How to Help Your Child With Phonics at Home

Phonics is the foundation of reading and writing in the UK education system. From Reception through to Year 2, children are taught to decode words by learning the relationships between letters and sounds. As a parent, understanding how phonics works and knowing how to support your child at home can make a tremendous difference to their reading confidence and ability.

The UK follows a systematic synthetic phonics approach, which means children learn sounds in a structured order. This is typically broken down into six phases. Phase 1, which begins in nursery, focuses on developing listening skills and an awareness of sounds in the environment. Phase 2 introduces the first set of letter sounds, including s, a, t, p, i, and n, and children begin blending these sounds to read simple words like sat, pin, and tap.

Phase 3 expands the range of sounds to include digraphs, which are two letters that make one sound, such as sh, ch, th, and ng. Children also learn vowel digraphs like ai, ee, and oo. By Phase 4, children are not learning new sounds but are instead practising blending and segmenting words with adjacent consonants, such as stop, clap, and frog. Phase 5, typically taught in Year 1, introduces alternative pronunciations and spellings for sounds already learned. For example, children discover that the sound ay can be spelled as ai, a-e, or ay. Phase 6 moves into spelling patterns and rules.

To support phonics at home, start by finding out which phase your child is working on at school. This allows you to reinforce the same sounds and avoid introducing concepts they have not yet encountered, which can cause confusion. Ask your child's teacher for guidance if you are unsure.

One of the most effective home activities is simply reading together every day. When your child encounters a word they do not recognise, encourage them to sound it out rather than telling them the word immediately. Say each sound slowly and then blend them together. This reinforces the decoding skills they are developing at school. Keep sessions short and positive. Five to ten minutes of focused phonics practice is more productive than a long session that leaves your child feeling tired and frustrated.

Worksheets are an excellent tool for phonics practice because they provide structured activities that target specific sounds. Look for worksheets that ask children to match sounds to pictures, fill in missing letters, sort words by their sounds, or write simple sentences using target phonics patterns. Our generator allows you to create phonics worksheets tailored to your child's current phase, ensuring the practice is perfectly pitched.

There are several common mistakes parents make when helping with phonics. The first is teaching letter names instead of letter sounds. When a child is learning to read, they need to know that the letter b says buh, not bee. Mixing letter names and sounds can slow down the blending process. The second mistake is correcting every error harshly. Instead, gently guide your child back to the sounds and praise their effort. Building confidence is just as important as building skill.

Another pitfall is rushing ahead. It can be tempting to push your child to read longer or more complex words before they have consolidated the basics. Mastery of each phase is essential before moving on. If your child is struggling, go back to earlier sounds and practise until they feel confident.

Games and multisensory activities complement worksheet practice beautifully. Try writing sounds in sand or shaving foam, playing sound bingo, or using magnetic letters on the fridge. The more ways a child encounters a sound, the more deeply it is embedded in their memory.

With consistent, patient support at home and the right resources, every child can develop strong phonics skills that set them up for a lifetime of confident reading.