Phonics Support for Primary School Children

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Learning to read is one of the most important milestones in a child's education, and phonics is the method used in most UK primary schools to teach reading and spelling skills.

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With many, many years teaching phonics and early reading, I help children build confidence with phonics through personalised assessments, targeted activities, and expert support.

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What is Phonics?

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Phonics teaches children how letters and groups of letters represent sounds. Children learn to:

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• Recognise letter sounds (phonemes)

• Match sounds to letters (graphemes)

• Blend sounds together to read words

• Segment words into sounds for spelling

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For example, the word cat can be broken into the sounds:

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c – a – t

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Children then learn to blend these sounds together to read the whole word.

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Phonics provides the foundation for fluent reading and helps children tackle unfamiliar words independently.

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Phonics Programmes Used in Schools

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Many schools follow a structured phonics programme to teach reading.

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Read Write Inc.

Read Write Inc. (RWI) is one of the most widely used phonics programmes in England. Children learn sounds in a carefully planned sequence and practise reading books matched to their phonics knowledge.

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The programme focuses on:

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• Learning letter sounds

• Blending sounds to read words

• Reading fluently

• Developing comprehension skills

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Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised

Little Wandle is another popular phonics programme used in primary schools. It follows the government's Letters and Sounds framework and provides systematic daily phonics teaching.

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Children learn:

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• New sounds and spelling patterns

• How to blend for reading

• How to segment for spelling

• Reading fluency and confidence

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Both Read Write Inc. and Little Wandle aim to help children become confident, independent readers.

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What is the Phonics Screening Check?

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The Phonics Screening Check is a short assessment taken by children in Year 1.

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During the check, children read 40 words aloud, including:

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• Real words

• Pseudo-words (sometimes called "nonsense words")

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The purpose is to assess whether children can use their phonics knowledge to decode unfamiliar words.

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What if My Child Doesn't Meet the Expected Standard?

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Many parents worry if their child does not achieve the expected score in the phonics screening check. However, the assessment is designed to identify children who may benefit from additional support.

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Not meeting the expected standard does not mean a child will struggle with reading long term.

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Children who need further support will usually:

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• Receive additional phonics teaching at school

• Continue practising key sounds and blending skills

• Retake the screening check in Year 2

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With the right support, many children make rapid progress.

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Signs Your Child May Need Extra Phonics Support

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Your child may benefit from additional phonics practice if they:

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• Struggle to blend sounds into words

• Guess words instead of sounding them out

• Find unfamiliar words difficult to read

• Lack confidence when reading aloud

• Fall behind classmates in reading development

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Early support can make a significant difference

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How to Help Your Child at Home

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Simple daily practice is often the most effective way to improve phonics skills.

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You can help by:

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• Reading together every day

• Practising letter sounds and digraphs

• Using decodable books matched to your child's level

• Playing phonics games

• Revisiting sounds your child finds difficult

• Encouraging your child to sound out unfamiliar words

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Just 10–15 minutes of focused practice each day can help build confidence and reading fluency.

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Need Help Identifying Gaps in Your Child's Phonics Knowledge?

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Every child learns at a different pace. If you're unsure which sounds or skills your child needs to work on, a phonics assessment can help identify gaps and provide targeted next steps.

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Whether your child follows Read Write Inc., Little Wandle, or another school phonics programme, I can help them build the skills and confidence they need to become a successful reader.

 

I offer tutoring on a 1:1 basis and can be contacted via the contact page. ​

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Hourly rate: £50 

Invoices payable within 24 hours after the completed session