Jolly Phonics

The sounds are in seven groups. Some sounds are written with two letters, such as ee and or. These are called digraphs. Note that oo and th can each make two different sounds, as in book and moon, that and three. To distinguish between the two sounds, these digraphs are represented in two forms.

Each sound has an action which helps children remember the letter(s) that represent it. As a child progresses you can point to the letters and see how quickly they can do the action and say the sound. One letter sound can be taught each day. As a child becomes more confident, the actions are no longer necessary.

Children should learn each letter by its sound, not its name. For instance, the letter a should be called a (as in ant) not ai (as in aim). Similarly, the letter n should be nn (as in net), not en. This will help in blending. The names of each letter can follow later.

The letters have not been introduced in alphabetical order. The first group (s, a, t, i, p, n) has been chosen because they make more simple three-letter words than any other six letters. The letters b and d are introduced in different groups to avoid confusion.

Sounds that have more than one way of being written are initially taught in one form only. For example, the sound ai (rain) is taught first, and then the alternatives a-e (gate) and ay (day) follow later.

The pencil should be held in the 'tripod' grip between the thumb and first two fingers.The grip is the same for both left and right handed children. If a child's hold starts incorrectly, it is very difficult to correct later on.

A child needs to form each letter the correct way. The letter c is introduced in the early stages as this forms the basic shape of some other letters, such as d. Particular problems to look for are:

the o (the pencil stroke must be anti-clockwise, not clockwise),

d (the pencil starts in the middle, not the top),
m and n (there must be an initial downstroke, or the letter m looks like the McDonald's arches).

The Jolly Phonics Videos and Finger Phonics books show the correct formation of each letter. A good guide is to remember that no letters start on the line.

In time a child will need to learn joined-up (cursive) writing. It helps the fluency of writing and improves spelling. When words are written in one movement it is easier to remember the spelling correctly. Jolly Phonics uses the Sassoon Infant typeface which is designed for children learning to read and write. Many of the letters (such as d and n) have a joining tail at the end (an 'exit' stroke) to make it easier to transfer into joined-up writing. (You should check your school's policy as some schools do not teach joined-up writing to young children.)

EVERTHING YOU NEED TO TEACH JOLLY PHONICS ON THE WHITEBOARD

The software provides a full and extensive year's programme for teaching Jolly Phonics thoroughly on an interactive whiteboard. It enables teachers to deliver lessons in a fun and engaging way to children using a wide variety of activities for whole class and individual use. With all the resources a teacher requires at a touch of a button, the programme is fun and easy to use.

Structured daily sessions for teaching each of the letter sounds, letter formation, blending, identifying sounds in words, tricky words and alternative spellings of vowels.

Handy step by step teacher's notes are available for every session. These can either be viewed on screen or printed off if required.

Interactive lessons with lots of blending, spelling and writing practice, ideal for whole class or independent use. Audio option for hearing the letter sounds, Jolly Jingles and Jolly Songs. Lots of printable worksheets, templates and games that can be used in class to reinforce the teaching. These can also be given as homework for the child.