Teach step-by-step
You don’t need to teach the whole alphabet to get reading going. Start with just a few letters, and get children to build words from them. Phonic Books starts with ‘s’, ‘a’, ‘t’, ‘i’ and ‘m’.
Work with word-building
Word-building is the best way to teach reading and spelling. Write letters on cards and ask children to build a CVC word, such as ‘mat’. This way, children can clearly see how letters represent sounds and how those sounds can be built and blended into words.
Teach reading and spelling together
Always include spelling as part of your reading lessons. Spelling is the reverse activity of reading and, once children understand this, they will start to find plausible phonic spellings in their own writing.
Use blending for beginners
When reading with children, use blending as the strategy for reading a new word. If the child has not come across a spelling in a word, you can tell them the sound and ask them to blend it into the word by adding the letters/sounds they already know. This can also work with high-frequency words.
Practise to make perfect
Most people need to practise a skill before they become proficient. This is essential in reading, as we are aiming to develop automaticity and fluency. A great way to practise and consolidate what has been taught is to offer decodable books and a variety of phonics games.