Literacy
Teaching Sounds
and Spellings Systematically
Explicit systematic teachings of sounds and spellings that are required for reading and spelling.
Understanding the Link Between Sounds and Letters
Literacy difficulties with reading and spelling often stem from challenges in understanding how letters represent sounds in words. That’s where systematic phonics programs come in. These programs teach the relationship between letters (graphemes or spellings) and sounds (phonemes) in a structured and organised way.
In a systematic phonics program, learners are taught to recognise and associate specific letter-sound correspondences systematically. For example, they might learn that the letter “b” makes the sound /b/, and they practice blending this sound with other letters to form words like “bat” or “big.
Strong Readers Start with Phonics
By breaking down words into their individual sounds and teaching how those sounds are represented by letters, systematic phonics programs help learners develop decoding skills. Decoding involves recognising the sounds in words and blending them together to read. This approach also supports spelling by helping learners understand how to represent sounds with letters when writing words.
With consistent practice and guidance through a systematic phonics program, individuals with literacy difficulties can improve their reading and spelling skills, ultimately becoming more proficient readers and writers. These programs provide a solid foundation for building literacy skills and can be tailored to meet the specific needs of learners at different levels.