and writing skills.
• Use a multisensory approach to teaching so that children learn using all their senses. This is vital because all children learn differently.

CONTENTS

• ch, sh, th, ng
• ai, ee, igh, oa, oo
• ar, or, ur, ow, oi
• ear, air, ure, er
• ay, ou, ie, ea
• oy, ir, ue, aw
• wh, ph, ew, oe, au
• a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e, u-e