What is Phonics and Why is it Important?

As a parent/carer you might have heard the term phonics mentioned at school and through the media and wondered what it is all about.  Phonics involves the relationship between sounds and their spellings. The goal of phonics instruction is to teach students the most common sound-spelling relationships so that they can decode, or sound out, words. This decoding ability is a crucial element in reading success.

There is a test at the end of year 1 to measure how well children are doing with their phonics.  But children need to use their phonics skills all through their schooling in order to be able to read unfamiliar words and spell words correctly when writing.  Over time they develop their skills and reading and writing becomes more fluent and automatic.

We have a briefing for parents every year to explain phonics and show what the children need to learn.  Below is a powerpoint of the last meeting and a video showing parents how to say the sounds.  You can also Click Here for top tips on how to help your child with phonics and for information about the Year 1 Phonics Screening Test which is done in June.

As Dr Seuss said, “The more you read, the more things you will know, the more you that you learn, the more places you’ll go."

Reading with your child is the most important thing you can do to help your child succeed. Click the links below to find out more.