Phonics is a key part of learning to read, but it can often be a struggle, especially when you’re teaching phonics at home. Whether your child is starting out with phonics and letters or is already reading, there are many ways to make the experience more fun and engaging. Monster Phonics is a unique way of making phonics easy to learn and remember, and we’re sharing tips we know you’ll find useful to teach phonics at home.
1. Play word matching games: Cut out pictures of common objects and write their names on a separate piece of paper. Have your child match the pictures to their corresponding names, and sound out the word as they do so. Use the cards you have created to play treasure hunts and target games.
2. Play with magnetic letters to make words: This can help your child practice their phonics skills and make learning fun. It can also remove the effort required to write words which can be helpful at the start of the learning journey.
Our magnetic letters kit is colour-coded and makes learning more memorable.
3. Create a word wall: Make a wall in your home dedicated to new words that your child has learned. Have them help you write the words, and encourage them to use the words in sentences.
4. Make word families: Cut out the letters of a word and have your child arrange them to make new words. For example, you could use the letters of the word “cake” to make words like “bake” and “take”. Use Monster Phonics colours to help your child recall spellings.
5. Use rhymes and songs: Rhymes and songs are a great way to help children learn phonics. They can make learning sound patterns fun and memorable. Try singing Monster Phonics songs – these include the most commonly used words for each spelling.
6. Reading is one of the most effective ways to help children develop their phonics skills. Choose decodable books that match your child’s reading level and encourage them to sound out words as they read. Our eBooks platform is used by parents around the world, access our entire library of exciting books on your device, anywhere, at any time!
Listen to a story time below, listening to stories helps your child expand their vocabulary and create a love of reading.
7. Use play-dough or salt-dough to build words in 3D! The letters can be moved around to make new words. Salt-dough can be cooked to harden and painted in Monster Phonics colours to show the sound.
8. Create storybooks with your child: Encourage your child to create their own storybook by illustrating and writing their own story. You can help them to spell new words and sound out unfamiliar ones.
Overall, the key to making phonics fun and engaging for children is to make it hands-on and interactive. By involving your child in the learning process and making it fun, you can help them develop a love for reading and writing, and set them up for success in the future.
We understand the importance of supporting phonics at home, as well as in schools. Find out more about how we support parents, download resources, sign up to our parent newsletter or watch a parent webinar today.