What Parents Need to Know About Phonics for Preschoolers

Did you know that your child starts building reading skills long before they ever open a book? It all begins with learning the different sounds that make up language.

This is where phonics comes in. Phonics teaches children to understand the relationship between letters and sounds. When it is paired with phonological awareness, or the ability to understand and manipulate those sounds, children are sufficiently prepared to read.

Wondering how to start teaching phonics to your kids? The good news for parents is that you don’t need to be a teacher or language expert!  With a little knowledge and a few simple strategies, you can make a big difference in your child’s phonics learning at home. 

In this article, we’ll explore what phonics is and how it works, why phonics is especially important during the preschool years, and suggest simple, fun ways you can support your child’s phonics development at home. 

A Simple Overview of Phonics

Phonics is a method of teaching children how to read by connecting the sounds of spoken language (phonemes) with the letters and letter combinations (graphemes) that represent those sounds in written form. It’s one of the most important building blocks of early reading and writing.

For example, the /k/ or “kuh” sound in English can be spelt in various ways, such as "c" in car, "k" in king, "ck" in duck, and "ch" in choir.

When children understand these relationships between a letter and its different sounds, they can successfully decode and pronounce hundreds of words, even those that are new to them. 

Preschoolers and Phonemic Awareness

However, before children learn to read, they must first learn to identify and work with sounds orally. This method ensures that kids truly understand the structure of the English language. 

For preschoolers who may not yet know how to read, or are just beginning to, the most crucial aspect of phonics learning is developing phonemic awareness. This is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the smallest units of sound in spoken language.

Did you know that while English has only 26 letters, it actually contains 44 distinct speech sounds? These sounds, or phonemes, include 20 vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds.

Teaching English phonics to kids means ensuring that they can discern and produce these 44 sounds accurately. The goal is to help children recognise concepts like:

• Syllables within a word, such as “elephant” (/ˈel/ - "el" like in "head", /ɪ/ - "i" like in "ship", /fənt/ - "fuhnt").
  
  
• Rhymes, or words that end with the same sound. For example, “cat”, “hat”, and “bat”.
  
  
• Similar sounds that appear at the start of words (“swim” and “swing”) and at the end of words (“hot” and “pot”).  

By mastering these basic sounds, children will have an easier time moving on to more advanced phonics concepts, such as blending and segmenting. 

Blending is the ability to combine individual sounds to form whole words. For example, the sounds /d/ /o/ /g/ combine to form “dog. 

Meanwhile, segmenting is the reverse of blending. This is done by breaking down words into their individual sound units. For example, “dog” can be separated into the sounds /d/ /o/ /g/. This helps children understand how words are constructed and supports their spelling and speaking skills.

Why Phonics Matters for Preschoolers

Teaching young children to hear, identify, and play with the speech sounds in spoken English lays the foundation for strong literacy skills. Through phonics along with phonological awareness children gain the essential tools to decode words, recognise patterns, and begin reading with confidence. 

This is important because the preschool years are a crucial time for brain development. During this stage, children are highly receptive to new experiences and are adept at picking up new information, especially in language acquisition. 

By building a solid phonics foundation during these formative years, children are better prepared to transition into fluent reading, clear speaking, and confident writing as they grow.

Early Signs of Phonics Readiness

You may already notice your preschooler showing signs of early phonics engagement. Some of these include:

• Displaying curiosity about letters in books or on labels. 
• Showing interest in rhyming songs or wordplay. 
• Trying to guess what sound a word starts or ends with. 

These small but significant behaviours are signs that your child’s brain is beginning to process language in a more structured way.

By introducing phonics at the right time and in the right way, such as through an expert phonics programme for preschoolers, you can give your child the tools to become a confident reader, speaker, and writer. 

How Parents Can Support Phonics Learning at Home

With just a few minutes every day and a mindset of learning through play, you can help lay the foundation for strong phonics skills right at home. Here are some simple and effective ways to get started:

1. Read Aloud Every Day

Set aside time each day to read aloud with your child, even for just a few minutes. Use expressive voices, sound out words, and make the experience interactive by asking questions or encouraging your child to guess what happens next. This builds vocabulary, listening skills, and early sound recognition.

2. Play Phonics Games

Turn everyday moments into learning opportunities with fun games like “I Spy” with sounds. For example, ask your child to identify something around them that starts with the sound /p/. 

You can also play rhyming games to help reinforce the relationships between sounds. Tell your child to think of some words that rhyme with “cat”, for example. These activities help build phonemic awareness in a natural, enjoyable way.

3. Use Tactile Learning Methods

Hands-on activities are a great way to strengthen your child’s grasp of letter-sound connections. 

You can join them in making letters out of play-dough, or using magnetic letters to build simple words while emphasising the syllables or sounds that make up those words. Drawing letters in sand, salt trays, or with finger paint is also a great sensory activity to help immerse your child in language. 

4. Make Mindful Use of Apps and Videos

There are many excellent phonics apps, online games, and videos designed to support phonics learning. Use them to supplement phonics learning in class or other activities that you do at home with your child. 

For instance, our web learning platform, I Can Read HEROES, is a great way to let your child practise phonological awareness skills they learn in class through fun online games and activities.

5. Narrate Daily Life with a Phonics Twist

Make phonics a part of your everyday routine. Try narrating daily activities as you carry them out with your child, and highlight sounds within words.

For example, tell your child, “Time to brush your teeth! What’s the first sound you hear in the word teeth?”. Learning to identify sounds in the words they use every day will help children connect phonics to real life and regular conversations.

6. Reinforce What They Learned in Class

Stay updated with what your child is learning in school or their reading classes. Practice reading together and writing the sounds or words they learnt that day. You don’t need to drill them on the details or pressure them to memorise lessons. Simply providing gentle, regular exposure to phonics can make a world of difference.

7. Keep Learning Light and Playful

Most importantly, keep the experience fun and low-pressure. Young children learn best through play and exploration. Celebrate their efforts, encourage curiosity, and make phonics a natural part of your time together.

I Can Read’s Literacy Programme for Preschoolers

At I Can Read, we believe that strong literacy skills start early. That’s why our pre-reading programme for preschoolers is designed around a proven, phonics-supported approach that guides children from the very beginning of their literacy journey.

Our programme in Singapore is tailored for children aged 2.5 to 5 years, providing a nurturing, play-based environment where they can begin to develop the building blocks of reading. 

We engage preschoolers in meaningful, hands-on experiences that build essential early literacy skills:

• Developing vocabulary through songs, stories, conversations, and thematic play.
• Mastering phoneme manipulation by learning to hear, identify, and play with the 44 sounds of the English language.
• Oral communication through speaking practice, interaction with peers and instructors, sharing ideas, and participating in group discussions.
• Story appreciation through daily read-alouds, interactive storytelling, and role-play. 

Our programme is led by highly qualified instructors who specialise in early childhood education and literacy development.  We help children cultivate phonemic awareness, encourage language exploration, and build the confidence to engage with words and stories.

Lay the Foundation for Your Child’s Literacy Skills With Phonics 

Phonics is a vital part of your child’s reading development. By helping children first understand and work with the individual sounds in spoken English, phonics builds the foundation for decoding, spelling, and fluent reading as they grow.

At I Can Read, we are committed to guiding your child through this exciting journey with care, expertise, and a deep understanding of how young minds learn best. Our literacy programme for preschoolers is all about nurturing curious, capable, and enthusiastic learners from the very beginning.

Trust I Can Read to give your child the best possible start on the path to reading success and book a free assessment with us today!