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Helping your child learn to read at home can feel like a big task, especially if phonics is new to you. But the good news is: with the right resources, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Jolly Phonics is a proven, child-centred way to teach reading and writing. It’s used in over 150 countries and supports millions of children in building strong early literacy. Whether you’re supporting your child’s classroom learning or starting from scratch at home, here’s how to do it confidently and gently.
Phonics is a method of teaching children to read and write by helping them understand how letters represent the sounds in spoken language.
Instead of learning whole words by sight, children learn to:
For example, the word dog is made up of three phonemes: d – o – g. When children understand this, they can decode the word and others like it, even if they’ve never seen them before.
This gives them the tools to read independently and confidently — skills that grow with them throughout school.
Jolly Phonics teaches the 42 main letter sounds in English using a multi-sensory approach. Children learn through:
This helps support all types of learners and makes the process enjoyable as well as effective.
The programme then builds into blending, segmenting, learning tricky words, and introducing early grammar. It’s all designed to fit together in a logical and child-friendly way.
1. Start with the Jolly Phonics Lessons App
The Jolly Phonics Lessons app (free on iPhone and iPad) is a great way to get started at home. It introduces:
No teaching experience is needed. Just 10 minutes a day can make a big difference.
Download the app on Apple Store
Download the app on Google Play
Watch a quick Letter Sounds video
2. Use the Activity Books for Writing Practice
The Jolly Phonics Activity Books are ideal for home use. They offer:
Short, structured and colourful, they are perfect for building a daily reading and writing habit at home.
3. Move on to Decodable Readers
Once your child can blend sounds together, they’re ready to start reading real books. Jolly Phonics Readers:
Start with Red Level and move up as your child learns more sounds and becomes more confident.
4. Keep It Simple and Consistent
Consistency helps more than complexity. Stick to short, daily practice — and keep things positive. Even five to ten minutes each day makes a real difference.
If your child is also learning phonics at school, using the same actions, sound order and songs at home will help reinforce their learning.
5. Use the Free Parent Guide as a Reference
To support you further, we offer a free Parent–Teacher Guide that outlines:
You’re Not Alone
With the Jolly Phonics approach and the right tools, you don’t need to be a teacher to help your child succeed. You just need a little structure, a little patience, and a lot of encouragement.
Let your child take the lead — and enjoy the journey together.
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