How to Develop Phonics Reading Skills

One of the first literacy skills children need to acquire when learning to read is an understanding of phonics, that is, the ability to recognise letters and the sounds they make. For children to develop and apply phonics reading skills to the act of reading, effective phonics instruction is essential.

Phonics reading skills

Effective phonics instruction is always done for the benefit of reading meaningful text, rather than simply learning the sounds that letters make. When kids understand the alphabetic principle and use their phonics reading skills, they are able to decode words by breaking them apart and sounding them out correctly.

Synthetic phonics instruction links each letter of the alphabet, or letter combination, with the sound that it makes. When letters are introduced with their sound, or sounds, before moving onto whole words, kids are able to quickly recognise the letters on a printed page and link that letter to the correct sound that it makes.

Reading Eggs uses synthetic phonics in its reading programme. Each letter of the alphabet is introduced independently and the letter, or letter combination, is then matched with its sound. Letters are introduced in a carefully structured sequence, and words are then carefully chosen in each lesson to demonstrate the particular letter. Colourful visuals of each letter familiarise children with letter formations and pictures are used simultaneously to bring the letter to life.

Reading Eggs helps develop phonics reading skills in early readers by incorporating phonics games and activities into its lessons consistently and systematically throughout the programme. Kids reading books for meaning, rather than simply as a decoding task is the goal of every Reading Eggs lesson. Lessons build on one another so that by Lesson 9 students read their first e-book. The e-books are carefully matched to the reader’s reading ability to ensure reading success, helping young readers gain confidence in reading even as they grow in ability.

Testimonials

My first grade son truly enjoys his time on Reading Eggs. It has helped him in particular with sight words, word families, fluency, and confidence. He loves to “hatch” his new characters and collect the golden eggs. The beginning evaluation accurately placed him at the correct level, allowing him to be successful and challenged.”

- Anne S.

Reading Eggs is a comprehensive, well-integrated programme, which I have found to be of great help in developing children’s skills and interest in reading. Even the senior students wanted to have a go!

- Lynne Brehaut, Nungurner Primary