4. How do children learn to read
and write?
Reading and writing are both
necessary skills to learn, and
children will come to them from
many directions.
5. Introduction
In this module, we will explore the fundamentals of
Jolly Phonics and the importance of phonics
instruction in teaching reading and writing. We will
also debunk common misconceptions about phonics
instruction.
6. One of the key features of Jolly Phonics is its use of actions, songs,
stories, and games to teach phonics.
For example, children might learn the letter sound "s" by making a
hissing sound and pretending to be a snake, or they might learn
the letter sound "a" by singing a song about ants. These
multisensory activities help to engage children and reinforce their
learning.
key features
8. sight sound touch
The program is multisensory, meaning that it engages
children through a variety of senses, such
movement
9. Jolly Phonics teaches the 44 letter sounds of the English
language in a structured way, starting with the easiest
sounds and progressing to the more complex sounds.
Children learn to recognize and pronounce the letter
sounds and to associate them with specific letter shapes.
Jolly Phonics is suitable for children aged 3-7 years and is widely used in
schools and early childhood settings around the world. Its multisensory
approach and structured teaching method make it an effective tool for
teaching young children the foundational skills of reading and writing.
10. The Five Basic Skills of
Jolly Phonics
Jolly Phonics is designed to help children learn to read and
write by teaching them five basic skills:
• letter sounds
• letter formation
• blending
• segmenting
• tricky words
11. Letter Sounds
The program teaches children the 44 letter sounds of the
English language in a specific order, starting with the easiest
sounds and progressing to the more complex sounds.
For example, children might learn the letter sound "s" before
they learn the letter sound "th."
12. Letter Formation:
Jolly Phonics teaches children how to form letters correctly using
a structured approach. For example, when learning the letter "a,"
children are taught to start at the top and draw a slanted line
downwards to the left, and then to draw another slanted line
downwards to the right, before connecting the two lines with a
curved line.
14. Blending involves combining individual sounds together to
form words.
For example, children might be asked to blend the sounds
"c," "a," and "t" together to form the word "cat."
Blending:
15. Segmenting involves breaking words down into individual
sounds.
For example, children might be asked to segment the word
"cat" into its three individual sounds: "c," "a," and "t."
Segmenting
16. Tricky words are words that cannot be sounded out using
phonics rules and must be learned by sight.
For example, the word "the" is a tricky word because it
does not follow the usual phonics rules. Children must
learn to recognize tricky words by sight in order to read
them accurately.
Tricky Words:
25. The Importance of Phonics
Instruction in Teaching
Reading and Writing
26. Phonics instruction is a crucial component of teaching
children to read and write. Phonics provides the
foundation for decoding and encoding words, which
are essential skills for reading and writing.
27. Decoding refers to the ability to read words by
sounding them out. Phonics instruction teaches
children to associate the sounds of spoken language
with the letters and letter combinations used to
represent those sounds.
For example, children learn that the letter "b"
represents the sound /b/ and that the letter
combination "th" represents the sound /th/.
28. Encoding refers to the ability to spell words correctly.
Phonics instruction also helps children learn how to
spell words by teaching them the rules for combining
letters to represent the sounds of spoken language.
For example, children learn that the word "cat" is
spelled with the letters "c," "a," and "t" and that the
word "chop" is spelled with the letters "c," "h," "o,"
and "p."
29. Without phonics instruction, children may struggle to read and
write fluently and accurately.
For example, a child who has not been taught phonics may
struggle to read the word "jump" because they do not know how
to decode the letter combination "mp." They may also struggle to
spell the word "cat" because they do not know which letters to use
to represent the sounds in the word.
31. There are several common misconceptions about phonics
instruction, including the belief that phonics is boring or
outdated. However, research shows that phonics
instruction is effective and engaging when taught using a
multisensory approach.
32. Another misconception is that phonics instruction is only
suitable for struggling readers.
However, all children can benefit from explicit and
systematic phonics instruction. Phonics instruction provides
children with the tools they need to decode and encode
words accurately and fluently, which is essential for
reading and writing.
Even children who are already fluent readers can benefit
from phonics instruction as they encounter more complex
words and spelling patterns.
