Leading the teaching of literacy

A comprehensive programme for reading and writing

Research
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The Jolly Phonics’ children’s reading skills were 11 months above the level expected for their age.
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We found that the boys did as well as the girls.
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In the Jolly Phonics group the ‘tail’ of low achievement in writing was simply abolished.

Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation
Jolly Phonics Readers
Phonics
ages
5-6
Grammar 1
ages
4-5
Phonics
ages
7-8
Grammar 3
ages
6-7
Grammar 2
ages
8-9
Grammar 4
ages
10-11
Grammar 6
ages
9-10
Grammar 5
An integrated programme that
grows with the children

Storybooks
Reading books to children gives them:
A love of books
A wider vocabulary
A greater
understanding of language
But the children need to ‘crack the code’ of English to become independent readers.

The 5 Basic Skills
The 5 basic skills of Jolly Phonics are:
Learning the letter sounds
Learning letter formation
Blending
Identifying sounds in words
Tricky words

Letter Sounds
Children learn in a fun, multi-sensory way using stories and actions.
1. Learning the letter sounds
Learning the action for the /s/ sound: Weave your hand like a snake, making an ‘s’ shape, saying sssssssss.

Letter Sounds
1. Learning the letter sounds

Digraphs
Digraphs are two letters that make one sound.
1. Learning the letter sounds

Alternative Spellings
The alternative spellings of the vowel sounds:
Introduced as:
(rain)
(play) (flame)
(feet)
(boat)
(leaf) (these)
(snow) (bone)
Taught later as:
1. Learning the letter sounds

Letter Formation
Correct formation can be encouraged from the very beginning:
Feel the letter formation
See the letter formation
Write the letter in the air
2. Learning the letter formation

Pencil Hold
The children need to learn how to hold their pencil properly right from the start:
‘Tripod’ grip
‘Froggy legs’
movement
2. Learning the letter formation

Blending Skills
Blending skills are essential for reading. They can be taught right from the start.
3. Blending

Blending Words
The number of regular words for blending grows with each new letter sound:
Jolly Phonics Word Book
Word Boxes
3. Blending

Blending Activities
Blending activities can be fun and multi-sensory:
Random letters
‘Miming’ words
Read and See books
s
a
p
i
n
t
c
e
3. Blending

Blending Harder Words
Regular practice is the key to blending words with digraphs and consonant blends:
3. Blending
Digraphs
Word Boxes

Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness can be encouraged from the very first lesson:
4. Identifying sounds in words

Hearing the Sounds
Lots of practice is needed before children can identify all the sounds in words:
Sounding out words
Word families
Removing the first sound
Chopping game
4. Identifying sounds in words

Dictation
Dictation practice prepares the children for independent writing:
Letter sounds
Simple CVC words
Regular words with consonant blends and digraphs
Phrases and sentences
Capital letters
4. Identifying sounds in words

Simple Dictation
A sample of early dictation by a five-year-old using Jolly Phonics.
4. Identifying sounds in words

For children to write independently they need
to know:
The 42 letter sounds
How to hear the sounds in words
One way of writing the letter sounds
What they want to say
Independent Writing
4. Identifying sounds in words

Independent writing towards the end of the first year:
Independent Writing
4. Identifying sounds in words

To read tricky words well, the children need to:
Work out the ‘tricky’ bits
Have regular flashcard practice
Tricky Words
5. Tricky words

To write tricky words well, the children need to learn the following techniques:
Look, copy, cover,
write and check
Say it as it sounds
Mnemonics:
‘o u lucky duck!’
Word families
Tricky Words
5. Tricky words

‘Look, copy, cover, write and check’ is a good way to learn how to write tricky words.
(Click image to play animation)
Tricky Words
5. Tricky words

A wealth of interesting, decodable texts
Jolly Phonics Readers

Jolly Phonics Readers
Level 1: Red Readers
Guide to the letter sounds and tricky words needed for each book
Guidance for teachers and parents, including comprehension questions
Variety of interesting and engaging stories in decodable language

Jolly Phonics Readers

Providing additional support at home can help children achieve the best results:
Sound sheets
Sound books
Word boxes
Dictation
Jolly Phonics Readers
Parental Support

First Year Timetable
1
2
3
4
5

First Year Checklist

Systematic approach
Fun, multisensory teaching
Range of age-appropriate materials
7 years’ literacy teaching
Enables confident, independent learning
Leading the teaching of literacy