For parents of young learners
How to teach phonics at home
Phonics teaches children the sounds that letters make, so they can blend sounds into words and read on their own. You don't need to be a teacher to start. Here is the order to teach in, an 8-week plan and a 10-minute daily routine.
By the Eloqova team · Updated 29 October 2026
The golden rule: teach the sound, not the letter name. "B" says /b/, not "bee". Children who learn sounds first can blend words much sooner.
The order to teach phonics
- Letter sounds: start with s, a, t, p, i, n. These six make many simple words.
- Blending: say the sounds and push them together, /s/ /a/ /t/ makes "sat".
- CVC words: three-letter words like cat, pin, sun and hop.
- Digraphs: two letters that make one sound, like sh, ch, th and ck.
- Consonant blends: two sounds said quickly, like st, fl, gr and tr.
- Magic e: an e at the end changes the vowel sound, as in cap to cape.
- Sight words: common words that don't follow the rules, like the, said and was.
An 8-week plan
| Week | Focus | Try these words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | s, a, t, p | sat, pat, tap, sap |
| 2 | i, n, m, d | pin, man, dim, sad |
| 3 | g, o, c, k | dog, cot, kit, got |
| 4 | e, u, r, h, b | bed, hut, rub, hen |
| 5 | f, l, j, v, w, x, y, z | fox, leg, jam, van |
| 6 | CVC reading | short sentences: "The cat sat on a mat." |
| 7 | sh, ch, th, ck | ship, chin, this, duck |
| 8 | First sight words | the, I, is, was, said |
A 10-minute daily routine
- 2 minutes: revise old sounds with flashcards.
- 3 minutes: teach one or two new sounds with an action or picture.
- 3 minutes: blend five words together, with your child pointing at each letter.
- 2 minutes: play a game, like "I spy something that starts with /m/".
Mistakes parents often make
| Mistake | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Teaching letter names first | Teach sounds first; names can come later. |
| Adding "uh" to sounds ("suh", "tuh") | Keep sounds short and clean: /s/, /t/. |
| Long sessions | Ten minutes a day beats one hour on Sunday. |
| Moving on too fast | Move on when your child knows a sound without guessing. |
| Only worksheets | Say sounds aloud, use actions and play games. |
How to practise at home
- Point to letters on cereal boxes and signboards and say their sounds.
- Make words with magnetic letters and swap one letter at a time (cat, hat, hot).
- Read a simple book together every day, letting your child read the words they can sound out.
- Record your child reading a short sentence once a week to hear the progress.
Questions parents ask
What age should a child start phonics?
Most children are ready between 3.5 and 5 years, around nursery or UKG, when they can listen for the first sound in a word.
Which letters should I teach first?
s, a, t, p, i and n. They are easy to say and make many simple words like sat, pin and tap.
How long does it take to learn phonics?
Basic letter sounds and blending take a few months with ten minutes of daily practice. Reading fluently with digraphs and blends usually takes a year or more.
Is jolly phonics the same as phonics?
Jolly Phonics is one popular programme for teaching phonics. It uses actions and songs, but the sounds and the order are similar to other synthetic phonics methods.