Phonics is a vital part of early literacy development. At LIA, Phonics is introduced to children in the Nursery and Reception classes as a foundation for learning to read and write. It focuses on teaching children the relationships between sounds (phonemes) and the letters (graphemes) that represent them. This systematic approach helps children decode words, improving both reading fluency and spelling accuracy.

At LIA, phonics is taught through a structured programme – Twinkl Phonics. This programme introduces phonics in progressive phases, starting with the simplest sounds and gradually moving to more complex patterns. The teaching is multisensory and interactive, using rhymes, visual aids, and physical movement to engage young learners.

Teaching begins with Level 1, which focuses on developing children’s listening and sound discrimination skills before introducing letter-sound correspondences. Once children are ready, they move onto Level 2 and beyond, where they learn to recognise individual sounds, blend them to read words (e.g., c-a-t → cat), and segment them to spell (e.g., dog → d-o-g).

Phonics teaching is delivered in short, daily sessions and is integrated into play-based activities. Teachers and practitioners provide opportunities for children to apply their phonics skills in meaningful reading and writing experiences throughout the day, fostering a love for language and supporting lifelong literacy development.