The Phonics Blog
Practical phonics articles for parents and teachers. Research-backed methods, age-by-age guides, free printables, and tried-at-home tips. 93 articles and counting.
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
What Is a Grapheme? Phoneme vs Grapheme Explained
The single most confused pair of terms in phonics, explained with the sh/ch/oo examples that make it click.
5 min read
Prefixes and Suffixes: A Phonics-First Approach
Un-, re-, dis-, -ful, -less, -ness change meaning, not just tense. How to teach kids to spot these chunks instead of sounding letter by letter.
7 min read
Plural Rules: -s, -es, -ies — Why Cats Isn't Spelled Catz
Three simple rules cover almost every plural in English: add -s, add -es after certain sounds, or swap y for -ies. Word lists and irregular exceptions.
6 min read
7 Phonics Mistakes Parents Make (and How to Fix Them)
From saying letter names instead of sounds to skipping blending practice — the most common home-teaching errors, fixed.
7 min read
Free Phonics Lesson Plan Template (5-Step Structure)
A printable 5-step lesson structure (review, teach, blend, read, write) any parent or tutor can reuse for any sound.
7 min read
How to Introduce Letter Sounds for the First Time
The exact first-session script for a child who has never done phonics — which sound to start with and how long to spend on it.
6 min read
Suffix Spelling Rules: -ing, -ed, -er Word Lists by Pattern
The 3 rules for how a base word changes when -ing, -ed, or -er is added — just add it, double the consonant, or drop the e — with word lists by pattern.
6 min read
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.