Learning to read is a fundamental milestone in every child’s development, and phonics plays a crucial role in building this skill.
Phonics is a structured approach to reading that teaches young children to connect letters with their corresponding sounds. This enables them to work out words—even new and unfamiliar ones—independently, without relying on memorising entire vocabulary lists.
Through English phonics instruction, young children strengthen their reading and spelling skills while developing a lifelong love for reading, setting the stage for academic and personal success.
In this article, we will explore the importance of phonics in literacy development for children, share examples of how English phonics instruction takes place in the classroom, and how parents can effectively support their child’s phonics skills at home.
Phonics is a method of teaching reading by linking sounds, or phonemes, with letters or groups of letters, which are known as graphemes.
For instance, the /k/ or “kuh” sound in English can be spelled in various ways, such as "c" in cat, "k" in kangaroo, "ck" in duck, and "ch" in choir. When children understand these letter-sound relationships, they can apply this knowledge to unfamiliar words, allowing them to read more fluently and independently.
Contrast phonics with other approaches like whole language learning, where children are encouraged to memorise entire words and learn to recognise them through repeated exposure. For example, children may identify the word “house” by encountering it multiple times in stories, flashcards, and written exercises.
However, they might make no connections between the letters of the word “house” and its sounds. On the other hand, phonics breaks the word down into its component sounds /h/ – /ou/ – /s/.
Children learn how these sounds are linked to specific letters and how they form a complete word. This approach enables them to decode not just "house" but also similar words like "mouse" or "blouse" by applying the same phonics rules, rather than relying on memorisation.
This makes phonics a reliable strategy to help children, particularly those in the pre-reader stage, approach new and unknown words when reading.
1. Enhanced reading fluency
Children can read words more smoothly and naturally by systematically learning letter-sound relationships.
2. Improved spelling skills
Strong recognition of spelling and sound patterns helps children spell words more accurately.
3. Stronger reading comprehension
Decoding skills allow children to focus on understanding the meaning of a text rather than struggling with word recognition and pronunciation.
4. Boosting confidence in a multilingual environment
In Singapore’s linguistically diverse setting, phonics provides a clear structure for learning English. This can be especially helpful for children who speak Mandarin, Malay, or Tamil as a first language at home and have limited exposure to English.
English phonics classes can:
- Strengthen pronunciation skills and improve communication.
- Provide children with a better grasp of English spelling and vocabulary.
- Help children work out unfamiliar words using letter-sound recognition skills.
Here is how phonics instruction uses a structured approach to nurture reading skills in children:
Children will learn to see a letter and identify the sound it represents. Instruction begins with teaching the basic sounds of individual letters, such as "a" as in apple and “b” as in ball.
Once children can recognise and pronounce basic vowel and consonant sounds, the instructors will help them move on to more complex syllables. For example, after learning the sounds of "c" and "h" separately, children are introduced to the "ch" sound, as in "chip" or "cheese."
These new combinations show children how individual letters can work together to form new sounds.
Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds, known as phonemes, in spoken language. This is an essential step in building literacy for young children.
Children are taught to recognise rhyming words like “cat” and “hat, helping them understand the sounds that these words have in common. They are also trained to identify sounds that appear at the beginning, middle, and end of a word.
Take the word “cat”, for example. Here, the beginning sound is /k/, as in "kite", the middle sound is /æ/—this is the short "a" sound, like in "apple. Finally, the ending sound is /t/ as in "top".
This helps children understand different sounds and how they can be combined to create a single word.
At this stage, children are guided in the process of blending individual sounds into whole words, and then breaking down words into their phonic parts. These are essential skills for reading and spelling.
To reinforce these skills, instructors may use hands-on techniques such as clapping out the number of syllables per word, using magnetic letters to build and deconstruct words, or playing a variety of interactive phonics games.
These activities make learning engaging and help children retain phonics concepts effectively.
Children can apply their phonics skills by reading easily decodable books. These are a special type of book with simple storylines and vocabulary, designed to feature words that children can sound out using a phonics approach.
Each book typically focuses on a specific letter sound, syllable pattern, or phoneme, allowing children to practice decoding new words systematically.
As they progress, kids are gradually introduced to more complex texts. This helps them build fluency, confidence, and a strong foundation in reading.
Retaining phonics skills requires plenty of practice.
Daily reading, spelling, and writing exercises help reinforce these skills, making them second nature to children as they progress in their literacy development.
Interactive phonics games such as word-picture matching, sound recognition activities, and word puzzles provide fun, hands-on ways to strengthen phonemic awareness and decoding skills in the classroom.
An example of a sound recognition game is “What’s That Sound?”. The teacher makes a letter or syllable sound such as /sh/. Children will then point out a picture or flashcard of a word beginning with that sound, like “shoe” or “share”.
Parents play a crucial role in reinforcing phonics learning at home and building their child’s confidence in reading. Here are some practical ways you can support your child’s literacy development through phonics:
Choose simple, phonics-based books that match your child’s reading level, such as Usborne’s Phonics Reader series. Point to words as you read aloud, emphasising letter sounds and helping your child sound out unfamiliar words. You can also place books within easy reach around the home to encourage independent reading.
Practice phonics through games like rhyming songs or nursery rhymes to help your child identify sound patterns. You can even play ‘I Spy’ with phonics clues. For example, “I spy something that starts with the sound /b/ or “buh’, and encourage your child to find a relevant object like a ball or book.
Try labelling everyday household items such as "chair," "table”, and “cup” to help familiarise your child with spelling and corresponding word sounds. For a similar impact, you can hang up alphabet charts or phonics posters to provide your child with constant visual exposure to letters and sounds.
Have your child write out simple words and sentences using their phonics knowledge, breaking down the words into their sound components as they go along. Tactile tools like magnetic letters, letter tiles, or play-dough can make spelling practice more engaging and fun.
Give your child a strong foundation in reading by enrolling them in a structured pre-reading class. A well-designed phonics program helps develop essential skills such as letter recognition, sound blending, and early word decoding, setting your child up for a lifetime of reading enjoyment.
At ICR, we recognise the importance of phonics as one of the most effective ways to build reading confidence in Singaporean children.
Alongside phoneme manipulation, we also incorporate oral communication, story appreciation, digital learning tools, and vocabulary development as essential elements in our Pre-Reading Programme and Sound Reading Programme.
While phonics forms the foundation of early reading instruction, ICR’s comprehensive reading programmes go beyond phonics to nurture well-rounded, confident readers.
Our curriculum also focuses on oral language development, vocabulary building, reading comprehension, and expressive communication, all skills that are essential for long-term literacy success. This holistic approach sets ICR apart from other phonics-based programmes by preparing children not just to read but to truly understand and engage with language.
ICR’s reading programme:
A phonics-based approach is one of the best approaches when it comes to building strong literacy skills in young children. By teaching them to decode words and recognise sound patterns, phonics instruction sets the foundation for confident, independent reading as children grow up.
At I Can Read, we are committed to nurturing young readers in Singapore through expert Pre-Reading and Sound Reading classes.
With so many phonics programmes available, what sets ICR apart is our comprehensive approach to literacy. We combine phonics with rich language experiences, creative learning methods, and personalised instruction tailored to help each child thrive in their reading journey.
Give your child the gift of reading—book a reading assessment at ICR today!