Literacy

Why We Teach Phonics

In the early years at our school, children are taught the letters of the alphabet.  They learn what each letter looks like, the sound that it makes and how to write it.  This is called phonics.  As they progress, they learn the sounds that can be made by letter combinations such as 'sh', 'ch', and 'ng'.   Children use these letters and letter combinations to make words that are increasingly complex as they progress from Foundation to Year 2.  

At St Joseph's, children are explicitly taught phonics by their teachers and they practice with flashcards, songs, worksheets, games and mini whiteboards.  There are, of course, some 'Tricky Words' that can't easily be sounded out yet.  These are also taught explicitly to the students and they practise reading and spelling these words.  When they bring 'readers' home they will be decodable books - books that only have words in them that they can 'decode' because they have learnt those letters and the tricky words inside them.

How You Can Help

When reading at home with your child, remind them to say the sounds of a word and then blend them together.  If they are still struggling, say the sounds for them and then help them to blend them together.

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