Phonics

[DreamQ]

Hi, would someone be able to recommend a phonics app/ website that can be used for a 4 year old?

We are watching Alphablocks but, he sees that more as a tv programme ans he doesn't repeat after it.

TIA

Hairy letters hairy phonics and hairy words. All apps by nessy which are amazing for dyslexic children in particular but taught my 4yo to read pretty much.

https://www.sounds-write.co.uk/page-82-app-for-ipad.aspx

Highly recommend this app and free course for parents wanting to support their child with phonics

https://www.udemy.com/course/help-your-child-to-read-and-write/

Teach your monster to read is a very good phonics app that builds up overtime and goes through the full scheme

Thank you

Thanks for asking this question. I’ve just downloaded the app @LondonGirl83. Can’t wait to try it with my DC tomorrow.

I'm guessing you don't know which primary school he will go to yet, but if you do, they will tell you which phonics scheme they use. Or if he goes to nursery, what they use there.

Reading eggs is a subscription app but my son is loving it so far.

The most important thing if you are going to start phonics at home is that you learn the sounds. The pure sounds. It's disheartening for them to start school if they have learnt s is s-uh and have to relearn it at school.

My daughters school uses read, write inc as there phonics scheme. It's all new to me as they teach it very differently from my eldest 19 years ago!

@BootsMcToots

The most important thing if you are going to start phonics at home is that you learn the sounds. The pure sounds. It's disheartening for them to start school if they have learnt s is s-uh and have to relearn it at school.

I am a bit worried we’ve taught our DS wrong. Since he was 2 he’s been able to recognise and name the capital letters and lowercase. If he sees a B or b he’ll say that’s an B (bee) though rather than it’s a buh for the lowercase version. My husband said both uppercase and lowercase letters are named the same, but I was taught a B was a bee and a b was a buh. We still aren’t sure who’s right and what they’re going to teach him at school

@black2black it’ll be fine. He’ll pick up the sounds associated with the letters quickly enough. By year1 they teach them the letter names as they introduce more complex phonics anyhow.

Also, all the schemes (jolly phonics, read write inc etc) at their core are the same as they are based on synthetic phonics so I wouldn’t worry about aligning perfectly with the one used by your school or nursery. Teach Your Monster is fine for all them anyhow.

Jolly phonics songs is good to listen to on Alexa

Good suggestions already, hairy phonics, teach your monster to read, reading eggs, and we also find phonics play good which is a website with games.

But also / instead try setting up little games at home. Look at phonics family on Facebook or website. And five minute mum. Maybe these will help more as its learning in a different way.

Don't worry though 4 is only little and they all learn at different pace.

My dd is loving Reading eggs too and is learning a lot.

@black2black so the letters name is bee but its sound is buh. A capital B still has the sound buh. Also try not to add an 'uh' onto sounds, or you'll make blending more difficult. So avoid a buh cuh duh. I found this weird, had to look it up on YouTube.

@black2black they will focus on the sounds that the letters make when he starts school. Like indecisive says each letter has a name, which is the capital letter really, and each letter has a sound.

In your example of B, the letter name is bee and the sound is b but the sound isn't 'b-uh'. It makes a shorter, bouncier 'purer' sound than that.

Thanks @Indecisivelurcher and @BootsMcToots that’s really helpful!

Turns out my husband was right then. First time for everything

Please be aware that many of the apps recommended are from the US with English voices added and don't reflect how we teach phonics in the U.K. phonics teaching in the US is still in its infancy and often includes things like letter names and whole word memorisation.

@Norestformrz which apps are OK for English phonics?

Reading eggs seems in line with the sounds ds is learning but some of the games are whole word based eg 'Find sat' or 'Find at' or 'Find as'.

I'm afraid Reading Eggs is one I'd avoid along with Teach Your Monster to read.

I should say they're great fun and certainly entertaining but reflect the mixed methods still common in the US

That’s really interesting @Norestformrz . Our primary school actually gives all the children an individual login to Reading Eggs, so they can use it at home as well as school.

Dc just started reception and hasn’t been given one yet, just learning phonics and blending in the classroom. Is it used differently as children get older?

P.S, I’m not being critical. You seem really knowledgable, and I’m curious!

My youngest is 17, we didn't use apps.

But we did get the RWInc flash cards (having ascertained they used RWInc in school). Then made a post box from a cereal box covered in red paper.

The we used to play posting in the sounds she knew (starting with the easiest) and the counting out how many were in the box at the end.

Reading Eggs is Australian.

I think the reason that schools give parents access to these apps is because any parents don't listen to their dc read or help them at all at home. But they will let them play games on their phone so it's a 'better than absolutely nothing' approach.

Reading eggs is Australian not American if that helps. It is a joint venture between the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Blake eLearning, an Australian company that specialises in creating high quality literacy products for children throughout the world.