What are phonics????

6 replies

lovelymoo · 26/05/2007 13:33

My DD is due to start school in september, she currently attends a day nursery two morns a week. I was talking to a friend yesterday who has a DS the same age who goes to a nursery too but for longer periods and she was going on about how good is at reading now he has started to learn phonics.
Can someone explain to me what it is
Thanks

OP posts:

deestingsduznotappen · 26/05/2007 13:35

I think all children are supposed to learn using phonics now! It's basically breaking the word down into sounds! For example, teaching that t, is t, not Tee, or Ter, just a very short t.!

Whizzz · 26/05/2007 13:35

info
Phonics are just letter sounds - loads of ways of teaching them -

Original poster

lovelymoo · 26/05/2007 15:37

Thanks guys
so should start doing this then really so she has some idea when she gets to school. Whats the best way to start?
Sorry but this is all new to me and so different to how i was taught

OP posts:

blackandwhitecat · 26/05/2007 20:03

You can get the Jolly Phonics books, games etc in most book shops and Early Learning Centre. It's pretty clear and easy to follow TBH. I started doing it with my dd before she went to school and she knew all the letters and sounds before she started in reception but it's still taken her till now (end of reception) to be reading with confidence although she has got a June birthday. So I would advise you just to encourage a love of books with your dd and help her understand that letters represent sounds and make up words which make up books rather than doing too much formal type of learning.

tortoiseSHELL · 26/05/2007 20:04

Don't stress about it I would say! They'll do it all at school, just read lots of books together!

SpringBunny · 26/05/2007 20:13

Phonics are great fun - the Jolly Phonics DVD is great, my kids loved it. I got it for my 4 yr old dd and my 3 yr old ds taught himself to read at the same time. There are actions and songs to go along with it so it is multi sensory, dd preferred the actions ds the songs!

It is basically like teaching numbers, just letters as the 'building blocks' of words i.e. c-a-t is cat

You can also get finger phonics books which go with the DVD and help reinforce it.

It is definitely not 'formal learning' but the results are amazing. Ds would also be due to start Reception in September and he can read - he read a notice that said 'do not use' today in a coffee shop! It is great when they really 'get' what reading is for

Flip