Q&A
Phonics is the backbone of reading. It teaches children the systematic relationship between letters and sounds, enabling them to decode and spell words independently. Early mastery in phonics can lead to fluent reading, improved comprehension, and a lifelong love for reading.
The ideal time to start phonics is at 2y10m to 3 years old, as children are naturally curious about letters and sounds. Starting early can smooth the transition into formal schooling and help prevent future reading difficulties.
It is not necessary for your child to know the 26 alphabet sounds before starting our phonics beginner course. We begin from scratch and provide comprehensive instruction to help all learners become familiar with the sounds and build their phonics skills effectively.
You’ll be able to see the results of phonics instruction in several ways:
- Improve word recognition and reading fluency
- Better spelling and writing skills
- Increase confidence and enthusiasm for reading
- Stronger language comprehension and expression
The timeline for seeing improvements can vary, but here’s a general overview:
In the short-term (4-8 weeks), you may start to notice your child better recognizing and manipulating letter-sound relationships.
Over the medium-term (3-6 months), you should see gains in your child’s reading fluency, word recognition, and spelling as the phonics skills become more automatic.
In the long-term (6 months to 1 year), the phonics foundation will translate to better overall reading comprehension, writing skills, and language development.
Stage 1: Phonics – The foundational stage that teaches letter-sound relationships and decoding skills.
Stage 2: IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) – Building on phonics to provide a deeper understanding of speech sounds.
Stage 3: Writing – Applying phonics and IPA knowledge to develop stronger writing abilities.
Stage 4: English Literacy – Integrating reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary to foster overall language proficiency.
This sequence continues throughout the primary school years, with each stage building upon the previous one. The goal is to take the core phonics skills and develop them into well-rounded English language mastery by the time they finish primary school.
It varies with different factors. But normally it takes around 2 years to complete 10 levels.
Phonics Levels
Levels 1-2 (Foundation) – Letter Sounds, 2-3 Letter Blending, Consonant Blending
Levels 3-4 (Elementary ) – Diagraphs, Long vowel sounds
Levels 5-6 (Intermediate) – 2-syllable words, Vowel Teams, 3-syllable words
Levels 7-9 (Advanced) – R-controlled, Diphthongs, Silent Sounds, Hard & Soft Sounds and Spelling rules
Level 10 (Master) – IPA & Morphology
Even if your child is a native speaker, phonics is essential as it teaches the relationship between sounds and letters, improving their reading accuracy and fluency. It also enhances spelling and writing skills by helping children understand word structures. Overall, phonics boosts reading confidence and supports academic success across all subjects.
It’s fine if your child studies another phonics program at school that is different from ours, as long as each program uses a systematic and explicit approach to teaching phonics that follow a clear, logical sequence of phonics instruction.
If this happens, our educators will be extra responsive to tailor-making explicit instructions to ensure your child’s progress developmental stage is consistent with the Science of Reading.
The effectiveness of phonics instruction depends more on how we use our language to teach children consistently rather than the specific program used. At our academy, we’ve seen students who study various phonics programs also excel in our courses, demonstrating that diverse phonetic education can be highly effective when executed properly.
Absolutely. Phonics is particularly effective for children who find reading challenging by giving them a structured way to understand text and build confidence. It’s never too late to start, but the sooner you act, the quicker your child can improve.