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.
Synthetic phonics scheme:
Systematic synthetic phonics (SPS) is a structured way for teaching children how to read. Learners are first taught to identify letters (graphemes) and their sounds (phonemes). This method shows children how letters make sounds in words. They learn how to put sounds together to be able to read but also how to take the sounds apart to spell words. This helps children to understand the relationship between letters and sounds with a structured and consistent approach.
In a synthetic phonics scheme, children are taught to break down words into their individual phonemes (sounds) and then blend those sounds together to read the whole word. For example, in the word “cat”, they would learn to recognise the individual sounds /k/ – /a/ – /t/, and then blend them to say the whole word “cat”.
A helpful way to develop your child’s learning at home would be to practise reading together. Sounding out words such as “c-a-t” in books is a useful way to encourage your child to blend these sounds together while seeing the word in full form in the book. Also, practising writing out the segmented sounds that they say can encourage them to start writing the sounds as one word on paper, which further influences their reading abilities. Use the guidance of this synthetic phonics video for insight into how schools are choosing to teach.
Home learning task:
Play the game ‘I spy’ with your child/children. Simply say “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with ‘b'”. Your child should then find something around them that begins with this letter. This game can be done anywhere; in the house, the car, the park, the list goes on. Keeping learning fun with games like this help to continue the learning process with your child even outside of the classroom.
What are the most common synthetic phonics schemes?
Jolly phonics – This program uses a multisensory approach, including actions, songs and stories to teach letter sounds and their corresponding action.
Read Write Inc – This program emphasises blending and segmenting skills and provides structured lessons for teaching phonics systematically.
Letters and Sounds – This is a program produced by the UK government that provides a progressive framework for teaching phonics.
Phonics Bug – This program provides a comprehensive set of resources and materials for teaching phonics skills through a systematic approach.
Phonics International – This program is designed to be adaptable and flexible so that it can be tailored to the needs of different workers.
Sounds-Write – This program focuses on teaching children the relationships between sounds and spelling patterns in a systematic manner.
Oxford Reading Tree Floppy’s Phonics – This program is often used in conjunction with the Oxford Reading Tree series of books. This provides a structured approach to teaching phonics early reading skills.
Which schemes are DfE approved?
Out of the list above, there are two schemes that are not Department of Education approved – ‘Phonics Bug’ and ‘Oxford Reading Tree’s Floppy Phonics’.
There are currently 45 SPS (synthetic phonics scheme) programmes that are validated by the DfE, completed in 2021 to 2022.
There is no statutory requirement for schools to choose a synthetic phonics scheme that has been validated. The guidance is to choose an appropriate scheme that will benefit the learners in the school and that will achieve strong results for all pupils, regardless of their learning level and ability.