Phonics Sounds for Young Learners | Jolly Phonics Explained

Jolly Phonics is a synthetic phonics programme that teaches children the fundamental components of literacy. Using a multisensory, systematic method to teach the 42 sounds of English, this program teaches what children need to do to read, write and spell proficiently.” Here’s a breakdown of the program and some best practices for teaching, including props and activities.

Five Core Skills of Jolly Phonics

Learning Letter Sounds

The program teaches 42 principal sounds of letters in a particular order (non alpha, including individual sounds (i.e., /s/, /a/) and digraphs (i.e., /sh/, /th/).

Best Practices:

Develop sound-linking verbs and tales for linking sounds to movements (like moving a hand to imitate a snake for the /s/ sound).

At home, make a sound book for each child; parents play games with them, e.g. "Pairs" so they learn to recognize sounds.

Learning Letter Formation

Air-writing, tracing over dotted letters, and sand writing all emphasize correct letter formation.

Best Practices:

For correct writing posture, use finger tracing books and instruct on TRIPOD pencil grip.

Use multisensory props (like playdough to craft letters).

Blending

This skill blends together individual sounds to create words (ex: /c/, /a/, /t/ forms “cat”)

Best Practices:

Continue with word boxes, set of decodable readers.

Play games such as “Miming Words,” in which kids guess what blended word they are hearing based on play clues.

Breaking Words into Sounds (Segmenting)

Segmenting allows children to decompose words into their individual sounds — an important skill needed for spelling.

Best Practices:

Play games such as the “Chopping Game” that encourage children to “chop” words into the sounds they hear.

Dictate short words, such as “sun” or “flag,” to increase writing fluency.

Tricky Words

These are words that cannot be decoded phonetically (e.g., “was,” “said”).

Best Practices:

Phrases: If memorizing “people,” use flashcards and mnemonic strategies like “people eat omelettes, people like eggs.”

Practice “Look, Cover, Write and Check” often.

Sample Activities and Props

Sound Hunts: Kids search for items that start with a particular sound.

Blending Wheels: A wheel on which kids spin, combining sounds into words.

Digraph Dominoes: A matching game that requires matching these digraphs like “sh” or “ch.

Decodable Readers: Use interactive storyboards designed for specific sets of letters.

The First Nine Weeks Extension

Create different spellings for vowels (like “ai” in “rain” versus “ay” in “play”).

Start with dictated sentences and shift into creative writing; let them write their own stories.

Read in groups and silently expand your vocabulary

Conclusion

Assessment is integrated within the philosophy and practice of Jolly Phonics: it is a regular part of classroom activities, not a separate, summative process. Educators can ensure children develop strong reading and writing skills by implementing its principles into engaging props, regular practice, and parental involvement.

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Article Author

Swati Prasad

Swati Prasad is a seasoned educator and Communication Trainer with 13 years of teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor of Hotel Management and has completed coursework for a Master's in Tourism. Specializing in remote training, Swati has developed strong skills in independent and efficient work, with a focus on communication and organization. Swati's journey in education includes eight years as a Pre-primary teacher, where she honed her ability to connect with young learners. Her passion for teaching and communication extends beyond the classroom, as she is also the published author of two successful children's books: "You Can Be a Whizz Kid Too!" and "Choose Your Path to Happiness.

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