In the first week, establish a predictable routine for introducing sounds, revisiting taught knowledge, practising letter formation and beginning blending and segmenting when pupils know the relevant sounds.
During the first week, teachers usually introduce up to one new letter sound per day, depending on the children’s age, readiness, and the school’s planning. The focus should be on secure understanding rather than simply moving quickly through the programme.
By the end of the first week, children are typically introduced to the first four or five sounds from Group 1: /s/, /a/, /t/, /i/, /p/. Some settings may also introduce /n/, depending on the pace of teaching.
What children should begin to do:
Each lesson should be short, purposeful, and active. A typical session may last around 15–25 minutes, depending on the children’s age, attention span and the school’s planning expectations.
Daily lessons should begin by revisiting previously taught sounds before introducing a new one. The Phonics Handbook, Teacher’s Book or Jolly Classroom provide useful ‘at a glance’ lesson plans, along with guidance and practical tips to support effective planning.
Lessons include these five core elements:
The first week should be engaging, practical, and a steady introduction to the programme. Teaching works best when it is active, with children moving, chanting, pointing, and tracing letters to support their new knowledge using fine and gross motor skills.
For a first lesson introducing s, use the approved story or audio, model /s/ without an added vowel and show its action. Demonstrate the letter formation and invite pupils to try an appropriate response. Ask pupils to identify the sound in familiar spoken words, then check recall. Add written-word blending only once the correspondences in the chosen word have been taught.
Keep your lessons to 15–25 minutes, using many short, purposeful activities rather than long stretches of the same task. A repetitive daily routine helps children feel secure and confident, while an oral-first approach ensures they hear and say sounds clearly before being asked to write them.
Teaching remains explicit, with the adult modelling mouth movements and sound production so children know exactly what to copy. Above all, it stays fun with songs, puppets, picture cards, and games turning early learning into joyful discovery.
The first week of Jolly Phonics naturally settles into a clear, supportive rhythm, because the lesson structure helps you organise your time for planning, revision, and new-sound teaching with ease.
You’ll also find that this initial group of letter sounds creates a gentle pathway into early blending and segmenting: children meet these concepts slowly, steadily, and in ways that feel achievable.
Here are some tips for your lessons:
During the first week, you may find you have time for multisensory activities or games within Jolly Classroom, and these offer powerful positive reinforcement for young learners.
Such experiences strengthen the core understanding that a letter shape is linked to a sound, helping children build secure early connections. With this foundation in place, they are far more confident as they progress to the next letter sound groups later.
Here are some simple and effective activities to support your lessons with suggested resources to use:
In the first week, it’s important to avoid practices that slow children’s progress or overwhelm them. Steer clear of spending the whole lesson on worksheets and resist teaching letter names instead of sounds. The Pupil Books or Jolly Classroom worksheets are designed for consolidation in the Step 1 phase.
Finally, keep lessons lively and interactive, rather than sedentary or formal so children stay engaged and confident as they begin their phonics journey.
By the end of week 1, most children will already be showing early, encouraging signs of progress. They should begin to recognise a handful of taught sounds, use the matching actions with growing confidence, and hear initial sounds in simple words.
Check which taught sounds each pupil recalls, how they respond to the action or letter, and what they can show about formation. Where the required correspondences have been taught, check blending of a suitable word. Record what the pupil does independently and use it to decide what to revisit or support.
These small steps are exactly what you want at this stage, signs that the foundations are getting into place and you can securely move onto the other letter sounds.
Your first week teaching Jolly Phonics is the moment you step into a clear, confident rhythm with the programme. It’s a chance to truly familiarise yourself with the lesson plans and explore the resources that will support your teaching throughout the year.
You’ll also start to see how multisensory games can be woven into your planning, transforming early learning into something vivid, memorable, and joyful.
Use your observations to plan next week’s review and prepare the materials you need.
This first week isn’t just an introduction, it’s the foundation of your teaching story, and you’re already setting children up for success.