Phonics is great in a traditional classroom setting as it is a practical way of getting large groups of children to read at the same time. However, the luxury of learning from home means you can enhance this approach through layering in lots of organic reading experiences.

Phonics

The National Curriculum requires schools to teach children to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words. The Curriculum states that at the beginning of year 2, pupils should be able to read unfamiliar words containing graphemes (a letter that represents a sound in a word).

Phonics is taught using a variety of approaches: using individual sounds that correspond to letters, learning sounds of groups of letters, consonant blends, or syllables, and also pupils reading books, playing games, and engaging in activities that contain the sounds they are learning.

There are plenty of ways to introduce phonics, and many companies offer programmes to deliver this for you, many of which are now available through apps. This is fine, but there are also some more hands-on and practical activities worth exploring, depending on how your child learns best.

Organic Reading

This route is more child-led, with no set age or stage when they are expected to read at prescribed ‘levels’. The use of some phonics coaching here can still be useful, but it isn’t the focus. Below are some ideas that might help you along this journey:

• Foster a Love of Books: Select books with rich imagery and text and have a wide range of books in your house, from magazines, comics, and storybooks to encyclopaedias and nonfiction books.
• Utilise the Library: Start using the library from a young age. It is a great way of allowing children to explore a wide range of books and understand genres.
• Books Without Words: To start with, check out books without words. They are a great way of being creative, talking about the images, and engaging in imaginative thoughts with your child. Avoid phased school-style reading books, which can often be boring and disengaging. Some, like Julia Donaldson books, are better than others.
• Rhyming Books: Rhyming books are excellent for helping children notice and work with sounds within words.
• Explore Poetry and Language: Explore poetry as a family (including song lyrics) and use tools such as rhyme and alliteration through reading, play, and discussion. Some families enjoy poetry/books with afternoon tea.
• Compare Language Usage: Compare language usage in different contexts (formal vs. informal, chat vs. letters, etc.).
• Learn About Language Evolution: Learn about the evolution of language by looking at Shakespeare or reading excerpts from something like Canterbury Tales.
• Comprehend Different Texts: Engage with different texts, such as instructions (e.g., Lego, baking, YouTube tutorials); non-chronological reports or explanations (often found in non-fiction books and documentaries); and recounts (e.g., diary entries, recalling daily events).
• Build Public Speaking Skills: Encourage forming an opinion based on research and making an argument.
• Reading Aloud: It’s tempting to check their reading through reading aloud, but don’t force children to read aloud. You can see if they are reading by watching their eyes track words. Some children dislike reading aloud, so this should be done with minimal pressure.
• Model Enjoyment of Reading: As a parent, model the enjoyment of reading as much as possible.
• Read Together: Read as much as possible with your child until they no longer want you to, focusing on quality reading time. Find slots of time where you can be undisturbed and immerse yourself in the text with your child.
• Reading in Different Places: Remember that reading can take place in many different locations, like the beach, at home by the fire, in bed, or on a journey. Sharing books in various settings will help embed the experience.
• Encourage Others to Read: Embrace and encourage other people to read with your child. Grandparents and other family or friends can be great for this.
• Sibling Reading: Siblings often enjoy sharing books, which can be great for their reading skills. My daughter used to read to her Grandad’s dog in the dog basket!
• Avoid Over-Correcting: Avoid correcting words too quickly. It’s natural to want to step in and correct errors, but be cautious as this can be discouraging. Many children will ask for help if they don’t understand something.
• Use Audiobooks: Audiobooks can be a great background on car journeys and at home. They immerse your child in rich language, which can enhance reading, writing, and language skills.
• Incorporate Gaming: Many children learn to read through gaming, as they see a purpose in reading that enables them to enjoy their games.
• Be Patient with Late Readers: Don’t panic if your child seems to be a late reader. Many children following an organic route might start reading later but often pick it up quickly with a genuine passion.

It is worth recording their reading journey with images or videos of your child reading or picking up books to help track their progress. Using tools like the Collage app can be particularly useful. My own experience with following a more organic route to learning led to my ten-year-old son developing a deep love of reading. He now enjoys a variety of books and has a natural passion for reading that I believe will last a lifetime.

Links:

• UK English National Curriculum
• National Literacy Trust
• BBC Alphablocks
• Oxford Owl
• Reading Eggs
• Nessy – Reading with Dyslexia
• 100 Most Frequent Words