This course provides a clear and practical introduction to teaching phonics in early years and primary education. It explores the principles of systematic synthetic phonics and explains why phonics is a key foundation for developing children’s early reading and writing skills.

 

The course begins by introducing the structure of phonics teaching in the UK, including common phonics schemes, the typical sequence of learning, and the purpose of the Phonics Screening Check. Learners will then explore key terminology such as phoneme, grapheme and grapheme-phoneme correspondence (GPC), while developing an understanding of accurate sound pronunciation and the difference between continuant and non-continuant sounds.

 

Practical chapters focus on the core skills children need to become confident readers and writers. These include blending sounds to read words, segmenting words to support early spelling, and applying these skills across a range of word structures, including longer and more complex words.

 

The course also explores common exception words, explaining why they do not always follow standard phonics rules and introducing strategies to help children learn and remember them. Overall, the course equips learners with the knowledge and confidence to effectively support early phonics development.