As summer fades and a new school year begins, parents and teachers must help young students refresh their phonics skills. A solid foundation in phonics is essential for reading success and reviewing these concepts can help children start the year with confidence. 

Let’s go over some early phonics concepts, strategies for identifying learning gaps, and tips for supporting young readers at home and in the classroom as the school year begins!

Important Early Phonics Concepts to Review

Whether you’re in the last few weeks of summer or you’re little one is already back in the classroom, it’s never too early or too late to begin reviewing these important early concepts. 

Letter-Sound Correspondence

One of the fundamental aspects of phonics is understanding the relationship between letters and their sounds. Review all 26 letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds. While letter identification is important, it’s equally as crucial for kids to know their letter sounds as this equips them to read unfamiliar words as they progress in their literacy journey. 

Blending Sounds

Blending is the process of combining individual sounds to sound out whole words. Practice blending simple consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words with your child. Early CVC words include ‘cat’, ‘dog’, and ‘pen’. Gradually move to more complex words as your learner becomes more comfortable.

Segmenting Words

Segmenting is the opposite of blending—it involves breaking whole words down into their individual sounds. This skill is crucial for spelling and writing. Practice segmenting with your child by using simple words and then identifying each sound they hear in the word. For example, ‘bird’ sounds like /b/ /i/ /r/ /d/. See if your child can go through and identify which letter belongs to each individual phoneme (sound) of the word.

Common Digraphs and Trigraphs

For learners who are in first or second grade, review common letter combinations that make a single sound. These involve digraphs and trigraphs. 

• Digraphs: ‘sh’ as in ‘she,’ ‘ch’ as in ‘chess,’ ‘th’ as in ‘the,’ ‘wh’ and in ‘what,’ and ‘ph’ as in ‘phone’
• Trigraphs: ‘-tch’ as in ‘fetch,’ ‘-dge’ as in ‘edge,’ and ‘-igh’ as in ‘high’

Make sure your child can recognize these in words and understand the sounds they make.

Short and Long Vowel Sounds

Review the difference between short vowel sounds (as in ‘cat’, ‘pet’, ‘sit’, ‘hot’, ‘cut’) and long vowel sounds (as in ‘cake’, ‘Pete’, ‘kite’, ‘hope’, ‘cute’). Practice identifying words with each vowel sound.

Identifying Phonics Gaps

Reviewing phonics concepts and skills is a way to spot any gaps in a child’s understanding. Keep an eye out for any struggles, setbacks, or frustrations your child may have when going over the review of concepts they’ve already learned. 

Here are some simple assessment techniques:

• Letter Sound Fluency: Have the child quickly identify letter sounds in random order. They should be able to identify and name the letters they’ve practiced significantly.
• Word Reading: Present a list of developmentally appropriate words with various phonics patterns and note any consistent difficulties.
• Nonsense Word Decoding: Use nonsense words to assess pure decoding skills where children cannot rely on memorization.

When kids struggle with literacy development, common areas of difficulty include confusing similar letter sounds (e.g., ‘b’ and ‘d’). They might struggle to blend or decode words that they’ve previously come across before. Additionally, they may have an overall avoidant attitude toward reading or feel upset when being encouraged to engage in literacy practice. If you notice any of these signs, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor or reading specialist.

Phonics Review Activities for Early Readers

Make back-to-school phonics review fun and interactive with these activities!

Sound Sorting Games

Create cards with pictures or words and have children sort them based on specific sounds. For example, sort words that start with ‘sh’ versus ‘ch’ sounds.

Word Building With Letter Tiles

Use letter tiles or magnetic letters to build words. Start with a simple word like ‘cat’ and change one letter at a time to make new words. For example: cat → hat → hot → dot.

Phonics Scavenger Hunt

Hide objects or picture cards around the room and have children find items that start with a specific sound or contain a particular phonics pattern.

Rhyming Pairs Match-Up

Create a memory-style game with rhyming word pairs. Children turn over cards to find matches, reinforcing phonics patterns and rhyming skills.

Phonics Bingo

Create bingo cards with letters, digraphs, or simple words. Call out sounds or words for children to identify on their cards.

At-Home Phonics Practice Strategies

Consistent practice at home can significantly boost a child’s phonics skills. You can prepare them for back-to-school through consistent practice and encouragement at home. A good routine could look like:

1. Create a daily phonics routine: Set aside 10-15 minutes each day for focused phonics practice.
2. Incorporate phonics into everyday activities: Point out phonics patterns in signs, food labels, or during bedtime reading.
3. Use technology for phonics practice: Explore educational apps and websites that offer interactive phonics games and exercises.

You likely know your child best, so try to incorporate their favorite interests, games, activities, and learning approaches to encourage engagement.

Collaborating With Teachers on Phonics Instruction

Effective communication between parents and teachers is helpful when supporting a child’s phonics development. To stay involved in your child’s classroom learning, you can:

• Ask teachers about the phonics curriculum and specific methods used in class
• Share observations about your child’s strengths and challenges at home
• Discuss ways to align home practice with classroom instruction
• Work with your child’s teachers to address any learning difficulties 
• Learn which phonics instruction method your child’s teacher uses and include a proven systematic approach at home

By working together, you can ensure consistent and effective phonics support for your child.

Phonics.org: Reviews and Resources for Your Students

A strong foundation in phonics is crucial for early reading success. By reviewing key concepts, identifying gaps, engaging in fun activities, and providing consistent support, parents and teachers can help young learners kick off the new school year with confidence. 

Remember, every child progresses at their own pace, so patience and encouragement are essential. With ongoing phonics review and practice, you’ll be setting the stage for a lifetime of reading enjoyment and academic success.
Want more phonics instruction tips and resources to help your child develop their literacy skills? Follow Phonics.org for ongoing resources and phonics app reviews!