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Jolly Phonics Experience Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Over 80 educators from across the region gathered in Colombo for an intensive ‘Jolly Phonics Experience Day’ aimed at enhancing early literacy instruction. The event, organized for local educational institutions, focused on equipping teachers with effective strategies to improve reading and writing skills among young learners. The objective was also to raise awareness of in-country Jolly Phonics resources that would be made available.

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Workshop Highlights

The Experience Day provided a comprehensive overview of the Jolly Phonics program, a systematic synthetic phonics approach designed to teach children the foundational skills of reading and writing.

Key components of the workshop included:

  • An Introduction to the 42 Letter Sounds: Participants engaged in interactive sessions to master the sounds and corresponding actions – facilitating multi-sensory learning in the classroom.
  • Blending and Segmenting Techniques: Educators learned methods to teach students how to blend sounds to form words and segment words into individual sounds, essential skills for reading and spelling.
  • Tricky Words Instruction: Strategies were discussed for teaching words with irregular spellings that do not follow standard phonetic patterns.
  • Classroom Implementation: The workshop offered practical advice on integrating Jolly Phonics into existing curricula, including lesson planning and resource utilization.

Local Adoption and Impact

Several educational institutions in Colombo have agreed to integrate Jolly Phonics into their teaching methodologies. For instance, Manha International School incorporates Jolly Phonics into their curriculum, observing notable improvements in students’ reading abilities.

Global Perspective

Jolly Phonics, developed by educators Sue Lloyd and Sara Wernham, is used in over 150 countries worldwide. The program’s child-centered approach and multi-sensory techniques have made it a preferred choice for educators aiming to build strong literacy foundations.

Upcoming Training Opportunities

Educators interested in Jolly Phonics can access various training options, including online courses and in-person workshops. These are designed to provide teachers with the necessary skills and resources to effectively implement phonics instruction in their classrooms.

The Experience Day was led by Jay Richardson, Kanthie Jayasekara and Zeenath Raees. For a visual overview of the Jolly Phonics Experience Day in Sri Lanka, take a look at our video:

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