Phonic Zoom encourages the learning of phonemes and graphemes through play and supports the development of independent reading for children in a fun and exciting way.
A grapheme is…
A grapheme is a unit of a written language’s writing system, representing a single sound (phoneme). Essentially, it’s a symbol or letter that corresponds to a specific sound in a word. For example, in the word ‘cat’, the letters ‘c’, ‘a’ and ‘t’ are individual graphemes, each denoting a distinct sound that makes the word ‘cat’ when pushed together.
Graphemes are the building blocks of written language and are essential for communicating in alphabetic writing systems like English as they guide a reader on how to pronounce or understand words they may never have seen before.
Graphemes and phonemes
Phonemes are the individual sounds that make up spoken words. Their relationship to graphemes (the way these sounds are written) is crucial for understanding the link between written language and spoken language. Phonics teaches children how graphemes represent phonemes. For example, the grapheme ‘b’ corresponds to the phoneme /b/ as in the word ‘bat’. The grapheme ‘bb’ can also represent that same phoneme as in a word like ‘rubble’. Children are able to read and spell words by sounding out and blending the phonemes associated with the graphemes they see in text. As adults, we subconsciously use these rules when working out how to pronounce unfamiliar words or names.
How can I help my child?
You can help your child understand the relationship between a grapheme and a phoneme by reading together. Point out words in a book, showing them how each letter represents the sound you’re speaking. Encourage your child to sound out words whilst reading – praise their efforts even if they get it wrong initially! Allow them to use resources videos, quizzes and handouts to investigate the words they might already use every day!
What types of graphemes are there?
In phonics, there are two main types of graphemes: consonant graphemes and vowel graphemes. Consonant graphemes represent the individual consonant sounds in words, like “b” for the /b/ sound in “bat”.
Vowel graphemes represent the vowel sounds, which are usually trickier because there are more vowel sounds than vowel letters in English. Some examples of vowel graphemes include “a” in “cat” and “ee” in “tree”. Understanding these different types of graphemes helps children decode and read words accurately, as they recognise how letters correspond to specific sounds in spoken language.
Examples of consonant graphemes:
1. “b” in “bat (/b/)
2. “c” in “cat” (/k/)
3. “d” in “dog” (/d/)
4. “f” in “fish” (/f/)
5. “g” in “goat” (/g/)
Examples of vowel graphemes:
1. “a” in “cat” (/æ/)
2. “e” in “bed” (/ɛ/)
3. “I” in “pig” (/ɪ/)
4. “o” in “dog” (/ɒ/)
5. “u” in “sun” (/ʌ/)
6. “ee” in “tree” (/i:/)
7. “ai” in “rain” (/eɪ/)
8. “oa” in “boat” (/oʊ/)
You can find more handouts like this as well as full phoneme grapheme correspondence maps in the resources section of our site: https://phoniczoom.com/
Advice!
All children learn at a different pace, so don’t worry about the level your child is currently working at. Simply offer a helping hand to them – read with them, point out words and emphasise their sounds, enforcing that connection between graphemes and their phonemes. This can be applied to asking them what sound certain objects make, creating flashcards with graphemes on them and asking them what sounds they make or even playing simple games such as ‘I spy’. Celebrate their successes and always keep the out of school learning enjoyable and fun!