The Phonics Blog
Practical phonics articles for parents and teachers. Research-backed methods, age-by-age guides, free printables, and tried-at-home tips. 88 articles and counting.
How to Teach Irregular Words Without Rote Memorisation
Most 'tricky' words are only partially irregular — 80% of the letters follow phonics rules. The partial-alphabetic strategy that teaches them 4× faster than flashcard drills.
Best Free Phonics Resources in 2026: Tested by a Parent
Flashcard sets, decodable reader libraries, printable worksheets, and browser games — every free resource we've tested, ranked by quality and ease of use.
6 min readPhonics Curriculum Comparison: Jolly Phonics, Read Write Inc, SPIRE, and More
Side-by-side comparison of 6 popular phonics programs — sequence, pace, cost, and parent-friendliness. Which one fits your child's age, budget, and learning style?
9 min read
Best Phonics Apps in 2026: Tested and Ranked
What actually matters in a phonics app — native-voice audio, a systematic sequence, no ad pressure — and how the most popular options compare.
7 min readThe Schwa Sound: Why the Most Common English Vowel Has No Letter
The schwa (ə) appears in 1 in 4 English syllables yet it's never taught explicitly. What it is, why it makes spelling hard, and how to teach kids to recognize it.
6 min read
Thanksgiving Phonics Words and Activities for Early Readers
Turkey, pie, corn, feast — a seasonal word list sorted by pattern, plus 3 quick games that turn Thanksgiving vocabulary into real decoding practice.
5 min read
Halloween Phonics Activities: Spooky Words to Sound Out
Spider, ghost, witch, moon — a seasonal word list plus 4 no-prep games that turn Halloween vocabulary into real decoding practice.
5 min read
Phonics for 7-Year-Olds: Closing the Gap in Year 3
What's actually expected by 7, and the specific catch-up sequence for kids who missed pieces earlier.
7 min read
How to Teach Phonics on a Budget: Free and Low-Cost Tools
A curated stack of free/cheap tools (library decodables, printables, free apps) that covers a full phonics sequence without buying a curriculum box.
7 min read
How Long Should a Phonics Lesson Be at Home?
Session-length guidance by age, with signs your child has hit their attention ceiling for the day.
5 min read
Why Is My Child Guessing Words Instead of Sounding Out?
Guessing from pictures or first letters is a survival strategy, not laziness — the 4 common causes and fixes that rebuild sounding-out.
6 min read
My Child Confuses B and D — The 4-Step Fix
B/d reversal is common and normal. Why it happens, and the 4-step multisensory method that resolves it faster than repeated correction.
6 min read
Popular phonics resources
Teach phonics online — one short lesson a day
Sign in free and follow a plan that remembers where you are. Right here in your browser, on phone, tablet or computer — nothing to download.
- 92 step-by-step lessons, SATPIN first
- Big flashcards to show your child
- Games, checkpoints and progress for every sound
For little ones (2–6) there’s also our sound-play game on iPhone & iPad and Android.