Teaching Phonics at Home
A Home Learning Session for Ages 5–7 | ⏱ ~30 Minutes
🎯 Goal
By the end of this session, your child will be able to recognise letter sounds (phonemes), blend sounds together to read simple words, and segment words into sounds to spell them.
👋 What to Say at the Start
Sit together somewhere comfortable and say something like:
> "We're going to play some sound games today! Words are made of tiny sounds all squished together — and once you know the sounds, you can read anything. Let's be sound detectives!"
Give them a little notebook or some paper and a pencil. Tell them it's their Sound Detective Book. This makes it feel special and purposeful.
🔬 Main Activity — Step by Step
Step 1 · Warm Up with Sound Stretching (5 minutes)
Say a simple word out loud and stretch it like elastic:
> "Listen to me stretch this word — ssss-aaa-t. Sat! Your turn!"
Try these words together, stretching each sound slowly:
- cat → c-a-t
- dog → d-o-g
- pin → p-i-n
- hot → h-o-t
Encourage your child to tap one finger on their knee for each sound they hear. This builds phonemic awareness — hearing that words are made of parts.
Step 2 · Meet the Sounds (8 minutes)
Write these letters clearly on separate small pieces of paper or card:
s · a · t · p · i · n
These six letters are the perfect starting point — they make lots of simple words.
For each letter:
> 💡 Parent tip: Say the sound, not the letter name. The letter s says "sss" not "ess". Letter names come later — sounds first!
Step 3 · Blend Sounds into Words (8 minutes)
Now use the cards to build words together. Lay out the letters and point to each one as you say the sound, then sweep your finger under the whole word as you blend:
| Build this word | Say it like this |
|---|---|
| s · a · t | *"sss – aaa – t… sat!"* |
| p · i · n | *"p – iii – nnn… pin!"* |
| t · a · p | *"t – aaa – p… tap!"* |
| s · i · p | *"sss – iii – p… sip!"* |
| n · a · p | *"nnn – aaa – p… nap!"* |
Let your child move the cards themselves and have a go at blending. Cheer every attempt — even the wobbly ones!
✏️ Practice
Choose one or two of these activities depending on what your child enjoys:
🎲 Sound Swap
Build the word sat with cards. Ask: "What happens if we swap the 's' for a 'p'?" Let them change the card and read the new word (pat). Try swapping other letters and see what words appear.
🖊️ Draw and Label
Say a word — "cat" — and ask your child to draw a quick picture, then write the sounds underneath, one at a time. Help them say the word slowly and listen for each sound.
🙌 Clap It Out
Say a word and clap once for every sound: cat = 3 claps. Then try writing one letter per clap in their Sound Detective Book.
🤔 If They Struggle
| If they… | Try this… |
|---|---|
| Can't hear separate sounds | Slow down the stretching even more. Use a rubber band and physically stretch it as you stretch the word. |
| Forgets what sound a letter makes | Keep the letter cards visible as a reference. Say the sound together every time you see it — no pressure to remember alone yet. |
| Gets frustrated blending | Go back to just two sounds: *"s – a… sa!"* Build up gradually. Praise effort, not just correct answers. |
| Loses focus | Take a wiggle break! Do five jumps, then come back. Short bursts work better than pushing through. |
🌟 Wrap-Up
Finish with a moment of celebration. Say:
> "You were such a great sound detective today! Let's think — what sounds did we learn? Can you remember one word we built?"
Ask them to pick their favourite word from the session and draw it on the last page of their Sound Detective Book. Write the sounds underneath together.
Then say:
> "Every time we practise, reading gets easier and easier. I'm really proud of you."
📅 What to Do Next Time
Revise the same 6 letters next session before adding new ones. A little repetition builds real confidence — don't rush to move on until these feel solid and fun.
You've got this — and so do they. 🎉